BitLich
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Track in question: https://soundcloud.com/bitlich/akaka

I feel like this track is fairly indicative of my current work and skill level, and I want to know if there are any glaring issues I should work on moving forward (and yes, I know the noise channel is a little obnoxious in this one). I'm planning on incorporating more melody, variety, and resources (FL Studio plugins, Glitch Machine, vocals) into my future tracks, but I feel like they get muddied down very quickly. Song structure and cohesion are my main concerns at the moment. It seems to me that I can create individual elements that sound great alone, but sometimes they don't actually mesh together as well as they do in my head! In the end, though, I just want people to enjoy my music. Let me know what you think, and thanks for your time!

Imaginary
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Whateverville, California

Yo dude! Sounds good so far. What you need to do at this point is just make a lot more music with LSDJ. Don't focus on adding additional sounds/post production at this point, work on getting a good handle on the inner workings of LSDJ first. It seems like you've got some solid musical ideas, just keep attempting to develop those into cohesive songs. If you're having trouble getting sounds to mesh well try fooling around with lots of different volume envelopes and using tables to change the widths on your pulse instruments or to throw some quick panning tricks into the mix. Panning is important, work the stereo field to give your tracks a sense of space and depth. There are plenty of really good tutorials here, on Noichan and on youtube. Check those out for instrument and technique ideas. More than anything just try to do some tracking every day. There's no better way to improve than simply investing large amounts of time into doing the damn thing. Make the music you want to hear. Keep it up and have fun!

BitLich
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You're totally right; I've really been neglecting panning as a tool for creating space in my tracks. I'm going to write that down so I don't forget it! I absolutely know there are no shortcuts for time, and I plan on putting more and more in as I settle into my new schedule because I love making music like nothing else. I may have promised to give a small performance in a month, though, which is why I'm seeking outside feedback now. I've always felt I do my best work with a little bit of pressure, so maybe that's not entirely a bad thing, even if I end up wishing my music was better through the whole set. I really appreciate the feedback, Imaginary!

urbster1
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Naptown

as it is, i think your pulse kicks sound more like toms, not that there is anything wrong with that but you might want to experiment with kick sounds a bit more. i would suggest looking into making kicks in the wav channel, as you can get some really realistic kick sounds out of it. i would also echo Imaginary's comments, look into using some tables to give your instrument sounds more expression too. otherwise keep up the great work!

BitLich
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Good point, urbster! I really do like making my percussion a bit more exotic and experimental, but I would probably be brushing off some good advice if I used that as an excuse. I will be sure to look into some tutorials for more realistic kicks, even if it's only to know how to break the rules a little better. Thank you! big_smile