At Audiotuts+ we irregularly put up a reader track for workshopping and critique (find out how to submit a track). This is how it works: you upload your song, and every couple of weeks we'll publish one here and step away from the podium. The floor is yours to talk about the track and how the artist can fix problems in and improve upon the mix and the song.
This track has been submitted for your friendly, constructive criticism. They have put their track (and their heart and soul) in your hands to learn and get useful feedback.
- Do you enjoy the song or track itself? Does it have potential?
- Can the arrangement be improved?
- How did you find the mix? What would you do differently?
- What do you enjoy about the rhythm track? What can be done to improve it?
- Is the choice of instruments relevant and effective for the style/song?
- Are the lyrics (if any) effective? Does the style, arrangement and genre of the song suit them?
- Can you suggest any specific techniques that might improve the track?
- Do you have any other constructive feedback?
Guetta Who Mastered by BARKMATTER
BARKMATTER describes the track: "A simple song but something different from the typical dance/trance and pop communities."
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Have a listen to the track and offer your constructive criticism for this Workshop in the comments section.
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )david white October 30th
nice opening. good pulse. good clean production, maybe this kinda song could use more punch. (not that my work offers any solutions). as a listener i usually gravitate to more movement and multiple complexities (a 4 or 5 song journey through my website below will probably illustrate my bias). nice guitar technique. in general i would say this song could improve (to my ear, at least) with a liberal dose of more multi-rhtymns from the drums and a little more ‘chaos’ from the guitar. only a first impression. music is funny, my taste and opinion change with my moods. so please take these lame words for what they are: a passerby who stopped to listen. never stop.
( )Jeremy Alexander October 30th
The kick/hihat could use some seasoning because it gives it a very basic oldschool Trance feel. Around 1:20 the guitar overwhelms the track BUT powers back into a steady melody. Though I’m having a bit of trouble getting a melody stuck in my head because of the clashing of the pulse/guitar. The guitar riffs are second to none but a bit much for the track, there’s no doubt this dude can shred. Overall a classy Trance track. With a bit more seasoning, and mixing/depth this song boasts HUGE potential.
( )Tim Barker aka BARKMATTER October 30th
Thanks very much for your comments! I know the guitar is a bit much, but I’m trying to bring a bit of a live element to this kind of music, so I can actually perform it and bring people a bit of show and playing guitar is so much fun haha. I agree that drums are a bit bland, and will work on some other poly rhythms.
( )moveair October 30th
I have no idea why I stopped to listen to this maybe cause I was on hold but I did and here’s my 2 cents.
Pro’s
Clean production guitar sound excellent
Drums sound good but as jeremy mention bit of seasoning goes a long way. If you listen to the Genre the key element is reverb and delays for this song reverb put things in a space..
Head bopping side-chain very good
Con’s
I think you lack movement(the first sound I hear is the the whole way).
Pick your focus and stop trying to much(whats more important guitar or S/chain)
0:50 hat guitar confuse(again hard to focus)
1:20 guitar turn it down turn delay off or down to bout 10ms and if its a double get rid of it its not rock and roll.
2:20 guitar whats the point (I can picture you in your bedroom thinking I’m gonna pan that guitar and you listening to it and thinking it sounds sick cause you put all this work into it but get over it. the lead up is cool but its like a kid being promised ice-cream and getting a tissue)
Sorry for being blunt and I hope you appreciate the input
Honor The Music!!!
( )Tim Barker aka BARKMATTER October 31st
Thanks for your comments and criticisms; i will play around with the reverbs and delays on some of the drums, to put them in their ’space’.
( )Robin October 30th
I like how the song started, but when the guitars came and that changed. I think the guitars don´t belong in this kind of tune. I think the guitar is a raw instrument, but the rest of the song is to nice, so they clash.
The arrangement could use more variation and small effects here and there.
The mix is somewhat flat. More punch please. Make it pump!
I think more compression and sidechian could help the mix. But it sounds bright and clear, not to much mid, which is very good.
Again this is me, and it might be a taste thing that I dont like the guitars. But i listen exclusively to techno/house/electohouse/trance, so I think I know what I am talking abaout. But dont get me wrong, you are doing a great job, keep pushing it!!!! Practice, practice, practice …
( )Tim Barker aka BARKMATTER October 31st
any ideas on how to make it ‘punch’ more?
( )Sean October 31st
i really like the track, first of all. catchy tune and i like the arrangement, simple and to the point. I think it would be a lot more punchy if (contrary to conventional logic) you ease up on the sidechain compression on the piano track. In my opinion, the sharp attack of the piano is really what sounds great in dance tracks and here the volume swells are a bit too extreme. Also I would personally play it live on a midi controller instead of using a sequencer, but thats my taste. I like the tune, keep up the good work!!
Adrian November 1st
Nice sound you got there. I think in terms of tone, the guitars do fit in quite well with the synths.
However, I think it is a bit too busy especially when you have 2 guitars and one playing a sort of unison/countermelody.
The riff at the beginning also needs a subtler introduction. There is something weird about your crash, is it a proper reverse crash follow by a crash? I hear 2 swells before the guitar comes in on the beat.
This riff is also not very strong. There are too many long notes so it feels like it is stuck and not moving. It is also repeated ad nauseum. Variation would be nice.
Cool solo though. I really like some of the parts of it. I actually like the panning when the solo comes in. But like others say it’s too much. Once is enough!
In terms of drums, like others say, do make some variations to delineate your sections a bit more. This sort of music plays on slow build ups.
I feel your transitions are also not very strong. Listen to some trance music transitions every 8 bars and you’ll get what I mean. Dropping the drums and reverse crash can only go so far.
Good luck with your song.
( )arma November 2nd
I’ll simply comment my impression about this.
( )Ok i loved synth part tho wish for more variations on that one each minute it was getting more booring.
As far as guitar i had impression that this one is kinda remix for rock song.
Not a music expert but thats what im thinking.
Kieran Klaassen November 15th
first impression.
( )tighten the guitar, by looping or by quantizing
cut some hight EQ of your kick, it’s too cheasy now for me.
put more sidechain compression on your piano
put in some more interesting beat changes, some 16th to make it more interesing and swing
thanks for sharing, one of the better files here.