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oops.. forgot to post the tune

@cmgoodman1226 - brilliant mate, love the gated bass, percussion flows well, melodies fit nicely together, excellent as it is really!
@djcappa - thanks for the feedback, appreciate it, great track man, arrangement is top notchs so it flows well, id personally put a 909 clap and toned down 909 open hat over the top of that beat to give it more houseier feel! sounds like somethings gonna kick off end of that drop as well, builds the tension nicely

heres an updated version of the track i made before, only had an hour or two to spend on it, hopefully its been productive! listening back im gonna take out the reversed hihats out on the main drop after 16 bars!
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@lukeraith: The "eh" vocal is kinda odd, or maybe it's just me. I liked everything except that.
What can I say, the track is kinda strange, interesting, nice and really original at the same time.

@dj Cappa: I like how you made some space when it comes to stereo width, but the same beat goes on and on for too long IMO.

@mthrfnk: God bless ur music.

@DJCAPPA
Electro isn't my type of music but everything is put together great. Props man.

@LUKE
Very soothing intro, fuck this song is chilling out. I like it a lot brah.

I'm not very good at producing and I only do it every so often when I feel like it. I made this track today and I'm very satisfied at how it turned out.
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@resik
not massive on trap but this is real interesting, only thing im not feelin that much is the lead thin at like 0:52, maybe its just too loud

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this a private wip lookin for any pointers b4 i go ahead and finish it

The title explains it. Im working on a track with one of my m8s. Trying to go for a drumstep and Dnb sort of flow. To be honest ive never really written a track before and maybe made like two songs, With just copy catting a tutorial. Im at the stage now im happy with my sound design and i can make some nice sounds but far as composing goes im lost.

Its weird because i can listen to a song and imagine in my head what notes are being played and how this sound could have been designed if i tryed to recreate it and everything seems so simple but when i try to arrange something in my daw, I go blank...

This is it really have to do with my question but it sorta ties into my track. Ive written up a couple midi clips to share with my m8 in the collab and thought they were pretty musically sound but when i tried composing them in a track it sounds so up beat and corny . Its a very pleasant arrangement but its not the sound im looking for... Were writing the track in E minor and since its a drumstep and Dnb it should have a more dark and solid vibe. Im not quite sure how in the world I got such a up beat sound when im looking for more a dark and deeper sound.

Any production tips for arrangement of a song to make it sound more darker or less happy pappy?


Soundcloud

Icetickle wrote: @mthrfnk: God bless ur music.

lol

@resik surprising to here you dont produce much, some very interesting effects going on, really like the lead that comes in on rhythm at 0.48, only thing id maybe change is the piano, sounds out of key to me but apart from that great work!

@r3b general rule on this forum is to give feedback to receive it! if youre looking for a dark vibe that should come naturally when it comes to writing melodies, basslines the main key to it though, its youve got a bassline thats dark then the rest should follow. Try A minor thats an easy scale to start at, you can get some dark melodies from that too. Start with an A note and any of the white keys you add to it will fit!

Heres the final product of the tune i posted on it a few days ago!
Soundcloud

R3b_Official wrote:The title explains it. Im working on a track with one of my m8s. Trying to go for a drumstep and Dnb sort of flow. To be honest ive never really written a track before and maybe made like two songs, With just copy catting a tutorial. Im at the stage now im happy with my sound design and i can make some nice sounds but far as composing goes im lost.

Its weird because i can listen to a song and imagine in my head what notes are being played and how this sound could have been designed if i tryed to recreate it and everything seems so simple but when i try to arrange something in my daw, I go blank...

This is it really have to do with my question but it sorta ties into my track. Ive written up a couple midi clips to share with my m8 in the collab and thought they were pretty musically sound but when i tried composing them in a track it sounds so up beat and corny . Its a very pleasant arrangement but its not the sound im looking for... Were writing the track in E minor and since its a drumstep and Dnb it should have a more dark and solid vibe. Im not quite sure how in the world I got such a up beat sound when im looking for more a dark and deeper sound.

Any production tips for arrangement of a song to make it sound more darker or less happy pappy?


Soundcloud

try changing the chords

LukeRaith Nice jazzy piano intro you got there! I think the kick should be a little more punch for these vibes you got but other than that I like it a lot! Maybe some reverb for the percs (clap and hats) Nice vocal chopping too man I like the second half when it starts picking up pace, good work man.

R3b_Official I know you asked for feedback on the chords but I feel I should tell you I dont like the kick and snare you chose. But as far as chords go, definitely change them up for a more dark sound if thats what you desire. Just play around with the chords until you get the feel you want. Also you'd be surprised what changing the synth sound could do for the feel of the progression.

resik21 Really eerie vibes in the intro. Nice percussion you've got too. Not sure I like the vocals but ehh, make them a bit more upfront (a little less reverb too) to make them louder if you like them as they are. And nice use of the FL default vocal pack hahah I just realized what it was from. The saw synth at 0.50 is a bit too reverb'd and also it sounds like its just in the left stereo (not sure if thats how you wanted it)



It's an old song to remix, I know, but ehhh.
Soundcloud

FIrst time I've posted in hear so hope i'm doing it right lol

@LukeRaith This track is really fresh and original. The opening section with those reversed Rhodes pianos playing and reversed hats sounds so cool. Like someone said before, I maybe would've reworked the vocal samples a little bit. You have a kinda garage/2 step thing kinda going with your rhythms halfways which I'm loving, I would've tried to mix it up rhythmically with those vocal "Eh" samples. You did it briefly around the 3:00 mark with some delays, something like that and changing the pitch of the different Eh's. Try and create a little melody with those vocals. But I'm loving the vibe of the track, the subtle progressions and quality. Great work.

@gummi Naw man, don't avoid filth lol, that sounds FILTHY!!. So heavy and sludgy, it sounds awesome. You could say swampy, but I love the dark tone of this, very simple but its done very effectively. The only thing I would want to change is the overall mix, I'd love to hear this thing sounding a little more of the low end boosted and a more crispier sound overall so that it hits a little heavier. Some heavy reverb claps in there or something, but overall this track is so brooding and dark I love it.

@ mthrfnk I love this man. The melodies and synth leads going on in this are so great. That drop, OMFG, it's really some amazing shit. And that bumping sidechain you have going on between the kick and everything else is awesome, really essential to the track and adds a lot to the energy of the track. I pretty much love sidechaining in anything. Only I would probably say is adjusting the levels in your mix. Some things are sounding a lil too loud in the mix and overpowering, but thats just my ears. It may sound different to others. But this tracks is so well developed and constructed, I have nothing else but to say really awesome fuckin job!

@dj Cappa Aww shit, this is right up my alley. SOme kick as drum n bass going on here. Wasn't sure toward the beginning, but man when it kicked in, it was great. I like some parts of the track better than others thought. Like from about 45 sec till a minute an a half, I loved what was going on there, wish you woulda brought it back again for a few more bars. That was sounding like some old school jungle with your own twist to it, I was loving it. Anyways, I loved the originality and uniqueness of the track, really clean mix, great percussion, and nice synth work going on. Good job.


Anyways, here's my first track I'm posting on here. I put it on soundcloud a couple weeks back, so I decided I'd give it a shot here. It's a remix of a Brandy track called "Wanna Be Down." It's made with the vibes of UK Garage and 2-Step but then again I'm a dude from the Bronx, NYC so its got some other influences in there as well. I'm actually quite happy with the way it came out. Enjoy.

Soundcloud

Hey guys...I have a track I've been working on for a bit...here it is. I'm looking for feedback specifically in the mixing arena.
Soundcloud

Here's my feedback for others:
donsolo 328:
I like the rumblings and grittiness at the beginning
The beat + lyrics remind me a little bit of Burial
I think the mix down could be improved a bit; the vocals sound a bit buried at times; perhaps consider side-chaining clashing instruments a little bit to the vocals (sometimes this helps me with this problem); the wind-chime type effect could be quieter and play less often
The pad around 2:28 could maybe be an octave lower…this may help the vox stand out
Sometimes the beat gets repetitive; consider varying it up a bit more

dotcurrency:
I like the arp'ed sounding synth that comes in at the beginning with a low pass filter
I get what you're trying to do with having the kick hit at emphatic vocal points, but when it's just the kick and vox it sounds kinda cheesy to me
I think the high mid-range could be a bit clearer; try mixing some instruments a little different in this frequency range; maybe the snare quick snares are clashing a bit here

resik21:
I think you can afford to bring out the sub bass a bit more
Try moving the hihats around the stereo-field; maybe at the quick rolls you can have them pan side-to-side slightly
I've found that adding about 850 ms 80% wet reverb on hihats like the ones you're using can give them a more shuffling, trappy sound, if that's what you're interested in at all
I think the melodies of the keys and synth chords clash a bit; I like the chords

@Smalltock: I'm not a big fan of the intro synth - although it does work much better with the beat. I think it's because it's not a sound porn synth, it doesn't sound like it's played live and it doesn't have much (obvious) modulation. Any or all of that would help I think. When the drums first come in, I would maybe add another sound with some more obvious reverb or some subtle white noise to shape everything into the beat a little. Some low wet filter sweeps could also work. The wobble bass is a bit rumbly (~200Hz or something) for my tastes, but has a really nice concoction bubbling over feel to it - some subtle pan lfo automation could enhace this?

@Gummi: Not too sure what to say here... beautiful bass sound, good mix (although the clock ticking (?) off the beat in the second drop could come down in volume or up in frequency a little). The lead synth could maybe do with the next octave up mixed in for the intro and first drop, but it works well the way it's used in the second drop! I'd definately play this out if it fitted the rest of the set.

@Mthrfnk: A poppy sound for my taste, but really well constructed. I find the highs of the synth physically painful if I listen at a nice volume for the drums and bass, and the headphones I'm using have a slight roll off over 10kHz. I'm interested to know if this is my ears/me being weird or if other people get the same thing.

I would be tempted to take this in two directions. With a (standard-esque) vocal, it will sound like the standard pop around at the moment with the occasional interesting touch. (This is a compiment, even if my personal disdain for the genre makes it sound harsh!) So personally, I would do another version (a VIP instrumental if you will) loaded up with all the edits to the point it wouldn't make a good vocal track any more. Then, take it further! The djs now have a floor filler for mainstream crowds and a complex housish track for the heads. And both for anywhere in between.

@Resik21: I really like this! The mix needs work obviously, it all sounds a bit monolithic at the moment. I don't know if whatever mixing/mastering you've done so far was aiming at a natural, all in one room sound, but with every element given it's own space this will sound brilliant. Especially with the glitchy sounds panned out, and pan automation on the lead synth during the edit-y bits. Maybe a few different reverbs on sends to create the effect of different elements coming from different rooms?

My WIPS
My first attempt at dubstep. I was aiming for an older trolley snatcha and J:Kenzo album type vibe with a more obvious breaks influence. The mix needs loads of work, particularly in the "ravey" section at the end.
Soundcloud

The first two tracks of a planned EP in the style. The piano in the first part will be re-written (to be good) and recorded live - the only reason the piano is there is to demonstrate the feel and modulation I'd be using on the recorded piano parts.
Soundcloud

@lukeraith i checked the version you posted earlier and the most recent and really dig the progress. the intro has a cool vibe to it. the only thing i have to say is the reveresed cymbal is missing kinda an 'ebb and flow' to it... i personally think it just needs some sort of progression or something... but overall i like where youre going with the track

@6exx I really dig the percussion/bells, thats what first caught my attention, the build up was unique but i felt like it stood out differently from the rest, it just felt a bit in cohesive

@mistercrow that intro is dope as hell. Has a grimey like video game feel to it, i dont really know how to explain it, but i love it. For a mix that 'needs loads of work' im interested to see where you take it.


Heres a few ive been working on. Ive never posted anything on this forum, so here goes nothing, hope a few of you dudes enjoy.



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Soundcloud

@lukeraith:
i really dig the melody at the beginning and the sound you used. what is that, a reversed pad of some sort? sounds really nice, i'm assuming it has a hpf making it very soft and the modulation adds to it nicely. when the bass comes in, it adds a nice dancey/harder feel but fits well because you didn't make the bass too aggressive, well done it really goes well with the song. i like that rhodes u got in there too, i can't put my finger on what it is you did to it but it sounds real good, reversed that too? i'm taking a wild guess lol. i do have to agree with icetickle cuz i share his opinion that the male "eh" vocal doesn't really seem to go with the song. it's not the fact that he's saying "eh", i think the reason it doesn't jive with it well (just my opinion) is because of his voice. maybe if you pitched it up to near chipmunk voice, then lowered the volume on it so it's more in the background rather than the foreground. i think it's just the specific timbre of the guy's voice that's to blame cuz the female vocals sound great with it. if pitching it up doesn't do the trick then maybe try a different vocal sample, like a girl going "eh" j/k. for putting something else in that "eh" place i'd definitely use vocals from a person that's different from the female who did the other vocals, the ones that sound nice. even if you put female vocals where the male "eh" sample is, just make sure it's a different-sounding female voice. that way it stands apart as its own thing rather than sounding like the current female vocals you have. i'm just afraid if you use the same female's vocals to replace the "eh" that it'll make the current female vocals you have in place sound messy and confusing, so def use a different voice there. at least that's my 2 cents. great work man, mellow but bouncey vibe i really dig it. and the whole "eh" part is really a nit-picky critique cuz i got nothing else for you but compliments.

@dotcurrency:
like the reply on your soundcloud says, i definitely got a danny byrd vibe from it at moments too. it sounds real good. the half-step phase and overall arrangement gives the track a real nice flow of chill and energy.

@dj cappa:
nice chord progression in the 2nd half and i like the sound u used for it too, very catchy and i can't wait to hear what it will build to once you finish it. the 1st half is a great contrast for the 2nd half, i definitely didn't see the 2nd half coming, flipped the script i like it! the only critique i have is a small one, at the very beginning. you have a midrange bass sound that has 2 quick notes at the end of every bar or maybe beginning of every bar, something like that. anyway i like the idea you have there but the sound itself seems really flat. i know you're not going for an immensely powerful-sounding midrange because it seems like u used it as an extra layer to spice things up a bit. but i'd probably go with something more along the lines of a sound like the midrange bass in "andy moor - in your arms" it's not too much different than the style of sound you're using now. anyway just tossing out ideas to try to be helpful. great work, really. i can't wait to hear the 2nd half.

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i've been wanting to take a stab at liquid dnb for awhile, especially since i listen to alot of it and back n the pre-liquid days was all about the atmospheric dnb. my usual style is dnb with a strong trance or progressive house influence so this is quite a bit different. i'm sort of torn with which way to take the song at the moment. right now it's mainly 4-5 layers of modulated sounds that all come together to create the ambience/atmosphere i was looking for. so since they're all sweepy, atmospheric sounds, the melody isn't well defined, which is fine because it's not supposed to be. but for the time being i threw a really quiet plucky lead, it's just loud enough so the lead melody is defined so u can hear the melodic structure instead of just sweepy/glassy modulated sounds over drums. i have the atmospheric vibe pretty close to done, the midrange is in there courtesy of the wobble bass u hear when the drums come in, but i need to decide on a good lead or lead/counter because that will really define the song and change it drastically. i've spent the past week with many sleepless nights, just dicking around on a virus ti coming up with random sounds in hopes that i'll eventually make something that would go well as the lead. here's what i got so far, any input is appeciated

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@djdizzy I really like that bassline. song is well on its way to being something nice. But isnt this the dubstep forums not dnb.

@dearadamantium I like the 2nd song the most but maybe work on making some of these bass patches sound more define maybe its the mixdown idk.

@mistercrow I think i like your dubstep song the most on this page let me know when you finish it.


Soundcloud
Here is my track little mixdown done and i wanna add some more effects but id like to see what people think.

tripwire22 wrote:@djdizzy I really like that bassline. song is well on its way to being something nice. But isnt this the dubstep forums not dnb.

thanks for the feedback! yeah i know it's a dubstep forum and not "dubstep-plus-dnb-forum.com", i don't post often and usually just read. i'm familiar with a lot of the regular posters here from reading their posts for so long, so i know there's a big percentage of ppl here who really know wtf they're talking about. i've made some dubstep in the past and didn't used to post my dnb songs on here cuz like u said it's supposedly to be dubstep and its subgenres only. but i've noticed a ton of u guys dabble in dnb quite a bit too. a lot of what's discussed from a production standpoint is knowledge that can be translated directly from one genre to another. ie: liquid dnb to chillstep, techstep to brostep... wait, no that last one doesn't work j/k. even though i consider dubstep to be something like the offspring of dnb and 2-step with a dash of new creativity, i wouldn't post dnb tracks up here if i hadn't seen other members do it without batting an eye. granted they were more active members and dubstep was their forte whereas dnb is mine and dubstep is just something on the side for fun. if u guys don't want it on ur board then just say the word and i'll respectfully to an end to it. but my main reason for posting here is because a lot of creativity and technical knowledge is on this forum, ppl i'd love to get feedback from. if it were house or happy hardcore i wouldn't dream of posting my songs up here. i just assumed since others do it from time to time and since dnb/dubstep share very similar technicalities, i didn't think anyone would really mind unless i did it all the time.

anyway, moving on... to the WIP u posted. i think what impressed me the most was how u fused everything together, the song gels beautifully. what i mean by that is when i first listen to it, to me it sounded like u gathered inspiration from a lot of music that really doesn't go together typically and i've never heard anyone make a song that had these particular vibes in the same song. for all i know i may be way off base and u put the song together without inspiration from other genres. but when i hear the song, the bass that comes in at 0:29-0:30 sounds like psyambient-style bass, aside from that the beginning feels like one of hallucinogen's old psyambient songs like 50+ seconds into "lsd (world sheet of closed strings mix)". the comparison might sound like a stretch at first cuz the sounds/melodies/tempo/drums/etc are different but IMO they capture that vibe that i only really hear in good psyambient songs. hallucinogen was way before shpongle, it might be before most of ur guys' time. anyway back to ur song: then as the song progresses it still has that underlaying psyambient bouncey-type vibe but starts to sound like it has a small hint of ragga during a couple phases like around 1:30. then around 1:55 it sounds like you took a tiny clip of some vocals and straight rinsed the shit outta them until it suited ur needs then you have that other effect come in and i'll just say that particular phase was one i'd like to hear sometime when i'm trippin. really clever use of effects. on paper, those descriptions sound like in no way would they mesh and flow well together but ur song flows really well. u have a really unique style i gotta say. then the 2nd half u have those elements going at once (or at least a representative of each prior phase it seems like), everything slowly comes together and gels the whole way through. a lot of people who decide to go heavy on the fx in a song of theirs end up making the fx too loud, at least IMO. they all seem at the right amplitude in ur song. they jump out enough to be noticeable alongside the other layers of the song instead of jumping out and grabbing the listener's attention on the fx more-so than the song itself. anyway, nice one

@tripwire22 a little loud.. bass too low! Fix that and you got a banger!
@djdrizzy really liking the intro.. not too familiar with the sound, but it's a real good start forsure.
@mistercrow I like that shit a lot.. a couple tweaks and this thing is fire. Real good.. the ending,,,fuk

Soundcloud
I just hate vocals.. Whats missing? btw vocal arrangement is sort of thrown together.. but sounds nice.. idk help

@DjDizzy: I really like Liquid DnB, so I'm a little biased, but that intro is really chill.

@Mistercrow: Really solid intro, some backgound stuff seems a bit muddy.

@Tripwire22: Really digging that ambience, definetly need more bass though.

https://soundcloud.com/azuk-1/crimson-wip-2
A track I'm working on, planning for 8 drops.