Feedback please

[KarenBraysher]

https://www.bandlab.com/karen_braysher/ ... 50f280467f


Lots of MINIMALISTIC, TRADITIONAL SPANISH INSTRUMENTAL CUES are needed by a successful International Music Licensing Company with global distribution through a huge music conglomerate!

NOTE: We previously ran this request as TAXI Listing #D210430SP, but the Company didn't find what they were looking for. If you submitted to listing #D210430SP, please send different material this time around.

TAXI Tip: Want to be a standout with little competition in a particular genre in this company's catalog? Here's your chance! Less competition = More possible placements!

This Company is searching for Instrumental Cues in the general ballpark of these references:

"Bolero Mallorqui" by Parado De Valldermossa

"Fire Dance" by Andrés Cantú

"The Night After Friday" by Medité

Please submit Instrumental Cues that capture the essence of Traditional Spanish music in a sparse and minimalistic way. Your Cues should have authentic-sounding rhythms, melodies, and instrumentation. Incorporating traditional instruments like the Castanets, Guitar, or Laúd could help your pieces feel more authentic. If you're using any virtual instruments to replace organic ones, they need to sound like the real thing – nothing stiff or obviously MIDI-driven will work, here. Build your Cues around a simple motif, and create a subtle sense of movement and dynamics by layering instruments in and out as they progress. Remember, simple is best for this pitch!

Quoting the Music Library: “We are looking for Cues that are sparse and somewhat simple. Only 4 to 6 instruments maximum. Keep them simple and try to introduce some edit points along the tracks. Very high bar, in terms of realism. Meaning, if any of the instruments sound too 'MIDI' then the Cues should be rejected.”

Your submissions need to be around 2 minutes long (nothing that runs 3 or 4 minutes, please) with non-faded, buttoned endings. Broadcast Quality is needed.

This company offers an EXCLUSIVE deal. You’ll split any upfront sync fees 50/50. They’ll get 100% of the Publisher’s share, and you’ll get 100% of the Writer’s share. You must own or control 100% of your Master and Copyright. Since this is an EXCLUSIVE deal, please be sure the material you submit for this pitch is NOT already signed with any other Libraries or Catalogs. Please submit as many Instrumental Cues as you’d like, online or per CD. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM (PDT) on Tuesday, June 15th, 2021. TAXI # S210615SP

Submit to this listing TAXI # S210615SP

[Paulie]

Some very nice, melodic lead guitar playing here.

I think a closer listen to the references provided is needed. I don’t think this track matches the traditional Spanish mood/feeling in the examples. The Castanets at the beginning could keep going, just put them further back in the mix. Listening further into the track, the castanet pattern and tempo does not match the track, it seems out of place. The edit points are always welcomed by music editors, but I think the stoppages at 0:47 and 1:30 are too abrupt and could be made to sound a little more natural. Also, the guitar seems a little hot in the mix, I’m hearing some distortion after the first edit point.

[KarenBraysher]

Hi Paul, yes I agree with you feedback thank you so much.

The castanets were the only ones I could find on the net maybe I can change the loop?

Not sure about the mixing I will try again.

Thank you again.

[cosmicdolphin]

First thing I noticed is the castanets not only sound fake but they are out of time with the guitars

I'm not keen on the strummed guitar , it sounds like it's DI'd and doesn't have a nice natural tone to it like it in the ref tracks. It also doesn't strum in the right style and at times it seems out of time with the lead guitar.

I think the lead playing is pretty nice but the strummed guitar doesn't work with it.

Mark

[KarenBraysher]

Hi Mark,

Thank you for the valued feedback, yes I had wondered about all of that and it seems my thoughts were right. I think I will strip it down again and try to support the lead guitar better.

It’s not easy is it?

Best wishes

Karen

[cosmicdolphin]

It’s not easy is it?

It is if you're a really good guitar player who is well versed in the style. I am not one of them them so I wouldn't partake but I know one or two who are.

[Telefunkin]

As others have said, the lead is nice, but I hear a number of problems here as they have also mentioned:

- The castanets are too loud at the start and elsewhere, but also feel out of time and not connected with the rest of the track.
- The guitars are not working together to create a cohesive feel to the rhythm.
- The stops disconnect the sections too much, don't follow the timing, and don't feel right right musically.
- The final section introduces string accompaniment very late in the track and changes the mix.
- There are some very prominent string squeaks, and although its very difficult (and unnatural) to eliminate them completely it would help to reduce them (when playing and also using careful editing with good tools).
- The overall track level changes quite a bit.
- The track doesn't sound like the refs or traditional Spanish music (perhaps its the Major7th), and as authentic" is mentioned a few times in the listing I suspect that will be a major issue regardless of the rest.

It tough criticism I'm afraid, but I hope it helps in some way.

[feaker66]

Hi You have some nice guitar tones in there. Only one question. Did you use a click track as you recorded this???

[KarenBraysher]

Hi Friends who have given feedback, thank you so much.

So originally I wrote this at a latin instrumental, when I saw the listing I thought I would try to transform it to Spanish, it clearly has not worked for all the good reasons stated.

Also its a very new guitar which I am getting used to a DI Fishman including an internal mic (hence the extra string sounds it is clearly a positive mic.

Its been a learning curve with Logic so not a complete waste of time, I might get some casternetes and try to make my own loop for next time. I used to play them when 7 years old in my dressing up days ! I have forgotten how to play them though. I am also on a weekly 1 hour logic course which hopefully can help drive me on in production.

I do write other styles and will carry on not getting too downhearted about it.

thank you
Karen

[andygabrys]

Good attempt and there are a number of issues as mentioned by many above.

Based on the listing - here are some things that I would do. I am a guitar player so I am focusing on how a guitarist could approach this:

TRADITIONAL SPANISH INSTRUMENTAL CUES - This is "Spanish" that 95% of people watching tv are going to say "wow that sounds like Spanish (guitar) music".


"Bolero Mallorqui" by Parado De Valldermossa - more of a folk music style with prominent 6/8 castanets. The version I found on Youtube was extremely poor quality sound so besides just being a stylistic / instrumentation "goalpost" to shoot towards it is not a great example.

"Fire Dance" by Andrés Cantú - "stereotypical" traditionl Spanish guitar chord progression. Nylon string guitar. Stylized version of Rumba strumming with rasgeuado incorporated. Not necessarily "authentic" to the genre but what most people are going to consider authentic - a la Gypsy Kings.

"The Night After Friday" by Medité - nylon string guitar, plus hand percussion and "gypsy" violin.

These cues "....that capture the essence of Traditional Spanish music in a sparse and minimalistic way. Your Cues should have authentic-sounding rhythms, melodies, and instrumentation. Incorporating traditional instruments like the Castanets, Guitar, or Laúd could help your pieces feel more authentic."

Note that the 2nd and 3rd refs both come from a music library in Scandinavia - although this listing is not run by that library.


As for the Castanets - go to your local music store and see how much they are. "If you're using any virtual instruments to replace organic ones, they need to sound like the real thing – nothing stiff or obviously MIDI-driven will work, here.


Remember, simple is best for this pitch!

Quoting the Music Library: “.....Very high bar, in terms of realism. Meaning, if any of the instruments sound too 'MIDI' then the Cues should be rejected.”

So what I would do:
1. if you are using any MIDI stuff (like the Castanets) it has to be in time and sound relatively authentic to the genre.

2. to be able to multi-track yourself playing this stuff it is quicker and simpler to use a click track and it leads to a solid cohesive feel / rhythmic accuracy

3. By listening to the few cues, you should immediately have a good idea of what you need to start. Nylon string guitar (steel string won't cut it here). Some kind of hand percussion (not necessarily Castanets - could be bongos, congo, Cajon or handclaps a la flamenco).

4. Having some experience submitting to these listings and reading the listing text you are immediately going to reach for a mic and set your self up in a reasonable sounding room (unplug the fridge if its next door) and use some distance 1-2' from the guitar to the mic. If you ever use a DI acoustic guitar for these listings you are setting yourself up for disappointment time after time. Guitars are one of the easiest things to spot when they sound like a DI pickup.

5. When you can use a DI pickup? There are some pickups that have either a soundboard mounted mic like the LR Baggs Lyric and some that have a combo DI piezo pickup under the bridge and a soundboard mounted mic (LR Baggs Anthem if I remember correctly. If you have music where the guitar is basically a pitched shaker (think of Melissa Ethridge "come to my window" or Hootie and the Blowfish "Only want to be with you") then you can sometimes get away with using a soundboard mic or a DI / soundboard mic combo. Straight DI will still be picked out as bad. Better than messing with the pickup or internal mic is again just to put a mic out 6"-2' away from the guitar - even a Shure SM57 can sound great.

5b. What is bad about soundboard mounted mics - they are a compromise. They don't sound quite like a mic 12" in front of the guitar. One big issue is that they amplify any sound where you hit the guitar - like tap on the top / soundboard or make the string squeak when you slide up and down the neck. If I play my nylon string live I use the Lyric soundboard pickup because it sounds more like an actual guitar than using a DI piezo pickup - but I have only ever used it once in a recording - and I mixed that sound with an actual mic 12" out front of the guitar, favoring the actual mic sound. For recording it is not the magic tool that you might think.

6. Now conjure up some Spanish music! Major key can work, minor key may be better, or leaning heavily on the stereotypical "Phrygian" sound instantly suggests to most people "Spanish guitar music". Like E major, going to F major and back. Or substitute Dmin for F major, or maybe a walk down like Amin, G, F, E.

7. Build it. Have one guitar start with the chord progression. Then add a melody / solo guitar on top. Add percussion. Careful of having a low loud melody note against a higher sounding chord played softly. There are several places in your piece where the melody guitar hits the third of the chord in the low register and the rhythm guitar plays a major 7th chord in a slightly higher register. It throws your ear into thinking that it is a Maj 7th chord / over the third in the bass. Like in C that would be E, C, G, B, E - which makes it sound like an E minor chord with a raised 5th and in context it makes it harmonically clash with what comes before and after. If you don't have a bass instrument let the chord playing rhythm guitar assume the lower register and the melody play higher.

8. Edit it ruthlessly. If stuff doesn't line up rhythmically chop it out and punch in or keep re-recording until its solid.

8. Mix it. Reverb that sounds like a room where the instruments are playing together is a good start. Think of eq that will reduce wolf tones if you have a guitar that maybe isn't the best, but try not to add a bunch of strong compression or eq the high end really bright. Not only does a lot of high end compete with dialog, it also makes the guitars sound brittle and makes them sound much closer to the ear and less like your refs.

You obviously can play very well so these things above aren't a critique of your playing, rather they are things to focus on to be able to nail the brief and get some forwards leading to signed music and then placements on TV / film and some $$$.

Hope that helps.