MSPA Fan Music 2: Now In Cut Time

[Varkarrus]

Hmmm, since you asked, I'm going to say that it sounds really nice, but I think it might sound better with a pad added in there, especially in the intro which needs it more.

[Well Manicured Man]

I haven't posted a Homestuck song in like a month, so I'm just slapping a big "DONE FOREVER" sticker on this one I don't feel like working on anymore and putting it up for the world to see.

The Age of English

[Ace of Dark-Hearts]

Behold! My first song in about a month!

(Battlefield Medic doesn't count because that's an embarrassing disaster-piece).

Anyway, it's a loose Explore remix. I don't know what else to say about it other than I hope you all enjoy it.

Also, in the words of AODH, critique is delicious, so fire away.

Okay, right away those strings are very abrasive and rough. Try using an equalizer to filter out those high, harsh frequencies.

Secondly, on the same part, those beginning 5th intervals sound...erm...bad . I mean, the first couple seconds sound fine, but when you have the melody solely accompanied by fifth notes things take a turn for the worst. I'd say change that up a bit. Maybe make some chords off of what you already have.

When the second part comes in with the drums the strings are starting to sound better. The harmony kind of makes it feel murky, though, like there's no beginning, climax, or end to the melody. To remedy this, try getting the harmony out of the main strings and putting it in maybe some pizzicato strings. That way, the explore melody will stand out more. Moreover, the melody and harmony sound very out of sync. One is going a steady dun-dun-dun-dun, while the other goes duuu-du-du-du-dun. You should fiddle with the rhythm part of the "Explore" melody to get it to fit in with the mood of the piece more.

Also, generally, the song seems to be lacking in depth. Try adding in some simple background string chords, and maybe bring a soft cello acting like a bass to make the ending and middle strings feel gentler. I think the mood you're trying to go for is sort of simple and quiet, though, which is why I'm also saying to tone down the beginning strings a little.

The piano is very pretty and sounds like I am taking a stroll in Paris. Like the Ice Skating Theme from the Peanuts Movies. Don't change that; it's very nice. Like I said before though, it stands out too much being so fluid against the gritty strings. This part transitioning to the end is specifically in need of backup.

After that, the staccato strings sound very out of place. It goes from rough strings, to pretty and flowy piano, back to rough strings. It doesn't feel like the song progresses at all; it just sort of goes back to the tense mood that it starts off with.

[Nucleose]

http://sirnucleose.tumblr.com/post/2...t-thing-i-do-a

thing with atomyk ebonpyre boy isn't that song overdone nucleose shut up

[Ace of Dark-Hearts]

http://sirnucleose.tumblr.com/post/2...t-thing-i-do-a

thing with atomyk ebonpyre boy isn't that song overdone nucleose shut up

I

Love this

So much.

This is so great. The beginning piano part was just like "okay this is a pretty good remix," but when when the drums and bass kicked in it was great and yes. This was just the kind of jazzy remix of Atomyk Ebonpyre that I've been wanting for so long.

[Rnd]

Okay, right away those strings are very abrasive and rough. Try using an equalizer to filter out those high, harsh frequencies.

Secondly, on the same part, those beginning 5th intervals sound...erm...bad . I mean, the first couple seconds sound fine, but when you have the melody solely accompanied by fifth notes things take a turn for the worst. I'd say change that up a bit. Maybe make some chords off of what you already have.

When the second part comes in with the drums the strings are starting to sound better. The harmony kind of makes it feel murky, though, like there's no beginning, climax, or end to the melody. To remedy this, try getting the harmony out of the main strings and putting it in maybe some pizzicato strings. That way, the explore melody will stand out more. Moreover, the melody and harmony sound very out of sync. One is going a steady dun-dun-dun-dun, while the other goes duuu-du-du-du-dun. You should fiddle with the rhythm part of the "Explore" melody to get it to fit in with the mood of the piece more.

Also, generally, the song seems to be lacking in depth. Try adding in some simple background string chords, and maybe bring a soft cello acting like a bass to make the ending and middle strings feel gentler. I think the mood you're trying to go for is sort of simple and quiet, though, which is why I'm also saying to tone down the beginning strings a little.

The piano is very pretty and sounds like I am taking a stroll in Paris. Like the Ice Skating Theme from the Peanuts Movies. Don't change that; it's very nice. Like I said before though, it stands out too much being so fluid against the gritty strings. This part transitioning to the end is specifically in need of backup.

After that, the staccato strings sound very out of place. It goes from rough strings, to pretty and flowy piano, back to rough strings. It doesn't feel like the song progresses at all; it just sort of goes back to the tense mood that it starts off with.

Thanks! I'm always trying to improve (God knows I need it), so I look forward to good critique like this.

The strings are pretty rough. I think the velocity is too high looking back. I'll have to mess with that. And the fifths... I just finished this yesterday, and I'm wondering what the heck I was thinking.

My harmonies are always a bit... Dubious. No big surprise there. I think I was trying to do too many similar things at once. I'll do my best to remedy that, though.

That is definitely the mood I'm going for... I did the louder pizzicato strings at the beginning because the softer ones sounded cut off for some reason and I was too lazy/inept to fix it. I think I need to open with something less stacatto.

Thanks on the piano! It always seems to be the case with my music that one part is good, but muddled by everything else. Oh well, at least I'm doing something right. :P

Flow is probably my weakest spot. I'll mess with the strings and see what I can do.

Again, thank you very much!

Hmmm, since you asked, I'm going to say that it sounds really nice, but I think it might sound better with a pad added in there, especially in the intro which needs it more.

Thanks! I'm gonna add a cello in there after what you and AODH said, so hopefully, problem solved.

[Imbrog]

So yeah I played a piano cover of Do The Windy Thing

[Nucleose]

Imbrog you are amazing

Just reminding you

[Walliard]

Imbrog you are amazing

Just reminding you

It's true.

[BeerInABocks]

I haven't posted a Homestuck song in like a month, so I'm just slapping a big "DONE FOREVER" sticker on this one I don't feel like working on anymore and putting it up for the world to see.

The Age of English

Right so I was going to critique this, but then I clicked the link and realized that it was a well-manicured-man song and there isn't much I can say about it. So screw that, it's better than whatever I could do. Though a feel a little bad for having nothing to say so heres some lame doodled trackart

show spoiler

hide spoiler

http://sirnucleose.tumblr.com/post/2...t-thing-i-do-a

thing with atomyk ebonpyre boy isn't that song overdone nucleose shut up

Okay let me just say that I do actually really like this one, everything meshes well together and the transition from one part to another flows really well.
The bass seems a tad over-bearing at times, only slightly though.

So yeah I played a piano cover of Do The Windy Thing

and a damned good job, too

[VeritasUnae]

Since I wasn't aware that music could only go here (or at least, having separate music threads in here isn't such a wise idea), I should post two of my recent (and only) Homestuck songs. Life is a song from an upcoming EP of mine called Alpha, based on strife themes for each of the Alpha kids. Exiles is, well, about the Exiles (in my head), wandering through the desert and finding their stations.

Both of these songs seemed really repetitive. Nothing really interesting went on with them, in my opinion.
I found some of the soundfonts in Life jarring, as well. (just a question, how 'close' to Homestuck will your ep be? if the answer is 'very close' i.e. specific references to homestuck characters in art or titles, then is it free?)

Behold! My first song in about a month!

(Battlefield Medic doesn't count because that's an embarrassing disaster-piece).

Anyway, it's a loose Explore remix. I don't know what else to say about it other than I hope you all enjoy it.

Also, in the words of AODH, critique is delicious, so fire away.

It gets a lot better, but the harsh strings at the start aren't selling me. It needs an awful lot of equalisation. (but aodh has already mentioned this)
actually yeah pretty much seconding aodh in general on this.

I haven't posted a Homestuck song in like a month, so I'm just slapping a big "DONE FOREVER" sticker on this one I don't feel like working on anymore and putting it up for the world to see.

The Age of English

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yes this is nice, very beautiful. seems like it needs a little something else, but yeah you're not working on it any more no worries

already made comment on imbrog and nucl's pieces personally to them. c:

[TheLonging]

Both of these songs seemed really repetitive. Nothing really interesting went on with them, in my opinion.
I found some of the soundfonts in Life jarring, as well. (just a question, how 'close' to Homestuck will your ep be? if the answer is 'very close' i.e. specific references to homestuck characters in art or titles, then is it free?)

It'll be free yeah.

[VeritasUnae]

cool.

[Rnd]

It gets a lot better, but the harsh strings at the start aren't selling me. It needs an awful lot of equalisation. (but aodh has already mentioned this)
actually yeah pretty much seconding aodh in general on this.

Yeah, the more I work on it the more I agree with this sentiment, and I agreed with it pretty quickly after hearing, so... Yeah, that was a pretty bad mistake. Thanks for taking the time to listen to/critique it! The next version should be out fairly soon, which could mean anything from a few days to a few weeks at this point depending on how things go.

Sometimes I feel like fixing my music is like flying with blinders on. I can never seem to catch everything no matter how hard/much I work on it yet (hopefully I'll develop that skill with time) so I really appreciate getting critique. Again, thank you guys.

[Ace of Dark-Hearts]

Yeah, the more I work on it the more I agree with this sentiment, and I agreed with it pretty quickly after hearing, so... Yeah, that was a pretty bad mistake. Thanks for taking the time to listen to/critique it! The next version should be out fairly soon, which could mean anything from a few days to a few weeks at this point depending on how things go.

Sometimes I feel like fixing my music is like flying with blinders on. I can never seem to catch everything no matter how hard/much I work on it yet (hopefully I'll develop that skill with time) so I really appreciate getting critique. Again, thank you guys.

The mixing is definitely really hard. It's not really a skill that's acquired; you just have to know what sounds good and what sounds murky or edgy, what sounds better in the front or back, if things are jumbled, etc. The only ways I've been able help myself with this is by listening to other music and how the mixing is arranged, what instruments are where, and by just repeating the song to yourself like fifty times, because when you change something, it might make another segment sound bad. Just lots of listening.

[D. Crystal]

http://soundcloud.com/ryanwatt413/jazztime

uhm, hello!

[Kyntello]

Huh, it feels like a while since I've been here.

Causal Break

A strife theme for my fantroll, Kyntin Talcon.

Crtq pls?

http://soundcloud.com/ryanwatt413/jazztime

uhm, hello!

okay, right off the bat, this is not jazz, except by the extension that latin rock evolved from jazz (not directly).

Otherwise, this very nice! A little rough in the acoustic guitar, perhaps a little repetitive. but otherwise this is a quality song!

[D. Crystal]

this is not jazz

but latintime doesn't have the same ring~

[Varkarrus]

oh man yet again I had an awesome name for a song that I lack talent to make
don't mind be but BLARGH "RHYME ON MY SIDE"
it'd be a remix of time on my side meant to be rapped along with

[orngjce223]

...Look at the credits on Dogfight guys

[Well Manicured Man]

Yeah that was a really fun song to work on.

[konec0]

S e c o n d e d

[Kyntello]

Holy shit that trumpet is real.

Holy shit that trumpet is real.

[VeritasUnae]

Huh, it feels like a while since I've been here.

Causal Break

A strife theme for my fantroll, Kyntin Talcon.

Crtq pls?

I really like this. It's probably my favourite of the tracks you've written (but that could just be because chiptunes are, unfortunately, awfully addictive).
I'd have to listen again when I get home.

[Dudemaster47]

So I made this as a theme for a fantroll of mine, and so I'm interested in feedback, I guess.