Escaping with contraband

Sup fellas and fellinas. What do you think about this track?

Does the bassline work as it is, or is it too much mid freq content during the main part with the choirs?

Is the tempo OK, or is it too slow?

https://soundcloud.com/zoixx/escaping-with-contraband

I'm not a big fan of the snare. Sound-wise it doesn't really fit the rest of the tune. Maybe try and see if you can find a nice rimshot to use instead or at least just something that's a bit more mellow-sounding.

I think overall the track needs some compression and some better build-ups. After a break I expect to be hit in the face with some massive heavy hitting bass and drums, but I'm not really getting that from it. The same goes for the bass. It's nice and deep and I like it, but I think it needs to get under control as well simply by applying a multiband compressor to squeeze the low-end a bit. Also, make sure the kick and what else you've got in that frequency spectrum doesn't interfere with the bassline by carving out all the unnecessary frequencies from the kick (like really sculpting it and make sure that you boost the right areas and remove all the unnecessary stuff) and then either carve out some room for it in the bassline or side chain it to the kick. That way you'll get a kick that cuts through. Also, make sure to compress your drums a bit more and maybe make a bus for all your drums and compress that as well to make sure it sounds even.

Hm, maybe add some reverb to the delay you've got on your snare to make it more atmospheric. It sounds a bit too dry right now. That way it'll get more dubby as well ;)

Also, I think you make the bass sound more alive by adding an autofilter that you automate in and out. Let the LFO in the filter control the LPF and change the rate every now and then as you see fit.

I hope you don't see this as me throwing a damp cloth in your face, hehe. I just think that you can easily make this sound a lot better by doing a few simple things :)

  On 6/9/2017 at 11:43 AM, Squee said:

I'm not a big fan of the snare. Sound-wise it doesn't really fit the rest of the tune. Maybe try and see if you can find a nice rimshot to use instead or at least just something that's a bit more mellow-sounding.

I think overall the track needs some compression and some better build-ups. After a break I expect to be hit in the face with some massive heavy hitting bass and drums, but I'm not really getting that from it. The same goes for the bass. It's nice and deep and I like it, but I think it needs to get under control as well simply by applying a multiband compressor to squeeze the low-end a bit. Also, make sure the kick and what else you've got in that frequency spectrum doesn't interfere with the bassline by carving out all the unnecessary frequencies from the kick (like really sculpting it and make sure that you boost the right areas and remove all the unnecessary stuff) and then either carve out some room for it in the bassline or side chain it to the kick. That way you'll get a kick that cuts through. Also, make sure to compress your drums a bit more and maybe make a bus for all your drums and compress that as well to make sure it sounds even.

 

Hm, maybe add some reverb to the delay you've got on your snare to make it more atmospheric. It sounds a bit too dry right now. That way it'll get more dubby as well ;)

Also, I think you make the bass sound more alive by adding an autofilter that you automate in and out. Let the LFO in the filter control the LPF and change the rate every now and then as you see fit.

 

I hope you don't see this as me throwing a damp cloth in your face, hehe. I just think that you can easily make this sound a lot better by doing a few simple things :)

No worries at all! This is excellent as I really want to get better as a producer. Few questions.

Ive removed all the frequencies below 60 hz from the kick as i was thinking the sub frequencies should come from the bassline. Is that viable you think? I can still sidechain/eq the bassline and kick to give the kick more room.

The bassline actually already has a LPF which is automated,but only by me drawing the automation. I will try playing with the LFO rate.

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Lol I thought this was a thread about escaping from WATMM after getting the paid member payments back. Lush track

Thanks mate!

Nice advice Squee, concur on the bass. I like this track a lot. The sound design is excellent, really controlled and the atmosphere is cool. Personally I think that the snare works but I guess its just personal opinion. 

  On 6/15/2017 at 12:23 AM, Alan Ord said:

Nice advice Squee, concur on the bass. I like this track a lot. The sound design is excellent, really controlled and the atmosphere is cool. Personally I think that the snare works but I guess its just personal opinion. 

Thanks man! I'm working on the bass; I think I've done some nice multiband compression on the low end. However arrangement wise I'm quite out of ideas, I don't think the track has like a banger-type bass in your face vibe. Maybe I'll work with removing and adding the sub bass frequencies during certain parts.

Agree a banging bass doesn't fit but you can give it some 'sizzle' with some resonance modulation? 

  On 6/17/2017 at 12:48 AM, Alan Ord said:

Agree a banging bass doesn't fit but you can give it some 'sizzle' with some resonance modulation? 

Yeah will look at that, thanks!