techno action?

[anne]

I started playing with some techno samples and loops today and this is what I came up with - Can I get some feedback from anyone familiar with dance / techno etc? I'm not too familiar with it other than from my old lighting days at dance clubs.I also could use some mix suggestions if anybody has some - it seems a little flat to me.Thanks in advance!http://www.taxi.com/AnneHouse and the song is techno trial - I just posted it at 2:05 pm, in case it isn't showing.

[hummingbird]

don't see it there, Anne - did you mark it public?

[anne]

Wow, are you fast Vikki - You must have seen the page before the chipmunks finished digitizing it - it looks like its up now.

[ibanez468]

One mix suggestion I can offer, is to find a way to keep from losing your kick. I hear it real well in the very beginning, but then it tends to disappear throughout. IMO, ya' gotta have that thing constantly goin' "boom boom boom boom boom", and not disappear when all the other sounds are playing. Maybe too much overall compression, perhaps? Just my $.02.I-468

[ciskokidd]

Hey Anne,It's a really good start. Here are my thoughts based on the way dance music is structured.Your hook riff is very cool and that is the toughest part of a good techno dance song. Stay with that hook longer when you go to it. Make it hypnotic. Add some filtering to vary it up a bit, but don't go away from it too soon.When you do break from the riff to another section build it up slowly so that when you hit that hook again it kicks in with a vengeance.I noticed that you built some additional elements around the hook in some places and that's good but watch the mix so that the hook riff still cuts through. I think the issue may be that either the other sounds compete in the same range or are too similar in timbre.Just some thoughts,Cisko

[ideascapes]

Anne,I'm by no means a techno expert, but I have had a few placements in that genre--probably beginner's luck.I found your piece very credible and agree with the need to keep the 4-on-the-floor kick drum going strong. And, as Cisko noted, you probably need to use some volume automation to make sure the focus is on whatever new sound/instrument you're introducing. Bring things to the foreground of the mix and the right time. To keep the mix from getting muddy as you do this, I'd generally recommend you completely remove some elements, instead of simply layering more.Hope to hear more!Vince

[anne]

Thanks guys - I'm glad to know I'm at least on the right track and will work on that 4 on the floor issue first and foremost before continuing on with this project. I didn't get as far as really playing with the tonality or the automation - I can see how a quiet day alone with this could get really interesting!I'm off to work on something a little quieter for now and let my ears rest up : )

[cjdenecia]

hi anne ....I am certainly not a big expert on techno ... in fact, so far from it - I wouldn't listen to me on anything related to it ... BUT -I echo a few of the things that I've read in this thread, especially keeping the low end riding ... I have also noted the thought that layering and thinning the mix to bring out your melodic aspects has been suggested. I agree.so often, I wonder why techno musicians want to put everything in all the time ... and wanna work so hard at showing off so many voicings in a single piece ... it makes no sense, it jumbles when in reality, I'd think you wanna hypnotise? find a hook, and work it. I recently did some mixing on a song my wife was doing with a techno musician - it was based in techno dance but with her vocals, it became a fusion of pop and techno but when I got all the guys tracks, it became obvious, he just played every damn sound he had, all the time ...I stripped it. removed tons ... and brought some in and out according to song location ... and in the end, it worked.with this tune, I don't think you've gone overboard but you maybe should spend some time thinking about "air". and being a bit prudent on air time for a lot of different voices ... granted, I am thinking from a pop POV, but come on, unless it's a target that asks for specifics, don't you want a varied audience to consider your tune accessible? without jeopardizing the core group of listeners? from what little I know, that group isn't really caring about how many voices you play the melody with - only that it's there and it thumps and it's repetitive.I dunno ... again, I'm no expert and maybe I'm just rambling on here - but all in all, I hear some cool aspects in this and I just hate to see it go the way of so many other indie techno I've heard - a jumble of tones for the sake of showing keyboard voices ...so take my thoughts for what they're worth ... and good luck on moving this song onward.cj

[hummingbird]

Nov 26, 2008, 1:05pm, anne wrote:I started playing with some techno samples and loops today and this is what I came up with - Can I get some feedback from anyone familiar with dance / techno etc? I'm not too familiar with it other than from my old lighting days at dance clubs.I also could use some mix suggestions if anybody has some - it seems a little flat to me.Thanks in advance!http://www.taxi.com/AnneHouse and the song is techno trial - I just posted it at 2:05 pm, in case it isn't showing.Hi - some nice textures in this. I like the choice of sounds. But. Everything is coming across a bit 'edgy', and I don't mean composition, I mean the strength & power & sharpness of the sounds all feels the same. I would pan everything wider, and I would work with EQ and compression to soften some of the sounds, and edit them so they flow in and out. And then I'd look for something flowing that could soar over the top & be a counterpoint to the percussive tracks, if that makes sense. The way to think of this is to imagine a voice singing a line and then build the textures around that. Here's a link to some samples that might help http://www.imeem.com/fern23/playlist/jP ... _playlist/