New Rock Tracks w/ vocals feedback welcome (although they are due today!)

[kjckjc]

Bradley,
Love 'em both - I love your guitar playing ... If you don't mind - Please take a listen to my submission for #S240229VG - DRIVING, RIFF-DRIVEN ROCK INSTRUMENTAL CUES... I know the competition will be fierce (including you) - being (1) I am Not a pro guitar player (I Am a pro drummer), and again - (2) I am 100% in the box until I can get my "Real Stuff" out of storage and into a proper studio... I actually came up with this a while ago - and is over 4 mins, so I edited it down to 2 + mins, which was more difficult than putting together the original! (with lead solos, more development, etc)... I like it - it's already submitted, so time will tell if "They" like it!! Thanx!!

*I tried to link just the tune - but it wouldn't play back for me - so the link is to my profile page - and it is the top tune - "HHHeavy RRiff Raff"*

https://www.taxi.com/members/kencrombie

[BradleyHagen]

Hi Ken-
Its cool...I like the riffs, and it is probably just right for that brief.... A couple of things though:
1) Just like my horns and strings, the MIDI guitar is probably not going to get past the screeners.... I know its too late on this one, but moving forward, I would find a local kid, or someone on Fiverr to track some real guitars. It doesn't have to be a stupidly expensive and intricate signal chain either, just someone who plays guitar, and has---- I dont know --- a Kemper, Guitar Rig, TONEX, or any halfway decent amp sim program.
2.) Get those drums out of storage!! You could really add alot to this with live drums man...it would give you an advantage over alot of folks!! I would take a kit with 4 decent condenser mics, and a pro player like you over whatever you have going on with the MIDI drums on this ALL DAY LONG.. I try to use live drums when I can, but usually have to use Toontrack due to time constraints......
3.) If you are going to use MIDI bass, get EZ Bass from Toontrack, or one of the Native Instruments bass libraries. I play live bass on everything, because that is my primary instrument, and thats my "thing" but man.... I have heard some stuff posted up here with bass samples that sound pretty friggin bada**, so it can definitely be done. Listen to Stansthesongman's disco tracks for example....

In any case, best of luck on that listing...I only submitted one track, because I still do not understand what they are looking for, and feel that it is pretty weak, but did submit yesterday as well

[guest4254]

I like both tracks. Nice energy/feel.
Not sure if there's a reason for it, but "Cracks" ends abruptly, like it cut off before it was actually over.

Yeah, great point.... I was trying for the "stinger ending" but I guess this is not how to do it??
I am open to alternate suggestions in case it gets returned over this?? Thanks!

I don't know how long this song keeps going after the present ending, but there are better places to make a cut, and maybe add a touch of reverb to let the last note trail for instance, right around the 3:16 mark...

[WSAO]

2 solid tracks mate!
Hope they reach the library!
Well done!

[BradleyHagen]

I like both tracks. Nice energy/feel.
Not sure if there's a reason for it, but "Cracks" ends abruptly, like it cut off before it was actually over.

Yeah, great point.... I was trying for the "stinger ending" but I guess this is not how to do it??
I am open to alternate suggestions in case it gets returned over this?? Thanks!

I don't know how long this song keeps going after the present ending, but there are better places to make a cut, and maybe add a touch of reverb to let the last note trail for instance, right around the 3:16 mark...

This is a great teaching point right here...If this were a "normal" song, I would never abruptly end it in this fashion, but since it is for a library, my understanding is that they do NOT want a long cymbal ring or reverb tail on a "stinger" type of ending?? This is why I automated the master fader to pull down very quickly at that mark.... Thoughts?? Bueller? Anyone??

[guest4254]

[/quote]

This is a great teaching point right here...If this were a "normal" song, I would never abruptly end it in this fashion, but since it is for a library, my understanding is that they do NOT want a long cymbal ring or reverb tail on a "stinger" type of ending?? This is why I automated the master fader to pull down very quickly at that mark.... Thoughts?? Bueller? Anyone??
[/quote]

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply. Always something coming up needing my attention, and next thing I know it's after 2am...such is my life...

A one second or so ring or reverb trail is acceptable. They do want the song to resolve itself, but without a "real" faded ending.

I too have been known to take some things too literally after reading the listings, but this is the place to ask those questions....

[kjckjc]

Hey Bradley,
1st - Congrats on the 'Come Get Some' Fwd!
2nd - RE: your critique of my Tune for S240229VG (DRIVING, RIFF-DRIVEN ROCK INSTRUMENTAL CUES), As predicted - Got the old Return again... Here was the feedback (similar to what you thought):
https://www.taxi.com/members/0TMsBs66Sf ... _Lq7_hk14Q
Just curious what you might agree and disagree with... Most of the negative - again - as seems to be my nemisis - lack of production quality... and here is the tune:
https://www.taxi.com/my/artist/songs/Kg ... rriff-raff ...(if it doesn't play - see my profile page below - it's there)...
Anyone else looking - please feel free to comment... I really thought this one had a chance...

[BradleyHagen]

Hi Ken!
Sorry to hear about the return
They returned our other AC/DC inspired track too, so I get it man..
Yeah, it's just production really.... Not sure what you are using for drums, but until you can get a live kit mic'd up, with some decent mic pres and comps, I would recommend one of the following. There are probably more out there, but these are the ones that I am familiar with:

3.) Addictive Drums. I haven't used it on a project in quite awhile, but it was only $99, and came with halfway decent samples. XLN Audio is the company I think
2.) Steven Slate SSD. This is Sooooo popular, that it is all over just about modern country pop/rock song out there..... And those have great drum sounds
1.) IMHO, By far the best, the undisputed kings of "fake" drums (well, they aren't really "fake" they are extremely well recorded drums in world class studios) IMHO, Toontrack. I have been a user since way back, and have both Superior Drummer 3, and EZ Drummer 3, as well as a ton of expansion libraries. The good news is that EZ Drummer 3 (179 bucks), with the stock sample libraries, is more than enough to to get started, and it will improve your drum sounds dramatically, and fast. If you end up getting this, PM me, I can give you some tips and tricks to help you right out of the gate, and there are a couple of awesome instructors on Youtube as well.
Start with the drums, and then I would look into playing live guitar tracks, or hiring a local kid for the time being. You can get away with MIDI bass much easier than guitar (I think that is what I am hearing in any case...

And lastly, How you use VI's is a YUGE part of it as well, which I am trying to figure out with strings and horns presently... Articulations, Velocities, and moving stuff off of the grid are very important aspects to consider as well. I don't know how the others on here feel about this, and maybe I am wrong about this for sync purposes... but I spend quite a bit of time NOT having every drum hit on the grid - To me gridding drums is a dead giveaway that they are MIDI drums. Maybe that doesn't matter to the libraries, but it bothers me! At least with Rock, Country, etc lol Other opinions on this are welcome!

[kjckjc]

Thanks for the quick reply man, and the awesome advice... Yes - everything I have submitted so far has been 100% in the box with VI's, loops, plugins... Like I have said to a few, All of my "real" gear is in storage for now (I was a school band director for 20 years, and owned a music store for the past 12 years - so I always had plenty of room for my "stuff"), and since I have "retired" from all that - I now have zero room for my stuff - hopefully that will be changing in a month or so... Cannot wait to get my 3 or 4 vintage drum kits out and mic'd up and rockin'!! ...(as well as all my vintage amps, guitars, basses, keyboards, etc)... Plus, I have acquired Lots of pro gear over the past few years (mics, mic pre's, outboard gear - EQ's, Compressors, etc), so my "Studio-to-be" will be Awesome!... Plus I can start Re-practicing guitar and keys and get to a point - again - where I am at least competent on most instruments - including horns!... So I guess I have done ok with my submissions thus far - but you are 100% correct - getting real stuff into the mixes will be a game changer - not to mention - Not trying to compose stuff from pre made loops, chord prog's, and the like anymore - which feels almost like cheating to me!...
I will definitely check out Toontrack - and hit you up for some mentoring for sure...
Thanks Much Bradley!