EricMilligan

Hi, Jkingz! I really enjoyed this track. Very tastefully done. Excellent vocal performance. I particularly liked the guitar solo, which fit the song really well. Nice phrasing. I felt the mix might have benefited from a bit of fine-tuning, but overall it was really nice to listen to something acoustic and a good original vocal.

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Anthony: I see no problem in taking a loop (or multiple loops) that have been identified as a particular genre, and using them to create a track in an entirely different genre. I would think the loops' authors would be quite pleased by the creativity and the expanded potential of the music they created. That said, in my experience, I have been a bit concerned about the reaction from authors of acapellas, if I take liberties with them in my tracks. It's not only a question of what genre they get used in, but also modifications through processing of the vocals, editing to modify phrasing, etc. That can be tricky, although I don't think I've ever had any push-back from the authors of acapellas I have used.

So, I think you re-purposed this guitar look from Safino, really well in this track. I would be inclined to tag the track is "chill", not cinematic, but ultimately the genre is really not that significant I think.

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Hi,Dimestop. I really enjoyed this track, and the very pointed message you were delivering.

Read the lyrics from beginning to end. I particularly liked the following: "the story for you lot, join in or sod-off". Pithy, and to the point. I also read all the comments and your responses.

I must admit I wasn't consciously aware of the imbalance you are highlighting with this track, although I guess I probably did realize it was how things are. Just accepted it as "normal". You opened my eyes to the issue.

Also, was not aware that LM members' work was being downloaded, modified, and monetized - with no attribution. That's theft, pure and simple. I'm pretty sure it hasn't happened to any of my tracks (not of interest to anybody for that purpose), but definitely not fair to LM members who have had that happen.

Anyway, this is a very worthy message and a track definitely worth listening to.

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Well, just had to say that I really enjoyed listening to this really nice track. Very nice groove. Loved the chord changes. I figure that's fingers, not pick-work. Very tasteful. I'm tempted to ask if you'd be willing to lay down something on one of my tracks. I don't play guitar anymore and, frankly, was never at your level. You and I share the same love of soul and RnB. Definitely my favourite genre. Same influences. :)

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Hi, Mindhiest. Listened to your most recent track (impressive) and decided to check out anything else you had uploaded to LM.

This is definitely one of the best pieces of music I've heard here - ever. Really well done. Composition/arrangement is very thoughtful and maintains the listener's interest throughout. Excellent mix.

I am impressed. Seems that you upload tracks relatively infrequently to LM. So far, from what I've heard, this is definitely a commitment to quality over quantity. And I think that's great.

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Oli, I can decide what part of this track I like the most: the fantastic instrumental backing (worthy of being all on its own without a vocal) or the spoken word vocal, which sounded amazing! Oh wait! I don't have to choose! They just work so well together, it transcends each part. :)

Loved the track. Very evocative. It immediately reminded me of Robbie Robertson's "Somewhere Down the Crazy River". Same languid feel. Great lyrics. Mix was right on the money.

If you've got more stuff like this salted away someplace, definitely bring it on!

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Hi, Nick. This song is really good. Your vocal was excellent. I've never attempted to make a Reggae track, probably would fail miserably, but you did a great job on this one. I'm inclined to search out your acapella for it and see where it takes me. Very nice work!

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Hi, Ed. It's a rainy Saturday night in Ottawa. Pretty quiet. This track was exactly what I needed. Great RnB feel. You really nailed it. I like all kinds of genres, but RnB is for sure my favourite. Very tasty guitar work. Wasn't aware of SkiMidi's vocals. Definitely will check him out as you suggested. Like you, I've been on LM only sporadically but have resolved to visit more often and when I find a track like this one, I'm really happy I did.

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Well, Steve. Your tracks continue to astound me. First of all, a pristine mix. Actually, that's not astounding at all for you, but so nice to hear. You are right. Need decent headphones to really appreciate the nuances I think. Second of all, you continue to forge ahead, exploring/creating innovative compositions. (I seem to be heading backwards, retreating into older comfort zones.)

Like Angel Eyes, I particularly enjoyed the part starting around 3:53. But, frankly, the entire track was engaging and masterfully executed. As usual.

Eric

Hi, Dean! So, I know I've said this previously in comments on other tracks here on LM, Trance is my favourite EDM genre. It was a treat to hear this track from you. Totally enjoyed it. I suck at making Trance. You clearly have figured out how to do it right.

I have read about the EQ issue on the kick. Frankly, I'd like to hear it come through even more, but at some point balancing the sounds in a mix comes down to a matter of taste, which is inherently subjective I think. The suggestion that perhaps you should find another kick sample was interesting. At Point Blank, our instructor told us that if we had to do a lot of EQing on a kick, we had the wrong sound to begin with. (Advice that I rarely follow, but probably has merit.) Synth work was excellent and I really admired how you got the bass pumping. I still can't do that properly.

Again, is a great track and well worth the 6 weeks effort.

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

I usually don't listen to a lot of hip hop, but your comment about cincocent helping you figure out what you are best at got me intrigued. This is a really cool track! I think the vocal you added works fantastically with the backing track you did. Backing sounds "rich" and the mix is really nicely balanced. I'm feeling in a mellow mood this evening and this track fit right in perfectly.

Nicely done!

Eric

It's getting on in the evening here. Saturday night andI am feeling mellow, winding down and found this track, Danke. So, mellow. Great vibe. Sax, bass, and Rhodes worked great. Nice clean mix. Hit the spot!

Eric

I am pretty much blown away by this track, Mark. Amazingly good work. The drums were outstanding. Actually, that's a serious understatement. I was a drummer once upon a time, but never at that level. That's a great example of percussion not just keeping time, but intricately weaving part of the tapestry. Don't hear that at all I think in EDM, and pretty rarely in pop, at least in my opinion. Let me also comment on the sax part. Doing a convincing sax using any VST is, in my experience, really really difficult. I find it impossible and have given up trying. You nailed it! And finally, the bass part was on the same level as the drums. You clearly have spent some time mastering the more advanced features of Trillian, creating a pass part that, frankly, didn't sound at all like it was coming from a virtual instrument. It sounded like it was played live by a skilled bass player.

Just totally impressive.

Eric

Thank-you so much for making and posting this, Doudei! It was...lovely. A real treat. You played it beautifully. I always wanted to be able to play this composition, one of my very favourites, but never got the chance. Now, of course, I could not even manage the right hand part alone. Listening to it here on LM, for some reason, I am paying much more attention to how Debussy varied the voicing of the chordal sequence, mostly played in the left hand, in parts where the melody line was basically the same. I also think maybe actual chords, not just voicings of the same chords, were varied somewhat as well. It is a composition that you can just get lost in as a listener, but also explore and analyze from a composition perspective as well.

Again, well done!

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Thanks for the info on the instruments, ZM. I'm on a Mac so can't use Sytrus or Directwave, but I do have equivalents in my arsenal. The key information you gave me, however, is that the bass sound I've been searching for is actually an 808 sound. I'm totally useless at discerning different EDM genres and, frankly, recognizing an 808 or 909 or whatever when I hear it. So, it was more helpful than you can imagine to learn from you that I should be focusing on searching for the 808 sound I want. I definitely can do that now, so thank-you for the guidance on that.

I was reflecting on this exchange with you last night and it occurred to me that we really could use a specialized forum area here on LM where members could ask for advice on how to do various things. I decided yesterday to experiment with side-chain compression on a sustained bass note (1 full bar), ducking the bass (triggered by the initial quarter note kick). I know how to do do this, at least I thought I did, but regardless of which compressor I use, I get a "click" sound from the bass at the outset of each "duck". I don't know what I'm doing wrong and there's no place to get advice on that from LM members who know more than I do. We need the LM forums back I think.

Eric

Hi, ZM:

This track has such a dreamy, laid-back flow to it. Works really well. I liked the lo-fi treatment and the mix sounded great. Very well-balanced and different sounds/instruments were nicely distinct in the spectrum.

I would really like to know how/what you used to produce the bass sound. It's pretty much exactly what I've been trying to create myself, but haven't found the right VST or patch yet. Very smooth. Was perfect for the track.

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Hi, VN:

Definitely turned out to be catchy! :) I guess it is kind of lofi, but for me it's got an 80's synth pop feel to it - and I'm becoming more and more immersed in exploring that era and genre. I know that melodies have become far more complex in current releases, but there's also something to be said for simpler melody lines that are memorable and singable.

Anyway, obviously I really liked this track. Is that you on the spoken word vocal? Great voice. I'd love to find a way to use something like that on one of my tracks.

My only quibble with the track, and I do hesitate to say this given your background in audio, is that I think the various sounds/instruments blend together too much. I think perhaps it's the amount of reverb on the synth pads, or maybe just the level of the pads in the mix. I'd also like to hear the bass part more distinctly in the mix. But, that's all because it's got that 80's feel to it for me and that's the kind of mix they would have done for a track like this I think.

That said, well done. Very well done!

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Hi, Dean. I really like trance and definitely enjoyed this track. Trance is my favourite EDM genre for sure.

I did feel, however, that the mix needs some refinement. I think the high frequency content was too prominent and there seemed to be a general background fill of what sounded like white noise to me. I don't know if that really was a purposeful use of noise or if it was reverb tails from other instruments in the mix.

Also, I really thought the level of the bass needed to be significantly louder in the mix. That would help with the overall balance of the track I think.

I did like the overall composition and melody lines. Vocal part was very good and sat well in the mix.

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Hi AE03hua.

This is a very interesting track. I will take some time to listen to the others you have uploaded here on Looperman.

In this track I do hear some distinctly Chinese music influences, I think. I haven't really analyzed what they are, but I think they come from the timbre of some of the instruments, the intervals that they play, and what sounds to me like some micro tuning. Anyway, they made the sound of the track very distinctive, unique, and it all works really well.

I see that you also use Synthesizer V in some of your tracks. I am learning to use it as well. It seems to be a very promising tool for making good vocals. I just wish they had voices in French and Italian. Maybe that will come with time.

I do have some suggestions about the mix of this track. I agree with Danke that you should raise the volume on the drum track)s). But, I also feel that the various sounds blend together too much. I think perhaps there is too much reverb being used. I think as you work on refining the mix, you should try to make each instrument/part stand out more distinctly in the mix, both in terms of its place in the frequency spectrum and spatially (e.g., panning, and very careful use of reverb settings to place different sounds closer or further in the soundfield.)

That said, I very much enjoyed the track.

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Bonjour, Zipbass!

I definitely enjoyed this track. It conveys a very engaging spirit, infectious beat. To my ear, the percussion parts give it a North African feel. I think it would be a good backing track for a vocal, or at least the start of a backing track. Mix is very nicely balanced. Lots of dynamic range, which is something I really like. And, the bass part is very nicely done, which makes sense since you are a bass player! Good work on this track! :)

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Very annoying! NO, not the track. Track is great dubjoka! What's annoying is that I had written a nice lengthy comment and when I tried to post it, "an error occurred" and I lost everything I was trying to say.

Which was: This is really nice sounding track. I definitely enjoyed it. I know you said you have more work to do on it, but I did want to say now that the mix is excellent. Nice balance. Warm, full foundation. Vocals were tastefully used. I particularly like the drum parts. So, you do think that the ending requires work, which I agree with. Endings are a real challenge for me, so I'm very interested in hearing what you some up with. Maybe some side-chain compression to get a "pump" going? I realize that's been somewhat overdone in EDM, but might work in your ending for this track.

Anyway, very nice work. Looking forward to hearing the next iteration.

Regards,

Eric

Hi, 2nick8. I think this is your best track yet, although I must admit I haven't listened to everything you have posted here on LM! Anyway, this track has really nice vocal delivery. For some reason, I heard little flavours of George Michael coming through. He was amazing, so that's a high compliment from me.

I liked the intimate approach to vocal delivery you had on the track. I think you should definitely do more of this. It suits your voice.

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

Hey, Zivon! I agree with Manuela. A very beautiful composition. I don't know how most LM members listen to tracks here, but on my headphones (which are pretty good) the music just envelopes you like a warm blanket. Piano melody line was excellent and I especially like the cello parts, which really added to overall mood and feel of the music. Mix sounded great. I really like to hear dynamic range in tracks, not just everything jammed up to the brick wall limit. That variation was evident just from looking at the waveform display.

Really nicely done.

Regards, from snowy Ottawa.

Eric

This is a really good track, Yanov. I'd say the genre is trance, but I am really not good a distinguishing all the different types of EDM. But, I know what I like and I definitely liked this one. Vocals were excellent. Did you do the vocal?

I did not, however, think the mix was as good as it could be. I've got pretty good earphones and I thought the bass and mid-range frequency content was not sufficiently prominent in the mix. There was a lot of reverb on some of the backing instruments which were also working at the same frequency range as the lead vocal. That's always a tricky problem in a mix, but I think dialing back on the reverb and also cutting back on high frequency content of the backing instrument parts would improve the overall sound of the track. I'm not sure about compression choices. Would need to sort that out as part of the re-mix process but I suspect some adjustments would help there as well.

That said, it's a really nice EDM track and I did enjoy listening to it a lot. Hope you are keeping safe, and well.

Regards from Ottawa,

Eric

I definitely enjoyed this track. I have a few quibbles with the mix, but generally thought it was a really nice composition. I assume, since you do not mention vocals in your profile, that the vocal was done by a program such as Synth V or Emvoice? I think I'm hearing much better vocals here on Looperman than in the past. Either we've got new members who actually can sing, or people are getting pretty good at using the latest vocal creation software.

Anyway, nice job.

Regards from snowy Ottawa,

Eric