ValveDriver

(1 of 2): Neo, what's happnin, brother? When I saw that you had a new track on the wall, I could hardly wait until I got home to give it a proper listen. You sir, did not disappoint!
I'm not familiar with the show. I'll have to watch it to see the connection. We just finished up season two of "From". Trippy-##### show. I like the idea of making a track based on a show.
Serum is a beast! It's about the only one I use now. Did you use it for the sub, or for the sequencer at 0:28? Or, both?

The intro zigged, then the song zagged! Overall, it almost has a feeling of flight to it. I can definitely hear your brand of latin based sound in this. It does have a nice touch of Santana in there. Santana and Satriani. It's like Satriani cut a track on Santana's rig. As always, the mix is flawless. Everything is crystal. With the multiple guitar tracks, none get in the way of the others. It's perfectly filled. There are a lot of notes being played, and none of them crowd the place up. Well done.

(2 of 2) It's funny that I was the one that inspired you to jump back into your music, because after seeing all of your art work, it's inspired me to pick up the pencil (digital and "analogue"). I've been in an artistic slump for quite a while. Seeing the cool pieces you do really gives me the want to put in some quality time on a new piece of my own.
As far as music goes, I have a hefty metal tune that I'm stuck on as far as leads go. That's never been my forte, and honestly, I've been thinking about asking you if you could take a listen and see if you can come up with something fitting. Ever since "No Salvation", I've always wanted to collab on something. I just never really had anything that I felt was up to your caliber. This one just might get at least one toe over the line into that territory. Maybe. Let me know if you'd be interested.
Anyhow, it's so great to see you back with new material. I hope there are many more to come.
Take care, my friend!
Aaron

The quality of this mix is top notch. Very clean and crystal clear.
Which reverb plugin are you using on her voice? That tail is silky smooth and warm. I like the way you played with the pitch as well.
Excellent work.

Take care.
V.

I've heard two classical pieces in the featured list in just the last week or so. This one, and a piece by Debussy that Doudei performed. In the almost 13 years that I've been on looperman, that's the most classical music I've seen pop up. I welcome it. Personally, I'm hoping to see more. More classical, and more Heavy Metal. Kind of widen the horizons back up around here like it used to be years ago.
Anyhow, this is a nice little piece. I was hoping to hear some cello or bass come in with some sostenuto to contrast and compliment the viola's staccato. Even without it, it's still an enjoyable piece.
If you still have this FLP, do you plan of working on it some more? If so, I'd love to hear what you come up with. Also, which VST are you using for your strings?

Take care.
V.

It's good, man. It's good. A lot of feeling in here. It's definitely got a dark edge to it, that's for sure. I like that. The production was done very well.
The intro really sets the mood. There are a lot of Trip Hop elements in here as well as Hip Hop. That sub is a killer. It commands respect.

Great track, Dime. Keep it up.
Take care.
Aaron.

Honestly, I don't really think this needs any work at all, dude. I think it sounds great just as it is. However, since you were looking to do a bit of a Heavy Metal crossover, I may be able to help with that. Let me play around with it, and see what happens. I'll post an updated metal mix when I get it done. Or, would you prefer to check it out before I release it into the wild?

Overall, I really like your style. It's kind of stand-alone, (which is good), but still has traces of some great artists in there. Just in this song, I hear Joe Strummer, Soul Coughing, Eminem, Puscifer, and just a micro-dose of Tom Waits. You really have a great command over your voice, and know how to use it well.
Anyhow, for the time being, I'll get to work on adding some metal elements to this one, and see if it's anything you like.
Take care, Mr. Banana.
Aaron (The more metal one)

The intro does a good job of setting the overall tone. I really like the female hum. Overall, it has a middle eastern vibe, and it's very cinematic.
It reminds me of some old Flux Pavilion. Actually, the whole track has a Datsik/Flux Pavilion vibe. The cinematic elements even kind of remind me of Excision.
One thing I could never get the hang of when creating dubstep was the arrangement. The ability to place multiple synths in one phrase and have it come out sounding organic. You've done a nice job with that.
I like the fact that your drops aren't "kick you in the teeth"drops. I mean, I do like those, but for this track, they aren't necessary. Your restraint is impressive.
The mix is done nicely as well. It's spacious, clear, the stereo and panning are done well. Nothing is crowding anything. Actually, from 3:32 to 4:00 is a perfect example of how spacing and panning should be done in this genre.
Good work. Keep it up.
Take care.
V.

I appreciate this for more than the obvious. The obvious being that you have played it beautifully. I'm not a pianist by any sense of the word, nor am I as familiar with Debussy as I am with others, so I can't give any feedback on technicality, but in my ears, it was done flawlessly.
The reason I appreciate this aside from your playing ability is because I have been submerged under the weight of Metal (and most of it's subgenres) for almost 40 years. Generally, I thrive on the brutal and aggressive nature of Metal. However, whenever classical manages to find it's way through the clouds of rust, and razor sharp edges, it reminds me to come up for air. It reminds me that it's okay to put my guard down for a minute and just relax.
Another reason I appreciate this is because Looperman is severely lacking in Classical music. It would be nice to see more here. Thank you for sharing.

Take care.
V.

Do you remember the "Mind's Eye" series of movies? They started somewhere around '90. A bunch of CGI art films set to music. I think there were three or four of them. Anyhow, this sounds like it could have been made for one of the vignettes. it's kind of cinematic, kind of atmospheric. Not a whole lot of that signature, cleverly disguised dark underbelly in this one. You feelin' alright, man? lol
I think it's funny how many people here have commented on the percussion. It's like, "..uhhh, have you never listened to Crucethus before? There's always killer percs, man." I mean, they're not wrong, though.
Fall is my favorite season as well. At least the last half of it. After the days get short and the weather gets cold.
Anyhow brother, I dig it. It does have a good energy to it. I think fun and funky is a perfect description.
Take care, bud.
Aaron

I think you're on the right track. One trick to try: while you're putting your track together, keep all of your different instruments mixer tracks levels at around -3db to -6db in your mixer. Adjust them so that they all sound about even as far as volume goes. Once you finish your track, then you can put an EQ and a Limiter, and a few other plugins on your master track, and then you can bring the master volume up to just under 0db. If you set your limiter to -0.1 db, then you should have a nice loud sound, but it's below the clipping point, and you won't get that unwanted distortion.
There's a lot more to mixing and mastering than this, but it's at least a good start. I don't have enough room in the comments to get too detailed. Check out videos on Youtube for more tips and tricks. There are a lot out there that can help you tremendously.
Keep it up. Like I said, you're on the right track.

V.

Hey man, whenever your levels go above 0db, you start getting what's called clipping. That's when the frequencies are too high and there's a distortion where distortion shouldn't be. I hear a lot of that in this track. When that happens, it's not considered lo-fi. It's just levels being too loud.
If you were to go back and adjust your levels, you would get a much cleaner, and much nicer sounding track.
Other than that, this is a cool piece.
Take care.
V.

That was supposed to say, "this is AN exception", not "...NO exception." As in, I really like it considering it's not being what I usually gravitate toward. Oops. Either way. It was meant as a compliment.

The overall vibe to this almost has an Ennio Morricone feel to it. Like it belongs in a modern-day spaghetti western. I dig it.
Good work on the mix, too. It's crystal. It's not really my preferred genre, but I can certainly enjoy it for what it is. This is no exception.
Good work, man. Keep it up.
Take care.
V

Once that guitar kicked in, I knew exactly why it was given this title. This is some bluesy/classic rock sounds with a nice touch of modern indie, mister! I'm getting hints of Hendrix, Gary Moore, and even a little (90s era) Carlos Santana in the guitar work. Sounds great!
I wasn't expecting female vocals, or any vocals at all, but it was a nice surprise.
Such a great sound, and the mix is some high quality mixing, too.
Now on my second listen, I have to wonder if you guys are Pearl Jam fans too.
Awesome job, Mr. Danke!
As always, brother, I hope all is well.
With hugs, take care my friend.
Aaron

The title is truly appropriate. The intro synth is very lunar, but the main body is very grounded and down to Earth. Then the pads/keys at about the three minute mark usher us out on a stellar breeze. As if to float along on a ribbon of reality somewhere between a dream and a memory.
Beautiful work as always.
Do be away so long next time, my friend. ;)
Take care.
Aaron

Danke, how are ya, brother?
I can't say that I've ever heard vocals in any of your songs before. But, there was a time for awhile that I wasn't around much, so I may have missed any if there were. I like it. It's a good direction. They're very dreamlike, and easy to listen to. Who are they?
Do I detect a little John Bonham influence in the drums? They're big, wide and loose. Very reminiscent of Mr. Bonham's style. They're great here. They keep it full without overfilling.
Great tones on the guitars as well. I like the way they fade out in the end with an increasing level of distortion. If you listen hard enough, there's almost a touch of Deftones to this one.
As always, great work my friend!
take care.
Aaron

How's it going, man?
It's clear you've put a lot of work into this. It shows. From my perspective, the mix is flawless.
The use of effects are touched off perfectly. They enhance what's there without distracting from, or getting in the way of anything else.
The levels are all balanced out nice and evenly. No frequencies tripping up over each other. The sub and the vocals are sitting in the same place, (as they should) but they're layered in with each other with no competition for the front.
Dude, all the highs are high without sizzle, and the lows are all low without clipping, The mids are keeping their nose in their own business and letting it be clean.
The structure itself is good. There are enough transitions and subtle changes that keep it from being monotonous and boring. You did well with the progression of rap pacing. Ended it off with the intense dude goin all balls out.
Good work, man.

Take care.
Aaron.

What's goin' on, Dime? All is well I hope.
Here's my take on the track. First, I like how dark it is. But is that any surprise? I mean...I'm Valvedriver. Dark is what I do.
As a few people before me mentioned, the vocals are a little low in the mix. I like the delay on the vocals, but I think the feedback/mix levels could have been a little lower. That way it gives the initial vocal track a nice clarity, but not losing the "echo" effect. Think of it as a muted bell. When you smack the bell, the attack is super prominent, and even though you can still here the ring afterwards, it's quieted and fades out fast. The benefit of this is still having the delay effect, but not overcrowding the next few words. They come out much clearer.
Also, in doing so, you could bring the vocal volume levels up so they sit closer to the front of the mix without the echo laying over the top of everything, which ultimately would clutter it up.

Other than that, good collab!
Take care.
V.

This is a groovy little number, man. I dig it. I really like the glitch on the percussion. Actually, there are a lot o effects I really like. The vocals that come in at 1:24 have some really nice effects. I think for my own personal taste, they could use some reverb with a nice long tail. Either that or a delay with a high feedback. But that's just me, so take it for what it's worth.
Your placements and timing of the female vocals are impeccable. The ping-pong delay on them are super nice, too.
I like the way it just grooves right on through. It doesn't peak, or valley. It just rides on in it's consistent glory.
I don't know if I would call this rock, though. It's almost a triphop thing. Kind of.
All in all, a great tune. Thanks for sharing with us.
Take care.
V.

Alright, man. I thought I'd stop by and check it out after you left such a positive comment over on my track. I am not disappointed. Not in the slightest. I don't really know anything about Trap, so I can't say anything in regards to that. But, from my perspective and taking it for what it is, it's good.

I can get on board with just about anything if it's dark enough. This is dark enough.
Honestly, it reminds me of Aphex Twin in some aspects. Which is a compliment.
The mix is top notch. Nothing overcrowds anything else. your frequencies are separated enough so there's no heavy overlapping. The panning and effects are balanced well. Nice work, man!

Take care.
V.

(2/2) i like the leads at 1:00 and 4:28. Especially the 4:28 with the double tracking solo. It's very Tony Iommi. At least in the tracking sense. Stylistically, it's it's all Evan. The energy is appropriate. Neither are too slow, but they aren't just virtuosic shreds for the sake of "rockin' out'.
Anyhow, man. Glad to see you 'round again. Hopefully you'll be back soon with some new work. I'd love to hear what you're doing these days.

Alan, what's happnin'?

I dig this. It's kind of dark and groovy. It's got a good vibe to it.

I like to mix synths with traditional instruments in my work as well, so, I really liked the way you incorporated them in yours.

I think, however, the drums could have been a bit louder in the mix. They're kind of buried in the background, and hard to hear in some spots. Other than that, it sounds good.

Good work. Keep it up.
Take care.
V.