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Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:33 pm
by dutcher
Edit: I re-mixed my hip hop instrumental and would like some feedback again. I spent a lot of time eq-ing and hopefully it paid off. Seems like I learn a new technique every day and have to go over the whole track again. But anyway here it is: http://soundcloud.com/sounds-of-solitud ... strumental

If you leave a review, post up something of yours and I'll review it.

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:19 pm
by simmerdown
the piano part (you wrote?) is pretty nice...overall i thinks there is room for another instrument, maybe in the higher register...

probably my own preference, but i think its a bit thin sounding, i want a beefier snare and kick, with some variation to that kick pattern at some point....adding a vocal could change everthing and make all this not matter, but as an instrumental it could use more...

just one opinion... lol

heres one of mine you can tear apart if you want

http://soundcloud.com/simmerdown-1/hot-afternoon-beat

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:41 pm
by dutcher
simmerdown wrote:the piano part (you wrote?) is pretty nice...overall i thinks there is room for another instrument, maybe in the higher register...

probably my own preference, but i think its a bit thin sounding, i want a beefier snare and kick, with some variation to that kick pattern at some point....adding a vocal could change everthing and make all this not matter, but as an instrumental it could use more...

just one opinion... lol

heres one of mine you can tear apart if you want

http://soundcloud.com/simmerdown-1/hot-afternoon-beat
I did write the piano part, thank you. I usually have a problem with my tracks being thin, it's something I'm working on. As for another high instrument, are you thinking like a synth maybe? I did add another kick during each measure of the chorus, maybe I should add another drum?

I would have liked to hear a bass line in your track, it doesn't sound like there's much going on down there. I almost feel like that sort of filtered snare might be a bit overpowering. It might grow on me, it's just not something I'm used to.

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:46 pm
by simmerdown
yeh the lowend is the weak part of mine for sure, i just relisted and i think ill rec some live bass on that....i ended up doing a version after that with a rapper named bonez, and just never went back in, thx for the listen and fb

on yours, being that the piano is so acoustic/organic sounding i would opt for a flute sample or some other 'real' instrument moreso than a synth on that one, maybe some subtle scratching could be good? idk...good stuff though, i dig it..

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:27 am
by mcmfswag
pretty good, only thing is you should work on making your samples sound a bit more unique as composition can be let down by using preset sounding samples


http://soundcloud.com/mc-mf-beats/new-wun-demo-1

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:35 pm
by dutcher
simmerdown wrote:yeh the lowend is the weak part of mine for sure, i just relisted and i think ill rec some live bass on that....i ended up doing a version after that with a rapper named bonez, and just never went back in, thx for the listen and fb

on yours, being that the piano is so acoustic/organic sounding i would opt for a flute sample or some other 'real' instrument moreso than a synth on that one, maybe some subtle scratching could be good? idk...good stuff though, i dig it..
Yeah some live bass would sound good. Thanks for your fb as well.

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:38 pm
by dutcher
mcmfswag wrote:pretty good, only thing is you should work on making your samples sound a bit more unique as composition can be let down by using preset sounding samples


http://soundcloud.com/mc-mf-beats/new-wun-demo-1
Could you elaborate on that please? The only sample I'm using is the cymbal, the rest of the percussion is the 606 kit I believe, albeit eq'd and whatnot.

The production on your track is pretty solid, I just wasn't really getting into it for whatever reason. I think you might have overused your vocal sample just a bit.

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2011 5:55 pm
by djteck
nice work. check out this track i was messing with http://soundcloud.com/westsidesound/the ... by-dj-teck

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 5:52 am
by dutcher
djteck wrote:nice work. check out this track i was messing with http://soundcloud.com/westsidesound/the ... by-dj-teck
Thanks. Your hi-hat is too loud man it's probably the loudest thing in your mix.

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 5:28 pm
by PolarBearAssault
The piano riff is dope. I would agree that your drums could be a little bigger, maybe as simple as upping the volume for them, or adding some EQ boosts. I think that if you have a well delivered rap over it it's gonna sound a lot more full but I don't really have much experience with hip hop production, just listening.

Let me know what you think of this, totally different genre so not sure if you're into it but its a progressive house song I'm working on and hoping to get signed eventually.

http://soundcloud.com/alec-mcgovern/animal-rhythms

Thanks

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 4:49 am
by dutcher
PolarBearAssault wrote:The piano riff is dope. I would agree that your drums could be a little bigger, maybe as simple as upping the volume for them, or adding some EQ boosts. I think that if you have a well delivered rap over it it's gonna sound a lot more full but I don't really have much experience with hip hop production, just listening.

Let me know what you think of this, totally different genre so not sure if you're into it but its a progressive house song I'm working on and hoping to get signed eventually.

http://soundcloud.com/alec-mcgovern/animal-rhythms

Thanks
Thanks, I've made another version with bigger drums and a bit more percussion but I'm not going to upload it in case my buddy decides to use it. I'm interested to see how it'll sound with a rap over it as well.

I'm not really into house music, but there are some things I noticed. I liked the synth melody you had near the end. The track though could use some more low end I feel like. I found myself waiting to feel some bass but it just wasn't happening. It sounds like most of your synths are in the mid to high range. Also, you just have straight kicks throughout instead of switching it up with a snare/clap on the 2 and 4 beats. I don't know what makes a good house track so I don't know if it's necessary to switch it up like that but it's just something I noticed.

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:03 pm
by dutcher
Bump, I added some stuff to my track and mixed it again.

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 5:34 am
by Sibanger
Hi, Your F# G# & A# (4) riff seem to jump out of the mix too much & the whole track lacks bottom end.
(To my ears anyway, esp for a hip hop track where Bass sorta rules )

The Bass line @ 1:28 stepping down is all out of key with the rest of whats going on...(might be your intention)

Cheers, Si

Just some honest feedback, but then, I don't write hip hop. :wink:

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:28 am
by dutcher
Sibanger wrote:Hi, Your F# G# & A# (4) riff seem to jump out of the mix too much & the whole track lacks bottom end.
(To my ears anyway, esp for a hip hop track where Bass sorta rules )

The Bass line @ 1:28 stepping down is all out of key with the rest of whats going on...(might be your intention)

Cheers, Si

Just some honest feedback, but then, I don't write hip hop. :wink:
Thanks for the feedback. I had a bigger low end but had to turn it down after I listened to the track in my car with a 10" sub, it was WAY too loud. Maybe I'll tone down the high end and throw a bone to the low end. I'll check on that bass line after I type this. Don't forget, if you leave a review I'll review something of yours.

Re: Review my hip hop instrumental and I'll review yours!

Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 7:01 am
by Sibanger
I don't have any hip hop instrumentals to review, but feel free- :wink:

http://forum.ableton.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=174181

(no need if ya don't want to)