What do you think of the sound of this piece ? Let me know !

[BRADEL Christophe]

Hi everyone !
I created this new piece of music, and I would like to know what you think of it.
It was recorded, mixed and mastered only on the Tascam DP 32 sd using these hardware synth :
Novation PEAK / ASM Hydrasynth / novation Mininova / Nord lead A1 / an old Roland Jv1010, and Arturia Keystep for sequences
Is the sound deep enough ? Is the "space feeling" large enough ?
Thank you for your judgement, which helps me to improve my level !

 

[Mark Richards]

This piece sounds superb on my Beyerdynamic DT880 reference headphones; likewise using my AKG K701s: clear detail, imaging and sound staging.

IMO, yes, it's deep enough and the "space feeling" is spot on: open, floating, relaxing are the words that come to mind. Well done, Christophe!

 

[mixerizer]

nice tones! any suggestions are just suggestions, not critique - in my opinion, the really prominent filter sweeps and brassy tones are too clean and perfect sounding for distant space shots (where despite there being no sound in space, the ear sometimes expects a diffuse sound to reflect the loss of detail from distance)

in a few places i feel like it does indeed sound a bit too up-front and shallow (needs depth as u suggest) for a deep space vibe - However it has to do most with whatever visuals might accompany it imho. if the visuals are entirely supplied by the listener’s imagination, who knows what they will envision!

one idea might be to place the pads in their own reverb spaces, perhaps with older or muddier effects, echo, reverses or high cut, to offset the incredible digitality of the Peak and Hydra. The panning stereo arpeggio seems to be the driest and closest sound to the listener, which may be intentional (akin to an O2 low warning inside a space suit, reminding us of the intimate physicality of our ears in the face of timeless empty space?)

For example, the squawk and downward pulses before the pluck lead comes in around 2:30 seem like they are in a perfect, diffuse murky space, and the sound slides out and down out of range, rather than abruptly ending - which reinforces the infinity of the void.

terrific stuff, thank you for posting!

 

[Phil Tipping]

This is another fine piece, majestic in parts, and lovely textures weaving in and out. That long fade-out was very brave of you, but definitely the right thing to do. It's great that you have the courage to leave room for the music to breathe - as they say 'less is more'
The chord change (e.g. at approx 20s and 53s) in your 4-chord sequence (motif?) reminds me of something and it's driving me mad trying to place it I'm thinking maybe Brian Eno or Philip Glass... or even Tangerine Dream. Either way, they're all my heroes so please take it as a compliment.

 

[BRADEL Christophe]

Hi there !
Thank you very much Phil, Mark and Mixerizer, for your reviews and comments. I'm glad to see that I'm going in the right direction.
As Mixerizer says, I can still definitely progress to a deeper, more spatial sound, certainly by letting my music breathe more.
As Phil says, "leave room for the music to breathe - as they say 'less is more'".

I have to go towards perhaps softer sounds, and as Mixerizer says, by sometimes cutting the treble, we reinforce the feeling of the sound being distant...
I'm happy that Mark think it is "open, floating, relaxing" !
Thank you all for your encouragement and your advice, which I will of course follow .

 

[-mjk-]

@BRADEL Christophe I have always loved your music and production values. The buzzy bass tones are great. Its unexpected when they come in. I really enjoy mixing and mastering this genre because the sky is the limit, literally. I can imagine how much fun it was to do this piece.

The only thing I would have done differently is I would have added more of a reverb wash to make it feel more spatial, but the reverb would have to be carefully crafted and designed to unmask at the appropriate frequencies. I would also have widened the stereo image a bit.

Overall, superb. I agree with Phil about the fade

"Disclaimer: I may have inadvertently offended anyone who has ever used a DP machine, a synthesizer, or written a song. That was not my intent."

 

[BRADEL Christophe]

Good evening MJK, it's great to hear from you !
I hope you are well and that you are in good shape.
I am 100% in agreement with you, and I confess that I am not completely satisfied with the width of the panoramic field of this piece. I think maybe I overloaded the track and on the next one there will be more space to widen the stereo field.
Regarding the reverb, I also agree with you. The more reverb you put in, the better it needs to be processed and mixed so that it doesn't get completely messy. Again, I think the next track will be more airy, and there will be room for some nice reverbs; I also have to progress in the equalization of my reverbs. Some frequencies need to be removed to enhance the reverb without loading the mix too much.
It was tempting and easy to do this ending with a long reverb that disappears in the silence of infinity. Finally, she takes us to my next piece of music.
Thank you for this good advice, which I will follow with enthusiasm.
I'm glad you liked this piece of music! I hope your musical projects are going well, take good care of yourself!

 

[-mjk-]

I'm glad you liked this piece of music! I hope your musical projects are going well, take good care of yourself!

Thank you Christophe. I am well, considering. Music projects are going well also. I have more time to work with now so I am getting a lot more done.

Looking forward to your next production!

 

[BRADEL Christophe]

Thanks a lot ! Time is a great treasure in music.

 

[Rene Asologuitar]

Hi Christopher,
The sounds you created are super nice.
I feel like I am in the middle of your creation.
I am not using earphones, and I feel your recording quality is very good.
The chimes in 2:30 is lovely, very melodic, I love them.
3:25 needs a little deeper bass effect, and I not know how to do that.
Again, the space feeling I am getting is really wide and open.
Your music production is really good, and I love the relaxed vibe I am experiencing.
Well done, and thanks for sharing.
Rene

 

[BRADEL Christophe]

Hi Rene,
Thank you very much, I'm glad you like my music.
I agree with you about bass, I will be more careful about that on the next piece of music.
I'm happy that you love the relaxed vibe you are experiencing.
You're welcome and I hope you'll like the next piece.
Have a great time with your music !
Christophe

 

[Arjan P]

Hi Christophe, I love this track - and others have already said what could be improved, to which I agree (I must admit I only listened on a laptop). The song really places the listener in a different world, especially with eyes closed. Keep it up!

 

[BRADEL Christophe]

Thank you Arjan, that's very kind of you. I'm glad you like this track, and for the next one I'll try to create a different but just as big world! I hope your projects are going well and that you are in good shape. Goodbye !

 

[tapeman01]

I think it's boring. and monotonous. But as the French say "chacun à son goût"

 

[Mark Richards]

I think it's boring. and monotonous. But as the French say "chacun à son goût"

This forum is for critiquing the technical quality of the song's tracking, mixing, and mastering.

Nobody cares if the genre isn't your cup of tea.

So, what are your suggestions for improving the production aspects of this song?

 

[BRADEL Christophe]

Tapeman01
On ne peux pas plaire à tout le monde.
Par contre, nous les français ne disons pas "chacun à son goût", mais "chacun ses goûts" !
Je ne vous en veux pas, que Dieu vous bénisse.
Bonne soirée.

 

[Mark Richards]

Christophe, I'm curious about your monitoring setup since the sound your achieving is so good. Could you tell us a bit more about that (headphones, speakers and placement, room size and treatment, monitoring SPL, etc.)?

 

[BRADEL Christophe]

Good evening Mark
I use Yamaha HS7 speakers.
Headphones is a Sennheiser HD205.
I don't use SPL monitoring.
My equipment is installed in my small living room (I have a 50m² apartment).
There is no particular acoustic treatment on the walls, floor or ceiling.
I also plugged the Tascam DP32sd into a Yamaha Rn 303d home amplifier. This amp is also a tuner, and my CD player is plugged into it. The sound of this amp comes out on 2 pairs of speakers:
two old homemade bass speakers made by a friend (they allow me to have powerful bass even if it is not of great quality),
and a pair of Focal Chorus V (model 714 V). This allows me to do comparative listening; I listen to music on these 2 pairs of speakers, then I listen to my music.
This allows me to compare my sound and that of the pros. I have always considered that good reference listening is the one we are used to.
Here is the detail of my musical equipment: https://fr.audiofanzine.com/membres/582832/products/

I am at your disposal if you want to know more.
Here is a picture of the whole setup.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=5628976937186425&set=a.109082662509241

Thank you for your compliments which mean a lot to me!
Christopher

 

[Mark Richards]

Christophe, you've put together a really nice home studio. Thanks for the photo and for describing how you've set up your monitoring.

I like the way you're using your home system (those Focal 714s are sweet) in your music creation process. Connecting your DP-32SD simultaneously to your studio monitors and to your reference system is a great idea. Being able to compare the mix quickly is really nice, and the results speak for themselves.

 

[BRADEL Christophe]

Thank you very much Mark.
Yes, I appreciate being able to work in this way, especially when mastering.
On my next piece of music, I will try other techniques so that my music "breathes" better, and that the panoramic space is more valued. You'll tell me what you think about it !
Another subject, I saw that you live in Tennessee, I really like a group there called The Katinas. Have a good weekend and good musical moments !