XPRTNovice Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 Okay, got a new version out there that I think is much, much cleaner rhythmically and audio quality wise. I redid everything using stereo micing and brushed up on my EQ/leveling. The metronome was my friend. How does it sound? http://soundcloud.com/xprtnovice/not-the-taxi-you-whistled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cash Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Great work, a big improvement if you ask me! The Gold Saucer part is really nice. The guitar is really well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 Thanks C&C. I hope for this to go to mod review this week so I can stop obsessing over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean Of mArc Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Awesome!!! I went through it, and rhythmically this is MUCH more together! Great work!! Also, the EQing and such sounded much better to my ear: the instruments sounded more separate. I did find one area where the rhythm didn't quite sound together, and I pointed it out. The only thing left, which I've been saying from the beginning, is that the whistling is WAY too quiet, especially in the beginning. Actually, it sounds quieter in this version than it did before. Unless my speakers are the issue, I can almost guarantee that the mods and judges will bring this up, so that would be my final recommendation, and it's a pretty simple one, so it shouldn't take long. Anyway, once you've done that, and fixed the rhythm at the end, I think you're ready for a MOD review. Great work on this piece, man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 Thanks Jean. Now, the whistling. Natural whistling is so harsh-sounding when recorded that I'm having trouble keeping the levels up without making my own ears hurt. I actually sent this to a professional friend of mine for advice, and he said "Nobody likes anyone whistling right in their ear". He actually suggested I back off, but I tend to lean on your side on this one. If you have any suggestions on how to do this without causing ears to bleed, I'd love to hear them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cash Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I actually think the whistling sounds good as is, I think it would start to sound odd if you increased the volume too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean Of mArc Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Hey XPRT, Yes, I see your dilemma. We do need that lead to come out a bit more, but we don't want the listeners' ears to suffer as a result. There are a few ways that you can bring out a sound without causing damage: 1. Raise the volume. Obvious, but not always to good effect. 2. Double the line, and then pan one of them left and one of them right. You can usually keep the same volume, but having it come from two sides at once gives it more presence. Rap uses this technique a lot. 3. Parallel compression. I've never done this, but it might help the situation: http://www.tenthegg.co.uk/tips/t008/ 4. EQing. Basically, you raise the volume, but use EQ to take down the really high, harsh frequencies a bit so that it is more mellow. Best thing to do would be to blast up a node in your EQ, scan through the frequencies until you find the really harsh ones, then bring it below the middle line so as to lessen it. Then you can raise the volume without much damage. If these don't work, try asking someone who knows what they're talking about haha, because I'm a noob at this stuff. But we really have to find a way to bring the lead out more... there must be a way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean Of mArc Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 I actually think the whistling sounds good as is, I think it would start to sound odd if you increased the volume too much. The alternative would be to take the other instruments DOWN a bit. They might sound fine on your speakers, but the guitars and such are much louder than the whistling on mine, and they are set to pretty average levels all-around. Of course, you could get a few more people to say how it sounds for them... maybe I'm in the minority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 Just played with whistling levels and re-uploaded. Does this strike a good balance? http://soundcloud.com/xprtnovice/not-the-taxi-you-whistled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean Of mArc Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 You're going to hate me for this... but you can probably actually put the guitar back up a tad. In other words, it DOES sound better, but it might be a bit too far in the other direction. Either way, you've proven that you CAN make it more pronounced without being irritating! So, just adjust it a bit, fix the rhythm towards the end (if you haven't already) and you're good to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted March 19, 2012 Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 Upgraded to mod review: Alright mods, do your worst! Even if you and the judges hate it, all I did during all parts of this was laugh my ass off, so I'm happy. http://soundcloud.com/xprtnovice/not-the-taxi-you-whistled Thanks, XPRT FARMBOY: GOLD SAUCER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT4xRwi5gUU There are a couple of prelude and chocobo theme licks in there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexstyle Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 <MODREVIEW> Oh man. I love this so much. Just a couple of minor nit-picks: - The off-beat (and I don't mean tempo, I mean the position of the musical bar it plays in) harmonica/accordion/whateveritis sound that starts around 3:12 needs to be nudged so that it lines up a little nicer with the rest of the track, timing-wise. - A little bit in the very ending sounds just a tad chaotic (too many musical ideas at once) and could be transitioned a bit better, around 3:34 or so. Other than that, I got nothing. The mix is nice and rich, and for this genre you don't have to be perfect, IMO. Gotta keep some o' that down-home authenticity in there, which you've done very nicely. Also, absolutely love that "booty appreciation" whistle at the end, had me cracking up over here. Really good work, and I want to see this on the homepage in the not-too-distant future. I personally think (aside from that timing issue I mentioned on my first bullet point) it's a winner as-is, but a couple more opinions won't hurt. </MODREVIEW> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 Thanks Flex! That goddamn accordion is giving me so much trouble. If I didn't like the way it sounded so much, I'd take it out. The soundfont that I used has a nice quality sound but it's realistic enough that you get the pre-noise hiss from an accordion, which effs up my timing. Good catch, I think I can just slide the bar there and be done with it. If not, it's coming out! And agreed on the ending. I think I can clean that up. Thanks again for the praise and the feedback. I'm glad my whistling skills have gotten some use other than annoying anyone in my house or workplace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean Of mArc Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 No surprises here, I knew this one would be a winner. Again, great work man. I have no doubts this will make it in, and deserving so. I look forward to seeing it on the front page soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 Thanks Jean. Just out of curiosity, can I expect one mod review, multiple, or what? I'm just wondering how long I should hang out in Mod Review mode before I go ahead and submit this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean Of mArc Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Just out of curiosity, can I expect one mod review, multiple, or what? I'm just wondering how long I should hang out in Mod Review mode before I go ahead and submit this. Don't know for sure, but I think you only get one, unless you request another directly. Don't quote me on that, though. I guess its a matter of your confidence in the current version. You've gotten lots of feedback, made lots of changes, got a mod review, could make some changes from that... So it's just a matter of saying "OK, it's ready now" and submitting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexstyle Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I think, officially, once a thread has been mod reviewed, it's up to you as to whether or not you want to keep it as mod review. Other mods may or may not chip in at their discretion. I've seen some tracks get the full gamut of mod review heavy-handedness, and others slip through the cracks. Personally, I'd leave it for a couple more days at least; because the judging process takes so long, a few more days really won't hurt you at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 I have very few problems with this - it's really polished up well! Great track. Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docnano Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Much improved. I like how you toned down the synthetic instruments in the second half. Sounds infinitely more authentic now. I love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 I just wanted to thank everyone that helped me piece this together. I got word from Zircon today and this will be going straight to the front page without hitting the judges forum! Thanks again everyone! I couldn't have done it without your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean Of mArc Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I'm not surprised in the least; it's an awesome track and really needed no further evaluation for quality. Congrations, you deserve it for your hard work, and I look forward to seeing it on the front page some day soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPRTNovice Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 So, not that I'm impatient, but this track was "accepted" back in early May. How long does it usually take for things to hit the homepage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Congrats! I have a friend whose track was accepted in December. Still waiting. Plan on six months! edit: no judges forum? wow cool... ok so I have no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexstyle Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Haha, yeah, I've got stuff that was accepted over a year ago that hasn't hit yet. It's a long game of "hurry up and wait" when it comes to mixposts. It'll happen eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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