Uplifting EDM instrumental listing

[JoeCurran]

Hi all.

Hoping for a few ears and advice on my track I was hoping to submit to the EDM uplifting instrumental listing. Not been mastered or mixed fully but the elements are all there,

https://soundcloud.com/user-999855695-2 ... a-care-rm1

Thanks Joe

[jessecarrigan]

Hey Joe, I first want to say that I think you've done a really good thing posting this here. Others may be more expert in EDM than I am but I have some things that might help. Please take this in the spirit that it's intended, as my hope for all of us is that we can be the best we can be and I hope this doesn't come across as harsh.

I think the sounds on your track are a bit dated. They don't pop out and grab you, and they sound like stock patches. I've had some success doing this and I'd suggest trying it out: take one of the reference tracks and try to recreate it. You don't have to get it all right, but if you try to match the sounds, you have a template you can use to make your own track. You changed up the instrumentation pretty well, so continue to do that as you work on it.

The melody didn't hook me and it didn't seem to change enough to keep my interest. I do think it's the right kind of feeling, but it wasn't a strong enough hook. I would revisit that melody in comparison, again, to the reference tracks. They have basically an A and B section melodically, and those repeat, but the instrumentation changes to keep it fresh. They're very hooky and get you moving.

The track felt overall not energetic enough for EDM. There's a really strong pulse to the reference tracks; they have a very strong drum and bass, and the track sounds 'hot'. Some of that is the sounds, and some of it is the overall mastering. Try using an EQ and compressor on each track and a limiter on the stereo out to start in your DAW of choice, if you have those available (I use Logic, so there's a lot of built-in, but most DAWs at least have something). After you find some good patches, set those effects to a decent default and start playing with that. The topic of mastering is far too large to get into here and I'm really the wrong person to lead that discussion - all I can offer is some things that have successfully helped get things forwarded. That should get you quite a ways toward making the track sound louder, brighter, and more pro.

You've done the hardest part and started and finished a track! Congrats, now you just need to polish it up a bit and make it shine. Hope this helps.

[JoeCurran]

Hi. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the track. Lots of great information and advice there. There’s definitely room for a second part to the melody and guilty as charged . Listening to the track away from the screen and stem distractions the sounds are a bit dated (swaying for the sounds of my era instead of what is required) so I will spend a bit of time on that.
Excellent feedback , thank you.

Joe

[jessecarrigan]

Awesome, hope it helps. Post another one, would love to hear more of your work. Those sounds might work really well for the 80s TV Show instrumentals listing if you haven't looked at that one.

[JoeCurran]

Hi.
I made a submission to the 80’s listing which got a forward. I have a few tracks in different styles I am working on just now more to get my head round cubase and using midi as it’s all a but new especially midi stuff so
The track below was forwarded for the 80s cinematic listing which I was pretty pleased about .

https://soundcloud.com/user-999855695-2 ... dows-mp3rm

Joe

[jessecarrigan]

Hi.
I made a submission to the 80’s listing which got a forward. I have a few tracks in different styles I am working on just now more to get my head round cubase and using midi as it’s all a but new especially midi stuff so
The track below was forwarded for the 80s cinematic listing which I was pretty pleased about .

https://soundcloud.com/user-999855695-2 ... dows-mp3rm

Joe

Congrats! Always good to know you're going the right direction. Very cool! It's making me think of The Running Man for some reason.