Don't Sleep On It

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Don't Sleep On It

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Author Comments

This piece was a really fun one to make, mainly because of the amount of time I put into fine-tuning loads of MIDI stuff.

First off, the swelling in the beginning of the song was probably the trickiest part of the entire piece. I honestly didn't think it would take as long as it did, but balancing the levels between all the layering instruments took a good amount of time. In the end, I think it all worked out pretty well!

Second, the drums. Oh boy, did I have fun with those things. This was the part that I saw as THE challenge. I wanted that drum solo to sound as authentic as possible. The main thing I messed around with was the velocity of pretty much EVERY midi note. It was tedious for sure, but I think it paid off in the end! Btw, for those who are wondering, the song, up to the last big fortissimo moment at 1:55, consisted of a 4 measure phrase with the first 2 measures in 7/4 and last 2 in 4/4. I REALLY like odd time signatures and syncopation XD

Lastly, the ending was definitely the least worked on. I wish I had more time to adjust some levels and even add some variation in some layering parts (I might just reupload a better version...might be longer too). I think it sounded alright even though it was kinda rushed together, but idk, the perfectionist in me is scolding rn :'(

All in all, it was a really fun piece to work on! I learned some interesting ways to be more efficient towards some tedious tasks, and I feel like I'm getting better at working under pressure as well. This piece was basically a really good learning experience and I can't wait to apply what I've learned to future tracks!

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Onefin

2019-10-07 08:59:58

Good luck in the next round ;) judging by the quality of this this is gonna be tough haha

heck 1:55 is so effective

TaintedLogic

2019-09-17 18:26:51

I like the dreamy quality at the beginning and the instrumentation. There’s a distinct emotional quality in the texture, and I really like the string swells (like at :38). The piece is a little slow to progress, and I was a little thrown off when the texture thins out so suddenly at 1:06. The crisp drums and string harmonies are nice, though, and the production quality here is really sharp overall. I would’ve liked to hear a more dynamic composition here, though. The texture falls together nicely at 1:58, but I think you could’ve done a lot more to give the middle section (1:06-1:57) a more distinct sense of direction. The dreamy mood, sound design, and progression of the piece are all really nice, but I think you needed to do more to hit this piece home. Still, solid work for such a short piece. Keep at it, vocaloutburst! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

Jumbs

2019-09-09 21:37:17

I like the lush strings. The drums do a really great job of breaking up the calm stuff too. Its almost like a Drum concerto! Beautiful composition!

vocaloutburst responds:

Thanks! Never thought about it being a sort of "drum concerto" but I love that!

tricks33

2019-09-09 03:27:00

Wonderful feels all around. I really love the use of strings too. Great work!

LunacyEcho

2019-09-09 02:01:02

1:06 is a funny buildup haha

And very interesting rhythmic choices for the drums!!! are you a drummer by any chance?

Very interested in the inspirations behind this track! It's quite unique, great job :D

vocaloutburst responds:

I'm actually not much of a drummer, I do wish I had the time to get good at it tho. I programmed the drums and coming up with that whole drum solo was a pretty fun challenge! My goal was to try to make it sound busy and complex but also authentic. One thing I always kept in mind was the fact that some drummers might listen to it and I didn't want them to think that the solo didn't make sense and was obviously programmed. Sometimes I'd air drum some parts to make sure that a 3rd arm wasn't needed and it really helped, even if I did look stupid doing it XD! Also, I take in inspirations from all over but I guess the biggest for this track, in particular, was probably neo-classical composer Ólafur Arnalds. His compositions have greatly influenced me recently and I highly suggest checking them out whenever you get the chance!