Page 1 of 2
Meditation Instrumentals - does this sound about right?
Posted: Wed Dec 20, 2017 10:56 pm
by ecurb
Hi guys,
I've been prepping a few tracks to send for the meditation instrumentals listing that's due near the end of this month. While I
think I'm pretty much on track with what I have for this genre, I've been wrong before, so would love some feedback before locking it in.
Here's the listing....
CALMING, MEDITATION-Style INSTRUMENTALS are needed by well-known, NON-Exclusive Music Library with a very long list of TV, Film, and Commercial placements. They’re on the hunt for Full-Length Instrumentals (not Cues) that are in the general stylistic ballpark of the following references:
Meditation, Relaxation Music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkHyRpCU2HY
Healing Music, Meditation Music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVqnEBLZ2zQ
Tibetan Music Zen Meditation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsPtT-WELvQ
NOTE: Please do NOT include any sound effects in your music such as animal sounds, waterfalls, wind, etc.
Give them soothing material that has a reflective and tranquil quality that can put a listener at ease. Some light percussive instrumentation and electronic elements are fine, but please make sure your Instrumental is peaceful, soothing, and relaxing, overall. They’re open to both Contemporary and Traditional styles of Meditation music as long as it’s calming and relaxing from start to finish. Quoting the Music Library: “Please do not submit anything that’s jarring… give us just really calm music that could be used for relaxation, meditation, massages, reiki, etc.”
Your Instrumentals should be at least 2 to 3 minutes in length, give or take. If they go to 4 or 5 minutes, that’s okay! Non-faded endings with a natural decay or ring out should work best for this pitch, but if you’ve got a great piece that ends with a fade, it’s probably fine. Do not copy the references in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as general guide for overall feel, texture and tone. Broadcast quality is needed (great sounding home recordings are fine).
This Company offers a NON-Exclusive 50/50 deal. You’ll get 50% of any applicable sync fees and 100% of the Writer’s share. The Publisher will get 50% of any sync fees and 100% of the Publisher’s share. You must own or control your Master and Composition to submit to this pitch. You’ll maintain full ownership of the original Copyright and Master Recording. Please send as many Instrumentals as you’d like, online or per CD. All submissions will be screened on a Yes/No basis – Short critiques only. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59PM (PST), on Saturday, December 30th, 2017. TAXI #Y171230MI
... and here's a pretty typical example of what I've come up with:
https://soundcloud.com/ecurb67/afterglow/s-Tt46o
EDIT: Updated version 2 link after feedback received as below:
https://soundcloud.com/ecurb67/afterglo ... -2/s-wOFIU
... and version 3!
https://soundcloud.com/ecurb67/afterglo ... -3/s-pmdLl
Thanks heaps,
Bruce.
Re: Meditation Instrumentals - does this sound about right?
Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 7:03 am
by cosmicdolphin
Hi Bruce
I think whatever the main sound is you're using is far too strident, it's not soothing enough..it kinda grates and sounds more like an orchestral sound to me.
Maybe try a different sound and add some more layers for a hint of complexity
Mark
Re: Meditation Instrumentals - does this sound about right?
Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:11 pm
by mikehamm123
ecurb wrote: I'm pretty much on track with what I have for this genre, I've been wrong before, so would love some feedback before locking it in.
I agree, I would soften the sound quite a bit. The patch is a little edgy.
About :40 - 2:00 where it kicks in for me, nice writing!
Re: Meditation Instrumentals - does this sound about right?
Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 8:45 pm
by ecurb
Thanks heaps, Mark and Mike. Invaluable feedback... honestly I suspect my frequency perception 'aint what it used to be. Too many years standing next to loud drummers and louder guitarists
I've done a remix, actually starting with the same base sound but tweaking it lot. Added just a touch of layer fading in and out also, though I have kept that very subtle. The result is a lot softer to my ears, would love to know what you think. The updated track is at
https://soundcloud.com/ecurb67/afterglo ... -2/s-wOFIU
Thanks again,
Bruce.
Re: Meditation Instrumentals - does this sound about right?
Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 3:02 am
by cosmicdolphin
ecurb wrote:Thanks heaps, Mark and Mike. Invaluable feedback... honestly I suspect my frequency perception 'aint what it used to be. Too many years standing next to loud drummers and louder guitarists
I've done a remix, actually starting with the same base sound but tweaking it lot. Added just a touch of layer fading in and out also, though I have kept that very subtle. The result is a lot softer to my ears, would love to know what you think. The updated track is at
https://soundcloud.com/ecurb67/afterglo ... -2/s-wOFIU
Thanks again,
Bruce.
That's much more like it ..it's still got a resonant frequency to it somewhere though that is a little piercing.
If it's all midi based then maybe play around with transposing it down to see if that helps, otherwise I think you gotta A/B it with theirs and see which frequency it is. If you have something like a Pultec style EQ you can normally be quite heavy handed with them but it still sounds musical.
I think it's somewhere around that 3 - 5k region
Re: Meditation Instrumentals - does this sound about right?
Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 6:34 am
by mikehamm123
ecurb wrote:I've done a remix, actually starting with the same base sound but tweaking it lot.
Much softer. I got a chair massage at work yesterday (holiday thing) and the masseuses played music, so I was able to listen to this kind of cue 'in context'.
Something floaty like this is good, soft and lulling. A journey but without tension.
Good luck!
Re: Meditation Instrumentals - does this sound about right?
Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 7:12 pm
by ecurb
Cheers again gentlemen. Really do appreciate the ears and advice.
I spent a while peering at and poking around along the frequency range... can't honestly say I found anything that
really jumped out, though as I say I am conscious of probably suffering the usual "rock musician notch" around the 3k mark. Anyway, ended up making a pretty broad but shallow cut centered around 4.6k, plus a very narrow and deeper one down on middle C (song is in G, and 4ths seemed to be really jumping out) for this latest version. I think it's smoother overall as a result, without sounding hollowed out or anything like that.
https://soundcloud.com/ecurb67/afterglo ... -3/s-pmdLl
Thanks again!
Bruce.
Re: Meditation Instrumentals - does this sound about right?
Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 11:48 pm
by mikehamm123
sounds like you nailed it to me. softer, somewhat bell-like sound.
Re: Meditation Instrumentals - does this sound about right?
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 12:52 am
by LOCK88
Hey Bruce, I'm not an expert in this genre, but I have listened to my share of meditation tracks over the years. So I closed my eyes, and tried to relax. Your track sounds really close, but the lead melody feels a bit loud, and is commanding my attention, rather than helping me relax. I would try grouping (summing) the lead instruments, and then adding some heavy opto compression with an LA2A (or similar) just to push it way back in the track, in both depth and volume. Just a subtle change here I think could bring it home. Good luck with the submission!
Re: Meditation Instrumentals - does this sound about right?
Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:59 am
by ecurb
Thanks again, Mike - and yeah, I do see what you mean, Robb, thanks very much. It is rather top heavy still.
Hmm. I think I may need to step away from this one for a day or two then hit it again with fresh ears!
Cheers again,
Bruce.