Author Topic: [Music]How do I music?  (Read 5060 times)

Fuyuumi

  • A fairy pichuu'ed me.
[Music]How do I music?
« on: February 06, 2014, 01:36:15 PM »
Well, I'm a wannabe musician trying to make some mixes, either from Touhou or Sonic the Hedgehog... Well, have some more or less nice mixes:
Ice Cap Zone
This was kind of a "remix the overused song as best as you can" challenge for me.

Ice Cap Zone x Crisis City mix
I wanted to create a theme for my Sonic fan character which turned into this.

Live and Learn x Phantom Ensemble mix
My newest mix, finally done something with Prismriver sisters and added voice clips.

Luna Dial rap-ish beat v1 and v2 (kinda broken)
I suck at making rap beats, but somehow this got a lot of views...

Bad Apple mix
Don't have to explain anything here, right?


For all of them I use FL Studio, and sound are from the Sytrus thingy. Any advice on how I can improve? Maybe you wan't to hear something new from me? Feel free to tell me how bad I am ;)

UnendingEmpire

  • Jack of all trades
  • Cultured Tastes Since 1994
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2014, 07:14:09 AM »
It all sounds pretty solid to me.  As a fellow FL user, I like the sound of your music and actually have very little advice that would be useful ^_^; these may be good to try on though:
- Spread out your selection of plugins a little.  FL Slayer has some pretty good guitars, Drummaxx & FPC are both good for drums, and Harmless & Ogun are also very neat.  And of course, Fruity Soundfont Player is all you really need for most things
- Tweak the presets on Sytrus a little.  It's pretty amazing what you can come up with by fiddling around with knobs and dials for a few minutes.

That aside, the only real advice I have is to try and deviate from the originals a little.  This isn't necessarily saying you're too faithful to the original material of course; sometimes an arrange is better than an outright remix.  But there are some times when an arrange might not cut it, like with Rigid Paradise.  A remix is pretty much a song reimagined by the one mixing it, and I've got an example with large amounts of shameless self-advertising.
See: ZUN + UnendingEmpire = this

All that said, I should re-establish that you know how to work the software quite well and seem to be doing pretty well :) I look forward to future releases and will now proceed to wipe the dust off my Soundcloud account

Fuyuumi

  • A fairy pichuu'ed me.
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2014, 08:03:15 AM »
Thanks for the advice. Especially on the plugins. I player around with Slayer, but never with others. And yeah, I need to learn how these knobs and stuff work haha

Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2014, 12:57:59 AM »
This stuff ain't that bad. :o

I use FL Studio as well, though in a very different way. xD

I'd like to respond to your Live and Learn x Phantom Ensemble mix.

I love how you mixed in the vocals, the singer's awesome and synced in just about perfectly. The rest of the song seems to get quieter though when the vocals come in. (Or just individual parts.) I think you could work on some equalization in each track to make it so that instead of lowering the volumes, they just cover a different spot on the audio spectrum. My work with vocals in the past required me to do a lot of equalization on the voice especially to make sure it was audible without reducing the rest of the song.

It also could be that the vocals are just a bit too loud, and are overpowering the rest of the song. (Making me think it's getting quieter.) Play around with some of that stuff. :D

Other than that though, that was actually a pretty great mix. Nice work. :3

Blue

  • aaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  • aaaaaaaaaaaa
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2014, 06:01:11 AM »
All I really have to say is to take more liberties with the original music. That, and using other plugins, like UnendingEmpire said. Other than that, it's really good.

Not to self-advertise, but I just kind of derp around and mess with the notes a bit, and it turns out pretty well(at least, I think it does). Heck, you're following me on Soundcloud, so I must be doing SOMETHING right.

Fuyuumi

  • A fairy pichuu'ed me.
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2014, 11:09:49 AM »
The vocals aren't perfectly synced, especially near the end and it's my first time working with them. The lowering volume is something that bothers me too, but I guess I need to start using 'create automation clip' option.
And to be honest, I'm just using MIDI files and each track is replaced with Sytrus plugin. That's why they're "so close to original" haha  :blush:

Anyway, I'm recently re-hyped on racing games (and brutally raping my weak laptop on Sonic Racing Transformed) and derping hard with Eggman theme from SA1...
Wait, there is a WIP Touhou racing game...
There might be need for some music...
Nah, I'm too noobish. Better stick to learning first.

BT

  • I never talk to you
  • *
  • People say that I should
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2014, 12:17:31 PM »
Hey, are you solely interested in "remixing" or is it composition in general? I don't have that much of an opinion on remixes unless they really set themselves apart as an individual song in one way or another.

Fuyuumi

  • A fairy pichuu'ed me.
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2014, 02:22:15 PM »
Hey, are you solely interested in "remixing" or is it composition in general? I don't have that much of an opinion on remixes unless they really set themselves apart as an individual song in one way or another.
Well, I don't see the difference between these two, but... compositions maybe? As long as it means "hey, let's change this guitar part with something else!"

DX7.EP

  • Red shroom
  • *
  • Smooth Charisma
    • Sanmaat (site of personal tat)
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2014, 03:26:08 PM »
I wouldn't consider thatn composition, then, but moreso a mashup.

Anyways, impressions.
 - Agreeing that it is a bit too adherant to the source materials. Branch out a bit more.
 - Plugin selection and instruments feel clich?, and even unlike the MSGS synth it lacks a degree of character. Time to expand that library of sounds with both extra plugins and custom instrument settings! (can't give any FL-specific advice however as I do not use that program)
 - Lack of EQ balancing, normalisation (on Ice Cap Crisis), and compression - basic mixing stuff, but no worries, this can be easy to overlook at first. :U. One suggestion would be to have each instrument limited to a certain range of frequencies in the final output to make each part clear.

I look forward to hearing future entries from you! ;)
C:DOS> ayayaya.mid
Bad command or file name

C:>_

Bio

  • resident walker
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2014, 11:26:29 PM »
- Lack of EQ balancing, normalisation (on Ice Cap Crisis), and compression - basic mixing stuff, but no worries, this can be easy to overlook at first. :U. One suggestion would be to have each instrument limited to a certain range of frequencies in the final output to make each part clear.
Throw each of your sounds into its own mixer channel,  apply a Parametric EQ 2, and take out all the frequencies you don't want. At the same time give a slight boost to the one you wants. Most synths you should consider EQing out the low ends so it doesnt muddy up the percussion. The compression can be done through multiple ways but if you don't know what it is, it quietens the loudest of your sounds so that when you add make the entire thing louder the softer sounds are effectively boosted now.
I should also remind you that having instruments taking up their own frequency band shouldn't discourage you from layering different synth to make unique sounds.

While I don't do the same things as you do,  these are techniques employable in every digital sound production.

Fuyuumi

  • A fairy pichuu'ed me.
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2014, 10:38:34 AM »
http://vocaroo.com/i/s1dYFq8yIVfE
I re-read all the commentary, dug out FL Studio's help files and now I'm trying to do something with Bad Apple...

Arpeggiator is awesome!
Mixer is helpful!
Saws are my favourite.
I love you all

Kaze_Senshi

  • Ehhhhh...
  • Pale Apple
    • My youtube channel
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2014, 08:56:37 PM »
That Bad Apple is becoming something good :)
My youtube channel with my creations: https://www.youtube.com/user/KazeSenshi2929
( ゆっくりしていってね)>

UnendingEmpire

  • Jack of all trades
  • Cultured Tastes Since 1994
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2014, 07:30:44 PM »
^seconded

Fuyuumi

  • A fairy pichuu'ed me.
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #13 on: April 20, 2014, 05:52:03 AM »
I messed hard with that Bad Apple and I can't anything new without reading all midi files I have. Dunno why, it feels for me worse than my first Bad Apple attemp.
LINK


Small update: I've looked at some very basic music tutorials and done this. Now I feel I can really make some good mixes.
« Last Edit: May 10, 2014, 11:33:01 PM by Fuyuumi »

Fuyuumi

  • A fairy pichuu'ed me.
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #14 on: May 17, 2014, 02:26:40 AM »
I'm working right now on U.N. Oven and Doomsday mix and so far I have this.

Please, tell me how does it sound so far.

Kaze_Senshi

  • Ehhhhh...
  • Pale Apple
    • My youtube channel
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #15 on: May 17, 2014, 08:48:23 PM »
I'm working right now on U.N. Oven and Doomsday mix and so far I have this.

Please, tell me how does it sound so far.

For me it sounds good, mainly after 00:48 when that melody starts.
My youtube channel with my creations: https://www.youtube.com/user/KazeSenshi2929
( ゆっくりしていってね)>

Blue

  • aaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  • aaaaaaaaaaaa
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #16 on: May 18, 2014, 04:04:53 AM »
It sounds good except for the synth used for the part around 0:48-ish. IMO it doesn't really fit the sound of the rest of the song.

Fuyuumi

  • A fairy pichuu'ed me.
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #17 on: May 26, 2014, 01:24:12 PM »
Dday is finished...


I really need to learn how to write decent melodies instead of relying on MIDI files...

Kaze_Senshi

  • Ehhhhh...
  • Pale Apple
    • My youtube channel
Re: [Music]How do I music?
« Reply #18 on: May 27, 2014, 03:03:10 PM »
Dday is finished...


I really need to learn how to write decent melodies instead of relying on MIDI files...

The song sounds pretty good, including the melody. However it seems that you kept the melody pretty identical to the song. Maybe you can keep relying on MIDI files for while and train your "melodic" side composing sections of counterpoint or extra melodies against the original one. Also you can try to add extra sections to the original MIDI file. Like this song where he added DragonForce's Evening Star to Mokou's theme.
My youtube channel with my creations: https://www.youtube.com/user/KazeSenshi2929
( ゆっくりしていってね)>