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After taking a short break following the loss of my Dad, I've rejoined Taxi with a renewed commitment. "Whispered Promise" is my initial attempt at writing an Atmospheric Piano Instrumental.

https://soundcloud.com/user-155785959/w ... al_sharing

Let me know your thoughts. It was written for the following listing:

RELAXING, ATMOSPHERIC PIANO INSTRUMENTAL CUES are needed by a globally distributed Music Licensing Company that's represented in over 75 countries and has a lot of success landing TONS of Major Network placements every year!

This Company searching for relaxing Instrumental Cues that could be heard on a playlist with the following references we got directly from them:

"Our Journey" by Peder B. Helland

"Fracture" by Stephan Moccio

"Always" by Peder B. Helland

Please submit well-composed Piano Instrumental Cues with an overall peaceful, relaxing, and emotionally uplifting vibe and sound. Your submissions should have inspiring motifs, top-notch performances, and compelling arrangements that create a sense of dynamics, forward motion, and interest. Piano instrumentation (with some atmosphere) will work best for this request. Please be sure any virtual instruments or sounds you may choose to use are high-quality and not dated-sounding.

Your submissions should be about 90 seconds to 2 minutes long, give or take. Non-faded, buttoned/stinger endings will work best. Do NOT copy the referenced material in any way, shape, or form. Use it only as a general guide for tempo, tone, and overall vibe. Do NOT submit any material with unauthorized samples of any other artists’ music, sounds, or any other form of media. Broadcast Quality is needed.

This Company offers an EXCLUSIVE deal, so the material you submit for this request CANNOT be signed with other publishers or catalogs. Sync fees will be split 50/50. The Publisher will get 100% of the Publisher’s share, and you’ll keep 100% of the Writer’s share. You must own or control your Master and Copyright to pitch for this opportunity. Please submit as many Instrumental Cues as you’d like, online or per CD. All submissions will be screened and critiqued by TAXI. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM (PST) on Monday, February 6th, 2023. TAXI # S230206PX

Lamar,
Change out whatever it is you are using for the atmospheric effect for something with less sustain. Things are running together too much. Allow the cello to be heard more and think in terms of being more "intimate" and less ethereal. It's generally too loose, IMO. Love the title. (Make the piece sound more like a whisper and less like an echo.) I hope what I've said can be of some value. Best! John

johndalenow wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:29 pm

Lamar,
Change out whatever it is you are using for the atmospheric effect for something with less sustain. Things are running together too much. Allow the cello to be heard more and think in terms of being more "intimate" and less ethereal. It's generally too loose, IMO. Love the title. (Make the piece sound more like a whisper and less like an echo.) I hope what I've said can be of some value. Best! John

Thanks for listening and writing, John. I will make those changes. I've enjoyed listening to your material.

Yes, definitely get rid of that ambience noise, it sounds like you are on an airplane that is taxiing on the runway. You can get the right ambience just with the proper reverb.

Paulie wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 03, 2023 9:04 am

Yes, definitely get rid of that ambience noise, it sounds like you are on an airplane that is taxiing on the runway. You can get the right ambience just with the proper reverb.

Thanks, Paulie! I enjoyed your interview. Have shared it with friends that are no longer Taxi members.

Here is "Whispering Promise" remixed based on forum suggestions. Is it better or simply different? Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you in advance.
https://soundcloud.com/user-155785959/w ... al_sharing

Hey Lamar, so sorry for your loss.
I really liked your piece, the melody is really touching.
I have few points I'd like to highlight:.
. From a listing perspective, all the references are solo pianos. You might want to take that into consideration maybe? I don't know, but all 3 references are piano only
. From a production perspective, there are a couple of clicks here and there. You might want to pay a closer attention to your edits maybe? (0:31, 0:37, 0:45..)

My advice if you're planning on changing that to fit the listing more would be to drop the harp and replace it with your piano left hand. The cello should be also dropped. You could eventually add few transition notes to the left hand, but keep the main melody on the right hand.
Another trick is to try to humanize the piano a little bit more: depending on your DAW, you could play a bit with the note position, and randomize the velocity a bit more. Don't be afraid of trying the piano you have a low velocities, you might getter a warmer tone.
Also, if that's the only piano sound you have, I'd try to filter the high frequencies with a gentle LPF of a 6dB/curve but pushed down, so to "kill" the brilliance of the virtual instrument.
Add a reverb on a bus, and make sure to set some pre-delay on it (alternatively set a delay before your reverb plugin on the bus), and send some of the piano to that reverb. Eq the reverb afterwards to taste (HPF or HPF)
Aim for a warm, close and intimate sound.. a whispered promise as you put it

Hope that helps, and good luck with that one

By the way, I'm using the Arturia Piano library.

Edmond, thank you for your condolences. It was very kind of you. Thanks for outlining the problems and possible solutions.
I'll try cutting it as a solo piano piece and go from there.

Hey Lamar!
Definitely listen to the Reverbs on the ref tracks...
That's where the "atmospheric" genre has it's roots
Cheers