Want WIP Feedback? Send Your Song My Way and I'll Review!

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

Brony Musicians or aspiring musicians, hey buddies!

 

Hi, I'm Carbon Maestro, musician and freelance composer, and I've opened up this read as the public place where you can share with me your WIP or finished song, and I'll tell you on whether I like it and tips on how to improve. I'm personally an orchestral musician, but I pretty much use synthesized instruments to sound orchestral, and I have a pretty comprehensive knowledge on most mixes and masters.

 

I review every genre, and I'm more than willing to help you out with a direction to go to for your music endeavors. I've played cello for a decade and have taken quite a decent number of music theory courses, so if you want my tips for your song, I'll answer via this thread.

 

Rules:

 

1. Please embed with youtube or pony.fm or soundcloud. It would be appreciated. No download links to your WIP, please.

 

2. I'll allow a song post, followed by a single response to my post. I won't answer the second response post from you, unfortunately. This is so that I don't flood the topic, and if you want more feedback, message me in private.

 

FAQ:

Q: Minimum Song/WIP Length?

A: You should have at least 3 minutes or a completed song before getting it checked out by me. Not to be picky, but I'm not inclined to review 30 seconds of content and give my opinion if the song hasn't "moved" yet. Plus, I can get an idea of the mood and content of the song and give a better opinion.

 

Q: Will you review non-brony music?

A: Sorry, but considering that this is MLP Forums, Brony music will always have priority.

 

Q: Will you review Metal, Dubstep, Rap?

A: Of course I will. I can review any genre. I have some knowledge in those genres that I know can help you out. Of course, for each song, these specifics will vary and I'm okay reviewing them case-by case.

 

Q: How long will it be before you leave a response to my submission?

A: It depends, and I'm inclined not to answer some in public if it isn't "suitable." Usually I'll add one whenever I'm online.

 

Q: Will you review completed songs?

A: Oh yes, I can review completed songs. That's no problem. I'm fine with listening to completed songs, although you can expect a lot of critiques and tips on how to improve, even for those. Don't be afraid though, I'm sure I have something to say that could help you.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Carbon Maestro

[Reuel(Crystal Slave) 287]

Brony Musicians or aspiring musicians, hey buddies!

 

Hi, I'm Carbon Maestro, musician and freelance composer, and I've opened up this read as the public place where you can share with me your WIP or finished song, and I'll tell you on whether I like it and tips on how to improve. I'm personally an orchestral musician, but I pretty much use synthesized instruments to sound orchestral, and I have a pretty comprehensive knowledge on most mixes and masters.

 

I review every genre, and I'm more than willing to help you out with a direction to go to for your music endeavors. I've played cello for a decade and have taken quite a decent number of music theory courses, so if you want my tips for your song, I guarantee I'll answer via this thread.

 

Rules:

 

1. Please embed with youtube or pony.fm or soundcloud. It would be appreciated. No download links to your WIP, please.

 

2. I'll allow a song post, followed by a single response to my post. I won't answer the second response post from you, unfortunately. This is so that I don't flood the topic, and if you want more feedback, message me in private.

 

FAQ:

Q: Will you review Metal, Dubstep, Rap?

A: Of course I will. I have some knowledge in those genres that I know can help you out. Of course, for each song, these specifics will vary and I'm okay reviewing them case-by case.

 

Q: How long will it be before you leave a response to my submission?

A: It depends, usually I'll add one whenever I'm online.

 

Would you mind reviewing completed songs as well? I'd definitely appreciate your advice on my music as I'm a big fan of yours, but I don't often post WIPS; when I'm writing a song I usually just go for it then post it. Either way, you can expect me to post in this thread in the future. Incidentally, I was working on a metal song a couple days ago which I haven't yet finished or released...

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

 

 

Would you mind reviewing completed songs as well? I'd definitely appreciate your advice on my music as I'm a big fan of yours, but I don't often post WIPS

 

Oh yes, I can review completed songs. That's no problem. I'm fine with listening to completed songs, although you can expect a lot of critiques and tips on how to improve, even for those. Don't be afraid though, I'm sure I have something to say that could help you.

[Reuel(Crystal Slave) 287]

Oh yes, I can review completed songs. That's no problem. I'm fine with listening to completed songs, although you can expect a lot of critiques and tips on how to improve, even for those. Don't be afraid though, I'm sure I have something to say that could help you.

 

Alright, I'll take you up on that! This is my most recent song. The context behind it is that I wanted to capture both Pinkie's hyperactive personality and a darker side of her that she has to fight off and hide. You can read more about it in the description. I'd love your feedback/critique, and suggestions on how to make my future songs better.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vppTI1Y_N40

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

Alright, I'll take you up on that! This is my most recent song. The context behind it is that I wanted to capture both Pinkie's hyperactive personality and a darker side of her that she has to fight off and hide. You can read more about it in the description. I'd love your feedback/critique, and suggestions on how to make my future songs better.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vppTI1Y_N40

All righty, here goes. Prepare for some review.

 

0:00 - 0:36 Synth Harmonies, Hats, Piano, Bouncy Sound Samples.

Sounds like Pinkie!

 

0:36-1:13

1. This part carries on with a lighter feeling than the tone set in the first 30 seconds. I think it should be the feeling should be the other way around, that you should probably start softer for the first 30 seconds, and then buildup to a strong verse.
2. The kicks could be compressed more in a way that is has a stronger bass, I think it is a bit too much treble with the backing chords.
3. The melody enforced with the choir is decent, however you might want to be careful on repeating yourself too many times. Octaves work great, but avoid repeating yourself with the same progression later on in the song.
4. Personally, for Pinkie I think a more lighthearted synth with less long notes suits her better.

1:13-1:43

1. Oh, nice slow part. A greater variety with the chords would improve it more.

1:43-2:10

1. Where is the song going? Oh, it repeats. Sometimes this is alright. But careful with repeats when it parrots exactly in the manner of the first part. Which, oh. Yes, you'll want the second half to have some noticeable differences compared to the first, but not too much that it leaves the song unrecognizable.

Now after listening to it a few times it has a strong start that most definitely fits Pinkie and her dual persona. It has that outgoingness that you'd expect, and has a fair kick with a piano backing to it.

 

Pros:

• Kicks
• Piano
• Fits the theme nicely.

Now for the instrumentation for the melody, the synth used is questionable, and although the dirty, raspy melodic sound appears "fine," in the long run it's just has too much distortion for me. The dirty synths sound better to me when making brass sounds, or more for the "in your face" tones. Otherwise, if it drags out too long, it can add to the repetition. Switch in and out between a clean synth, such as one with a square wave or softer sounding instruments.

 

I also have to mention that the first half sounds nearly exactly like the second half (Basically, it's repetitious). Songs are like pieces or art; they are used to tell a story, and the listener should be able to get something out of the song. You can do this by starting softly, and building up, or you can start strong, get through several soft and loud combinations, and unleash everything, or as a third option, change up the instruments.

 

Now with instrumentals, you can't cover anything up with vocals, as vocals are an easy and cheap way to hide repetition, so for instrumentals, avoid repeating your parts for more than 32 bars if possible.

 

And lastly, the key sounds like a minor song. Which may be alright, but considering that the song's trying to set a happy setting, perhaps changing the key to major would fit Pinkie better. Although this is my weakest point, I'm not sure if the key would fit considering that there's that slow part in the middle, which I'm not sure what that part's for. Pinkie's lament? That's debatable though

 

Cons:

• Melody instrumentation
• Repetition
• Minor Key?

 

Overall, there's a lot of room for improvement, but if I could say one things that's good, it was the slow part. Although short, I enjoyed the instrumentation of it more-so than the rest of the song. Keep it up, and take these tips to heart.

 

-CM

[Reuel(Crystal Slave) 287]

All righty, here goes. Prepare for some review.

 

0:00 - 0:36 Synth Harmonies, Hats, Piano, Bouncy Sound Samples.

Sounds like Pinkie!

 

0:36-1:13

1. This part carries on with a lighter feeling than the tone set in the first 30 seconds. I think it should be the feeling should be the other way around, that you should probably start softer for the first 30 seconds, and then buildup to a strong verse.
2. The kicks could be compressed more in a way that is has a stronger bass, I think it is a bit too much treble with the backing chords.
3. The melody enforced with the choir is decent, however you might want to be careful on repeating yourself too many times. Octaves work great, but avoid repeating yourself with the same progression later on in the song.
4. Personally, for Pinkie I think a more lighthearted synth with less long notes suits her better.

1:13-1:43

1. Oh, nice slow part. A greater variety with the chords would improve it more.

1:43-2:10

1. Where is the song going? Oh, it repeats. Sometimes this is alright. But careful with repeats when it parrots exactly in the manner of the first part. Which, oh. Yes, you'll want the second half to have some noticeable differences compared to the first, but not too much that it leaves the song unrecognizable.

Now after listening to it a few times it has a strong start that most definitely fits Pinkie and her dual persona. It has that outgoingness that you'd expect, and has a fair kick with a piano backing to it.

 

Pros:

• Kicks
• Piano
• Fits the theme nicely.

Now for the instrumentation for the melody, the synth used is questionable, and although the dirty, raspy melodic sound appears "fine," in the long run it's just has too much distortion for me. The dirty synths sound better to me when making brass sounds, or more for the "in your face" tones. Otherwise, if it drags out too long, it can add to the repetition. Switch in and out between a clean synth, such as one with a square wave or softer sounding instruments.

 

I also have to mention that the first half sounds nearly exactly like the second half (Basically, it's repetitious). Songs are like pieces or art; they are used to tell a story, and the listener should be able to get something out of the song. You can do this by starting softly, and building up, or you can start strong, get through several soft and loud combinations, and unleash everything, or as a third option, change up the instruments.

 

Now with instrumentals, you can't cover anything up with vocals, as vocals are an easy and cheap way to hide repetition, so for instrumentals, avoid repeating your parts for more than 32 bars if possible.

 

And lastly, the key sounds like a minor song. Which may be alright, but considering that the song's trying to set a happy setting, perhaps changing the key to major would fit Pinkie better. Although this is my weakest point, I'm not sure if the key would fit considering that there's that slow part in the middle, which I'm not sure what that part's for. Pinkie's lament? That's debatable though

 

Cons:

• Melody instrumentation
• Repetition
• Minor Key?

 

Overall, there's a lot of room for improvement, but if I could say one things that's good, it was the slow part. Although short, I enjoyed the instrumentation of it more-so than the rest of the song. Keep it up, and take these tips to heart.

 

-CM

 

Thanks so much for all the critique. There was A LOT that you noticed which I never would have. I guess repetition is something I've been pretty guilty of, and I could definitely benefit from giving my songs a more definite "direction."

 

Your advice on the synths and other nuances was really helpful as well. I will definitely try adding compression on the kicks as well. I've become way better at mixing over time, but I've always considered drums a weak point. I can also see how the initial bass was a little too dirty or harsh for the overall mood, and it would've been interesting to build into a strong verse more slowly like you said.

 

And yeah, when writing this song, I didn't bother to figure out what key I was in; I just went by ear. The piano does sound minor, but I liked the melody I had with the bass instruments so I didn't try to change that.

 

Anyway, I'll keep referring back to this while working on my future stuff. For what it's worth, I will do my best to impress you with my next song.   The advice you gave will definitely be a HUGE help. Your perspective brings a lot of clarity as to what I need to improve.

 

Well, it usually takes anywhere from a day to a week to make a song, so expect to hear from me again soon! I'd love to keep getting your feedback.

[Leavinh 313]

Would you mind reviewing my song?

I've done Chiptune covers before, but this is the first time I've attempted something original. Basically I tried to capture a "wintery" sound that is somewhat ambient but happy before the crescendo at the end where everything kind of erupts.

This is pretty much the completed song, the only thing I'm thinking about doing is adding a guitar part.

I'd appreciate any feedback you have!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb-Njmx4c1w

 

 

[Megabyte 2]

Here is my original tune, not pony related that is pretty much finished. If you could give me some feedback that'd be great!

 

Thanks

 

https://pony.fm/t801

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

Would you mind reviewing my song?

I've done Chiptune covers before, but this is the first time I've attempted something original. Basically I tried to capture a "wintery" sound that is somewhat ambient but happy before the crescendo at the end where everything kind of erupts.

This is pretty much the completed song, the only thing I'm thinking about doing is adding a guitar part.

I'd appreciate any feedback you have!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb-Njmx4c1w

 

Ah let's see. Oh, a Chiptune! Prepare for some heavy critiques!

 

The best part of the song is 2:33-2:59. Some more of this, please, primarily due to the melodies.

 

Okay, the first problem I noticed is the repetition in the beginning is a bit dragged for too long. You'll want to short that intro to no more than 4 bars, and start with the mid-range low chords right away instead of dragging it out for an extra 30 seconds.

 

Secondly, because chiptunes often have only a few instruments and sounds to go off of, you'll want the most diverse set of sounds possible. Chiptunes are best when there are strong, defining melodies coupled with a kick and snare sequence that compliments it. But in chiptunes you want to diversify your drum sequences you want to use, as melodies are what define a good chip-tune.

 

Use many different drum sequences, and if you want a video-gamey chiptune feel, make catchy melodies.

 

And lastly, while this song would probably be better as a pop-ish song, chiptunes aren't really suited for appeggios or ambient music. If you listen closely, even the soft, ambient songs in pokemon have very defining moments that change. It's like a Fluttershy rap, which isn't impossible, but it's strange and if it falls short, it might not be suitable.

 

Check out Rainbow Crash, who makes even repetitive songs have a very original video-gamey feel because of the following:

+Diverse Use of Melodies/Octaves

+Sparingly uses snares, uses mostly kicks

+Many different drum sequences unique only to the set.

 

What I do think though that you do fine is capturing the wintery mood, which is always good when the musician correctly identifies a song with the topic, and I know way too many musicians who miss the mark, but there's a ton you can improve on.

 

For a 3 minute song, have about 4-7 different drum sequences, and be prepared to have no drum sequences in your chiptune. I think there's too much drums in your song.

 

And use some more diverse instruments for your melodies. This will keep your song moving. Like the part in 2:33-2:59, which definitely stood out for me as the best part of your song because it has melodies! The song will improve a lot if you think more carefully about the melodies.

 

Overall, I think you can use these tips to help your chiptune, and don't slack off on the melodies! It has a lot of potential of being improved so take this and hopefully the honest critique helps.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Carbon Maestro

[Atomic Brony 9]

 

Could you listen to this and tell me if you like it and what I could improve?

 

I would help me a lot if you did. I'm a musician and I'm only starting out. I'd be great to have some helpful suggestions on what I can improve with my music.

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

 

Could you listen to this and tell me if you like it and what I could improve?

 

I would help me a lot if you did. I'm a musician and I'm only starting out. I'd be great to have some helpful suggestions on what I can improve with my music.

 

Okay well, let me keep this short and informative.

 

It seems like you need help on drums and song structure, so I'm going to go into a bit of these two and send you off.

 

First, when you use listen to songs, listen for the drum patterns. Copy it. Try it yourself.  A kick gives a "deep, bass sound" that usually starts a beat. A snare gives a higher drum sound, but don't mix these two together.

 

For this song, get rid of the triplet kicks. These are quite distracting and good songs would never use triplet kicks.

 

Instead, try a "Kick" "Snare" "Kick-Kick" Snare" combination. This is really basic, but please try it out anyways. This step usually requires trial and error. And if you're more adventurous, try out different kick-snare combinations, and if you're starting out, ALWAYS START THE FIRST BEAT WITH A KICK, then follow up with a snare or kick combination for the rest of the measure.

It'll help build the foundation of your percussion.

 

Second, the chords. It sounds like there's only 4 chords playing throughout the entire 5 minutes of the song. I stopped after 2:00 to tell you this.

 

Try this chord sequence: First, use a 4 chord sequence twice, followed by a brand new 4 chord sequence four times, then a 4 chord sequence twice, and a 8 chord ending. This is the basis of a "Pop" song for the genre Pop. It's also a fairly basic but effective musical structure to build your song off of.

 

Right now you have your kick, snares, and hats all over the place. Hats are used to define a change in the chord sequence but can also complement the kick, but use it sparingly or else it tends to be a nuisance than a help.

 

That's some basic stuff, but concentrate on the kick-snare combinations and diversify your chords, you can evoke a lot more emotion when you have more chords to work with! Start with a 4 chord sequence, repeat no more than once, then move onto another 4 chord sequence, repeat no more than once, then another 4 chord sequence, etc.

 

That is the basics of songwriting.

[Atomic Brony 9]

Okay well, let me keep this short and informative.

 

It seems like you need help on drums and song structure, so I'm going to go into a bit of these two and send you off.

 

First, when you use listen to songs, listen for the drum patterns. Copy it. Try it yourself.  A kick gives a "deep, bass sound" that usually starts a beat. A snare gives a higher drum sound, but don't mix these two together.

 

For this song, get rid of the triplet kicks. These are quite distracting and good songs would never use triplet kicks.

 

Instead, try a "Kick" "Snare" "Kick-Kick" Snare" combination. This is really basic, but please try it out anyways. This step usually requires trial and error. And if you're more adventurous, try out different kick-snare combinations, and if you're starting out, ALWAYS START THE FIRST BEAT WITH A KICK, then follow up with a snare or kick combination for the rest of the measure.

It'll help build the foundation of your percussion.

 

Second, the chords. It sounds like there's only 4 chords playing throughout the entire 5 minutes of the song. I stopped after 2:00 to tell you this.

 

Try this chord sequence: First, use a 4 chord sequence twice, followed by a brand new 4 chord sequence four times, then a 4 chord sequence twice, and a 8 chord ending. This is the basis of a "Pop" song for the genre Pop. It's also a fairly basic but effective musical structure to build your song off of.

 

Right now you have your kick, snares, and hats all over the place. Hats are used to define a change in the chord sequence but can also complement the kick, but use it sparingly or else it tends to be a nuisance than a help.

 

That's some basic stuff, but concentrate on the kick-snare combinations and diversify your chords, you can evoke a lot more emotion when you have more chords to work with! Start with a 4 chord sequence, repeat no more than once, then move onto another 4 chord sequence, repeat no more than once, then another 4 chord sequence, etc.

 

That is the basics of songwriting.

Thank you for the feedback. I edited the remix and used what I read from your post. I would like to know if this is any better.

 

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

Thank you for the feedback. I edited the remix and used what I read from your post. I would like to know if this is any better.

 

 

 

Ah so much better!!!!

 

Now there's still a lot of work to do. First, try to use a different drum sequence everytime the melody "sings."  An idea is to have the drum sequence have the kicks on the beat of the song, for that any kicks offbeat of the vocals sound "awkward."

 

The kick and snare is still basic, but you're definitely getting the idea. Now you can add soft pads and other soft instruments to complement the song. And for the piano, add more notes to it! Use some counter harmonies if you could come up with any, and be creative!

 

You have no idea, but this is much, much better than the first time. Awesome job so far, and there's a huge improvement in getting basic drums correct.

[Megabyte 2]

was mine overlooked? Just wondering because you didn't give me any feedback yet. Sorry for bugging you if you did so on purpose.

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

was mine overlooked? Just wondering because you didn't give me any feedback yet. Sorry for bugging you if you did so on purpose.

 

Sorry for the lack of response, but for the sake time purposes, brony music only. It's in the Q&A as well.

 

 

Q: Will you review non-brony music? A: Sorry, but considering that this is MLP Forums, Brony music will always have priority.

 

Yep, I have to reclarify that out. Thanks anyways!

[Lord Bloodpool 3]

This isn't exactly a request for a review, but I thought I might as well ask anyway.

 

Anyway, I've been thinking about getting into creating some "brony music" for a while now. I've listened to a lot of of your music, and it's inspired me to try to create my own. I've always been a fan of Orchestral/Classical pieces, and I've always wanted to compose some myself. Do you have any tips for someone starting out in that genre? Secondly, can you recommend any particular programs to start out with? Free ones, preferably. 

[Reuel(Crystal Slave) 287]

Hey again! I just started this song this morning, and I'd love your advice so far. It's quite rough because of how little time I've spent on it, but you'll get the idea!

 

Click this link.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Crystal Slave

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

This isn't exactly a request for a review, but I thought I might as well ask anyway.

 

Anyway, I've been thinking about getting into creating some "brony music" for a while now. I've listened to a lot of of your music, and it's inspired me to try to create my own. I've always been a fan of Orchestral/Classical pieces, and I've always wanted to compose some myself. Do you have any tips for someone starting out in that genre? Secondly, can you recommend any particular programs to start out with? Free ones, preferably. 

High end orchestral/trailer music is one of the toughest things for a composer to produce. The music is deceptively simple, with relatively uncomplicated harmony and melodies, but to keep it fresh and not outdated, a composer needs to find ways to use basic musical building blocks in a way that isn't cliched or dated. In addition to that challenge, the level of expectation for the 'sound' or production value of trailer music is huge, you could argue that trailer music has to sound as good or better than blockbuster film music. Less than half of the work that goes into producing trailer music is composition, the rest is making the music sound fresh, huge and real. It's an entirely different skill set to purely writing music, but just as important.

Because of these high expectations, I still consider myself vastly inferior in these traits, as getting original, epic orchestral music is extremely difficult.

I would suggest to a beginner composer, to set their sights a little lower for a while. What's important is that you write a little something every day, finish what you start, and constantly compare your music and production value to similar work by established composers.

Writing for companies that supply music for TV shows and commercials would be a great start. Most libraries will take your music, but won't pay upfront, while a few still do (your music has to be valuable to them though). If you don't have film projects, write when you don't have to. It will pay off in the long run - your future self (and family) will thank you.

I use only 5 libraries, but keep in mind that the professionals have hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment. I'd start familiarizing yourself with a DAW first before going into orchestral, know your DAW, whether it's FL or Cubase or Logic, and find it's limits and drawbacks.

I really have no recommendation for libraries, but always start out with the Kontakt factory library to get the basics started. Too many musicians go into orchestral and forget to use some obvious fundamentals, such as basic melodies (Yes, some orchestral composers I know forget that) and chord progressions. I'd start out with learning chord progressions, which will make compositions a lot more refined.

 

Once you think your production skills are ready for trailers, compare yourself to the established guys (TSFH, Mark Petrie, Immediate Music etc) and if you're certain your stuff stands up to theirs, go for it! (This step may never occur, even for me)

 

@, Oh, could you go lengthen your song? I don't think it's productive if I just review 8 chords and nitpick from there. Also, could you use a different medium than mediafire (like soundcloud or pony.fm)? It'll be a lot easier to listen on mobile phone. Thank you.

[Reuel(Crystal Slave) 287]

Okay, well I'm putting the rap song on hold for a second, but I finished a new song (mostly because I couldn't sleep last night). It's short but sweet, and since it's my first legit orchestral attempt I'd love your feedback.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27tqcUikJ6w

[Atomic Brony 9]

I have a question for you, Carbon Maestro.

 

 

Is there a certain structure that orchestral and classical music follow? If they are different, could you tell me both of them?

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

I have a question for you, Carbon Maestro.

 

 

Is there a certain structure that orchestral and classical music follow? If they are different, could you tell me both of them?

There are two different types, yes.

One's the traditional classical music that's very well known in Mozart, Rachmaninoff, and Wagner.

 

The other is orchestral music, which is heavily used in movie trailers and slideshows.

 

Regardless, both are really difficult to master, and structures are really varied for the classical music genre.

 

Orchestral music is deceptively simple, they have easy chord progressions but I see way too many musicians being too repetitive and dull. It took be a decade of musicianship to get to where I am now, even with the one year of composing.

 

I would compose easier classical music to get the theory correct, otherwise you'll end up being a derivative of yourself, which is not a good thing.

 

Okay, well I'm putting the rap song on hold for a second, but I finished a new song (mostly because I couldn't sleep last night). It's short but sweet, and since it's my first legit orchestral attempt I'd love your feedback.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27tqcUikJ6w

 

Not bad, not bad. I like the orchestral genre. Sounds like somepony's restless, in addition to the title, "Sleepless."

 

Sounds like the strings are a bit late of the beat. Moving them forward a notch should fix it. This is a known issue in legato strings.

 

Now it sounds like a good beginning, but what you could do is add high strings and EQ the cellos in such a way that they are heard from the right, and the bells are heard from the left.

 

The piano low chords are a bit hard for my ears, I think they could be turned down several notches and could go with a contrabass. I don't think piano could make a good bass feel by itself. It's not "low" sounding enough. Contrabass legatos going on downbeats or bass drums.

 

Again, the high strings sound a bit late.

 

So far, that'll take care of the major problems. For the secondary, such as dealing with the length of the song, perhaps a slow part somewhere in the middle without any bass parts, then added later?

 

I personally think it's alright, it passes as an orchestral, but nothing really stands out to be from it due to the short length and overpowering bass piano chords. It's a tad late for the strings, and kind of repetitious, but not in a way that's too memorable. You'll want to repeat parts of the song if it's memorable, particularly strong or emotional melodies. Otherwise, it'll sound like 12-16 chords put together into a layout of a song.

 

But this is a good start, and realize that I'm especially picky with Orchestral songs and I have the tendency to rip them apart as opposed to other genres. Keep it up, and don't falter on what you think you should do.

[Atomic Brony 9]

 

I could use some help with this. I know that there's something wrong with it because it doesn't sound quite right. I just can't figure out what it is that I need to change or add.

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

 

I could use some help with this. I know that there's something wrong with it because it doesn't sound quite right. I just can't figure out what it is that I need to change or add.

 

 

Okay, when remixing a song, think of it like a puzzle. It's a good idea to figure out the chords of the song, and in this case, I hear a bit of dissonance to the song because you have the incorrect chords matching the vocals.

 

How to remix a song: (Carbon Maestro's method)

 

1. Start with the figuring out the chords (Try Chordify if you're a newbie, which should help you a lot finding chords of songs on Youtube).

 

For example, when listening to the original, I hear a Dm chord, then a B-flat chord, then a F chord, then a C chord.

The remix should somewhat match this pattern throughout of the song if it's Aviators (And it turns out, this 4 chord pattern gets you through the whole song, yay!

 

2. Add long synths/strings/legato notes to fill in these chords above. If you're dubstep remixing, don't. Hopefully you have the tempo all synced with the vocals at this point.

 

3. Now you should start with the percussion. There are 4 types. The Kick, the snare, the hat, and everything else. Kicks are for defining the beat, usually with a "low" bass sound, snares answer back to the kick with the "higher" sound, and hats add to the snare's "answer". Add these, and let them build up over the whole song (and make variations of these too, please).

 

That's all I can say. You can change up your chord progression with something that matches the vocals (currently it feels "off" because of it's a 3-chord repetition for a 4 chord song, and the chords should be Dm, B-flat, F, and C in order to match the song. If you want to change the chords, you'll have to Melodyne the voices to change the key.

As for the drums, the kick can drop lower into the bass frequencies, try and limit the "hats" for something that you want us to notice, and listen to rock songs for the best drum beats (dubstep's a terrible example).

 

Anyways that's it and that's my upfront and honest opinion on what I'd change and add.

[Atomic Brony 9]

Is this any better? I changed some percussive sounds, fixed the chords, changed when the hats play, and added an arpeggio melody type thing because I thought the song needed it in certain places.

 

https://soundcloud.com/atomic-brony/aviators-friendship-atomic

[Carbon Maestro 1,003]

Is this any better? I changed some percussive sounds, fixed the chords, changed when the hats play, and added an arpeggio melody type thing because I thought the song needed it in certain places.

 

 

Ah yes, much better from before! It's a good starting platform, remixing songs and all that. The beat is simple, but effective. The chords sound much more in tune with the vocals, and this is a decent basic remix! Now, I'd add more to it if I were you. Add variations to your drums, add new types of instruments, make a synth solo in the intermezzo! Keep at it and eventually building up with more instruments will make you sound much better later.