Hi guys,

I've been trying to improve my production skills a lot recently, particularly with mixing chiptune sounds and trying to make them sound crisp.
Here's the link: http://soundcloud.co...bowen/rainy-day
This is not strictly 8bit or chiptune or tracker music, it merely makes use of that aesthetic.

Any feedback on the song would be wonderful.
Thanks,

Calum

Overall, I enjoyed it. Some really cool chip sounds here. I also liked the panning elements you put in. I didn't care for the static noise build up to 1:07. I can appreciate what you were going for but I think there might be some cooler, more sonically pleasing ways to get there. Perhaps as the static swells increase the reverb output on it then let it hang over the pause?

The section from 1:40 to 2:00 started to really lose my interest, to be honest. The section after that is stronger and more interesting to me. Loved the ending! Perhaps it's just me but the tempo felt a tad bit slow. That or perhaps some lighter, percussive elements could be used to give it more energy? I like a groove but this track feels like it's missing something to me. I also felt the bass could be a bit more present in the mix. It seems to have little low end.

Those are just my thoughts! Thanks for sharing.

Nate

HI Nate,

Thanks for being so constructive - I totally agree about the noise sections which basically acted as glue for a lazy composer to stick two sections together.
The reverb idea is interesting - I will have to experiment with this. The panning accompaniment was something I was quite pleased with.
I am not so sure of my opinions on the tempo - I quite enjoyed it as a relaxed slow(ish) piece so perhaps if it feels a little energy-less adding some light percussion as you suggested may keep that energy up.

Thanks again for the great crits,

Calum

sounds nice mate, lovely melodies and nice fat sound

I'm not too sure about that snare though, not sure what you're using but I would see how it sounds pitched down a bit and maybe some bitcrushing would sound great with this style too I agree with Nate about it sounding a tad slow - it doesn't really but the lack of percussive elements give that impression. Chucking in some hi hats or even a cowbell here and there might do the trick - are you using anything special for your beats?

Like!

Great job None of the instruments stood out as sore.

Thoough, I wasn't sure about the transition into piano - it kind of killed the nostalgia.

@GroovyOne

Glad you like - the piano was a kind of panic strategy for an ending! I suppose for me it was never really a nostalgia track, just experimenting with simple waveforms in different contexts

Calum

@Markallsworth

I felt like there was a lot of life in the snare i used which replaces the white-noise snare before - i wasn't particularly trying to stay strictly within the chiptune style but i appreciate your feedback. I will think about experimenting with the snare as perhaps it'd be best to use something that's still hard-hitting but also pertains to the genre.

For my beats - it's just sequencing white noise and a few gameboy/nes soundfonts - the kit was from logic's ultrabeat - can't remember which one specifically.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone.