This should be interesting ...
Just to clarify;
We are good on the use of AUX tracks? As you pointed out in the livestream, in Ableton you can set up racks with multiple parallel fx chains on individual tracks, but in most other DAWs this is done using AUX tracks instead. We should be able to use it, right?
And then we have to use AUX for reverbs and such as well, since inserts will always have them before the fx.
This has been in the works for a while - started before the banger challenge, and I considered it for my entry there. It is heavily inspired by Jaydee's classic 'Plastic Dreams' (another 90's), but ultimately I decided it was not banging enough, so went with that other stuff ...
https://community.producertech.com/petter/uploaded_audio/431/briannas-musings
Appreciate all feedback as usual :D
Video is taken down for copyright reasons where I live 
Congrats to @ben-m for winning and @alvm as runners up! Well deserved for two banging tunes. Great work guys!
And thanks to Rob for insight and sound advice - will keep plugging at it and try to improve. Guess I have to set up some Seppa sessions to finally try and get a grip on that darn low end! 
and possibly learn to curb my ambitions a bit ... 
OK, this project got slightly out of hand for a while, I could really have used another week on this, but here we are ...
As I said, my point of reference is Paul VanDyk's 'For An Angel' - one of my all time favourite trance tracks, brilliant simple melody hook very cleverly arranged and produced. Can't help smiling and dancing to this one whenever it comes on. Classic banger.
https://soundcloud.com/paulvandykofficial/for-an-angel
Original, is in Am and 138bpm, Dm Am C DM progression I believe.
Of course I wanted to do something a bit different, so I've attempted an EDM/Future rave track, taking it down to 128bpm, and slightly changed the chords to DM AM C G DM. I have also changed up the melody to try make it my own.
I'm not sure the original is too much recognisable anymore, so hope I'm not falling outside the scope of the assignment here ...
I've called mine 'What I Love', and here it is:
https://community.producertech.com/petter/uploaded_audio/426/what-i-love-banger-assignment
Hi Sam!
It's always a bit daunting offering advice being a novice as myself, so you know, I can only provide my feedback from my limitations of experience and eartraining 
I really like the kind of ambient lounge style first part of the song (up to about 1:20), then I kind of feel it changes ‘personality’ in a way, the piano takes over and it becomes a bit harder and more repetitive.
I think you can have a real groovy tune here working around that first part, and structure it out for intro, verse and bridge - then use a bit of the latter part as a drop perhaps (there are some nice jazzy chord changes in there).
Apart from the clanger hat, may I suggest looking at that piano as well - not really sure what it is, but something about it is jarring me a bit … Maybe it’s the patch, or it’s a little loud - not sure … you might think about only using the rapid chord stabs for a drop, and use it more subtly in the rest, like a sustained hit once in a bar like …
Me being me, I’d also love some more subtle pads throughout to support those ambient vocals
Anyways, my 2 cents ...
It's coming along somewhat Decided it should live it's own life, with the risk of ending up outside the scope of the assignment ...
I chose Paul VanDyk's old classic 'For An Angel'.
@manixdj I hear you man. For now my stuff is just practice, so no need to overdo it I think.
@samuelclouston Yeah, thanks, but you know it never feels that fast when you're the one driving
@manixdj Thanks man. Appreciate it! Yes, I did master it – sort of – obviously not exactly to industry standards though ...
I'm still focused trying to get down the technical aspects of production and mixing first and foremost, so figured it's no real point spending lots of time doing mastering until that's settled (lipstick, pig and all). So it's basically just going through the motions and pushing limiters till it's loud without creating artifacts.
Lowend is a real is a beast to work with, I'll note your comments too and try figure it out. Thanks again.
@samuelclouston Thanks, personally thinking I'm closing in on 50% there That's the easy half. The next 50% will be ever more incremental and difficult, as with any trade. Expect it will take a few years until I'm anywhere near a pro level tbh. If ever :O --> Practice practice!!
Joined here around Xmas.
Thanks for the kind words as always Sam! Appreciate it
No chance in the contest I'm afraid, still a fair bit off the required professional level me, and there were some real good entrants there. Need to do a lot of work to get up there :D
But I've learned loads from the courses here over the last months, so really glad I signed up in the end! Big win. Just finished the last of Simon Shackleton's now - his courses are soooo good. Learning from the best as they say!
