SML Music Producers Feedback Contest Round 1
4 Days Left To Enter And Earn Points!
The main focus of this Feedback Contest, is for Musicians and Producers that are participating in the SML Challenge and the Beat Battle League for Season 2. I find that having a fresh set of ears listening to your track always comes in handy! And you never know, that bit of feedback you receive, just might put you in the winners slot. And since I am a big fan of the Music Community here on Steemit, I have taken up the torch for this contest.
I will be awarding Steem Prizes along with Voiceshares. @chiefmappster has donated to a stack of VoiceShares to kick this contest off, and that will allow participants to earn more points for the challenges leaderboard, and move them up the ladder.
Consider this an open invitation to all, submit your tracks, and give some positive and constructive feedback to your fellow Producers and Musicians taking part in the challenges. :-)
The Rules of the Road:
Your track can be of any genre.
Producers/Musicians: If you submit a track for feedback, in order to qualify, you need to give feedback to others on at least 1 track.
Feedbackers: Provide constructive and positive feedback. BS comments will get a big red flag.
There will be three tiers of prizes for the best feedback provided, judged by yours truly.
Both the Producer and the person giving the feedback will get a 50/50 split of the prizes. If the Producer/Musician and/or the Feedback giver are both competing in the Challenges, both will earn a 50/50 split of the points.
In order to be awarded VoiceShares, you will need a BitShares Wallet, or have an account on OpenLedger.
First Prize: 5 Steem and 20 VoiceShares For 25 Points
Second Prize: 3 Steem and 17 VoiceShares For 20 Points
Third Prize: 2 Steem and 13 VoiceShares For 15 Points
So let's get it going on! Submit your tracks, and earn some Challenge Points...
And don't forget... show some love to your fellow Musicians and Producers with an Upvote!
Helpful Hint: If you like a track that is great, however we need to hear why that is, or what you would say to the creator to suggest improvements, ie. constructive comments. We are going to need a little xtra in those comments besides nice track.
The Feedback Contest: Round One is now live, and the current dates for submissions are:
Jan. 15th until Jan 27th 12 midnight est. Winners announced on Jan 28th.
Update 1/21/2018 > List of songs thus far submitted:
https://dsound.audio/#/@fresheiremusic/horror-style-hiphop-beat-by-fresheiremusic
https://steemit.com/dsound/@ezoterik-tk/guitargasm-micro
https://steemit.com/dsound/@antminer/antminer-void--original-music--dsound
https://steemit.com/dsound/@joymatters/light-will-always-win
https://dsound.audio/#/@mindseye-music/through-the-atmosphere
https://dsound.audio/#/@emelanson/selective-amnesia
https://dsound.audio/#/@poorkidbeats/c0d3-r3d-5pac3-thr3at
Update: 01/24/18
There are an additional 3 days plus today to submit your songs and comments. This has been extended. You can read the update here.
Sounds like an awesome contest. Here's an Instrumental I made to enter into this.
https://dsound.audio/#/@fresheiremusic/horror-style-hiphop-beat-by-fresheiremusic
The body of the track is really good. I like your arrangement, uncomplicated groove and the synth. The mix is unorthodox but works really well for me. Sub has good kick, the coming in and out of the shakers is a welcome yet subtle change to keep the track (and your arrangement) interesting.
Definitely a track one does not forget easily because of the spooky melody and its minimalism.
As for improvement suggestions: This probably comes all down to taste, but I would love for the drum breaks to be supported by a lead or something else coming in. If you see the track as it is like a cake, it's just the cherry on top. Doesn't matter what: A werewolf sample, another characteristic lead line going in and out, just something to spice up these parts a bit more later in the track and to change things up a little from the first verse and chorus.
Then again, if this is made for rap vocals, it's probably perfect the way it is! A solid beat to make a very special track to.
Other than that you should really participate in #sml or #beatbattle if you aren't already. Your sound would be a great addition to the gang.
Continue <3
thanks a lot for your feedback. Yes I agree, I tried a few lead lines but just couldn't get the right sound or melody without losing the spooky feel to the track. Yea, it is intended for a rap to go over it. I've found in the past when I made a track with too many melodies going on at once, it worked great as an instrumental standalone but as a rap track it became a bit muddle.
@paradigmprospect:
Excellent feedback! Thanks a mil for popping in and giving your comment, very much appreciated my friend. :-) Now, everyone take note here... This IS what this contest is all about.
I could not have said it better. And well... I can't add my 0.02 into the mix LOL
I just love hanging out with musicians and other nerds of my wavelength <3
This challenge is an inspiring idea to help elevate all participants.
You know, those damn blind spots for my own music... I tend to get closest to them analyzing other people's tracks and going "Wait. I do that all the time as well. Check!"
Right on, same here. And you are right, we all have those spots! LMAO :-D When listening in on others songs, I try to pick up a few good habits and get rid of my bad ones LOL.
Just saw you entered this for #sml, awesome!
good luck dude
followed
Very trippy track with kinda chaotic feeling in it. It would be great soundtrack in some dark movie where is always rainy or snowy. Really digging the vibe ;)
thanks man. appreciate it. i'll check out your track here now
Overall, one of my favorite submissions one can discover under this post. It sounds like a game soundrack for some of the Batman & Robin games for SEGA.
Hey @fresheiremusic, it's very catchy! I enjoyed it! That Snare sound could get some amount of Reverb. Great job overall! :))))
Hi, thanks for your feedback. Much appreciated. Next time I have the project open to do more work on it I'll try out some reverb
You are welcome! : )
Nice!! For my ears, a lil percussion (some scattered hats or something) to fill out some of the more empty parts of the song would add a nice flavor. Also perhaps some transition sounds between parts.
You're mix is good! Could use a little more compression/limiting. I feel like some of your synths and drums get a little covered up in the mix during the busier parts. Great work though man! Can't wait to hear some vox on it!
thanks for the feedback. I'm alway trying to improve so I love hearing from people. I'll work on it next time I have the file open again. thanks again :)
Absolutely! Thanks for sharing!
sp00ky styleeee.
The arrangement progresses nicely from idea to idea. Each melodic and rhythmic element fits together well, and you explore each possibility enough without dragging on and having the combination become stale. I think it works well with your stated goal of having a rap over it.
Production wise, I would consider pulling the level of the kick back jussssst a little bit, maybe 2-3db? I think it's sapping energy from the other elements of your track, and causing them to "hit" not quite as a hard. Everything sounds very cohesive, but there isn't much going on in the stereo field creating interest. Don't be afraid to hard-pan an element left or right. I could hear one of the later high melody reintroductions panned to one side and matched with a contrasting element on the other side of the stereo field.
Another thought, maybe a few unexpected elements throughout the track would ratchet up the interest level a bit. Maybe a quick synth arpeggio in the high register every 4 bars in a section, or a "one shot" sample here and there?
Thanks a lot for your feedback. I'm glad you took the time to listen and write that. I'll definitely make some edits next time I have the file open based on what you said and try consider it for future tracks also
First things to say is the track is incredibly unique!
The atmosphere of the synth gives it that sort of childish feeling and that bendy synth has a decent amount of bass on it which compliment the higher pitch synth. The melodies as a whole in the track are a bit bland at times so a bit of variance could be added but the melodies used are generally catchy, uneasy and perfect for a horror style beat. It's quite minimalist but with a vocalist or just another underlying synth under the house-y synth that follows the melody in some parts would be great.
The portamento (or pitch automation i dont know what you used) makes me think of an alert siren, which is a positive when you're making a very spooky beat. The background arp (or delaying, panning, acid-style synth) might be my favorite thing in the track, its just so uneasy, bassy and compliments the main synth. Normally i'd say single hit kicks as a buildup aren't really that attention grabbing but i've gotta say you've really pulled it off considering the arp and melody. The slowness of the kicks hitting is really unsettling and its really good for a buildup before the snare kicks in. And boy does that kick fucking kick dude! I feel the actual transition to just the kick to kick and snare could be improved with maybe a riser, a sound effect (maybe a good ole scream) or a reverse cymbal or something. The snare is amazing and I don't think I can say anything bad about it. Its thick, crunchy and sits well in the track considering how heavy the kick is.
The house-y synth I previously mentioned is really good I just think it needs to be a tad louder. When it does kick in though, the quiet cymbals underneath all the synth work do actually add a lot to the main 'drop'. I think the shaker that plays during this is a great idea but I think it could be improved by either adding hats or some other small percussion with it, or perhaps have it pan back and forth between left and right, just cause the way it plays only in the left ear is a little nauseating. The drums in general I feel could have a little variance just cause they are a little bit clockwork with just kick-snare-kick-snare. The final good note I wanna leave on is that the outro to the track is amazing and I had the last 4-8 bars on repeat to hear that ending with just the higher synth over and over again.
Overall, the beat is incredibly original and definitely surprised me when I listened to it and on a whole its an incredibly decent track. I hope you find this feedback helpful, I hope I'm not being too harsh or picky with my feedback (if so just take it with a grain of salt). Good luck in the competition and keep making original music cause you've got many others here who ought to be impressed too!
Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate that you looked at both positive and the lesser aspects of the track as it gives me ideas on how to improve in future. Thanks so much for such a detailed review. It means a lot that you took the time to do it. I'll definitely take everything you said into consideration and try work on it in newer tracks.
here is 2 of my tracks
https://steemit.com/dsound/@ezoterik-tk/guitargasm-micro
https://steemit.com/music/@ezoterik-tk/guitargasm-faster-higher-stronger
Perfect soundtrack for some novel project that hasn't been done EVER!
I have a hard time concentrating on the track, wanting to figure out how you made this with guitars...
Swell, MIDI or reverse the recordings?
This was almost classical in nature. At times reminiscent of a spring morning with birds singing, though it never quite leaves the semi-artificial realm due to the sound - what a hybrid dude!
It really is innovative and oddly calming. About time someone did something with guitars that isn't being done.
The tempo worked well for me.
As for the second track:
I see. Well, since both are so similar, I would have to relay that my intuition digs the first one more. Both are obviously on par in terms of quality. But the second one seemed more serious to me, which is still alright. The odd discrepancy between sound method used vs. the notes played in the first (mirco) version seems to get me somehow.
But maybe I just prefer one take over another, it's all taste.
Anyway, if I were you, I would try to record something similar again and get an incredible deal with a film producing company that is looking to make a steampunk-dystopia-fairytale-romance movie with animal characters or something odd that is quite experimental.
Guess Cloud Atlas would have worked well with this, to name but one odd movie that comes to mind... you're just too late^^
followed
Nice track! very psychedelic. Woulda loved to have listened to this a few years ago when I was tripping balls!! ;)
Here's another one:
https://steemit.com/dsound/@joymatters/the-beat-that-makes-me-dream
I listened the two tracks. Didn't expected such kind of improvisation. It looks like something with potential and it has to be further developed.
I don't really have too much to say because the track is really simple...but simultaneously happens to be fiendishly complex. The sound is amazingly atmospheric on both tracks, feels very stimulating on the brain especially the switch between incredibly fast pace notes at higher pitches and low longer tones. This in consideration the tempo is incredibly good. The first track reminds me of Flight of the Bumblebee except way more schizophrenic. I can't imagine someone making such a disjointed track sound so pleasing, let alone improvising the whole way through. However the hell you bent that guitar, or used it in such a way to make that noise is beyond me. I tend to prefer the second track simply cause the lower tones of the first are a little bit too jarring. I'm sure a lot of people will be completely turned off by this music but I think as music that isn't so easy access, its pretty incredible.
Thanks for this submission, it's really blown me away in a new way!
Mellow and a bit spooky, in a good way.
The bassline was something else! Smooth and warm, and it travels so neatly.
Is this a fingered bass? It works perfectly, makes me want to try using it some time. This would be massive on a large sound system.
Love how you let that slide out in the end as well, you trickster ;)
The strings work well as they are not overburdening the listener, instead they remain audible but constrained in the background.
It's always easy to talk from the outside, but I guess that is what this part of sml is about: I would love some other sound, additional lead element, a voice sample, the sound of wind or noise, or something in the second half to propel the track further from where it started. The incoming drums do this to a part but if you added some other element later, it would signify the track's highpoint and serve to make it even more of a memorable experience.
Have you thought about scoring film music? This could work really well with the right film. Or with a rap track, as you mentioned in your post.
Good luck on your musical journey man
followed
followed
Thank you for the great review of my track. You are right there are elements that need to be added to be solo track. This track will probably get vocals on top of it, I am working with friend and he will record it.
I followed you back. Blessings :)
Drop me a link when you guys are done, I'm super excited to hear how it turned out
Sure man ;)
loving the vibe to this. got a good melody with a cool bassline and beat! keep it up dude
Agree with @fresheiremusic! Lovely vibe!
Overall, I'm impressed with the mastering skills you have.
They final part offer some space for diversifying the main melody a bit, but it's still fine assuming this is a beat.
Keep developing!
Here's my first Music League submission:
https://dsound.audio/#/@mindseye-music/through-the-atmosphere
Space for improvement:
Great work overall. Looking to cheer you up for your next tracks!
Thanks for those comments @joymatters! It's great to see such a detailed breakdown of the track. I can see what you mean about the part after 2:12...it's always a challenge to keep an instrumental inspiring throughout the whole track. The uptempo bit at the end is also one of my favorite parts of the track. In fact, it made me consider creating a completely uptempo version...haven't done that as yet though. Great to hear you dig the track overall :)
Kinda biased on this one ;) It's precisely my kind of sound from Chillout floors that really got me to discover aspects about myself I had never known before I looked. Psychedelic ladder.
The track is deep, but it IS challenging. Which I greatly love. Spiritual enlightenment does not come easy, and though I am nowhere near that state, I did experience that the most enlightening experiences have come through challenge, uncertainty and facing the inner fear.
In other words, it's amazing that the warm character and the cushion-cloud atmosphere of the track is held in balance by its tough beat. Danceable as well as sitable. <3
As such the track and your music project is an amazing discovery for me, building my network. Followed!
Please relay to Dr. Rinkel how much the track hit my nerve.
There's not much I want to say to the mix or sound. Maybe it's too early here, but I literally got nothing in terms of improvements. You guys just didn't start making tracks yesterday huh?
But again, I'm probably just biased <3
I did not manage to finish my SML entry in time this week, but this one - because of personal taste - is my favorite I've heard.
Good job mindseye!
That's such an awesome response @paradigmprospect, thanks for your kind words! Yeah we've been making music for a little while now, but mainly only using synths, drummachines and samples on our iPads. So it's great to realize that which such a fairly 'basic' setup, it's still possible to create tracks that resonate with people :)
Woah. Just woah. First thing to note is I have never witnessed such a varied set of melodies through just one track and yet not be too overpowering. The ambient synths are incredibly relaxing and thought-provoking, even the little more jarring one that's used at the end of some of the bars. The reverb-drenched drums are incredible especially the patterns at the very end of the track. The kick is soft but manages to keep the beat incredibly original with frequent off hits. The bassy hits around the 1m 30s marks are so low and properly stimulate your ears. All the little details are so frequent and even with a variance of one-shots you manage to pull it off without it sounding like the track is shrouded with random sounds. I don't wanna go over every single synth cause there is honestly something nice to say about every one of them and I don't have time to write a book in the comment section ;)
I have a few things to criticize on but they're just little things. The bass is a good volume and follows a good melody underneath the synths but I feel its just a little too jarring, grainy and slightly too detuned. The drum pattern is amazing but I feel the snare could have a little bit more edge to it, at least be a little bit louder. And the most personal criticism is that i want that drum pattern at the end to be in the track more. That had me grooving like never before.
Hope the feedback helps and can't wait to see what you make next ^^
Thanks for the detailed feedback and the positivity @poorkidbeats! So good to hear that the track is appreciated :) I'll definitely take the criticism on board...it's always good to hear things that can still be improved. That hopefully makes me a better producer at the end of the day! I've actually considered creating a full track version of the uptempo bit at the end, but haven't gotten around to it as yet... ;)
Love this track. Sounds great to me. Very atmospheric. The drums and snare seem spot on and fit the track perfectly and some really cool instruments chosen. As for where to improve, I really dont know. I'm far from an expert at production skills. I've gotten some very detailed feedback from producers on here but I dont feel experienced enough to be able to accurately give advice myself. The only thing I would say is I would have loved to hear a heavy drop towards the end at some point, but that's probably not the style of track you were going for I guess. That's just my opinion as someone who personally likes heavy synths so please don't be offended at it, the track is really awesome for the style you went for. Overall, it sounds mixed great to me and has some really nice melodies. Great work. I look forward to hearing more of your music so I'm gonna click follow on your channel now
@fresheiremusic thanks for your compliments! Awesome to hear you dig it. I suppose a heavy drop might not quite fit in with this track, no. But I do enjoy heavy synths too, so I'm sure they might pop up in future tracks of mine!
no problem. yea I think you're probably right. It might change the chill vibe of it too much. I didn't know what else to say to critique it haha. I have nothing but positive things to say about it. It's just because the music I listen too all the time usually has heavy synths in it so I was hoping for some transition to something heavy, it's just because I'm not so familiar with atmospheric music, but yea it probably wouldn't work with this track. I could definitely picture blazing a j and drifting off into my own little world with this track ;) again, awesome work
Should the tracks we submit be part of any of the 2 contests?
Hi @joymatters you can submit any track you like, but you get bonus points if you are in taking part in the challenges. ;-) The whole focus for this is to take your music to a new level. And we have lots of artists in the community with the chops and experience to help you out in that regard. So If I were you, I would def give it a go, and submit a few tracks into the Challenges, it is quite fun. Have a great day.
Got it. I'll participate in the both challenges. Thanks!
Here's my first track:
https://steemit.com/dsound/@joymatters/light-will-always-win
... and I'll give feedback to some of the guys.
Nice work, I enjoy the melody of the track. I could use a bit of polishing or some effects on the sounds. But the latter really depends on what sounds in general you're going for...
Agree. I need to improve my mastering skills.
Don't we all ;) Mastering really is an art on it's own...
If you keep going your mix and clarity will get much better, it will come all by itself over time the more you produce. Everything could be amped up quite a notch, not to make it overbearing but to make it more solid on its feet. The melody sure can stand on its own.
The harmonic composition you have written is warm and very lighthearted. Spring'y indeed, I swear the ice is melting quicker outside right now! Reminds me of riding the bike in spring.
Do we have a tag-team contest round coming up? If so we should team up ;)
Continue, your music has much potential.
As I have officially announced, I'll give feedback to everyone who submitted their pieces here.
edit: Work don. To be honest I expected more submissions.
Thanks @joymatters much appreciated. :-) It is the 1st round, and we are gathering some wind in the sails. :-) I have extended the contest days to enter for this 1st round for an additional 3 days. You can read the latest news update for this here.
It's probably a good decision. Will definitely read the update now! Thanks!!! :)
https://dsound.audio/#/@emelanson/selective-amnesia
Sounds great! Looking forward to hearing other entries.
Thanks for submitting your song @emelanson much appreciated, I've added it to the list in the main post. :-)
Thanks for hosting this contest, feel like everyone will benefit from it. Gotta take my time and listen to these other tracks now
Here's my submission
https://dsound.audio/#/@poorkidbeats/c0d3-r3d-5pac3-thr3at
Thanks @poorkidbeats appreciate it! And thx for adding your song into the mix, I've added it to the list in the main post. :-)
great track! very well produced with lots of variation throughout. nice melody and overall perfect chillout music. keep it up.
gonna click follow on your channel now to keep up to date with new tracks