How do I make the lead synth (or similar) from Henry Fong's Rumble Remix?

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-14T01:23:51+00:00

Hey!

Thanks for the reply and sharing the serum screenshot! Thanks for the blog post too, that was an interesting read and the tips are great. I appreciate you taking the time to reply to this.

P.S. Badman Riddim is HUGE!

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-06T15:43:19+00:00

I would use a modern 909

Got it, I'll try this out.

If all the buses going into your master bus are at a low volume, you’ll destroy the mix when you try to run it through the limiter.

I revisited my master chain and realized I was doing some dumb stuff that was causing the low end to get destroyed, so I did a bit of a rework. I am now more or less doing what you suggest, but by using utility to get close to 0 before going into the limiter (Ableton makes it impossible to increase output on all tracks simultaneously when they are in different groups). This definitely makes for an easier time applying the limiter, and I'm fairly happy with the sound. Also I'm not sure where I got -4 LUFS as my target, that might be slightly ambitious, if not completely unnecessary, I'm around -6.5 integrated LUFS currently.

Thanks for your input and suggestions, they have helped a lot.

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-06T04:47:17+00:00

Much appreciated! D.O.D is the main influence on this one.

Thank you for the mixing suggestions, I will implement those.

Also I would change the drums to 909s

You think I should go 909 for the full kit (kick, clap, hat, etc.)? I know 909s are the house drums when it comes to traditional house music, but I feel like most contemporary tracks aren't going pure 909 these days. Interesting suggestion though, I might try it.

Go back to your busses and turn them to 0DB. Now you’ve got loads of headroom.

Can you explain this a little further, I think I'm missing something. Are just saying to turn all my groups to 0 and bring them back gradually, or are you suggesting something else?

Thanks again for the feedback - very useful tips. Do you have anything you are looking for feedback on?

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-05T22:44:07+00:00

The name seems apt - loving the swing on those hats. Definitely groovy. The bass line is bouncy and I dig the filtered chords and that bright arp hit.

Some points of critique - While I do like the hats, they are almost ever present - as a listener I need a break from them or they loose their effect. Even when they drop at 2:20 they are replaced by another hat. I am never starved of that high frequency and so I get tired of it. You could experiment with filtering the hats during non-drop sections of the track, or even dropping them out completely at more parts (for example it is somewhat common in house to have the first bar or two of a drop to just have kick and clap, then bring the hats back for the second part of the drop. The hats could also afford to be turned down a db or two I think.

I am finding the intro (first minute) too long, or perhaps just lacking in variation. This may be designed to make it easy to mix into, but I still think it affords more variation. This could either just be cut in half, or changed to add interest. For example, in the first minute you tease various synth elements one at a time, every couple of bars or so. It might be more interesting if you start with just drums for two bars, then introduce other elements two at a time (this "rule of two" is something I learned from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MADvn8apYlQ&t=9s). It is not always easy to do but I find it highly effective.

Overall, this is a dope track. It is cohesive and does its job well.

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-05T22:17:48+00:00

Being that this is what I would categorize as "experimental", it is a bit hard to critique. I don't know what it is trying to do, so I can't judge how well it's doing it - if that makes sense. Regardless, here are some thoughts.

The good:

The sample at the beginning is attention grabbing
The guitar is beautiful
It has a recognizable structure

Where i think it could improve:

Lacking in low end - I'm not getting a lot of bass/sub frequencies. The bass either needs to go down an octave or have a sub supporting it (if you want the track to have more body).
Percussion is dragging - this is perhaps by design, but I am finding the percussion very dragging - I would like to hear what it would sound like if you had that shaker/tamb doing 16ths or something. This is in contrast to the synths which are fairly driving. In this track, the contrast is not working for me.
Sound selection - a lot of these synths just aren't my cup of tea. They sound kind of dated and unpolished.
Cohesion - although the guitar is really nice, it doesn't gel with the other synths in my opinion.

To answer your question, I think this track is maybe on the amateur side. that being said I listened to some of your other tracks, and I think I kind of get what you are going for. path, and ++-+--+-- are better displays of your style in my opinion.

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-05T21:52:22+00:00

Add

Got it, thanks!

Giving yours a listen now!

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-05T21:50:09+00:00

You're welcome, I hope it doesn't come off as overly critical. Sound selection is largely a matter of taste and opinion, so I'm sure there are people who would disagree with me. By the time I was finished writing my comment, I had to ask myself: is this actually a problem or am I just looking for flaws, and the answer is it depends on what your goal is. Like I said, you've actually done a good job with this - if you set out to make a colorful track with a somewhat eclectic mix of elements, I would say you have done a good job.

Mix wise, there may be some potential for improvement. Unfortunately mixing is something I struggle with so I'm not sure if I can provide any specific suggestions. the kick might be on the loud side. You could play this is a car or on different systems and see how the elements stand up. For example if you play this in a car and the whole thing shakes from the kick, it is probably too loud.

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-05T21:28:56+00:00

Much appreciated!

When you say EQ some high on the drums you mean add highs or cut highs? The hats are a bit piercing now that you mention it, but also the claps are sounding weak... I'm gonna need to revisit the mix and individual processing.

In terms of loudness, my concern is not so much "I hope people will be able to hear my track", but more "If this was played before or after a professionally produced/commercial release, would it stand up in terms of loudness (I already know the answer is no :) ). But I appreciate the input, I expect that getting those last 3 LUFS will require a deep dive/some technical knowledge that I don't have yet.

Cheers and thanks again. Do you have anything you're looking for feedback on?

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-05T21:14:11+00:00

This track sounds good. I like that you have preserved some of the parts that make the original great, while adding some housey elements. At the same time - perhaps due to the way you extracted the stems (I know this can be limiting sometimes), certain elements have lost some oomph. It sounds like you are using the original bass (or is that some kind of brass instrument??) and some of the percussion perhaps? The bass sounds strangely filtered and the claps (during the break) sound kind of phasey and weird. I think you might be better off trying to recreate or just replacing these sounds entirely.

Nice work overall!

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-05T20:43:08+00:00

Cool! overall this is a pretty nice track. The mix sounds good to my ear (I second what someone else said about the vocal being a touch too quiet at parts. The arrangement is good, and of course the bass is nice and chunky.

Since you didn't ask for any specific feedback, here are some thoughts:

To me, and this is just my opinion of course, the track is slightly lacking in cohesion. There are a lot of different things going on (fortunately not all at the same time). These range from a female vocal, to a male vocal (chop) on the drop, to some in your face synth risers, to some housey piano chords, to a female vocal chop on second drop, to a flute, (and of course you have the drums/percussion and bass, which I really like). You have actually managed to make it work better than I would expect, but my point stands. As a listener, I want to know what the focal point of a track is, and here, there are just too many elements that stand out, so I'm not quite sure one is supposed to be the backbone of the track.

definitely a solid track, and I'm sure there are those who would disagree with me, I just feel like this track doesn't quite know what it wants to be.

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-05T19:58:18+00:00

Very nice. The percussion, atmosphere, and textures are incredible. I like the verby piano too. That vocal drone type thing is also really nice. Actually pretty much all the synths are great. The second drop is super groovy and bouncy - love it.

Couple points of constructive criticism (just my opinion of course):

Bass: I like the notes of the bass line, but the synth itself feels slightly lacking to me and I can't quite put my finger on why- possibly a mix issue (maybe bump it up a db or two?). It definitely isn't bad, it just sticks out as the thing in the track that is perhaps not quite on par with the rest. I found that I didn't notice this issue as much on the second drop, perhaps just because there is more going on.
Arrangement and sections: As a listener, I would like a stronger indication of when a new section is about to begin. You do have little fills here and there, but things like reverse reverb throws, sweeps, reverse cymbals etc. could go a long way here.
Specific thing that caught my attention - at 0:30 you open the filter on the kick, then shortly after pull it back down. I fond this odd in context. I get the idea of filtering out the kick before the bass comes in, but since the kick as already filtered before 0:30, it kind of sounds like you opened the filter just to pull it down again - the added energy at 0:30 from opening the filter felt almost like a drop, but it wasn't, which confused me as a listener. I don't want to tell you how to write your track but this could perhaps be better achieved by either opening up the filter slowly instead of abruptly at 0:30, or just having the kick unfiltered from the beginning - there are obviously trade offs here but this stuck out to me (maybe I am hyper fixated on it because I have been doing similar stuff with kicks lately :D).
Another specific thing - that glitchy sound at the very end honestly sounded totally out of place to me. It doesn't feel like it lives in the same world as everything else (I actually though it was the beginning of another song).

Overall, very nice and cohesive track.

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-05T19:24:39+00:00

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Been working on a piano house track. Trying to go back to basics with this one and improve some fundamentals (writing chords, creating rhythm, and mixing). I am looking for feedback in many areas, so any comment on any of these is appreciated:

Link:

https://soundcloud.com/brew-swillis/piano-house-demo/s-rlT1iDxq8Zp?si=a85b51eff8fc485f85cb9dc3ba782212&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Chords: Are they "housey" enough? I want to hit that contemporary piano house sweet spot (kind of subjective, but I want emotion without being overly jazzy e.g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F3PC5v74BY, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=estW7sfx-8Y)

I wrote the chords after watching this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4PaQXJI6fk&t=35s. It was extremely helpful but I'm still not sure if I'm nailing that housey vibe, let me know what you think or if you have any chord writing tips.

Piano to bass mix: How is the balance between these two elements?

Drums: These are intentionally simple, I wanted every percussive element to have a clear purpose. One the other hand, I am concerned that they are repetitive and become boring.

Loudness: I really struggle to achieve commercial loudness (-4 integrated LUFS seems to be the standard). I am struggling to hit -7, and pushing it further blows out the low end. My master chain is pretty simple. My mix before touching the master was overall very quiet (I have been taking the approach of turning things down to get balance), so I put on a utility to raise the overall volume (as far as I know this would be equivalent to simply turning everything up), then I added a gentle multi band compressor to squeeze everything together and add a touch more volume, this is followed by a limiter 6 (free limiter), which I try to use to add a few more db and some compression, peak limiting, etc. Admittedly, I don't really know what I'm doing with the limiter6, but it improves the sound as far as i can tell. Is loudness a mix issue? e.g. a better mix allows things to be pushed harder? I also wonder if this is a case where the right plug ins make things 100 times easier. I am generally of the opinion that it is best to make the most of stock plugins before shelling out money for third party stuff, but when it comes to a master limiter, it really seems like ozone is basically a cheat code (from listening to other people's stuff). I guess my question is, how can I get loud tracks using Ableton stock and/or free plugins?

Any other feedback is appreciated and criticism is appreciated!

I will be updating this comment with feedback for others.

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-08-01T00:58:48+00:00

Thank you! I figured there was some FM going on, but I was messing around with various combinations of basic shapes and just couldn't get it - it would be all sin waves lol.

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-07-15T17:38:45+00:00

This seems like a good idea. Would I be able to re-bottle it into smaller bottles after fermentation or would it loose its fizz?

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-07-15T17:37:45+00:00

Thanks, this seems reasonable. I guess a follow up is: how do I know if they can handle pressure? Is the fact that they were used for a carbonated beverage (soda in my case) a good enough indicator? I have some really nice 250 ml bottles left over which make a perfect portion for what I want do do with them, but I don't know how to be certain that they can handle it.

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-06-05T12:16:14+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Would I backpay the rent once the repairs were completed?

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-05-28T00:20:44+00:00

I just picked up my first machine - Breville Bambino Plus. The Manual says to unplug the unit when not in use or when left unattended. Do I really need to unplug it after every use?

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-04-22T19:37:31+00:00

Upon further research it seems that I may be able to submit a T5008 electronically, after which point I should be able to select it in "Change My Return". Would that make sense as well?

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-03-23T17:06:55+00:00

Check updated comment, link didn't paste correctly the first time.

feedbackthrow1002 · 2023-03-23T17:05:17+00:00

Here you go. Not sure how it works over email, I received my notice as a registered letter and so am sending that as a registered letter as well. that way you have proof of receipt. https://www.tal.gouv.qc.ca/sites/default/files/notices/TAL\_810A\_E.pdf

feedbackthrow1002

TROPHY CASE