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 week or so 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?
Delusions by John Michael Rose
Author’s website: JohnMichaelRose.net
Description of the track:
This is a song I wrote comparing love to something that keeps you alive. At the same time it’s about dealing with someone that is your partner but on the other side of your coin, your worst enemy. Production wise, I wanted to make a song that jumped a little bit with a ambient feel but with a back beat like reggae. I also love strings so I threw a bit of that in there. Nothing here is sampled except for the strings which I used Symphonic Orchestra.
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Terms of Use: Not download or sale. Use only for feedback.
Have a listen to the track and offer your constructive criticism for this Workshop in the comments section.
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Well John,
I’m not sure that’s really a track that belongs on this section. It really jumps out as being professional, and your voice (I assume it’s yours?) it’s worth praising.
There are two things, that I would change, if this was my song:
- the delay/reverb effect on you voice especially when the song begins is a little pronounced, probably make it subtler? Your voice is really beautiful, it needs very little enhancements.
- the lead guitar, let it weep with you! People want to hear that. It’s rather shy in your mix.
I feel you should concentrate on marketing your stuff though
…
My two cents (for what its worth…probably nothing): Some backward reverb on the pre-delays would be nice to soften them up, make them more mysterious… I like the echoes. The strings sound very natural and sit in the track nicely. Nice vocal performance. Were the handclaps recorded in an apartment near a busy street? Or are they just a lot of layers through a vintage compressor? They sound good otherwise. Its hard to make handclaps sound good, so, congrats. There’s more going on in the lyrics than anything else. I just have an idea the music could carry the idea with more emotional thrust. Same for the melody. Concentrate on the songs, your demos are fine. And don’t stop.
Not exactly my kind of music, but congrats for the production and the song itself, it’s nice and clear with a good melody and subtle arrangments. I agree with both previous comments about the verb effect and the lead guitar, let it roar and cry along your voice.
Great job !
Thanks so far for all the compliments and advice. I did the vocals (yes, that’s me singing) this way because I wanted it to seem more mysterious. Kind of like if you were having a delusion. The handclaps were done through a vintage tube compressor. Good ear. I thought of doing the guitar to follow the vocals, but I wanted something a little more subdue, kind of like something T-bone Burnet would have done. I recorded this with a MOTU 2408 through a vintage audio-arts board. I used a vintage tube comp and tube-pre. All the other effects were from Wave Gold Bundle.
I immediately started pooping when I heard this track. I’m not sure if it was due to the quality of it, or if the bass reverberated the inner wall of my lower intestines at just the right frequency to realese my bowels. Either way I pooped myself and this is a good track. I’d lighten up on the reverb. You kind of drag out the vocals a bit too, but those are minor complaints in comparison to the overall grandness of this song. Bravo.
Awesome!
I don’t agree with that vocal predelay needs echo. Current predelay reminds me something like LZ “In My Time of Dying” vocal predelays and other old tracks where were voice remnants due to record technics imperfections.
Just IMHO: A little more volume for the lead guitar won’t hurt this track. I agree with Encore. And slow strings are introducing theirself too early. Such a beautifull sound should be a secret at first
Just keep going. It’s excellent. Best stuff I’ve heard in a long time.