lazerblade

I finished this EP up a little while ago, but I just realized that I haven't shared it here yet. http://lazerbladegames.blogspot.com/p/cyber.html This was a journey of discovery in a way for me, as I kind of found my style in a way I hadn't before. I think track 4, Epic Alien Space Adventure, is the best thing EvAR! But don't go easy on it. If you guys have tips/criticism for anything in this EP, lay it on.

It seems that whenever I do the serious mixing/mastering tweaks of a track, the snare gets buried somehow. It's an interesting quirk that is fixed now. A number of other volume and automation tweaks and fixes complete this next version: https://dl.dropbox.com/s/ttkstlc0s0w0ie1/World%20Of%20Potential%20-%20wip26.mp3 Also, on my Youtube, my viewers have started giving the advice on my various hopeful OCRemix WIP's that they need more cowbell. I think that is a pretty solid expression of what working on these feels like. I do really think that the focus on detail has been a great learning experience for me, as well as helping push my tracks past the "cool" line over into the "awesome" territory though.

Spoilers for Deus Ex: Human Revolution: Take the poorly justified and tonally and thematically incompatible with the rest of the game boss fights, zombie apocalypse, and ending cutscene selector out of Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/7fqv6vpsdd4g7aa/World%20Of%20Potential%20-%20wip25.mp3 Automating that took a bit of thought and tweaking, but I like the way it subtly makes the instrument seem more organic. I wasn't sure how extreme to make it, so I just made it so that it was hard to pick out but would be noticed if removed. Right now the most difficult parts are always starting recording when the LFO is in the right place and then performing the filtersweeps properly. I'm pretty satisfied with it at this point, so I'm upping the status to finished. Anything that needs a little more polish, or any problems with the mix? On the lead, should I have a stronger sync envelope with slower LFO speeds, or is it good?

My day is now made. Granted, a lot of them were small incremental improvements. I loved the idea of automating the sync LFO speed and got some pretty nifty sounds out of it as well as doing a bunch of other things for this version: https://dl.dropbox.com/s/b7onteuz7aed638/World%20Of%20Potential%20-%20wip24.mp3 Of note is that I've added some subtle harmony variation in the three voices that make up the looped arp at 1:50, but I'm a little stumped for other ideas that fit the mix and arrangement to mix that part up. EDIT: blammit. I accidentally put the old link here. I have now replaced it with the new one.

Combo bump and fixing some things that somehow ended up broken about version 22. Everything in previous post is still correct. https://dl.dropbox.com/s/7fpxb1syelsaifl/World%20Of%20Potential%20-%20wip23.mp3

So I finally got the organ to sit properly in the mix... then I realized that it really did not fit in with the rest of the sound design at all, which I had been in denial of. It took me awhile to settle on putting together a pseudo-house pizzicato string with extra unison detuning and automated filter cutoff for the replacement. I've also done a lot of work on the articulation for a couple of of the leads as well, and a bit of similar work on the other lead. https://dl.dropbox.com/s/zs218j8cqs2nc9u/World%20Of%20Potential%20-%20wip22.mp3 ATM I can only see a couple of things that I'm not sure about, which I left because... well I'm not sure. Is the pizzicato too quite in the outro, and did I overdo it with the variation on the sync lead?

Ah yes, I couldn't put my finger on any of those problems myself. Here they are fixed, and I've made a very small tweak to the arrangement. I'm not sure this performance is perfect on the acid filter controls, but it's not the final recording and I think it works anyway. https://dl.dropbox.com/s/hhiawb7mwdc8s03/World%20Of%20Potential%20-%20wip21.mp3 I'm starting to feel pretty satisfied with the sound, but how is the arrangement? Do the melodies and structure take what is recognizably the original and do something interesting with it?

Actually, the only sound in there that was that dry was the resopad, but I've fixed that now. Perhaps all of the delay, reverb, and EQ were hard to hear because they were playing with other instruments or I had too much compression. I get what you're saying about following a song structure over a progressive structure, but I'm shooting for something between and am moderately satisfied with the area the current structure has landed in. That doesn't mean there isn't room for change. I admit that I'm new to anything other than straight up progressive like Trance and Acid though. Anyway, here is a new update. https://dl.dropbox.com/s/0s9d3oqd1hn0a2m/World%20Of%20Potential%20-%20wip20.mp3 There are articulation, EQ, FX, PAD, and slight composition improvements.

I'm not dead! Here is another update! I used synth sounds instead of orchestral for everything! I'm using exclamation points satirically! I used a sync lead in place of the old strings, although I think it might need more organic variations before I'm 100% satisfied with it. I also funked up the drum beats in some places and... stuff. https://dl.dropbox.com/s/t3anwvrgn3wjthz/World%20Of%20Potential%20-%20wip19.mp3

Here is another update. Most of the work in this one went into improving structural and instrumental dynamism and uniqueness. I have not put much into making the melodies played seem more organic. I don't doubt that more work needs done, but I'm liking the direction this is taking. https://dl.dropbox.com/s/90tuj5xe7i67unw/World%20Of%20Potential%20-%20wip18.mp3

Exactly. I agree that practice is what I need as well. ATM I'm having a blast just going crazy tearing the structure of this remix up and seeing what I can do with it. I'm also playing with organic variations(like vibrato, velocity, and all that stuff) and different kinds of transitions. I'm trying to keep it fresh and original by changing things up like you said, but have it still be recognizable and coherent.

Eh... I've got 2+ years of EDM production in my XP bag, and most of it was very progressive. I'm talking about my general style in terms of repeating pattern layer based tracks vs organic song style tracks, not the style of this particular track. It's a very different way of thinking about and perceiving a musical work for me, and I don't quite understand the style I want for this track on the level that I do others. I have to admit that I'm itching to pick up some more pro orchestral sounds. I like the orchestral + electronic style that shows up in a lot of cyberpunk movies and games. Unfortunately, I had to spend six months saving just to pick up my Oxygen 61, so I might just do more synth hacking to create some highly stylized but very organic instruments for now.

You don't have to apologize. I knew what I was getting myself into: a chance to get some serious critique and learn what needed improved. I needed somebody to just lay into this and give me a ton of data as you did. I think I need to find the style for this track. A big part of the problem is that my habitual style is very progressive, but I want this track to be a lot more organic. That is something that I'm going to have to work for since it deviates from my usual conventions.

Then mod review it is. Here I've added an extra note on the end using the root chord, thus resolving on the root of the key. I'm not 100% confident on that note, but it's solid enough IMO. Linky: https://dl.dropbox.com/s/aqam0px9eb3oo5n/World%20Of%20Potential%20-%20wip16.mp3