Well, I decided not to wait and get new instruments before posting this. I ended up uploading what I have so far (I'm very impatient when it comes to things like that). This is supposed to be a recurring theme song throughout an RPG trilogy that a friend and I are concieving. Hope.mp3 (Warning: the piano at the beginning is deceptively quiet: I don't recommend cranking your speakers up... it gets louder) Also, here is my artist's site with any other songs I have made. If you find some time, I'd love your opinions on these songs as well. Most were made over a year ago, so keep that in mind before I get torn apart if they make your ears bleed. Citruc Nairb's Music Site (It's my first and middle name backwards, before you ask... Brian Curtis == Citruc Nairb). Lastly, as I have grown in musical maturity and experience with FL Studio, I'd like to remake one of my older songs that are posted on this site ("Transcend" and "Hope" excluded). I'd like some suggestions as to which song sounds like it has a lot of potential, however. Since I feel pretty meutral towards them all, I'll try to remake the one that most people would LIKE to hear remade from scratch. Thank so very much for opinions, comments, and suggestions in advance!!! -Brian (EDIT: I'm sorry, I posted the wrong link for Hope. That was a different song. The link now points to the proper song.) [Edited by - BTownTKD on March 26, 2006 11:59:51 AM]

It's a pretty good effort at an RPG-sounding track. I definitely feel the emotion in it, and I like the orchestral swell feeling it has. It also has a very distinct mood and tone. That said, there IS a major issue with this track, and that's in the mixdown and mastering (which is a tough thing to get down properly.) Towards the end, there's some very minor clipping on your string pad (it's a very subtle staticy buzz in the high-end, especially towards the end.) While it's not THAT big a deal, in an orchestral piece it can kill the mood as orchestral pieces should be pretty clear. The other -major- issue is that the drums feel -really- out of place (and volume-wise they're a bit out of wack.) You might want to add some more effects on them, but more likely you might want to use an orchestral percussion kit instead of a live drums kit as the samples you used just sound really out of place in this track (it also just occured me that it may just be how dull the drums sound... perhaps some brighter drums with more high-end? In this event it's not your fault, but the fault of Image-Line for providing samples that are not quite up to snuff.) Otherwise, just tweak your levels and add some EQ to the various parts until everything falls into place.

Good job!

As for songs to be redone, Aero particularly catches my fancy. See if you can get a friend to play live guitar for you or maybe hook up with an artist online?

Hope was good except for the drums. They get quite and seem off at the end of the loop.

It's freaky, we have the same first and middle names. And I agree on the drums. They would seem better off to me with a timpani and snare with plenty of good ol' reverb. Apart from that it sounds cool. I'd like to hear more of the piece though. It wants to develop in other key areas.

The song sounded like a collection of themes from different movies. To me it felt like Lord of the Rings meets Titanic meets the Goonies. Tone down the drums and it's all good.

Thanks for the comments so far, guys. I too have had my eye on Aero's theme. I think that since I don't know anybody that can play the guitar very well (and also since I don't have recording equipment) that I may try to get a copy of the slayer2 plugin for FL Studio. I downloaded the demo and was very impressed.

I'm also in the process of toning down the drums, and maybe extending the song. The biggest problem I have is that I lose interest in my songs VERY quickly... one good reason why almost none of my songs go past 1:30 in length, lol (another reason is that I get one tune in my head, compose it, and then can't invent another tune to continue the song with).

Keep those comments coming, if you wouldn't mind. I love to hear people's opinions. Before I started posting on here, all I had for opinions were over-complimentary friends and family.

Dude, we ALL know what you're talking about with the song that goes to 1:30 and you start waning interest shortly thereafter. Don't force it out, it will sound...er...forced. Your enthusiasm for a piece shows clearer than anything in a song.

Music, I always feel is Emotions Vs Logic. Trying to keep the two balanced.

I'll try not to say anything as trite or fruity again in this post. Give it some time and wait for the balance to reappear! That's what inspiration is, I believe; when emotion and logic balances out for even just a split second.

Someone should stop me now.

Enjoy your hair!

My... hair?

It's a quote from a funny dead guy.

Put in another chord progression and definately redo your drums, the velocity is all wrong. The piano stuff is alright but lends its self to a very simplistic layering of riffs/melodies with the same chord progresion each time. There is no real change in the song besides this layering of "sounds". Overall, the thought of the song is never finished... just started, repeated, repeated and then repeated. Make a song that tells a story.