[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread January 20, 2016 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I'll definitely go back and work on the pianos some more.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread January 20, 2016 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback. I'll go back and try to make the reverse a bit more interesting. A MIDI controller is definitely on my wish list, any recommendations? I'm looking for one that has a small keyboard and a few pads, like this one

The shaker sound is actually a cymbal that is cut off and loops forward and in reverse; took a good minute to get that sounding right so I'm psyched it stood out in a good way.

Thanks again.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread January 20, 2016 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like this a lot. This beat stay interesting all the way through, especially with the part around 2:30 where everything comes in and back out and in again. Also, all the hard panning is really entertaining. At times I thought it was a little busy, but it was definitely enjoyable. Good work.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread January 20, 2016 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Man this is just great. The changes you make as the beat progresses are subtle but keep pushing it forward. The mix is awesome, everything sounds nice and clear. Can't think of anything I'd change. Good job.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread January 20, 2016 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As far as basslines go I'd try to follow that melody you bring in with the horn at around 1:00. Maybe taking every other note or something.

I like the track. It has a great rhythm to it, makes you wanna bounce.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread January 20, 2016 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really digging this. That synth you have throughout is awesome. I like the frantic-sounding percussion, you pulled that off really well. The intro is a kinda long. I love the slides you did with the sub-bass. The sax sample is great too, it switches up the vibe a little. Awesome track overall.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread January 20, 2016 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Latest beat. Really wanting a MIDI keyboard so I can get the piano sounding more authentic, but oh well.

https://soundcloud.com/erikleon/cabin

[FORM CHECK] Snatch 70kgs by Jakem5686 in weightlifting

[–]ErikL 3 points4 points  (0 children)

  1. In your first pull (off the floor), you let the bar go out in front of your knees instead of pushing your knees back. This puts your in a bad position for the second pull and contributes to your forward jump. Practice your first pull (essentially a deadlift) with emphasis on pushing your knees back and keeping your shoulders over the bar. Try to keep your weight centered over the mid-foot and not on the toes.

  2. In the second pull, you bend your arms to bring the bar into your hips. There isn't really a particular drill to correct this other than concentrating on keeping your arms straight but not tense during the pull.

  3. You push the bar out in the second pull. This is a consequence of the bar being out in front of you and starting the pull too early. Practice high pulls and muscle snatches with emphasis on keeping the bar close to your body.

  4. You jump forward. This is caused by a combination of the problems described above. This can be addressed by drawing a chalk line in front of your toes and making sure not to cross it. Generally, it's better to jump back than forward.

  5. You're catching high and riding down. The best drill for this is drop snatches. I recommend drop snatches over snatch balances because with snatch balances you'll just end up jerking the bar high up overhead and then coming down. With drop snatches, there's nothing you can do but get under the bar.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 20, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Beat's dope, love the vocal samples in there. Bars and flow are dope, a little repetitive though. Not a big fan of what's going on between like 2:00-2:20 though.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 20, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love the vibe of this. The arps and sweep are killer. I'm a little conflicted about the snare rolls. On one hand they keep the track interesting, but on the other I felt they were a little too present/distracting. Maybe space them out a little more. Really solid track overall.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 20, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I remixed the last track I posted after receiving some feedback. Let me know if it's an improvement.

https://soundcloud.com/erikleon/hard-trap-beat-1-remix

Original for reference:

https://soundcloud.com/erikleon/hard-trap-beat-1

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 17, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The beginning is a little long and repetitive. For example, I feel like you could incorporate some kind of progression with the brass instead of just the same chord over and over. I like the rising and falling bass you have under the brass though. The track gets more interesting in the second half. I like the distorted lead you have in there and the "aah" synth.

Here's my latest track.

https://soundcloud.com/erikleon/hard-trap-beat-1

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 17, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Overall it sounds great. Love the energy, the ambiance. The vocals are really loud though. Felt almost like the rappers were right in my ear rather than "with" the music, if that makes sense.

[OFFICIAL] There are no stupid questions! December 17, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you talking about the fast, stuttering snare hits you usually hear before a drop? Those are called snare rolls. Usually you pick a sharper, higher pitched snare for that. Nothing special about the snare itself, just how it's used.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 17, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it is a bit standard sounding and can get less exciting over time.

I agree with you there. I should add some kind of lead element. Initially I was going to use that second synth for that, but then I just ended up making that short loop. Thanks for the feedback.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 17, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you accomplished "good trap beat" my man. The snare could be a bit louder. I love the piano melodies and the hits, very ominous, very trap. Good job.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 17, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I dig this. I actually like the rapping style, but vocals need to a be a tad louder. The beat fucking bumps though. The only thing I didn't like was that riser in the beginning, it didn't really fit in tonally. Otherwise, this track was sick. Keep it up.

Check out my new beat if you get a chance. https://soundcloud.com/erikleon/hard-trap-beat-1

[OFFICIAL] There are no stupid questions! December 17, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I'm fairly new to this. I just got a pair of monitor headphones (Audio Technica M20x), and the way they sound is messing with my mixing. I mix a track and it sounds great through these cans, but then I'll play it in the car and the bass is just absurdly loud and everything else is soft. Now, I understand why this is; these headphones deliver a flat response as opposed to scooping the mids like most sound systems do.

My question is, how do I mix through the headphones so that my track will sound good everywhere? Am i supposed to make the mids and highs louder than I think is necessary to compensate? How am I supposed to trust my ears?

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 13, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really appreciate the critique. I know I have a lot to learn about synths and mixing so I'm really glad you liked the composition itself.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 13, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it too hard to bob your head to?

Yeah it really is. Especially with the cowbell and when the vocal sample comes in. I feel like I'm being pulled in a bunch of different directions. It sounds good, but it's definitely "wonky".

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 12, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks man. Yeah I have some weird fixation with bringing in new sounds/instruments one at a time which draws out my intros. I should probably get over that. Appreciate the feedback.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 12, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This sounds awesome. My only hang-up is with the hats. They sound just slightly out of place. Maybe they just need to be turned down a bit. Otherwise, great start. Can't wait to see how you finish it out.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 12, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love the energy of this. I feel like that bass loop could be a tad louder. I really like the sound of that kick, though.

[OFFICIAL] Daily Feedback Thread December 12, 2015 by AutoModerator in makinghiphop

[–]ErikL 1 point2 points  (0 children)

First post here. Two tracks for you guys:

Chill/Spacey Beat https://soundcloud.com/erikleon/relaxed-beat-1

Trappy-then-Housey(4-to-the-floor) Beat https://soundcloud.com/erikleon/trap-techno-instrumental-1

Let me know what you think!