NiGHTS Into Dreams - The Amazing Water

[Xumtosis]

Well, It's bin a while. I'v bin practicing and messing around for a while now, and I'v learned a bit here and there. Figured I may as well start refining a track again. Well, Also I kinda noticed it's bin quite a while. So I figured, I should see how much better I'v gotten over all this time.

The track I decided would probably go best was The Amazing Water, From NiGHTS Into Dreams. It's a more relaxing track to make, and the test I had of it didn't seem that bad. So I cleaned it up and all that and released the first version. Err... About four months ago. I decided, I was a bit overdue to actually make a final version. So here I am, and I have the second version.

Here it is: https://soundcloud.com/xumtosis/theamazingwaterversion-2

You can check out version one, If you'd like an idea of how it's changed:

https://soundcloud.com/xumtosis/the-amazing-water-wip

I didn't add to much in the way of notes and arrangement, It was mainly fine tuning everything to a point I was happy with it.

Well, That's all for now. Hope you enjoy it, and of course, Any feedback or critique is welcome.

Thanks for reading and listening.

-Update-

Version 3 is done, so here's the link:

https://soundcloud.com/xumtosis/the-amazing-water-version-3

Edited August 16, 2013 by Xumtosis

[electric concerto]

Source:

The song needs more low end from that bass. The remix sounds... empty.

Also, it's boring. Hate to put it like that, but I feel no excitement like I did in the source. I guess you need more dynamics, because it reminds me of a straight road in a desert with no curves, bends, or hills. Nothing to look at.

The melody needs to stand out WAY more. also needs to have some ambient break downs, SOMEthing.

I sense potential, but it has a ways to go.

[Melodious Punk]

this has sort of a Human League, british synthpop vibe. I might check out the original, but the choices of instrument sounds are nice. The guitars aren't really blending though, I would toy with the EQ's on those to create more of a harmonious effect.

I agree with the above poster that the tune is lacking excitement, although an exciting song doesn't mean one needs an exciting remix. If there's an element of relaxation you'd like to get from this mix, I think curbing the harshness of the guitar tone and blending the guitars together would achieve that.

[electric concerto]

I agree with the above poster that the tune is lacking excitement, although an exciting song doesn't mean one needs an exciting remix. If there's an element of relaxation you'd like to get from this mix, I think curbing the harshness of the guitar tone and blending the guitars together would achieve that.

I think you may have misunderstood what I meant by "excitement". I'm talking about elements in the song that interrupt the flow in a way to keep it interesting. It can be ambient smooth pads meant to relax you, but without some sort of shift in flow, the song becomes boring and unexciting. I'm looking for that next stop in the proverbial bus route that wakes me up from the stupor of the train ride.

Know what I mean?

[Xumtosis]

this has sort of a Human League, british synthpop vibe. I might check out the original, but the choices of instrument sounds are nice. The guitars aren't really blending though, I would toy with the EQ's on those to create more of a harmonious effect.

I agree with the above poster that the tune is lacking excitement, although an exciting song doesn't mean one needs an exciting remix. If there's an element of relaxation you'd like to get from this mix, I think curbing the harshness of the guitar tone and blending the guitars together would achieve that.

I think you may have misunderstood what I meant by "excitement". I'm talking about elements in the song that interrupt the flow in a way to keep it interesting. It can be ambient smooth pads meant to relax you, but without some sort of shift in flow, the song becomes boring and unexciting. I'm looking for that next stop in the proverbial bus route that wakes me up from the stupor of the train ride.

Know what I mean?

I do understand what you mean by it being rather flat. I wanted to make it rather simple for now, and change it more as I go on. All the instruments blend in, Maybe too much so. I'll have to try and find the right amount of pop to the instruments so they aren't blended in to the point none stand out, but blended enough so it's still a rather smooth and calm track.

It seems to be a bit of an issue I run into. Sometimes it can be rather tricky to make the song sound less like it's in a vacuum, and is isolated from everything else. Making it sound kind of unnatural and still.

I did try to kind of make it sound faintly like it's underwater. I still like that idea, But I think I may try and make only part of the song like that. It would probably go nice, Since the actual level the song is in only has part of it underwater. I'm not too sure. I'll mess around and see what happens. Hopefully I can get it to sound just right, or at least close enough.

Thanks for the feedback, It's much appreciated.

[Xumtosis]

After testing a bit with other tracks, I think I got to a point where I'm happier with it. Still not perfect, But it's getting there.

Here it is. Version 3:

https://soundcloud.com/xumtosis/the-amazing-water-version-3

I'll update the main post with the link too, For convenience.

[Skrypnyk]

When I listened to version three, my first thought was 'this is the third version??? What did version one sound like?'. Upon listening to that, without getting too into detailed it sounds more or less the same.

These comments are not about your composition or arrangement (well, excluding drums). It's about your production and mixing abilities which, if your wips are any indication, you sorely lack. You can argue that you would worry about all that when the song is finished, but I'm concerned, based on what I'm hearing now, that you won't be able to pull it off. I can hear low end stabs when whatever is playing on the left speaker comes in at 0:37 and others. Your drums are non-existent, kick and snare are blurred and buried, and the hats really just do the same chchchchchchchchchch through-out the entire piece. As concerto pointed out, the tune has no bass. No bass bass. No sub bass. No real highs either. Everything is clashing in mids, and nothing really comes out and takes a strong, present lead.

The guitars and piano also come off incredible sequenced and stiff. They need a strong overhaul of finesse to make them sound realistic.

Hate to sound dismissive, but I don't think this has potential at all. The amount of work required to really make this shine wouldn't be worth the time or trouble. I would study more about mixing and production, try learning more about your DAW, and start something fresh.

btw, to make the song sound like it's underwater, use a low-pass filter.

[Xumtosis]

When I listened to version three, my first thought was 'this is the third version??? What did version one sound like?'. Upon listening to that, without getting too into detailed it sounds more or less the same.

These comments are not about your composition or arrangement (well, excluding drums). It's about your production and mixing abilities which, if your wips are any indication, you sorely lack. You can argue that you would worry about all that when the song is finished, but I'm concerned, based on what I'm hearing now, that you won't be able to pull it off. I can hear low end stabs when whatever is playing on the left speaker comes in at 0:37 and others. Your drums are non-existent, kick and snare are blurred and buried, and the hats really just do the same chchchchchchchchchch through-out the entire piece. As concerto pointed out, the tune has no bass. No bass bass. No sub bass. No real highs either. Everything is clashing in mids, and nothing really comes out and takes a strong, present lead.

The guitars and piano also come off incredible sequenced and stiff. They need a strong overhaul of finesse to make them sound realistic.

Hate to sound dismissive, but I don't think this has potential at all. The amount of work required to really make this shine wouldn't be worth the time or trouble. I would study more about mixing and production, try learning more about your DAW, and start something fresh.

btw, to make the song sound like it's underwater, use a low-pass filter.

Bass and Drums seem to give me the most issue. I have problems getting the levels and everything on the individual drum sounds to sound right all together. Then there's the Bass, Which I lack any real tool for. I do have the defaults and such, But they sound a bit off to me. I also have a problem with making notes sound different in general. I'm always worried if I mess with the velocities and such, I'll just make it sound weird. Especially since I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing with some things still. I kind of just do things and try and see what happens. Sometimes it works, Sometimes it doesn't.

I'v never studied music, and to be honest I don't understand half the terms and words used most of the time. So to me, A lot of buttons in FL are just mysterious buttons that MAY do what I want. I always figured that since I do this as a hobby, I don't need to be great at it. But the more I do it, The more a enjoy making all kinds of songs. So maybe it's about time I really start looking into it, and start reading all those guides and all that. I have got better on my own, The first tracks where... Err... Special? Yeah... No one will ever hear those things. But, I have a feeling there will be a point that I can't really figure out this stuff without help. Since progress with me getting better is slowing down, I'm probably getting there.

Well, Thanks for the feedback and everything. It's appreciated. I'm going to need to find time to learn more about everything. I'll probably still finish this track. Just because leaving it unfinished feels a bit wrong.

[Skrypnyk]

I'v never studied music, and to be honest I don't understand half the terms and words used most of the time. So to me, A lot of buttons in FL are just mysterious buttons that MAY do what I want. I always figured that since I do this as a hobby, I don't need to be great at it. But the more I do it, The more a enjoy making all kinds of songs. So maybe it's about time I really start looking into it, and start reading all those guides and all that. I have got better on my own, The first tracks where... Err... Special? Yeah... No one will ever hear those things. But, I have a feeling there will be a point that I can't really figure out this stuff without help. Since progress with me getting better is slowing down, I'm probably getting there.

Sounds like me when I first started. Once you start playing around with different things, and you begin to know what a knob does, and how it affects the effect or synth, and how it changes a sound, you can begin to use proper techniques in getting what you want to sound the way you want it. Really it's just knowledge and practice, practice and knowledge. As long as you're happy and having fun just trying and doing and learning then keep at it. Don't get too caught up on just one project, keep trying new stuff in new projects and save and keep everything. You can always go back and adjust things properly when you know what it is you want to do.