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Feedback please on this Aggressive Hybrid Instrumental, Compromised

The listing is:

AGGRESSIVE HYBRID SOUND-DESIGN TRAILER-Style INSTRUMENTALS are needed by an EXCLUSIVE, LA-based Music Licensing Company that specializes in music for Movie Trailers, TV, Films, and Video Games.

This Company is looking for Instrumentals in the general ballpark of the following references we got directly from them:

Nobody Trailer: https://youtu.be/n8j6P8QtAYw

Wrath of Man Trailer: https://youtu.be/wo1kO8m2Nik

Although one of the references has vocals, please submit Instrumentals only for this request.

Quoting the Company: "Themes should be powerful and full of swagger, attitude, and bad*ss style. Your pieces should be very percussive and rhythm heavy, and should not get too dark. Your pieces can include signature sounds like alarms, screams, clicks, beeps, stabs, braams, and gun foley, as well as synths."

Please submit well-produced Hybrid Trailer-style Instrumentals that feature Sound Design elements as their primary instrumentation. Impactful sound design arrangements that are generally similar to the references and incorporate the elements outlines above will suit your submissions best. Your submissions should have high-quality virtual sounds and samples, polished production, and a 3 "act" trailer structure that builds in momentum, dynamics, and intensity to a climactic ending. If you have tracks that are aggressive and could work for action trailers, this company wants to hear them!

TAXI Tip: Don't be afraid to layer up your instrumentation and sound design elements to get that epic, blockbuster sound and feel!

Submissions should be about 90 seconds to 3 minutes long, give or take. Non-faded, buttoned/stinger endings will work best for this pitch. Do NOT copy the referenced music in any way, shape, or form. Use it only as a general guide for tempo, texture, tone, and overall vibe. Broadcast Quality is needed.

Thanks,
Tim

Hi Timothy, I thought I'd give you some feedback on the Mix specifically.

You might want to check your compression settings when you master, the cue sounds good to me however it sounds a little over compressed and the waveform looks a little flattened... I think the technical Mastering term is a 'sausage'!

It might not have any bearing on the screening, but perhaps you could review your process and make sure you're leaving some headroom...

JimDiGritz wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 15, 2022 9:51 am

Hi Timothy, I thought I'd give you some feedback on the Mix specifically.

You might want to check your compression settings when you master, the cue sounds good to me however it sounds a little over compressed and the waveform looks a little flattened... I think the technical Mastering term is a 'sausage'!

It might not have any bearing on the screening, but perhaps you could review your process and make sure you're leaving some headroom...

Thanks.

Hi Tim,
Great piece, I like the flow and the way it builds.
Based on this from the listing "Your pieces should be very percussive and rhythm heavy" and what I get from the ref tracks, I was kind of expecting by the third act for the 4-note 'cantus firmus' figure to be replaced by a lot of percussion. Maybe tympani could play the theme a little farther into the background? JM2C

Hey Timothy, I have a couple of major issues with the track

Firstly as alluded to by Jimi it sounds like any life has been squeezed out of the track to the point where it sounds really small and weedy. I don't know what you have to make it sound this way but it might be an idea to take off any compression or limiting on your master bus and compare.

My second major issue is it's just very very repetitive, I don't really feel any sense of build or anticipation. I just feel like i'm on a treadmill.

Mark

cosmicdolphin wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 16, 2022 6:52 am

Hey Timothy, I have a couple of major issues with the track

Firstly as alluded to by Jimi it sounds like any life has been squeezed out of the track to the point where it sounds really small and weedy. I don't know what you have to make it sound this way but it might be an idea to take off any compression or limiting on your master bus and compare.

My second major issue is it's just very very repetitive, I don't really feel any sense of build or anticipation. I just feel like i'm on a treadmill.

Mark

Thanks for the feedback Mark.

AlanHall wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 15, 2022 5:59 pm

Hi Tim,
Great piece, I like the flow and the way it builds.
Based on this from the listing "Your pieces should be very percussive and rhythm heavy" and what I get from the ref tracks, I was kind of expecting by the third act for the 4-note 'cantus firmus' figure to be replaced by a lot of percussion. Maybe tympani could play the theme a little farther into the background? JM2C

Thanks, Alan. I appreciate the feedback.