Submission Feedback Help

[prizzi]

Hello,

First off I would like to state that I agree with Matt Vander Boegh from last night's Taxi live stream. This is the best website on the internet!!!

I have been plugging along for one year now. I joined Taxi one year ago this month. I have made 29 submission and have had 4 forwards for which I am very greatful.

The reason why I say this is because anytime I have gotten feedback I keep a journal of the critique and apply to my next submission. This seems to not be working for me. For example, my recent submission was returned and there was a comment about using some new drum sounds.
The sounds that I used were the ones from a forwarded track. I also used similar instrumentation and groove too.

Listing # D231206DR (HipHop) Dramedy was returned from some reasons I need help deciphering. This is not a criticism of Taxi in anyway. I am trying to use the feedback I get effectively so that I can become a better composer.

The feedback states:

I think you could improve this song by:
I would get some newer drums and a better mix to make sure the beat really knocks.
Don't be afraid to try quantizing the drums a little more.
Also check the references to grab the competitive edge from what's on the market place.

But then goes on to say: The performance was feels stiff or over-quantized.

Now in the past I have used these same drum sounds. Perhaps I need to EQ some more low end out of the snare?
I am starting to become at a loss. How can I make the track groove better? I am not the best mixer in the world but I am not sure what I could have done differently to make mix improvements. Balance issues?



This is forum is always very helpful. Below is my SoundCloud link if anyone would like to offer some help. I would really appreciate it.

https://soundcloud.com/user-399751117/g ... al_sharing

There are also some other dramedy tracks in there too. Tracks "Public Frienemy" and "Shill Pill" were frowarded back in August. The most recent returned is very similar (at least I think so).

Thank you!!!!!!

-Phil Rizzi

[cosmicdolphin]

Hey Phil

Had a listen to this one, it would really help if you pasted the Listing and the reference tracks as well so we know what the screeners were looking for. Overall I would say this is the weakest of the Dramedy Hip Hop tracks on your SoundCloud and the others sounded quite a lot better...so you can do it, you just didn't do such a good job on this one. I think some of the sound choices are off but hard to say without the refs. It's a good idea to sit and make a list of everything the ref tracks do, the types of sounds they use, the structure , how the mix is balanced.

With Get The Hint the main issue for me is the weak sounding drums, but you do a much better job with Chill Pill , It's all Geek to Me ( cool title BTW ) and Public Frenemy. You mention using the same drums but they don't sound as good for some reason as the others. All I would say is if you want the drums to knock then use robust sounding drum samples that sound good. Don't take weak souding / low quality samples and try to make them better, just start with better ones from the get go. There's tons of options for Hip Hop drums from sample shops like Splice to all manner of VSTi's.

When you're producing the best way to ensure your track is competitive sounding is to use reference tracks. Find a way to get the ref tracks into your DAW and use a plugin like MetricAB so you can instantly switch between your track and multiple references. This will help you identify where your own track is falling short and correct it.

Also remember everything you need to know is on Youtube now , even Hip Hop Dramedy tutorials so there is no reason not to educate yourself further. More general Hip Hop drum tutorials might help too.

You can also check out music at libraries such as this to hear what they are signing : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DpsPSp ... StyleMusic

Mark

[prizzi]

Thank you so much Mark for the help. That YouTube link you sent has some great sounding tracks. Definitely something to aspire to!
I have Native Instruments Komplete which has some better drums than the ones I used on my submission so I will try starting there. Yeah those drums do sound pretty crappy.

One thing that I realize with what you said about reference tracks... and maybe I did this with my other forwards ( I have to take a look). They often give YouTube Video Links as the reference tracks. Those tracks have dialogue so I don't typically past those into Abelton like some of the others because it's difficult to hear the short time stamps they reference. So normally I just open up the YouTube video in my browser instead. Perhaps I should try and do it anyway.

Thank you Mark this really helpful.



Here is the listing with reference links:

HIP-HOP DRAMEDY INSTRUMENTALS and/or INSTRUMENTAL CUES are needed by a European Music Licensing Company with TONS of Film/TV placements, many of them for TAXI Members!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PsWyF7i2YA&t=11s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrAADAvUf2o&t=34s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_VqOxrSAlo&t=48s

Please submit well-crafted, Hip-Hop Dramedy Instrumentals and/or Cues that could add a light dramatic feel to scenes from a Reality TV Show! Your submissions should have playful motifs, engaging beats, and dynamic arrangements with plenty of forward motion and interest throughout. Instrumentation that's in the general wheelhouse of the references will work best (pizzicato strings, etc.). Please make sure your productions are polished, and any virtual instruments or samples you use are high quality and not dated-sounding.

[prizzi]

...actually I just looked back and realized that while I did use some of the same drum sounds, I also used different kits on the my forwarded tracks. So yeah I need to use my better instrument libraries for my next submission.

[VanderBoegh]

Hey Phil! Thanks for watching the broadcast, and three cheers for the best website on the internet, in all its text-based glory!!

Okay, now for some constructive feedback. I clicked your link and listened to "Get the Hint". You overall approach to the dramedy portion of this track in pretty good and works well. But since you're going for Urban Dramedy, you drums & bass are what's holding you back on this one. There's a bit of wonkiness with your hi-hat rhythm, and it seems like it gets squirrelly with the tempo / subdivisions at times (like at :10 - :15), so I can see why a screener would have made that comment about quantizing.

But I think the biggest factor is that the drums never really get cooking. It always seems like they're missing something, and not really driving this piece forward. The sounds themselves are part of the issue (that clap does sound like it's straight from the 2000's era hip hop. In fact, it sounds nearly identical to this clap from Usher's "Yeah"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxBSyx85Kp8

But overall, I think a more driving beat would help your Urban Dramedy tracks come alive. Here's one of my most-used tracks in this style. I made this one about 8-9 years ago, so it's old, but still getting used to this day. I wouldn't use the DJ scratch effect anymore, but it sounded cool back then, haha. But in particular, listen to the drums so you can see how they are big, beefy, and really propel the track forward. This approach will help your tracks add energy to a scene.



Hope that helps!

~~Matt

[prizzi]

Hi Matt!

Thank you so much for the constructive feedback. Yeah, that's pretty much the identical clap to Usher! Yikes!!
I am definitely not going to use that one again any time soon.

Since I have you here... In that track ("Get The Hint" ) did you find the vibes helpful or effective. I sometimes use my vibraphone to record some texture in there along with the synth pad parts. It's really subtle and I have noticed that nobody uses vibraphone in these tracks. Probably because Hiphop doesn't use real vibes. I guess the idea is if they are used to keep it discreet and perhaps the let the drums do the heavy lifting as far as creating the ideal mood they are looking for??

This maybe a novice question here also..... I sometimes side chain my drums kits but often times they are punchy as is. Does it matter? Is punchy punchy?

Thank you for including your reference track I really appreciate it. Your interviews are always very helpful as well as encouraging too!

Phil

[VanderBoegh]

I use vibes (or at least some version of mallet.... whether it be glockenspiel, marimba, xylophone, music box, etc) on nearly all of my dramedy-infused tracks. Mallets have a great sound that can sound either serious, happy, or mischievous. It's really a nice chameleon type instrument that can impart whatever emotion you're trying to invoke, unlike a lot of others. Plus, mallets have a nice little attack which I like. So, yeah, my advice is to keep using them!

As for sidechaining..... man, I never really side chain anything!

Lastly, thanks for the thanks!!

~~Matt

[prizzi]

Thanks Matt I appreciate it!!