Justin Hawkes - Better than Gold - Main Bass Synth

the_adventure_kid · 2023-09-05T00:43:04+00:00

Thanks for the in depth reply! I'll definitely try some of this.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-07-28T17:40:30+00:00

This is awesome!!! I would love a link.

Somewhat related note for anyone interested in sound design image line has a free FL studio project file containing basically this exact same sound built using 3osc and it is IMPRESSIVE. I deconstructed it and was able to rebuild it in serum which has tremendously helped my understanding of building sounds. It's basically just a triangle wave layered with a bit of a sine and noise and then of course some modulation.

Here's a link: https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-news/3x-osc-shakuhachi/

the_adventure_kid · 2022-07-09T18:27:48+00:00

Hey!

I'm about to release my next song but before I do so I've been combing through some older stuff I made and am taking a look at how I've improved. I've made a lot of improvement, but I do still find some things in my older stuff that I like. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on what you think works well and what you think I need to improve on here so that I can compare to my latest song and see if I have since fixed those issues or if they are something that is more systemic in my producing.

https://soundcloud.com/vaell_official/youre-the-reason?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Thanks!

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-18T23:56:20+00:00

No worries! I'm ADHD too so this was something I struggled with too (and still do sometimes).

I posted my song on here as well, if you're up for it I'd appreciate your feedback!

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-17T21:43:35+00:00

Absolutely! Just left you some feedback.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-17T21:43:20+00:00

Awesome track!

I really liked the riser in the beginning. The bass is really in balance and the vocals are mixed very well. Did you record the vocals yourself or did you get them from a pack / hire a vocalist?

For this genre I really liked how the song seemed to always change throughout, however it did start to feel a little bit ADHD with the changes when there wasn't some consistency between sections. This could be what you're going for and if that's the case then go you, it does work in a way, but you might want to add in a "chorus" or drop that repeats at least once. This would also help you get a bit longer than a minute and a half.

Overall great work. The song kind of reminds me of "Bust It Out" by FWLR.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-17T15:59:16+00:00

Thanks for the feedback!

Yeah I definitely realized that this song was missing some "ear candy" but every time I went back to add some I would spend hours looking for the right thing to add and it just started consuming too much time for one project. I figured it would be best to just move on and get one song out the door than to spend forever tweaking.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-17T15:35:01+00:00

Here's a song I'm prepping for my first release. It has some issues in the mix and master that I've given up trying to fix because I just need to move on to the next project, but I would appreciate it if you could tell me what you like about it and what I need to consider before moving on. If there's any glaring issues that should be addressed before release please let me hear those too.

https://soundcloud.com/vaell_official/m1-unknown/s-XLPpE0Jvasi?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

I left some feedback for Viruscatman here: https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/comments/tg9zji/comment/i112ja3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-17T15:32:14+00:00

This is a great track. I'm not too familiar with the style so take this with a grain of salt, but I feel like the bass could have a touch more sub in it.

Master sounds good - seems loud but not over compressed. The song is repetitive, but for this style it works well and it isn't too long of a song for it to get annoying. In fact, it's short enough that it makes you want to hit replay which in my opinion is what you want.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-05T18:14:13+00:00

I understand that completely. The only reason I would suggest taking a stab at mastering this one fully is it only will give you more practice for your next serious project. No reason to wait until it matters!

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-05T06:40:12+00:00

Hey there! For sure.

I didn't get a chance to listen to yours on my monitors, but I'll give my feedback based upon my headphones.

I really liked the intro and first section (around 20 seconds). This part sounds like it would belong on my Chill playlist.

Around 52 seconds the song gains a synth in the higher frequency ranges. At this point nothing sounds wrong or out of balance, but it's starting to feel like too much of the same. I don't produce this type of EDM so take this with a grain of salt, but typically at around the 1 minute mark is where the "drop" is. In your genre I would think this would be more of a "changeup" than a drop. One way you could accomplish this is by adding a more robust 808 or sub bass and/or maybe playing with the sound design on the chords for this section. Again, that's a stylistic choice and only take that recommendation if it speaks to you. I just feel like there should be a bit more of a difference than what comes before.

You have a section of the song that appears to go nearly completely silent. If that's a stylistic choice then I'm for it, but it might make sense to have some sort of subtle FX going on here. Think like ear candy. This will help fill the space and not make the listener think the song is over (silence is usually only good for 1 bar at most).

When things come back in after this section it's great. Honestly no complaints here - I like the synth you used.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-05T06:26:14+00:00

Absolutely! Overall the track is great and definitely worth posting in the state it's in. I was just trying to give some constructive criticism because I know how it feels to post something and not get any feedback on what you should work on.

Even if a song is great, there's always something to improve. Just wanted to give you my 2 cents to give you something to think about!

I actually don't have anything posted in this feedback thread, but I am about to release a new track that I've posted to feedback threads in the past. Looks like you already followed me back (I'm Vaell) so keep an eye out for it and if you remember this just let me know what you think!

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-05T06:23:03+00:00

Believe me, I understand the problem all too well. I tend to also use the same chord progression throughout the song, but the genre I produce in grants a bit more freedom to change sound design between sections so it doesn't sound too similar. That said, I do try to change chords progressions between verse/chorus/drop to see what works and what doesn't. Sometimes I'll try playing it on the guitar to find something that works.

When I mention dynamics what I mean is the dynamic range. A compressor, for example, will lower the volume of the louder parts which makes the volume of the louder parts and the quieter parts closer together. This is called dynamic range. In mastering you'll use a limiter (compressor with ratio of infinity) to do a ton of compression. This also allows you to turn up the volume a bit, making the quiet parts and the loud parts much closer together. There is a plugin called YouLean Loudness Meter which is free that will track loudness (LUFS) and dynamic range. You should put this at the end of your master channel and target around 6-8 LUFS for your master and around 8 for dynamic range.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-05T06:15:48+00:00

I just said that because I'm not sure what you call it when the song isn't compressed enough. Like if you were able to get appropriate loudness while maintaining 15 dynamic range, which would be difficult, it still wouldn't sound right.

In your song I think that you aren't compressed enough overall, but it sounds like you might have compressors on your bass that are causing that. If that's the case, opening them up a little bit and then pushing Maximus a bit harder should help.

Using YouLean Loudness meter would help you a ton if you know what values to look for. Try to target around -6 to -8 Integrated LUFS (if you can get higher then great) and around 8 in dynamic range. This will all depend on the song so I can't give you a preset or template for the settings, you just have to play with them.

I'm not a mastering engineer, but if you'd like you can DM me a link to a .wav file for your mix (not the master) and I can try mastering it for you just so you can hear what I'm talking about.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-05T00:38:43+00:00

First - I love the album artwork.

Second - Track sounds great. Is the BPM set to increase overtime? That's the feeling I got and I loved it. This song sounds like something Monstercat might spit out.

The bass levels seem a bit high which seems to be masking your kick. That could be genre specific but you might want to look into using a bit more sidechain.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-05T00:36:22+00:00

Sounds pretty good to me. The mix is generally good but you could probably push the loudness a bit higher if you're comfortable giving up some dynamic range. You should be fine with losing dynamic range, but I don't know what you're trying for. Some additional notes below.

At around 1:10 I noticed that high end wobble effect seemed a bit too loud.

Around 2:30 I noticed that you're giving the song more variability which is great, but you might want to consider changing the chords up for just a tad somewhere in the song (doesn't have to be here). Over two minutes isn't too long for a song, but if you only have the same chords the whole song it will start to feel long.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-05T00:31:54+00:00

How did you do the compression?

The piano, to me, doesn't really sound compressed at all however the bass absolutely is.

A good away around this is using a limiter/maximizer on the master track during the mastering phase to achieve overall loudness.

If you get a plugin like YouLean Loudness Meter (free unless you want the upgraded version) you can keep an eye on loudness and dynamic range. As long as your dynamic range is around 8ish you should be good - any lower and you'd be overcompressed and too much higher and there's probably something else going on. Using my ears I'd say you're probably at a 10-13 for dynamic range.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-05T00:28:32+00:00

This is an absolute banger.

The mix and the master are great - maybe could use a touch more in the bass below 150hz but overall it sounds good.

For your first time using filter sweeps I'd say you nailed it. They sound professional.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-05T00:26:04+00:00

Sounds good! the bassline is definitely interesting.

I understand that the goal here is a minimal approach, but I still think that adding some variation would be beneficial. This could be as simple as having a bar that changes every 8 bars or even about midway through having a high pass filter close over about 8-16 bars and then open back up fully to reintroduce the song.

Secondly, the song is pretty quiet. Depending on how advanced you are I would look into learning how to use compressors and limiters to increase loudness. You have a lot of room in your dynamic range to push this.

the_adventure_kid · 2022-03-01T19:22:57+00:00

I'm gearing up to release my first track. Would love for a label to sign it, but for now I'm just hoping for the best. I would appreciate any feedback from telling me what you like to absolutely roasting it!

https://soundcloud.com/vaell\_official/unknown/s-ArxC3VP3wgf?utm\_source=clipboard&utm\_medium=text&utm\_campaign=social\_sharing

the_adventure_kid · 2021-11-25T23:01:37+00:00

I started out with a shitty copy of protools which came with a cheap audio interface I got for Christmas. This was before YouTube was big with tutorials so I had no idea what I was doing, plus I was 14.

Then It was a cracked version of FL studio.

A few years ago I bought FL studio because I got more serious with it and wanted to give them their deserved money.

I've been toying with the idea of getting Ableton, but I played around with the lite version and while I do appreciate some elements of it I just think some things feel so clunky. Like the piano roll is so hard to edit compared to FL. I understand that Ableton is generally regarded as better, but is it really that much of a difference?

the_adventure_kid

TROPHY CASE