[quote="NigelB"] Thanks Rob, just found out I won! Super chuffed about that. I’ll really enjoy the recording now! 🤣 [/quote]
I loved the vibe of your track and have tried searching that genre on Beatport without success! So respect for creating it 🤣
[quote="Petter"]
Great livestream!
I really enjoy these challenges, fun to do and very cool to have Rob walk through all entries. Learn something every time!
Big congrats to @nigel and @manixdj for edging the top spots. Awesome tracks guys!
Still can't get over the level everyone was able to get with just the 8 sounds tbh. Real eyeopener.
Looking forward to the next one now :D
[/quote]
Thanks Petter, it was a real eye opener in terms of what you could do with that limitation! It was a strong comp for sure!
Hey Sam, cool vibe! Another amateur but I would definitely tone down those hats a bit, so a bit of EQ there and just lower them in the mix in my opinion. Conversely give that bass a bit more low end but only a tad.
That's my limited and somewhat subjective opinion, but you've heard my tracks, they tend to be quite bass heavy! 
My first entry since the Xmas comp! I did manage to squeeze this one in and had lots of fun making it. I found with this that finding the right sounds, that allow you to create textures that almost replicate other instruments was something I found useful. For example, my main lead has almost a repeating hi hat for builds as you open out the filter on the synth, this allowed me to create pretty rich builds. Also managed to fins a Serum preset that creates a great white noise whoosh with some other harmonics that help with tension.
Hope you like it!
8 tracks:
1. Kick
2. Hi Hat
3. Snare
4. Bassline
5. Bass2
6. Lead Synth
7. FX
8. Vocal
Gutted, but the bill paying day job has just go the better of me in the last couple of months so I am no where near finishing my banger. I do want to carry on with it though and will post once completed for some critique, if not prizes! Might take me a while though!!
Mastering is an artform (or I'd argue a kind of science) all in on its own! I don't master my own music and tbh I doubt I ever will, because I want to spend my time creating and improving my overall production and mixing skills. I think you have to really have to have an ear to master properly, and whilst it is good to know the basics, most effort and time should go in to your mix, meaning the mastering engineer, or more commonly the AI mastering software does not have to do too much! I only ever use the automated software to master, I find it does the job. Would be different if I was releasing to vinyl or a hard copy medium.
I wouldn't worry, the only reason I mentioned it was because that may give you some of the presence I was referring to. But thinking about it, you may not even be going for that, I am just a bit of a fiend for bass in my mixes, as my sound is quite driving and so I think it needs it, may be that's not what you were going for. Again, "I'ma no pro!"
Keep at it man!
Hey Petter, great track, love vibe and the progression, the arrangement definitely works. Did you master this at all? Only things I'd say is that is lacks bottom end, hence the mastering question. Could do with more bass coming through the mix in general, so not just a mastering thing. Think it would sound even better with that.
As always I caveat my feedback with it being from an amateur! But great work all the same.
[quote="SamuelClouston"]
I think the mixing of genres and blurring the lines is what creativity is all about. With the internet and categories, I've always come across a lot of genre purists (having been one myself!) and realising over time that melding and experimenting is the way forward - and is how you create fresh music and potentially new genres!
Ahh Hybrid 3 - superrrrr great synth with fantastic controls and a great bank of presets - and I remember it often goes fo only £1 on Plugin Boutique, absolute steal.
Keep up the good work!
[/quote]
100% on the genre mixing and blurring! However it is useful for perusing Beatport or Soundcloud to have an idea of where a track sits!
The only reason I have Hybrid3 is because it is always bundled with Akai products and I have x2 APCs and a MPK Mini, so technically have x3 licenses! I like it and have bought some good Trance presets, but wanted something new recently to explore more sounds and so the Spire was rated highly for my styles of Trance and Techno, so am giving it a spin!
Hey Samuel, nice track and arrangement! Something a bit different again. Hard to tell exactly what it is due to my amateur ear! However I agree it does sound quite constrained and if you've not done any kind of processing yet, perhaps it is the sounds you are using? It does sound a bit muddy in places and perhaps needs some EQ to help? There is a brighter, slightly shining sound that seems to appear right at the end that perhaps stands out above the lower frequencies? Not sure that is anywhere else and perhaps using some brighter sounds would add some dynamic range and open it all up a bit more?
Have you also tried turning the sidechaining off one by one? That could definitely be containing some of the sounds. What are you sidechaining from and how many of the sounds are affected?
