Commodore Remix

Hey folks. I’m looking for a bit of constructive feedback in my latest release (first in about 10 years). It’s only had a lukewarm reception and I’m wondering if I’ve stuffed up or missed out on something.

https://www.remix64.com/track/graeme-sl ... own-remix/

Any comments gratefully received

Thanks!

(PS - I’m not fishing for votes - just looking for some advice)

Nice to see a comeback from you, Graeme. I think it sounds very good, but the track doesn't have a lot of dynamics in the arrangement. It stays on the same level of intensity throughout. Maybe a tad too much compression too? We've seen a lot of Jarre-esque takes on sids over the years, so that might be a factor too.

Just my two cents. Cool track!

Personally, I do not understand the yellow votes on this track - I voted one better on it with orange. The instrumentation is very good, the arrangement follows the original more or less, and overall, it's a really good production.

However, I didn't vote red on it, because that I usually reserve to tracks that make me go "wow". To be brutally honest with you, yours is a run-of-the-mill synth-heavy remix, which is very good by itself, but is not particularly exciting among the sea of similar synth-heavy remixes on RKO. I can't speak for others, but I have developed a sort of numbness to such tracks (and I am somewhat ashamed to admit this). A remix done in this style would have to have something exceptional in it to make me vote red on it. (And right now I'd be struggling to explain "exceptional" if you asked me about it. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what makes me go "wow" in a remix.)

I'm sorry if this may not be terribly useful to you, I'm just being open and honest with you.

Thanks guys.

That's really helpful. I'm aware that I tend not to have enough variation in my arrangements and that's something I need to work on. I'm using FL Studio, which is pattern-based, and I think this is contributing to the lack of variety. I need to make more of an effort on this.

Also, my drum programming is lacking. In the Last V8 track, it's a single 4-bar pattern right the way through with just a few embellishments. Again, something I need to work on.

Mordi - I'd changed my mastering for this latest track and suspect that I've not got this quite right, hence your comment on the mix being a bit over compressed. Audio compression seems to be a bit of an art, and less certainly seems to be more!

LaLa - I appreciate the comment on the track being a bit synth-heavy. I am a keyboard player, and don't play guitar so I guess my tracks are always going to be based around synth instruments. I personally don't like electronic imitations of "real" instruments, so tend not to use them. Maybe it's more that this track, as Mordi had suggested, was a bit 2-dimensional which made the synthi-ness a bit too in-your-face?

As an observation (rather than a criticism) I've noticed that recently the more popular tracks on the site have tended to be a bit gimmicky - either a mash-up of a well know artist/style/track or a very distinct music genre. I'm not sure this is really my style, to be honest.

Over the past few years, life in general has caught up with me - trying to keep my career and home life on track, really! I reckon I need to get back into the swing of things a bit....!

gslapp wrote: ↑<span class="hotdate" style="color:#888;">04/01/2021 - 12:25</span> I'm using FL Studio, which is pattern-based, and I think this is contributing to the lack of variety.

Pattern -> "Make unique" is your friend here. When I discovered this option in FL Studio, it made it so much easier for me to add subtle (and not-so-subtle) variations to repeating patterns!

gslapp wrote: ↑<span class="hotdate" style="color:#888;">04/01/2021 - 12:25</span> Also, my drum programming is lacking. In the Last V8 track, it's a single 4-bar pattern right the way through with just a few embellishments. Again, something I need to work on.

I'm not very good with drum programming, either, so I understand your frustration. The good news is that there are many VSTs and even straight-up MIDI files available out there with hundreds and thousands of drum-patterns in them - even if you don't want to use them as-is, they can give you some really good ideas on how to create variations, fills, etc.

gslapp wrote: ↑<span class="hotdate" style="color:#888;">04/01/2021 - 12:25</span> I personally don't like electronic imitations of "real" instruments, so tend not to use them. Maybe it's more that this track, as Mordi had suggested, was a bit 2-dimensional which made the synthi-ness a bit too in-your-face?

That's a perfectly valid philosophy to have! And yes, Mordi is probably right, the lack of variation/dynamics is what may have influenced my rating, too.

gslapp wrote: ↑<span class="hotdate" style="color:#888;">04/01/2021 - 12:25</span> As an observation (rather than a criticism) I've noticed that recently the more popular tracks on the site have tended to be a bit gimmicky - either a mash-up of a well know artist/style/track or a very distinct music genre. I'm not sure this is really my style, to be honest.

Please, do not let that discourage you from creating more remixes in the style you like! As I said, I quite like your remix, and I'm sure many others enjoy it, too. Please, keep at it! It's always such a joy to see "old" remixers making a return, especially with such solid remixes as yours!

Lots of great advice. Many thanks

I really like this remix, good arrangement, instrument choice and some nice swells and background stuff going on to propel things along. Definitely an orange from me.

I had to reply to this because I totally identify with all the things you've highlighted, these are things I've struggled with for years to get right.

I'm terrible at drum programming, I'm getting better but it always ends up being the last thing I keep an ear out for. It's so easy to get a few bars you're happy with and copy/paste them across the track. I do this all the time and it bugs me I forget. That said, I don't think it matters as much as you think though, depends on the style you're going for and in this kind of jarre-esq syle, it's there to carry you across to the end of the track.

What been doing a lot recently is adding lots of small rhythmic note pattern hidden just within earshot, it adds a good amount of energy. Take a bassline for example, behind that, add a another track playing a bass note (with less bottom end so it doesn't get all muddy) every 1/2 or 1/4 note. Same with the mids, any extra little bits of detail can add to the rhythm or drive of a song.

What mordi said about dynamics.. depending on the software/hardware you've got, think about where each sound sits in the spectrum and how much space it takes up, I think you've done a good job finding the right place for the sounds to go, if you know what I mean, but maybe the leads need fattening up a little. It's all about making good choices, which is easier said than done a lot of the time. I listen to some of Matt Gray's stuff and wonder how on earth he gets so much into the mix.

Maybe fill some of the gaps (not sure what the right word is) between the melody lines. Rob has some sound fx in last v8 plugging the end of some bars, and I find I do this sort of thing all the time nowadays to keep things interesting.

If you have access to the tools, an eq to lift things, a tiny bit goes a long way and a compressor (which i'm still getting to grips with) works wonders on drums and the general mix.

Finally, and I'm sure you've heard of this, play your track on as many different speakers as possible. The car, your phone, that cheap bluetooth speaker you might have put away in a drawer. It's amazing the differences you'll hear to the dynamics of your song and really helps fine tune things.