Master Mi

Hey, thanks for the offer. And yeah - I've made a little classic remix of Dave 's Theme (one of my favourite theme) from Maniac Mansion some time ago that goes over into a driving rock remix. Guess you mean this one here >>> Therefore I combined a short self-written piano intro with an arrangement which is pretty close to the original. I guess I used the Ngmmdave.mid file from above as a base for creating the remix. Hope you enjoy this one as fans of the game. I'll probably keep working on this track in the future.

Yeah - the bass with reverb (plugins) topic makes a good point. In a less technological world of an ancient orchestra you would - if the sound is halling so much that you can't hear single sound events clearly anymore - probably change the surroundings until you have found an opera house or open air location where the hall/echo reflexions won't blend the frequencies of the individual instruments into sound mud anymore. What I wanted to say is that: 1) Natural beings have often sharper senses than beings that lost their connection to nature over generations. It's mostly a matter of species-appropriate nutrition, natural and healthy development (or degradation at the non-natural way) of the body and vital life force that makes the big difference. And the more people (or even animals) get restrained from vital nature the more they' ll lose their potencial, vitality, their fine senses (neurological development) and their health. And lots of humans of the modern age got very far away from nature with all the painful consequences. 2) Lots of essential knowledge of former times died literally out in the core of the society and has been replaced by mere (commercial) informations of big companies and profit-over-life structures that often dumb down the people's minds and bend truth into lies for their financial sake. You can say that - for example the pretty wise Greek doctor Hippokrates of Cos - had more essential knowledge about health than most pharma-schooled doctors - guided by pharma-sponsored universities - have nowadays. That's something like a wisdom-versus between "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." (in this case a pretty grounded old school teaching) and "Just take these pills to win the war against those dangerous enemies in your body" (in this case a pretty contrary, small-minded new school teaching). It's not always like this. But it's an example that new teachings don't have to be always better than old teachings - especially if mindless greed becomes more important than the devout quest for truth. 3) It can be really fatal if technological advancement & possibilities surpass the knowledge und sanity of the users. And not every trend or technological achievement is a good one. Just to come back to the music stuff... Let's face what dynamic compression in the age of loudness war has done to the sound quality of modern music. It might not blow your head off if you listen to the soundtracks with the mastering standards of today. I kinda like lots of modern tracks - but mostly because of the composition & interesting sound design, not because of the unnecessary dynamic compression and kinda deadly sound surgery (nah, no bad jokes about surgeons and the quest for the lost limbs, livers or lives at this point). If you compare the music standards of the 80s with the music industry standards of today you might hear a perceptible decrease at the hi-fi sound quality over the years. ...just because the salesmen, marketing agents and even some producers in the music industry started the unhealthy, mindless trend of competing in loudness instead of competing in musical content, interesting compositions and sound quality. >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcKDMBuGodU

But the orchestra exists much longer than microphones, EQs or digital music production. So they had to solve the frequency issue with the things they had there (right choice of instruments, fitting octaves/pitch, fitting articulations, greater use of volume and timing of each sound event, right "panning"/deployment of the musicians/players of the instruments) if they played the orchestra live for the public. I don't think that those ancient orchestras and ensemble sounded bad without this high tech stuff - maybe rather the opposite. But I think that the people in those days could have had sharper senses, sharper minds and probably a greater knowledge of acoustic sound design within the technological possibilities the had in those days.

I think there are much better alternatives than just cutting off frequencies - for example... 1) reducing just the volume of the less important track. 2) reducing the velocity of the VSTI samples or synthesizers at the less important track. 3) using a wider stereo panorama distance or surround field distance to hear both competing tracks clearly or by putting the less important one far to the side or in the background. 4) changing the color/timbre of instruments - might be similar to cutting or adding frequencies but it 's a more natural, realistic variation you can perform with many instruments. 5) Sometimes it's not even necessary to cut off or add any frequencies because the blending frequencies of the different tracks make a really good new soundscape together. When it comes to things like this I always ask myself how I would set up a track like it was an orchestra where you don't have those possibilities to cut off frequencies (except with some special playing techniques with which you can influence the frequencies a little bit) - even if I use synthesizers instead of acoustic instruments.

Hey, thanks for the feedback. )) I'm not a big fan of cutting off frequencies of instruments (because this can make the sound really dull) - but I could add some higher frequencies to the harp at the point where the harp goes wistfully up into the bit emotional part at 0:43. I guess this would make totally sense - because I did some high band pass filter automations of the digital voice synth at this point (added some higher frequencies there). An early thought was that the synth at this point should go a bit higher and melt with the harp. But now I think it's better if the harp goes higher there as well - as you mentioned it - "to shine". (I already recognized that the synth - before I did the high bandpass filter automations - stuck out at this point much more. And it sounded pretty well.)

This might be the beginning of my first little own soundtrack I've composed within a few days. Actually this track is based on an exercise I did for myself to imrove in writing notes for chord progressions and where I tried to find out which chords and chord sequences harmonize well with each other. But then I was really in the mood to compose some additional melodies and it resulted in this little soundtrack. And of course I wanted to work with my brand-new great synthesizer collection Titan 2 which I really cherish. It contains over 12500 unique synthesizer presets of famous synthesizers from the 70s, 80s, 90s and the modern digital times. So, you can say I've bought a pretty melodic part of the human history in the form of a large, creative software. Although I haven't had listened to all synthesizer presets in Titan 2 (the package also contains all the synthesizers from Titan 1) I've already used two synthesizers from Titan 1 for this little composition. These are the really atmospheric digital voice pads and the pretty realistic sounding steel drums (was deeply impressed that it almost sounds like the acoustic version of some steel drums - was looking for such kind of stuff for estimated ages). For the voice pads I've also created some volume, panorama and high bandpass filter automations. The Celtic harp you can hear towards the end is a VSTI from my professional DAW software Samplitude Pro X3 Suite in which I have implemented the nice Titan 2 stuff. Hope you like my first try of creating my first very own composition far away from any kind of video game remixes. I guess I'll make a much bigger and longer soundtrack out of this one in the future. Feel free to tell me how you like this one. )) --------------------------------------- Newest version of my track: 1.0 >>> >>> https://clyp.it/pct2dsny

Yo, thanks for the feedback, dudes. )) For a comparison to the previous version, I've reuploaded this one into Clyp (I'll leave it there for a few weeks or so) - so you can directly listen to the changes I've made. >>> old Version 1.4 >>> https://clyp.it/sanzigqc And - of course - I didn't work 2 years on this version xD (about 2 weeks at all - maybe 20 hours in total) - was busy with other tracks and other stuff. But since I really like the new changes I wanted to share it with you. I didn't like the really outdated old version anymore and I wanted to create a much greater update with much more changes - but I need more time than I've planned. So, after 2 years I simply just wanted to replace the old version I don't want to listen to anymore with the much newer version that really sends me some chillz through ma bones - no shit. )) But yeah, you're right. There's a lot to do - especially in things like variation (primarily drums, basses, transitions) and much more new melodies that go on some very own pathes, changing rhythms, more alternations in speed maybe and a really completed, fading away ending. When I began with the track some years ago I really started with creating the whole track with a slightly alternated loop sequence (yeah, I was a big fan of the original theme and I had not the composing skills & knowhow I have today) - and now It's my mission to break free from this fixed structure more and more. But I don't want to cut the length of the track because I really want to have this one as a rare long Battle theme remix. It's not impossible to create a lively and varied track at this length and I'll make it someday as I progress with my composition skills (It's my 4th year now since I started with making music out of completely nothing - and it takes still a long time for me to write new stuff). Besides - there's already a FF7 battle theme remix on Youtube with a pretty great length (8 mins) and it seems to be possible to keep the listeners interested over such a long time >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl3DZfPR9oM Although it's pretty much loop-based as well - but the alternative transitions and the lively, dynamic orchestration makes it really interesting over this long time. I'm not a too big fan of this "orchestrated-elements-only style" for a battle theme with such a great potencial for various music genres - so, I have to create a version in my own style. But it gives me an idea of what is possible there.

Since the big update of my remix will take much more time than expected and cause I haven't updated the track for about 2 years (but I have composed lots of new stuff since then) I want to share a little preview of the current state of my music project with ya. I haven't even done the ingame video for this one - but at least I've created a little slideshow with some fitting pics of the FF7 series. I know it's still a lot to do in things like variety in a track with this length - but I think there's already some really nice stuff in there and I kinda like to hear the track over and over again. Maybe give me a little feedback how you like the new stuff and the improved sound design in general. You can find some additional information for this new version in the upload description of the Youtube link. So, here's version 1.5 of my remix: >>> >>> https://clyp.it/0wbdm03p (Because of the extreme length of the track I could "only" upload a 256 kbit/s file at my free Clyp account instead of my usual 320 kbit/s audio material there.)

Thanks for the feedback, dude. )) Really nice to get the opinion of a real drummer in this case.

Thanks for the nice hints and information. )) In the end I've chosen the Sony MDR-7506 and I'm really satisfied with those headphones. They've got a really natural sound - no overpowered, but really crisp and highly defined basses (probably one of the biggest issue with most studio headphones), pretty decent, clean and neutral mids and really defined high frequencies (although they might be a bit standing out and sharp at "sss" sounds like hi-hats - I tried to change this with an equalizer plugin but no matter where I reduced or raised frequencies I couldn't get significantly better results which might be a sign that these headphones make a really clean, authentic, neutral and natural sound). In the beginning it might be a bit unusual to listen to soundtracks with such a reduced, neutral bass - but it's really good for the mixing process (as well as for watching movies etc.). Your sense of hearing wil get used to the neutral sound within a few days/weeks. The stereophonic/ surround sound is also pretty awesome (and really precise), too. Related to this it can really keep up with the big room sound of my new stereo speaker system (Logitech Z533). A bit annoying during the first days was the slightly noticeable pressure on the head around the ears (my ears got pretty warm at the first day after wearing the headphones over a longer time). But this vanished after a couple of days and they now fit really well without boiling my ears. If you have larger ears you should look for another model of headphones maybe (they're really made for smaller and normal ears) - such like Beyerdynamic DT 770/880/990 Pro headphones which are really big compared to my Sony headphones. So, altogether you can hardly do anything wrong with buying the Sony MDR-7506 as professional studio headphones. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PS: Since a friend of mine wants to buy some Beyerdynamic headphones (770 DT Pro or 880 DT Pro) for gaming soon I might have a chance to compare those ones with my Sony MDR-7506.

Heya, guys. I'm looking for some professional studio headphones with natural high definition sound (without significant bass boost, treble boost or midrange cut), ... ... so, just some affordable high-end headphones with the flattest possible frequency response that allows me to perceive crystal clear, natural sound and listen to the true musical intentions of a composer or a professional developer of VSTi sample libraries in every little detail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Edit: My big choice is actually between those headphones: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro (5 - 35000 Hz, 250 ohms, semi-open) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ >>> https://www.thomann.de/gb/beyerdynamic_dt880_pro.htm (also available as a slightly cheaper Black Edition) >>> https://www.thomann.de/gb/beyerdynamic_dt_880_pro_black_edition.htm frequency response graph >>> https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/report/hp/beyerdynamic-dt-880-pro.php 2) Audio-Technica ATH-M50X (15 - 28000 Hz, 38 ohms, closed-back, replaceable jack cable) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> https://www.thomann.de/gb/audio_technica_ath_m50_x.htm frequency response graph >>> https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-6/graph/21550/frequency-response/audio-technica-ath-m50x/295 3) AKG K-702 (10 - 39800 Hz, 62 ohms, open-back, replaceable jack cable) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> https://www.thomann.de/gb/akg_k702.htm frequency response graph >>> https://www.rtings.com/headphones/1-5/graph/7903/frequency-response/akg-k702/332 4) Sony MDR-7506 (10 - 20000 Hz, 63 ohms, closed-back) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> https://www.thomann.de/gb/sony_mdr7506_kopfhoerer.htm frequency response graph >>> https://reference-audio-analyzer.pro/en/report/hp/sony-mdr-7506.php#gsc.tab=0 5) Beyerdynamic Custom Studio (5 - 35000 Hz, 80 ohms, closed-back, replaceable jack cable, headset customization options and 4 adjustable bass levels) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> https://www.thomann.de/gb/beyerdynamic_custom_studio.htm frequency response graph (depends on bass slider settings) >>> https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RugbixtitO8/X34p9pXMlRI/AAAAAAAABeA/m29TVSU-qEwzGQ8U4GiMEuqJxE1dLCNbwCPcBGAsYHg/s1200/Beyerdynamic%2BCustom%2BStudio.jpg ... I already have the Sony MDR-7506 studio headphones, which are really good (apart from the slightly narrow soundstage or the slightly overemphasized frequency range between 2500 Hz and 7500 Hz, which can make the sound a bit harsh). They have a high sound resolution and are not too uncomfortable to wear (I wouldn't recommend them for people with larger ears). A big problem could be that the frequency response drops off dramatically above 12000 Hz - but I don't think that will be decisive for the listening experience and accurate mixing. Some time later, I got the semi-open Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro Black Edition (be sure to use the silver earcups instead of the black ones - it makes a huge difference, for example, in terms of a smoother frequency response) and a high-end headphone amplifier, the Lake People G109-P (to better drive and get the most out of these high-impedance studio headphones). And the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro is still my absolute favorite when it comes to important points like: - a natural, faithful and very analytical sound - a very even frequency response - a wide frequency range (5-35000 Hz) - really accurate stereo and depth imaging (when I watch movies with these headphones, I feel like I'm in a small modern Dolby Surround cinema and get sucked right into the action) - a really pleasant wearing comfort And - what's really important with studio headphones - they gave me the best mixing results after listening to my mixes on other monitoring devices like other studio monitors, stereos, car stereos, MP3 players, etc.... They may even be among the best studio headphones for mixing in the world. And they also seem to be much better than the closed-back Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro and the open-back Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro (I also own the DT 990 Pro, which is supposed to be better than the DT 770 Pro, but I don't like the really annoying harsh highs and the little bass boost - may be useful for watching movies and figuring out what a mix would sound like on a lot of customer hi-fi systems, but for mixing I don't really like using them). So, I think I'll definitely stick with the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro. ... But I still try to be open to other current and future developments of studio headphones. So, I really like to check out some professional Japanese studio headphones like the ATH-M50X from Audio-Technica in the future. There are also some new developments at the Beyerdynamic DT professional studio headphones are going, such as the DT Pro X series (the DT Pro 900 X might be interesting, as it seems to be very similar to the DT Pro 880, but still has the next generation Stellar.45 neodymium drivers, an open rather than semi-open design, a similar frequency response like the frequency response of the DT 880 Pro, even thicker ear cups, and a replaceable jack cable). ... As soon as I get a chance to try out or even mix with new models of studio headphones, I'll let you know, of course. ))

I don't know which DAW you actually use besides Ableton. But try following things before installing another Windows version. 1. Deactivate and deinstall all external firewalls and anti-virus softwares (especially those with their so-called "real-time protection") >>> just use Windows Firewall (make sure to fully allow your DAW) and Windows Defender. 2. Delete the drivers of your audio interface and download and install the latest drivers of your audio interface from its support website. 3. Use the latest drivers of your audio interface in your DAW settings. 4. Check the settings of your driver system in your DAW if there are options like a hybrid engine for low-latency program use, put the ASIO buffer around 512 ms/32 Bit (latency is mostly defined and fixed by this value ) and the VIP object buffer at around 8192 ms if you want to play a track with the MIDI keyboard. 5. Check in Task Manager if your DAW activities already consume most of your RAM - in this case 16 GB RAM would be useful for larger music projects (I'm pretty much in the safe zone with 32 GB RAM). 6. Try to run your DAW in Windows 10 Compatibility Mode for Windows 7. 7. Try another DAW in its free text version and if the DAW could make some kind of problems or incompatibilities (would be strange if this might be the case - but at least you have certitude then). 8. Try to work with your DAW without your audio interface and its drivers (deinstall and use some recommended drivers in your DAW - or ASIO4all) to exclude incompatibilities with your audio interface. 9. Just order a MIDI-Keyboard from a newer series (like M-Audio Oxygen 61 Mk4) and send it back if it didn't solve the bit strange latency issue (or buy it when it works). 10. Pray to the universe or the gods of modern technology to get a direct 1-point-program answer.

So, Drum Grooves Lvl. 2 is finally finished. You can read in the Youtube upload description about all the changes I've made in this version. Here's version 1.1 of my drum composition: >>> >>> https://clyp.it/dqb5rrty

Good to see someone is trying to remix a soundtrack of the Soul series. From time to time I also work on a remix for the famous soundtrack "The Edge Of Soul" from Soul Blade - the very first installment of the series - pretty awesome tune already in the original version. So, your track has definitely soulful stuff. Besides the bit lifeless synth guitar stuff that deserves much more articulations (even some better VSTI- based guitar stuff and a bigger compository development of the monotone synth guitar melody could bring about some satisfiying results there) I really like the pretty clean and organic sound of the track, the nice use of the stereo panorama and the really cool synthesizer that kicks in at 0:52.

For the ambition to keep my content unmonetarized and ad-free I've deleted my former Baywatch remix with the video scenes and reuploaded it with a simple slideshow created with pictures of the Baywatch series from the 90s. I hope you enjoy it, too. I've already changed the links for the newest youtube upload in the comments before. But it's still really annoying to see that some of those copyright owners/companies try to make money out of every content (that's not even fully theirs) and bomb some passionate content with their soulless ad stuff. If you as a Youtuber had at least a choice which commercials you allow on your video it wouldn't be a big problem for me to accept commercials for the few companies that really push something forward for humankind and a better, more livable future - such as organic food producers, passionate bike stores, developers of sustainable and creative technology, social housing associations and good social projects. But to be the advertising pillar of large profit-over-life corporations can't be the way of a youtuber that wants to create some soulful content.

Although the story of the movie sounds a bit conventionell and boring to me the soundtrack has some nice potencial. Some of the tracks have some nice elements of former Alone In The Dark and Resident Evil games. )) And of course it's no crime to use synths and digital effects instead of realistic orchestrations for horror soundtracks. It's mostly about the atmosphere you can create - and in the case of horror soundtracks you can really sow your wild oats as a passionate and creative sound designer. Just do your best to keep your listeners poopin' unbearable bricks of fear 'n' despair. ;D

Pretty cool and realistic articulations for the electric guitar. )) Don't know if it's the sampled guitar, the tone or the hall that sounds a bit tinny (like a can-like preset - got one of those can presets in some of my VSTIs, too). It's also possible to make the guitar less thin (more powerful) without taking away the wide echoing room effects - just reduce the reverb a bit and use a stronger ping pong delay effect instead until you have a thick, strong and also wide, reverberating, room-filling guitar sound. I'd also leave out some of the overlappings of the guitar notes that sound a bit out of shape - like those ones at 1:32 (sometimes it's more than enough if just the overlapping hall/delay of the consecutive notes makes the tonal interference instead of whole overlapping notes - depending on which notes are overlapping). Besides these few things it's a really nice reinterpretation of the track. From where do you have got these nice ride/cymbal sounds you can hear pretty well in the beginning of the track? Are these samples from Shreddage Drums?

Sounds like a layered but not too complex pad soundscape to me. I'm sure you could get pretty close results even with free VSTIs like DSK ChoirZ and some external reverb 'n' delay plugins and some movements/automations in the stereo panorama.

No big news in da house. But since I deleted my track just by accident on Youtube I reuploaded it with some changes in the sound quality, a much wider stereo panorama and a few changes in the VSTI & synthesizer settings for a fuller and cleaner sound. Maybe check it out - it's still version 1.2 (only edited the post).

Meanwhile I've worked on an update of this soundtrack. All the changes I've made you can find in the description of the Youtube upload. Here's the version 1.1 of my remix: >>> >>> https://clyp.it/vht55ihs

I'd buy MIDI-Controller and VSTIs/synthesizer separately. If the expensive keyboard with the expensive synthesizers crashes (and it might be just a glass of spilled water that kills your ultimate all-in-one-solution in a second) you can't use anything of it. No working keyboard - no working synths - no happy composer. If just your MIDI-Controller is broken you can still use all the collected VSTIs, synthesizers and plugins in your DAW and just buy a new MIDI-Controller if you can't repair it. And maybe your preferences change over the time - maybe you want drum pads directly on your MIDI keyboard oder weighted keys with hammer mechanisms. Would be pretty expensive if you buy those hardware improvements along the line of new keyboards with integrated synthesizers. I've got a pretty nice MIDI keyboard all-in-one solution with my M-Audio Oxygen 49 MK IV >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee8bzs3fYbE It has just synth action keys (I actually really like 'em since I got used to them) and no aftertouch function - but I really get along with it. If I need some aftertouch I can do it with an automation by overdubbing the track with my MIDI controller and the MIDI learn function on the VSTIs and synthesizers in my DAW pretty easily. You can program and edit lots of functions of this keyboard - for example the sensitivity of the keys and drum pads or the functions of transport console, buttons and controllers. And you have lots of buttons, controllers and modulators there.

Maybe the idea with the synth instead of the piano is not bad at all - at least I tried some synths that would fit pretty well. But I'll also try to make the piano stuff more realistic - a good classic instrument for a good classic game wouldn't be too bad either. --------- Does somebody have the problem with the delay at the piano part as well? According to my headphones I can't hear a problem with the delay there - but maybe you have better headphones to filter out some annoying stuff much better than I can do with my ones. Which kind of headphones do you use, Rozovian? --------- The bass part before the drums is just the previous synth bass that goes over into a clean power guitar bass as a little prelude for the following heavy guitar part. Thanks for the hint with the drums - I'll work on this. What exactly is a down beat hit (you mean bass drum?) and an optional hit (snare or hi-hat?) in this case? Or is your beat code just about the bass drums? --------- For my guitar part I use following VSTi and VST stuff: - for the bass guitar stuff: "Vita Power Guitar" >>> http://www.magix.com/int/hidden-extras/additional-instruments/2015/ - for the rhythmic guitar stuff: "Vita Century Guitars" (just look for Century Guitars at the same link as for the Power Guitar above) - for the lead guitar stuff: an own preset for an electric guitar from "Independence Pro Library" (just listen to the second demo track of "Acoustic & Electric Guitars" after clicking on the speaker symbol there for listening to one of the clean electric guitars) >>> http://www.magix-audio.com/ie/independence/libraries/#productMenu With this as a base I use a VST-Plugin called "Vandal: Virtual bass and guitar amplifier" with a self-made preset on it >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRalAVOvxd4 I really like that one - you can build nearly any kind of guitar sounds with the complex functions of Vandal in connection with a real electric guitar or a good clean electric guitar VSTi with lots of articulations/key switch functions as a basis.

Hm, that's a strange thing. I can't really hear a too reverby sound in the orchestral drum section - and even the VSTI parameters don't show a too big hall effect. The wetness is about 40 % and the hall time (or let's call it the hall size of the room) is just 4 seconds. I can't even hear a too much reverb there if I play each section as a solo. Somebody else who has the same impression by listening to it that this is too reverby? Maybe the different headphones are the main cause for the different perception - I've got some of the Panasonic RP-HX550 series >>> https://www.amazon.de/Panasonic-RP-HX550-Street-Kopfhörer-schwarz/dp/B00FG5H6II/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1494161177&sr=8-12&keywords=panasonic+kopfhörer In my vision for creating this part I was thinking of some of the islanders praying and drumming for Mike's sake along his courageous and dangerous journey - some kind of a powerful spiritual support from far away. ---------- The rhythmic strings in this section are already "spiccato" - that's nearly the same like the general term "staccato" (I guess, spiccato = staccato for strings). Maybe they are interfering with the legato strings in this section - although they have a different setting in the panorama. But somehow I like this how they sound together. ---------- The steel drums are actually no real steel drums - it's a special preset for my vintage organ which sounds quite similar. And I tried different velocity curves there - but for this VSTI the "Ayers Rock" velocity curve with slightly randomized velocity of the neighboring note simply sounded best there. If I go too semicircular in the velocity there you won't hear too much of this in the whole soundtrack anymore. Unfortunately I don't have a real/realistic acoustic steeldrum for this one. But at least I have some steeldrum synths where I could use a different velocity curve (pretty much semicircular) that actually don't sound that bad as I thought. ---------- At the moment I want to take all my time for fixing things and trying out new stuff for my tracks. It's just my 4th or 5th year (as far as I remember I began somewhere in 2013 or 2014) of getting into music from ground zero and creating soundtracks. And I'm still learning lots of new stuff every month just by reading, seeing, hearing or simply trying out new things. So, at the moment it's really okay for me to improve continuously over considering my tracks as being finished. ))

Thanks for the encouraging feedback. Though I'm really satisfied with the track at the moment I'll wait with subbing. I'm sure my skills in creating music will improve even more within the next years - but at the moment I can really enjoy this level. The funny thing with the strings in the intro is that I had tried some much more realistic samples of strings, but I didn't like it (maybe the better samples sounded much too formal for such an easy, tropical melody, but maybe I have not added enough reverb and delay). As I remember I tried some synths as well but they were too artificial and too spacy - they didn't fit the other acoustic instruments. So I used the average "golden medium string samples". But yeah - I could work on the notes of the chords and make them longer or a bit more interlocked. And which toms you mean with "like making the tom part feel tighter and less reverb-y" - the orchestral drums towards the end or the toms in the drum kits before? According to my loudness & peak metering in my DAW I have a free headroom of about 6 dB between the 0 dB mark and the highest signal peaks in the track. So, I guess I could easily increase the master volume up to further 5 dB for the OCRemix upload version without using any compressors/limiters. But for my personal uploads I'll stick with the EBU R-128 loudness standards because it's much easier to keep a certain loudness level for all my tracks without reducing the dynamic range, limiting peaks or making unnecessary changes in the sample or sound quality.

Thanks for the review. I guess I'll keep working on the track - especially at the piano stuff, maybe at the drums and maybe at the ending (although I thought the fade-out was fitting pretty well in this track). Besides - which piano parts exactly do you mean with odd - the very first notes or some parts afterwards? And would you say through the perception via your headphones that there's too much reverb and delay is going on in the prefatory piano section?