Please Help Me Understand This Critique

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cosmicdolphin
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Re: Please Help Me Understand This Critique

Post by cosmicdolphin » Fri Jan 29, 2021 11:01 am

Cameloide wrote:
Fri Jan 29, 2021 10:10 am
until the timing issues are addressed and everything is in the pocket and the song is grooving no agency or supervisor would ever use it for sync. So until you get that worked out the mix is really irrelevant.
+1

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Re: Please Help Me Understand This Critique

Post by funkyguitar » Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:20 pm

I appreciate the forum feedback, recognize the value here, and understand the screener's opinion may differ from forum members. It does trouble me though that the main issue discussed in the forum are the timing issues on the recording but timing issues weren't mentioned at all by the screener, saying I returned or forwarded this song because... it could benefit from a revision in the mix/structure to meet the listing's criteria.

Taxi promotes itself on their How TAXI Works page "Getting Opinions from Family and Friends is Nice, but...
Getting objective, detailed feedback from Hollywood music supervisors, hit songwriters, A&R people, publishers, and record producers is priceless. When you become part of TAXI, it's like having your own personal team of industry pros giving you tips, techniques and fresh ideas." As I said in my initial post, I usually understand where screener feedback is coming from but in this case, I feel it fell short. Better detail could have been given in about the same amount of words.

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Re: Please Help Me Understand This Critique

Post by AlanHall » Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:58 pm

It's been mentioned here before (don't ask me to provide links!) that the screeners may focus on one issue that they feel is most pressing; omitting a mention of others to prevent 'information overload' by the receiver. I review my first critique now - knowing just how awful the submission was - and see that everything the screener wrote was spot-on BUT only scratched the surface of what was wrong with my cue.

What the screener feels is essential for my development may be different from what forum members feel is essential. So, a different critique.

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Re: Please Help Me Understand This Critique

Post by Robertj64 » Sun Jan 31, 2021 5:03 am

AlanHall wrote:
Fri Jan 29, 2021 1:58 pm
It's been mentioned here before (don't ask me to provide links!) that the screeners may focus on one issue that they feel is most pressing; omitting a mention of others to prevent 'information overload' by the receiver. I review my first critique now - knowing just how awful the submission was - and see that everything the screener wrote was spot-on BUT only scratched the surface of what was wrong with my cue.

What the screener feels is essential for my development may be different from what forum members feel is essential. So, a different critique.
I think timing issues in a song is pretty critical not to point out, Alan. If you can't point out timing and pitch issues in a song, what are you doing as a screener? I can't imagine what would be more fundamental to evaluating a song than measuring timing and pitch?

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Re: Please Help Me Understand This Critique

Post by Robertj64 » Sun Jan 31, 2021 8:58 am

CTWF wrote:
Sun Jan 31, 2021 5:48 am
Robertj64 wrote:
Sun Jan 31, 2021 5:03 am
I think timing issues in a song is pretty critical not to point out, Alan. If you can't point out timing and pitch issues in a song, what are you doing as a screener? I can't imagine what would be more fundamental to evaluating a song than measuring timing and pitch?
In the OP it says the screener wrote "There are tuning, rhythm, or dissonance issues" - so, does that not cover timing/pitch?

Also, Rob, as Alan has pointed out, I feel you are beating a dead horse here. The screeners are human beings with a very limited amount of time and with different backgrounds - you need to take this into account.

Tom
Fair point about the checklist. You can level "Being human" to any screener comment. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. I have screener feedback where the feedback is accurate and warranted. There have been feedback which has been off. I believe overall since the review is paid for, it should fair, clear and concise. It should not trail off to obscure language which helps no one. (Sound palette, performance arcs). These things repeatedly confusethe members. To look for ways to defend the screener at all costs is awkward. If you can't have dissent on here or taxi tv, then it starts to feel like a cult.

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Re: Please Help Me Understand This Critique

Post by funkyguitar » Sun Jan 31, 2021 2:41 pm

Some sort of standardized priority list for feedback would make sense. Starting with the performance type issues at the top, where no matter how amazing the mix is it wouldn't matter if there are performance issues. I would welcome anything they have to tell me to improve, the more information the better for me. I'd rather have that than like in this case mentioning the mix needs improvement three times and timing issues zero times.

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Re: Please Help Me Understand This Critique

Post by boinkeee2000 » Sun Jan 31, 2021 5:03 pm

hi funky, listened to your track...imho the most glaring issue is the timing (surprised they didnt catch that). but assuming they did the next issue they might present would be the samples used (especially on the drums), either tweak the hell out of them or get a good drum vi, i believe from your name your'e a guitarist, its best if you record a live bass guitar (if you have one). once you resolve that the next step would be the mix, specifically glue and ambience. you can make all them sound like a live band recording through reverb sends and mixbus compression plugins alone. once you get the midiness and sterile, separated quality of the track resolved the individual levels (per screener) would be easy peezy to diagnose and fix. you got a winner there that any mid tier or upper echelon lib would accept through taxi or direct after those minor adjustments alone imo...as usual ymmv. good luck

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Re: Please Help Me Understand This Critique

Post by cosmicdolphin » Mon Feb 01, 2021 7:18 am

Robertj64 wrote:
Sun Jan 31, 2021 8:58 am
It should not trail off to obscure language which helps no one. (Sound palette, performance arcs). These things repeatedly confuse the members
That's quite funny given the level of offence taken when someone delivers it straight Robert. They only concocted this flowery language to avoid snowflakes feelings being hurt.

You can't have it both ways.

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Re: Please Help Me Understand This Critique

Post by ballereau » Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:06 am

I guess you can pay more $ ($20) for a custom critique but is that really going to help. I know some people will think so. I think sometimes the feedback on a submission is not always on target. That is one persons thoughts ,at that given time ,about a particular listing. Why because you pay more money will it be any better.

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Re: Please Help Me Understand This Critique

Post by boinkeee2000 » Mon Feb 01, 2021 4:29 pm

ballereau wrote:
Mon Feb 01, 2021 11:06 am
I guess you can pay more $ ($20) for a custom critique but is that really going to help. I know some people will think so. I think sometimes the feedback on a submission is not always on target. That is one persons thoughts ,at that given time ,about a particular listing. Why because you pay more money will it be any better.
I think there are cheaper ways to improve. but also keep in mind after a custom critique....

will an improved track guarantee a forward?
will a forward guarantee acceptance?
will an acceptance guarantee a good lib perfectly fit for you?
will that good lib get you a placement within 5yrs?
will that placement be a good, long one or (god forbid) be on a scripps network?

then multiply that with the hundreds/thousands of tracks you need to create to generate a reasonable income

not saying a $20 custom critique is good or bad, just laying out the big picture, and how trivial one track is to your entire catalog and the industry

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