Skylander - Drive-By (Demo)

Jetflag

Elite Member
Jul 17, 2020
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More than half a year has passed since I uploaded the last project here. This one is a lot more different from my usual stuff, but I still hope thag you'll like that.
any guesses where I have taken inspiration from?šŸ˜ƒ

The overall ideas are nice/promising, šŸ‘Œ

but the sounds (synths/ samples) you use need some real investing. They sound rather ā€œflatā€ and ā€œCasio keyboard ishā€ if you get my drift.

My advice would be to buy (or torrent šŸ˜) some good sample packs and .vst plugins.. there is actually some good free stuff out there if money is an issueā€¦ and replace. The Melodys/ themes youā€™ve written sound fine to me, itā€™s just the sounds playing them that I think need work.

in terms of the production itself I would advice

- donā€™t make your drums to busy (yes I know that is ironic coming from me :p )
Right now you have way too much cymbals going on and the snaredrum is very dominant. Instead try to find a fitting sample or loop, and use it sparse.. less is often more

- low end elements..in particular your kick/ bass relation (levels eq) it needs work imo

- donā€™t overdo the crashes

- fix your levels, some sounds are to loud in comparison where as others are to soft for their role.

And please donā€™t be discouraged, thereā€™s defo some potential in there and fixing/ repimping existing tracks is imo the fastest way to improve šŸ‘

my 2 cents
 

Progrez

Elite Member
Jun 17, 2022
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It does sound flat but the intro kinda reminded me of cass & slide - perception. Those hi hats don't sound right to me they need some work I think. The pads need a bit of work to truly add some emotions in the track. That piano lead needs some work I think.
 

Skylander

Member
Jan 11, 2022
122 Posts
83 Thanked
Age
21
Kazan, Russia
It does sound flat but the intro kinda reminded me of cass & slide - perception. Those hi hats don't sound right to me they need some work I think. The pads need a bit of work to truly add some emotions in the track. That piano lead needs some work I think.
There's no pianošŸ™‚
 

Progrez

Elite Member
Jun 17, 2022
1,757 Posts
830 Thanked
There's no pianošŸ™‚
What's that bit at 3:42? It sounds like it's similar sound to Love Simulation. You have it playing again at around 6:52 as well in the background.

It does get better at the track progresses. Sounds better than anything Armin has produced in the past 15 years.
 
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Skylander

Member
Jan 11, 2022
122 Posts
83 Thanked
Age
21
Kazan, Russia
What's that bit at 3:42? It sounds like it's similar sound to Love Simulation. You have it playing again at around 6:52 as well in the background.

It does get better at the track progresses. Sounds better than anything Armin has produced in the past 15 years.
You mishear sth. There's nothing that resembles piano anyhow)
 
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Bobby Summa

Senior Member
Sep 7, 2022
933 Posts
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47
Brighton UK
Website
soundcloud.app.goo.gl
Proper Journeyā€™s! šŸ«¶šŸ‘šŸ«¶šŸ‘

Great music in this track!

I used to listen to a track I think called, ā€˜With a medium into Tranceā€™ - some of this reminds me of it. Canā€™t recall who it was by but Iā€™ve a feeling Pete Namlook was involved on it. He was quite the ā€˜geniusā€™.

edit:
Just found itā€¦. Hearts of Space, - With a medium into Trance.
, Pascal Dardofous & Pete Namlook.
1993. One of the first trance tracks ever. Acid trance .
1993, such a year āœŒļø
 
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Jetflag

Elite Member
Jul 17, 2020
2,779 Posts
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O

OK, mr. Right, what vsts should I use to make track less "flat" and more Tiesto-like?šŸ™‚
Tiƫsto (I presume you mean the old Tiƫsto ;) ) and his production team where known to employ the Access Virus C synth a lot.

I would recommend looking and trying out several vst emulators/ synths based on that template. :)

alternatively, you can employ a technique called synth layering. Here you duplicate the midi track of a particular sound you want to make standout/more fat and play them simultaneously with two (the same or different) synths, and then tweaking accordingly.
 
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Skylander

Member
Jan 11, 2022
122 Posts
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Age
21
Kazan, Russia
Tiƫsto (I presume you mean the old Tiƫsto ;) ) and his production team where known to employ the Access Virus C synth a lot.

I would recommend looking and trying out several vst emulators/ synths based on that template. :)
I know one template but, unfortunately, my PC is a granny
 
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Jetflag

Elite Member
Jul 17, 2020
2,779 Posts
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I know one template but, unfortunately, my PC is a granny
A way around that (can relate, Iā€™m on laptop atm) is to record elements you think are ready to wav. And then saving the file with the vst/tweaks separately before deleting them in your main project to save CPU

Itā€™s what all the old school guys (chicane, atb, fsol) basically did back in the day
 
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Skylander

Member
Jan 11, 2022
122 Posts
83 Thanked
Age
21
Kazan, Russia
Tiƫsto (I presume you mean the old Tiƫsto ;) ) and his production team where known to employ the Access Virus C synth a lot.
I mean old school Tiesto + his ghost producers who have made hits for him. Maybe, you know some emulators that don't each much of CPU capacity