My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery

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Antler
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2015/12/17 15:50:50 (permalink)

My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery

Here's an instrumental I wrote a while ago, but only just decided to try to mix properly. Electric and strummed acoustic were recorded, the rest are sequenced virtual instruments.
 
https://soundcloud.com/ant-832623685/journey-of-discovery
 
Update (mix 2):
 
https://soundcloud.com/ant-832623685/journey-of-discovery-mix-2/s-b1Es8
 
Thanks
post edited by Antler - 2016/01/02 10:13:05
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    kakku
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2015/12/18 02:25:44 (permalink)
    This was sadly much better material than I can do(did you notice I used the 'sadly' word to scare you a bit;D). Great melodies. I was going to complain about the little repetition part in the beginning but I soon found out that it works. I would have wanted to listen a bit longer but that is the only 'complaint' I can think of.
    post edited by kakku - 2015/12/18 03:31:17

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    kakku
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    dcumpian
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2015/12/18 10:30:41 (permalink)
    The single thing that I think would make a difference would be to decide which instrument will carry the main melody and place it front and center. The piano is nice, but it seems more like a supporting instrument. I think the acoustic is the right one, but it is pushed too far back in the mix, IMO. The electric lead is just fine.
     
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    kakku
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2015/12/18 10:56:23 (permalink)
    dcumpian
    The single thing that I think would make a difference would be to decide which instrument will carry the main melody and place it front and center. The piano is nice, but it seems more like a supporting instrument. I think the acoustic is the right one, but it is pushed too far back in the mix, IMO. The electric lead is just fine.
     
    Regards,
    Dan
     

    I didn't even come to think about those things. Dan may well have a point there. But then again it could be just a matter of taste. I am not sure. Anyway in my ears this works beautifully.

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    Antler
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2015/12/19 08:13:39 (permalink)
    Thanks for the supporting comments guys.
     
    The original idea was to have the piano be the main instrument, but then to occasionally have another instrument lead to mix things up a little (during which the piano would provide backing support).
     
    I think the cakewalk TruePiano spreads the notes within the stereo field, possibly making it sound like a backing instrument? I suppose I could try splitting it up into two tracks: one for where it is supposed to lead, and one where it is supposed to play a supporting role. I could then make the main lead track to be mono.
     
    I hadn't thought of using the acoustic to be the main melodic lead. I'll give it a go to hear what it sounds like; thanks for the idea.
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    stevec
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2015/12/22 15:09:12 (permalink)
    That was very nice.   Pleasant melodies and a nice flow.  
     
    For the lead part, I would drop the others back a little more so that the focus is more obvious, particularly when the lead isn't the piano.  You may be right in that the piano is covering a lot of width...  if you SPlat (or X3) the Blue Tubes suite includes a simple stereo image plugin that could be used to narrow the piano while the guitar parts are taking the lead.   Or anything along those lines. 
     

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    emeraldsoul
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2015/12/22 20:48:06 (permalink)
    Very pleasant tune.  Could be a nice opener for a tv show! Like "The Office" or something . . .
     
    I liked the second half a little more when the piano took a bit of a back seat. 
     
    If this were my song I'd spend some more time editing the first minute or so, to make the strummed guitars tighter. You might slice and adjust an errant strum or two. Once the drums come in, everything locks pretty well.
     
    nice one!
     
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    Tap
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2015/12/22 20:54:23 (permalink)
    This was very nice. Sweet composition! I actually think you may be right about the piano being spaced too far out in the stereo field. It seems to come into focus a lot more right around 2:05. That's about where it should sit and I'm guessing that was played around the center of the keyboard?  Still a really nice tune well performed and mixed.

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    Antler
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2016/01/01 16:08:52 (permalink)
    I've made a few tweaks to the mix:
     
    https://soundcloud.com/ant-832623685/journey-of-discovery-mix-2/s-b1Es8
     
    I ended up using Channel Tools to control the width of the piano in the mix. It's much narrower where it takes the lead, and spaced apart and quieter where it isn't.
     
    I also made a few minor tweaks here and there as well.
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    Guitarpima
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2016/01/02 00:55:39 (permalink)
    This could be a great song with lyrics IMO.
     
    This seems like a melody I heard in the movie "Twins" though. I could be wrong though.
     
    Nice work!

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    Antler
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2016/01/02 09:59:29 (permalink)
    Thanks
     
    It wasn't consciously based on anything from Twins; it's been many years since I saw that movie, and I hardly remember anything from it. I did get inspiration from a one-off tune that was in a TV show though.
    post edited by Antler - 2016/01/02 10:13:32
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    cclarry
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2016/01/02 13:16:20 (permalink)
    Nice Antler!


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    stevec
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    Re: My Latest Instrumental: Journey of Discovery 2016/01/04 15:04:02 (permalink)
    FWIW, I think the piano is sitting much better in the stereo field!
     
    One thing I noticed this time that I hadn't before though is the open/closed hi-hat part that repeats a lot throughout the tune.  I would personally vary that a bit more so it's more of an accent rather than part of the base rhythm.
     

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