TAXI.com

Hi fellows, I need some feedback! After 12 rejections in a row, I'm feeling like I'll never get a forward. Trying to just write, forget, repeat, but sometimes that's easier said than done!
Can anyone listen to this song and try to give me some feedback as to whether it would get a forward from you if you were a screener?
Specifically, this was the listing:

"Please submit top-tier Orchestral-Based Instrumental Cues that could add dramatic intensity and energy to Reality TV competition shows. Your instrumentation should be Orchestral focused, and some sound design or hybrid elements are okay to include, as well. However, this Library asks to avoid any instrumentation that could give the Cues a tribal feel. Craft your Cues around a singular motif, and create a sense of forward momentum and dynamics by layering instrumentation in and out as they progress. This Library is open to hearing pieces that are tension-based as well as more epic Cues – check out the references to hear what we mean. "

So, is this top-tier? Does it have forward momentum? A developmental arc? Do the samples sound dated or of lower quality? Any problems with the mix?
How can I improve?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

https://www.taxi.com/my/artist/songs/mk ... in-the-pit

MJTthePHD wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 05, 2022 10:00 am

Hi fellows, I need some feedback! After 12 rejections in a row, I'm feeling like I'll never get a forward. Trying to just write, forget, repeat, but sometimes that's easier said than done!
Can anyone listen to this song and try to give me some feedback as to whether it would get a forward from you if you were a screener?
Specifically, this was the listing:

"Please submit top-tier Orchestral-Based Instrumental Cues that could add dramatic intensity and energy to Reality TV competition shows. Your instrumentation should be Orchestral focused, and some sound design or hybrid elements are okay to include, as well. However, this Library asks to avoid any instrumentation that could give the Cues a tribal feel. Craft your Cues around a singular motif, and create a sense of forward momentum and dynamics by layering instrumentation in and out as they progress. This Library is open to hearing pieces that are tension-based as well as more epic Cues – check out the references to hear what we mean. "

So, is this top-tier? Does it have forward momentum? A developmental arc? Do the samples sound dated or of lower quality? Any problems with the mix?
How can I improve?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

https://www.taxi.com/my/artist/songs/mk ... in-the-pit

"ERROR" message when clicking on the link.

MJTthePHD wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 05, 2022 10:00 am

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

You need to post the proper link to your Taxi page ( instructions are around these parts somewhere ) or else just upload to SoundCloud

Also can you copy / paste the listings so we can listen to the ref tracks. I've had some placements with this sort of thing ( mostly in MTV's The Challenge ) so hopefully can provide some pointers.

Mark

Oh of course my first post ever has a broken link.
Thank you - I hope this works!
https://www.taxi.com/members/mjtaylor

and here's the full listing:

https://www.taxi.com/industry#listing-S220317CD

MJTthePHD wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 07, 2022 2:49 pm

Oh of course my first post ever has a broken link.
Thank you - I hope this works!
https://www.taxi.com/members/mjtaylor

and here's the full listing:

https://www.taxi.com/industry#listing-S220317CD

That works thanks - Unfortunately two the Youtube videos can't be viewed in my country ( Uk ) so I assume they are American only region locked.

I think I get the gist from the Survivor track though. So if I were the Screener would it make the cut based on what I've head ?

I'm afraid it's a " no " from me on that score ( pun intended ) for the following reasons :-

Lower quality sounding would be one box I would tick.

Not intense / Dramatic sounding ( has a slightly more uplifting adventure vibe )

MIx & production whilst not terrible wouldn't be ' Top Tier ' for me.

Specifically then....

The opening bars sound a bit stiff to me and quite midrange-y..there's nothing pinning the bass end down , you could use a low sound design type pad / drone to add some atmosphere and movement and I'd try to change that opening ostinato to something a bit more engaging and less rigid. I don't think it really sets the right tone.

I quite like the marching snare and the 2nd string figure adds a bit more interest but basically the whole intro seems to go around the same 2 bar loop and it's quite repetitive.

At 22s it almost feels like a different cue. We seem to have unrelated ideas and new patterns that aren't devloped from the intro so it sounds quite an abrupt gear change

By the time I get to 42s I feel like there's too many competing ideas going on . Usually in these sort of cues it's best to develop them by layering up the orchestra so we get sections doubling each other and not all playing different melodies.

The brass at 43s doesn't sound very realistic and jumps out of the mix too far and the drums don't seem to have cohesive rhythmic pattern , it all sounds a bit chaotic.

At 1:17 i think they are meant to be violins or violas but they sound very midi like

Over and above that I don't hear much sound design which can not only add interest and make it sound contemporary but help disguise the orchestral samples to some degree as in hybrid you can get away with layering synths and distortion etc with your orchestral samples.

I think a lot of the production issues stem from the orchestral parts not supporting each other and just going off and doing their own thing. Whilst there are no hard & fast rules if you want a cheat sheet for playing Orchestral parts in a DAW here are some notes I made from a Youtube video by someone who scores professionally.

Hope that helps. I would also recommend watching some of Alex Moukala's free Youtube tutorials - this is a great one to start with as it shows you how to use a piano sketch and then flesh it out with the orchestra

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUCGqY7R438

-------------------------------

Orchestral Cheat Sheet

Strings
Melody - played by large section of orchestra
1. First Violins (high)
2. 2nd Violins ( octave below )
3. Violas another octave lower

Bass Line
4. Cellos & Basses in Octaves - ( sometimes doubled with Basson )

Woodwinds
1. Piccolo plays same as 1st Violins
2. Flute one octoave lower
3. Doubled by Oboe
4. Sometimes doubled by clarinet
5. Another clarinet one octave below, sometime English Horn an Octave below

Brass
Filling in the space between basses & melody with chords ( horns and trombone )
Trumpets can double melody sometimes
** can sometimes use horns for soaring melody, usually doubled with Cello section or Violas or Bassoon or even Clarinet

Mark

Thanks, this is helpful!!