Critic if you have time

[Stein_Thor]

Hello all

Been probably two years since I posted anything here for critics !!!

so if you have time I would really like to hear what you think, if this music is up to standards? If you think it´s ok and know of any libraries that use this kind of music I would be really glad if you could private msg me some names.

I would also like to hear what can be done better. I can handle it 🙂

Thanks
Stein

https://soundcloud.com/steinithor/sets/critic-list/s-rB9mW

[BEATSLINGER]

Thanks for sharing Stein. I am not sure what to say.. Technically they are fine. I would say though the mixes lack that “Bottom End, and warmth “thing” that shakes a theater””..

No offense, but I am looking forward to someone “Really breaking this movie/film trailer music thing wide open with a brand new sound!” Currently it seems to be a bit “too uniform/cookie-cutter” for my tastes..

I would say this to everyone.. Get out to the Conferences, Seminars, and Conventions to meet the people. The current impersonal way of sending material/links by email, really only works if you are doing “Something Earth-shatteringly different”.. Meet people, build a rapport, and see what your peers are up to!

[Stein_Thor]

Thank you,
I´m actually not hoping to be the next big thing but only get on pair with what is being used. Being a classical musician and since I don´t listen to any “new” music I might be quite outdated, and more so since usually in this business you seem to get requests for your music to sound like this and that.

Therefore I tend to follow now that sounds like this and that unfortunately.

Also being in Iceland I don´t jump in a car and go anywhere :), there is nothing going on here with conferences etc, etc, need to go to the US probably for that.

But thanks for the help, apreciate it.

[BEATSLINGER]

Good morning Stein. Being that you are a classically trained musician; I would say “Do the music that is really in your heart!! Don’t worry about what you think will work, or what they are looking for. Do the music that is really inside of YOU!!”

Good music is NEVER outdated!

Just felt like you were playing WAY too safe..

[Abby]

just my two cents.. I think Beatslinger has great advice, I’m a classically trained musician like you, and it is hard to ‘get out of the box’… and obviously the networking is going to be difficult with your location, but I would like to share one thing I have found helpful.

Recently I’ve been going to the websites of what are considered by most here to be the ‘high-end’, ‘top’, ‘hard to get into’ libraries like Megatrax and listening to the tracks that are in the same genre of what I think are similar to what I write in. Comparing myself to these composers not only humbling and inspiring, but I can hear how their tracks are DIFFERENT from what you normally find. Odd meters, unexpected harmonies, etc. So far it’s been really helping me…

[Stein_Thor]

Thank you Abby

I´ve tried to do that, and will keep at it.

I have usually got the complains that my music was too complicated etc, too much melodic material, etc, so maybe I need to take a step back again.

[Stein_Thor]

And beatslinger, thank you too, maybe it´s true that I´m imitating too much,,, just trying to get a lot of material out there. I´m not trying for high end at the moment, just to get things rolling. I´m hearing a lot of crap being used and I guess thats the market I´m trying for at the moment.

[LAwriter]

And beatslinger, thank you too, maybe it´s true that I´m imitating too much,,, just trying to get a lot of material out there. I´m not trying for high end at the moment, just to get things rolling. I´m hearing a lot of crap being used and I guess thats the market I´m trying for at the moment.

hi Stein –

Some thoughts. I would NEVER tell anyone to aim towards marketing into the “crap that’s being used” market. That’s a losing strategy before you ever write a note. You need to be the best you can be.

Some thoughts on your music since you asked :

– you need better sounds. The sounds you are using sound dated. You’re competing against real orchestras and the best sample libraries out there. Anything less sounds fake and amaturish.

– you need to work on your orchestration techniques. These sound like unfinished sketches to me. I hear none of the normal contrapuntal orchestra techniques being used that I am used to hearing in great music / recordings. Again, it sounds unfinished and/or amaturish. I want to hear more textural complexity. Orchestra music can sometimes sound deceptively simple, but if you study the contrapuntal lines, the doublings, the counter rhythms, etc. you will find even the simplest of pieces belie their complex underpinnings.

– On the bright side, I didn’t immediately think “imitative” when I heard your music like I often do with people who don’t really have any unique ideas of their own. I think the music itself is pretty strong, but it could definitely be made better.

– you need better production technique and mixing skills IMO. The midi programming leaves something to be desired in the imitation of real instruments. The mixing needs to be top notch to compete in a market that is getting better every month.

good luck!

-=LAWriter=-

PS – FYI,I think the word you were looking for is “critique” not “critic”.

[Stein_Thor]

Thank you… I needed to hear that,,,

I´m actually using ok libraries, not dated, so I must be using them wrong. And thats a tough pill to swallow after a few years of training in using these things.

Think it´s time I take a step back, too much time going into this and money, will concentrate on other projects 🙂 and leave the library business.

thank you for pulling me back to reality my friend

Stein

[LAwriter]

Think it´s time I take a step back, too much time going into this and money, will concentrate on other projects ? and leave the library business.

thank you for pulling me back to reality my friend

Oh dear!!! That was not my intent. I think your music has potential, but I think it needs work to be all that it can be. I suppose if that turns you off, maybe you should do something else, but IMO, nothing great ever comes easy. I would encourage you to keep at it. Maybe have someone else mix your music or ??? Best of luck with whatever course you take.

-=LAWriter=-

[BEATSLINGER]

Think it´s time I take a step back, too much time going into this and money, will concentrate on other projects ? and leave the library business.

thank you for pulling me back to reality my friend

LAWriter, I feel you gave a lot of truth!

Stein, I feel that maybe a step back, to re-think, and “calmly re-group”; will bring you to where you need to be!
One of the greatest joys about being in the production music side of the business is “I can go anywhere my mind takes me! My creativity is not stifled by having to fit into a category, or a really tiny box”.

Sounds to me Stein, like you want this a little too bad. Bad enough to compromise your product, and your capabilities.

Really put together a “Strong set of compositions that really reflect your capabilities”. Put them on a Site (Like your own website, Soundcloud, reverberation, etc) THEN, do your research here, and “check each and every review, and entry of Feedback that is given to the Libraries here on MLR”

Trust me, it’s not the amount of tracks. I did over 900 placements in 2016, and over 700 in 2017 using about “120 compositions total”..

[Paolo]

Hi Stein – there’s a lot of excellent, in-depth advice already from Abby, BEATSLINGER and LAwriter. And the dialog got me thinking..why not produce recordings that mostly feature the instrument you play — putting that front and center?

Piano player? Make that front and center. Then as you add to your production, keep it stream-lined; think “minimalist” or maybe view it as if creating an underscore version of a main/ bigger version.

If you record and mix only four instrument tracks at first, then gradually build-up your track count as you continue to produce and nail-down your mixes.

So at least along the way, you’ll have finished tracks you can submit.

Hope that helps or sparks other helpful ideas.

[Mark_Petrie]

I actually really liked the demos, and thought the samples weren’t that bad at all. What’s happening, to my ear, is you’re writing music more like a mock up – like how it should be written for live players, not for the samples to sound their best.

The mix isn’t too bad either, lots of nice low end, and the drums particularly are nice and full.

Now if we’re comparing these demos to the expectations of trailer music, then yes there’s a long way to go – particularly in emotional arc. But if this is designed for TV, like reality shows and history documentaries, it’s not far off the mark.

I’d suggest just looking for ways to inject more intensity, gravitas, emotion into the tracks.

This starts with the all important climactic ending, the most valued part of any piece of production music, especially orchestral tracks. Structure your whole piece around hitting the highest level of intensity right at the end, building up as you go. Some productions (news themes etc) need to be at a more of a steady level of intensity, but the biggest devourer (probably not a word) of production music is reality TV, and they LOVE / require a build up to a solid ending.

And don’t take a big step back! Iceland is more than ok. The library music business has opened up to anyone with a fast internet connection and basic ability to find things on the web. Pretty much all the information you need is on YouTube. Immerse yourself in the sound of modern film music and trailer music. It’s important to know what is expected today, but again, you’re not far off at all.

[Stein_Thor]

Thank you all for your comments, I really appreciate you taking the time.

I actually work as a professional musician in Iceland, make a fine salary playing organ and directing choirs, even get grants to write more complicated stuff. However I really like doing this type of music and even though a step back is needed I kind of think I could do this kind of work, although I need to find a US library that uses this kind of music.

[Stein_Thor]

The pieces I posted were all made in the last few days, except the piano and olympic one, done about 25 in three weeks. They are all aimed at underscore stuff for libraries and therefore I´ve always gotten the impression that they need to be simple up to a point. The library I´ve done about 40 exclusive tracks last year for always gives a certain structure I need to follow and reference tracks.

All this has had effect probably on this underscore writing. I know quality is key, but by reading posts and hearing music that is being used, I tend to think also that quantity plays a role.

Again, although a step back might be needed, I always come back to the point that I love doing this type of music but to be able to concentrate more on it I need to see some income that goes beyond 200 – 300 dollars a year from PRO 😉 . But another thing I´ve learnt here on this wonderful site is that this is something that takes time, tunesat refresh is just pulling down the morale a bit.

I post here another piece, from one year ago or so, that is more musically complicated, at least I hope so LaWriter 😉

Thank you all again, your comments are really helpful guys.

Stein

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