EricMilligan
Guilty of driving beats without a licence
Ottawa, Canada
Joined : 6th Oct 2012 - 12 years ago
Last Online : 3rd Jul 2025 - 1 month ago
EricMilligan comments on tracks
EricMilligan has posted 366 comments on other peoples tracks.
on Recovering Overthinker by Zivonmusic
I was reflecting on this exchange with you last night and it occurred to me that we really could use a specialized forum area here on LM where members could ask for advice on how to do various things. I decided yesterday to experiment with side-chain compression on a sustained bass note (1 full bar), ducking the bass (triggered by the initial quarter note kick). I know how to do do this, at least I thought I did, but regardless of which compressor I use, I get a "click" sound from the bass at the outset of each "duck". I don't know what I'm doing wrong and there's no place to get advice on that from LM members who know more than I do. We need the LM forums back I think.
Eric
on Recovering Overthinker by Zivonmusic
This track has such a dreamy, laid-back flow to it. Works really well. I liked the lo-fi treatment and the mix sounded great. Very well-balanced and different sounds/instruments were nicely distinct in the spectrum.
I would really like to know how/what you used to produce the bass sound. It's pretty much exactly what I've been trying to create myself, but haven't found the right VST or patch yet. Very smooth. Was perfect for the track.
Regards from Ottawa,
Eric
You might be surprised to hear that I use only Sytrus and Directwave for all of my instruments. As for the 808 bass, Sytrus was used for the samples and Directwave was used to store them as a "program"
I would be more than happy to send it your way if it could be useful to you.
Simply send another comment through and ill send it posthaste.
-Z
on Still For The Moment by Kayos2
Definitely turned out to be catchy! :) I guess it is kind of lofi, but for me it's got an 80's synth pop feel to it - and I'm becoming more and more immersed in exploring that era and genre. I know that melodies have become far more complex in current releases, but there's also something to be said for simpler melody lines that are memorable and singable.
Anyway, obviously I really liked this track. Is that you on the spoken word vocal? Great voice. I'd love to find a way to use something like that on one of my tracks.
My only quibble with the track, and I do hesitate to say this given your background in audio, is that I think the various sounds/instruments blend together too much. I think perhaps it's the amount of reverb on the synth pads, or maybe just the level of the pads in the mix. I'd also like to hear the bass part more distinctly in the mix. But, that's all because it's got that 80's feel to it for me and that's the kind of mix they would have done for a track like this I think.
That said, well done. Very well done!
Regards from Ottawa,
Eric
on Elysium by deanp
I did feel, however, that the mix needs some refinement. I think the high frequency content was too prominent and there seemed to be a general background fill of what sounded like white noise to me. I don't know if that really was a purposeful use of noise or if it was reverb tails from other instruments in the mix.
Also, I really thought the level of the bass needed to be significantly louder in the mix. That would help with the overall balance of the track I think.
I did like the overall composition and melody lines. Vocal part was very good and sat well in the mix.
Regards from Ottawa,
Eric
on Malleable Demoscenes instument demo ver by AE03hua
This is a very interesting track. I will take some time to listen to the others you have uploaded here on Looperman.
In this track I do hear some distinctly Chinese music influences, I think. I haven't really analyzed what they are, but I think they come from the timbre of some of the instruments, the intervals that they play, and what sounds to me like some micro tuning. Anyway, they made the sound of the track very distinctive, unique, and it all works really well.
I see that you also use Synthesizer V in some of your tracks. I am learning to use it as well. It seems to be a very promising tool for making good vocals. I just wish they had voices in French and Italian. Maybe that will come with time.
I do have some suggestions about the mix of this track. I agree with Danke that you should raise the volume on the drum track)s). But, I also feel that the various sounds blend together too much. I think perhaps there is too much reverb being used. I think as you work on refining the mix, you should try to make each instrument/part stand out more distinctly in the mix, both in terms of its place in the frequency spectrum and spatially (e.g., panning, and very careful use of reverb settings to place different sounds closer or further in the soundfield.)
That said, I very much enjoyed the track.
Regards from Ottawa,
Eric
For the sv part, although Dreamtonics mainly support Ch/Jp/En now, it's still possible to make much more voices(yet with much more works & effort, sadly). One of those crazy producers here in China(or in Bilibili, lol) turned a song with 28 different languages((((((
on Bounce - instrumental by zipbass
I definitely enjoyed this track. It conveys a very engaging spirit, infectious beat. To my ear, the percussion parts give it a North African feel. I think it would be a good backing track for a vocal, or at least the start of a backing track. Mix is very nicely balanced. Lots of dynamic range, which is something I really like. And, the bass part is very nicely done, which makes sense since you are a bass player! Good work on this track! :)
Regards from Ottawa,
Eric
on Dubjoka Do To Me by dubjoka
Which was: This is really nice sounding track. I definitely enjoyed it. I know you said you have more work to do on it, but I did want to say now that the mix is excellent. Nice balance. Warm, full foundation. Vocals were tastefully used. I particularly like the drum parts. So, you do think that the ending requires work, which I agree with. Endings are a real challenge for me, so I'm very interested in hearing what you some up with. Maybe some side-chain compression to get a "pump" going? I realize that's been somewhat overdone in EDM, but might work in your ending for this track.
Anyway, very nice work. Looking forward to hearing the next iteration.
Regards,
Eric
on Painless by 2nick8
I liked the intimate approach to vocal delivery you had on the track. I think you should definitely do more of this. It suits your voice.
Regards from Ottawa,
Eric
on Puer Aeternus by Zivonmusic
Really nicely done.
Regards, from snowy Ottawa.
Eric
on Yanov - Afterglow by yanovv
I did not, however, think the mix was as good as it could be. I've got pretty good earphones and I thought the bass and mid-range frequency content was not sufficiently prominent in the mix. There was a lot of reverb on some of the backing instruments which were also working at the same frequency range as the lead vocal. That's always a tricky problem in a mix, but I think dialing back on the reverb and also cutting back on high frequency content of the backing instrument parts would improve the overall sound of the track. I'm not sure about compression choices. Would need to sort that out as part of the re-mix process but I suspect some adjustments would help there as well.
That said, it's a really nice EDM track and I did enjoy listening to it a lot. Hope you are keeping safe, and well.
Regards from Ottawa,
Eric
on Stellar Lighthouse by StarTravels
Regards,
Eric
on Nebula by StarTravels
Eric
on Ice Planet by StarTravels
Regards from Ottawa
Eric
Well, it's a thing with bass: there's a frequency range in bass where it's ultimately a matter of taste how much you add or not. If possible, I try not to let any of the instruments play the main role, at least not in tracks like this where a lot is happening in the background, so that all the elements stand out well and don't overlap or even obscure each other. But I'll still take a look at the track again to see if there isn't more that could be done in the low end.
How did the track come about.... First there was this wonderful, cold synth sound that appears at the beginning at 0:32. It comes from a synth that is part of the Logic/Garage Band equipment... it's called RetroSyn and the sound is called Stratosphere. I was playing around with it and it kind of made me feel really cold. That's how I came up with the idea of staging the whole thing on an ice planet for our StarTravels project. The beat that was supposed to convey this came from the so-called "virtual drummer", which is also integrated into Garage Band/Logic, and I edited and reduced it. Then it was about the bass lines. Once these were decided, I recorded all the keyboards (VST), where it took me quite a long time for the harmonies... Then my guitar interludes, the power chords. The rest was a decoration of the “landscape” with all sorts of cold effects. At the very end, I recorded the guitar for leaving the planet. I use Izotope's Visual Mixer to distribute the instruments in the room, and Izotope's Ozone to master them. That's actually it.
I was very happy that you liked the track, and if you have any questions... always let me know ;-)
Cheers,
Micky
on Headland - to the sea by Jkingz
Regards from Ottawa,
Eric
on And Then She Left Me Again by ApolloForce
Not really sure why you said it was your epilogue. If that's somehow suggesting that you done posting music here after 13 years on Looperman I'd be very disappointed to hear that. Would be a loss to the LM community.
My spidey sense is telling me that this is a track that could actually use some lyrics and a vocal melody that plays off against the synth melody line you have in the track already. I can't sing and I suck a writing lyrics, but I do have a vocoder plugin so might just see if I get anywhere with that idea, if it's OK with you?
Regards from Ottawa,
Eric
Take care
on Better by fidiu
Regards from Ottawa,
Eric
A few years ago you also gave some really positive feedback on my first track here (Echo feat Romy Harmony) which inspired me to improve myself a lot. I'm not there yet but I'm learning with each project that I'm working on. All the best wishes and thanks again for your nice thoughts. Regarding the vocals, I bought them from a specialized site but because of the rules here, I cannot post it.
on Nothin Mann by Jynxz
Regards from Ottawa (where we had hail today, but at least no snow! )
Eric
As I was telling 2nick8,
I had planned to post this
track as Headbanger-ish to go
with my "ish" collection. But I guess
my "oldtimers" kicked in, and before I
knew it I had posted it as "Weird", which
is my go-to for most of my tracks.:-)
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I appreciate you
stopping by and leaving your very encouraging
comments.
PEACE from the SouthEast...
on You should feel the 90s better by Critical90s
Anyway, very nice work on the track. It was fun.
Regards,
Eric
on 2 dudes and a ditch - a Zootman Pseudoble Collab by pseudoble
I’ve just had my most recent track critiqued as being, well, uninspiring and not inventive. A valid criticism. That would definitely NOT be a critique for your track!
Regards,
Eric
Thanks very much for listening - I will return the ears in the near future : )
on A dark dreamy day by joecramer
Very evocative and definitely conveyed a mix of emotions, mostly calming, but with an undercurrent of wistfulness I think. Not sure that it was cinematic. Not exactly chill either. Kind of unique actually! :)
Sorry to hear that you have been unwell. Music is a great therapy so please try to make more for us, and for you.
Eric
Nice to hear that you liked it and that you rate it as unique. Every artist likes to hear that. Many thanks for that and for the time and everything.
Whether it's actually cinematic or chill or something else, who knows? Usually I just take electro and I'm out of the loop. But then there is usually whining right away :)
When I made this song, I went through a period of emotions like I've never had in my life. And there was a bit of everything. Mountains and valleys full of emotions, so to speak. So it doesn't surprise me that this song just drips with it. And since everyone feels differently, there should be something for everyone.
I will definitely keep making music. I can't help it :)
And surely she will help me, because it has always been like this. But unfortunately music will not heal me. But that's perfectly fine.
So you won't have to wait too long to hear something new.
stay tuned
joe
on Old School Breeze by Critical90s
First of all, the drum parts were great. Bass was very tasty, and the synths were just right for the era.
But, I particularly appreciated the care you took crafting the mix. Everything had its own place in the frequency spectrum. Not muddy at all. Judicious use of reverb. Excellent use of delays (repeats panned away from original sound). All in all, a very very polished and satisfying piece of dance music.
Thanks for making it. And thanks for sharing it here on Looperman!!!
Regards,
Eric
on My Siren by BeatMaker4real
In the meantime, very, very nice work! :)
Eric
on No ConFusion PCI by kingmt77
I see from your profile that you are a drummer, but also have several drum VSTs. Would be interested to know if you played live on the track and whether you were triggering the VSTs or on a real kit. Drum parts were really, really good.
Like Manuela, I would have preferred to hear an ending with one or more closing chords, not the relatively quick fade-out. That said, I very often use fade-outs to finish off my tracks so who am I to talk? :)
Was also interested to see that you are using Ozone 10. I have it and have found that the mastering generally is superior to what I get from online services, especially if I tweak things a bit from the presets.
Mark
on CONCERTO IN THE KEY OF E by T576
I do pretty much everything in midi, but definitely not via step sequencing. It's amazing that you constructed this piece that way. I can't imagine even attempting to do something like that.
So, to be clear, I liked it a lot and was very impressed with both the composition in and mix. As I was listening, I started imagining how it might be used in a film soundtrack. Very, very, nice work. I usually try to offer some constructive comments on details, but in this case, perhaps because the piece is so unique, I really have no suggestions or critiques.
Hopefully, it will get lots more listens here. Definitely deserves the attention of Looperman members.
Regards,
Eric
on Electric by Jhet
Saw your post in the forum and decided to check out your stuff. You are clearly a very good vocalist and definitely know how to compose a catchy, contemporary sounding melody. There is no question in my mind that this track is the best one you have posted here to Looperman. Vocal is clean, backing instrumental track works well. Definitely has a Weeknd feel and sound to it. Your vocal on your most recent track, “Insecure” has a Sam Smith flavour. Those are two great artists, so that’s high praise in my opinion. For your own unique sound, I guess maybe a hybrid of the two would be a good place to try.
All that said, I’m not a fan of the vocals on “insecure” or “Dancing With the Devil” because, in my opinion, you’ve largely, if not completely, masked your really excellent clean vocal delivery, with too much gimmicky processing, autotune, vocoder, or whatever. It’s like you aren’t secure enough in the quality of your delivering just a clean vocal, like you did with “Electric”, so you think you need to tart it up so the track sounds more distinctive. I think that’s a real mistake and if I was producing you, I’d definitely try to convince you to drop all that stuff and just deliver vocals that really showcase your great voice. Clean, with the focus on communicating meaning and emotion. That’s not to suggest that you shouldn’t use autotune sparingly, or reverb, double or triple tracking, compression, delays, tube-based saturation, etc. Just tastefully, and to make your vocals really shine in the tracks.
That’s my attempt at constructive comments. I realize that my reaction to your tracks might be out of touch with some of the more progressive music that’s being produced now, but I can hear in your vocals and in your compositions, the potential for some really special music. I think you need to focus your tracks on your two great strengths - your sense of melody and your vocal ability. Don’t let anything get in the way, or detract from those. If it’s not working in service to those, don’t include them in the track.
And, if you ever decide to post an acapella here on Looperman please let me know via a DM. I’d love to try my hand at doing a backing track for one of your vocals.
Regards from snowy (and soon to be very cold) Ottawa
Eric