Song I made on Logic Express...

[xJulianx]

So I have been working on this song for a couple of days now, I made it using Logic Express 7.2 and my MIDI keyboard. I quite like it, it's rather ambient/chillout.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, any ideas on what I could do to make it better? Anything you especially like or dislike?

I've made a PureVolume page to host the song here (http://www.myspace.com/glaciersuk), I've decided to name the project 'Glaciers', I look to be making some more songs in the future just for a bit of fun.

Thanks :)

[AP_piano295]

Not my cup of tea (not a big fan of slow music)

Still not a bad first attempt considering how mind numbingly complex logic is (i'm still working on the basics).

[xJulianx]

I'm in my second year of a Music Technology course at college and we use Logic Pro 7, so I'm pretty familiar with the usage and everything.

Thanks for listening :)

[MacRumorUser]

I think having a beat which seem to lose timing and is stagered doesnt help, it just sounds as if - quick I'll 'punch' some drums in there.

The chord structure is a little bare to say the least, and it needs that somthing that at least ties it all together.

It's not bad, but it isn't in any form commercial in its current form.

[xJulianx]

I think having a beat which seem to lose timing and is stagered doesnt help, it just sounds as if - quick I'll 'punch' some drums in there.

The chord structure is a little bare to say the least, and it needs that somthing that at least ties it all together.

It's not bad, but it isn't in any form commercial in its current form.

Thanks for the input. I know what you mean about the drums, but that was intended, I wanted a really ambient feel to it, and thought just have some loose, reverbed and delayed drum sounds along with reverbed guitars could acheive this...probably needs a bit of work to make it sound like this effect with the drums was intended.

Completely agree with what you are saying about the chord structure. It's just the same thing repeated basically, sounds very bare indeed.

Thanks for the input and listening :)

[calculus]

Thanks for the input. I know what you mean about the drums, but that was intended, I wanted a really ambient feel to it, and thought just have some loose, reverbed and delayed drum sounds along with reverbed guitars could acheive this...probably needs a bit of work to make it sound like this effect with the drums was intended.

Completely agree with what you are saying about the chord structure. It's just the same thing repeated basically, sounds very bare indeed.

Thanks for the input and listening :)

I like the drums - although I would add some more reverb to give more of a dub feel. The cymbals I would take out as I find those a little irritating. I like the overall feel of the track though.

[xJulianx]

I like the drums - although I would add some more reverb to give more of a dub feel. The cymbals I would take out as I find those a little irritating. I like the overall feel of the track though.

Thanks alot, I'll try adding more reverb later tonight when I get home, a friend suggested I do the same earlier aswell. I can see where you're coming from with the cymbals...I might try setting them on a different audio track and compressing them and some EQ to make them less 'irritating'.

Thanks for the listen :)

[MacRumorUser]

Yeah it was probably the cymbal crash that was most out of place.

It sounded like you'd asked some crazy free jazz drummer to tip along with the track and he got carried away ;) :D

[xJulianx]

Yeah it was probably the cymbal crash that was most out of place.

It sounded like you'd asked some crazy free jazz drummer to tip along with the track and he got carried away ;) :D

Heh, funny you should say that, the friend I was referring to that said I should add some more reverb is a very competent drummer and currently doing Jazz studies at a music institution near here.

[MacRumorUser]

Heh, funny you should say that, the friend I was referring to that said I should add some more reverb is a very competent drummer and currently doing Jazz studies at a music institution near here.


LOL! I knew it ;)

[PreacherKane]

Hi there, just listened to your song. Very nice. It's definitely an ambient track.
It feels like your song needs some visuals to go with it.

I think the song just needs fleshing out. Perhaps some strings or a rich organ sound. Keep up the good work.:)

[xJulianx]

Hi there, just listened to your song. Very nice. It's definitely an ambient track.
It feels like your song needs some visuals to go with it.

I think the song just needs fleshing out. Perhaps some strings or a rich organ sound. Keep up the good work.:)

Thanks for the kind words of encouragment :)

What do you mean by visuals? And yes I agree, it is rather flat at times and some strings would lift the track up alot more if they came in at a certain point.

I've been messing about with this song for the last couple of hours and have made a few minor changes....I think the most important change I need to now make is give the basic 4 note reverbed guitar that plays continuously a new film by alternating chords.


Thanks for all of the input everyone!

[mannix87]

I like it. very ambient. although I'd have to admit that you wont catch me listening to this genre on a gloomy day; I need some cheer me up music every now & then.

[PreacherKane]

Hi there xJulianx. What I meant is that, the song would go well with some moving imagery. Maybe take a camcorder out and film some public open space and add it to your song. A mini movie.

As your studying music, get in with the film student crowd. You could get easily use your song to score a short film. :cool:

I've been trying to do something like that myself. Doesn't come out right unfortunately.:(

Music is objective, do what feels right to you. :D

[Killyp]

Have you ever listened to any Boards of Canada? I think you'd find that inspiring (I certainly did)...

[pianoman181]

I think the first 52 seconds are great. When the chords you had fade out at around the fifty second mark, it is the perfect prelude into a more lively trance tune. If I were you I would take that same E-G-A-B note and add strings after 52 seconds along w/ more constant drums and watch where the music goes. I may throw this into garageband and tinker with it just because it seems like something that has a serious amount of potential... It just grows wearisome after a bit (with the drums out of time, and lack of any real growth). I definitely do like the sporadic drums in the beginning though.

[xJulianx]

Have you ever listened to any Boards of Canada? I think you'd find that inspiring (I certainly did)...

Yes I have, they are fantastic. For this genre of music I feel most of my inspiration will be coming from Explosions in the Sky, Boards of Canada, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Mountains. :)

[xJulianx]

I think the first 52 seconds are great. When the chords you had fade out at around the fifty second mark, it is the perfect prelude into a more lively trance tune. If I were you I would take that same E-G-A-B note and add strings after 52 seconds along w/ more constant drums and watch where the music goes. I may throw this into garageband and tinker with it just because it seems like something that has a serious amount of potential... It just grows wearisome after a bit (with the drums out of time, and lack of any real growth). I definitely do like the sporadic drums in the beginning though.

Wow thanks, you seem to genuinely like the piece of music. :)

I completely agree with the song getting tiresome...but personally, I wasn't envisioning it going into a trance track of any kind, was imaging it to stay pretty much the same, but with a constant, slow drumbeat and lots of ambient sounds/guitars...

Either way, your idea sounds very cool aswell, I can see where you're coming from with it acting as a prelude to a more lively track, let me know if you do tinker with it in Garageband, would be very interesting to see how you develop the song.

[xJulianx]

Hi there xJulianx. What I meant is that, the song would go well with some moving imagery. Maybe take a camcorder out and film some public open space and add it to your song. A mini movie.

As your studying music, get in with the film student crowd. You could get easily use your song to score a short film. :cool:

I've been trying to do something like that myself. Doesn't come out right unfortunately.:(

Music is obejective, do what feels right to you. :D

Ahh yes, I understand you now. As part of my music course I had to put some sound to moving image, I was given a choice of a few 3-4 minute silent video clips to score. I found it all very interesting but struggled. It was a new experience and fun to say the least though!

[PreacherKane]

The reason I said about film scoring is that the song doesn't really have a 'hook'. You need something to keep people interested and listening till the end. Or you could add a sample of someone singing. Doesn't have to be completely in tune. Variety is the spice of life.:)

[Shotglass]

I liked it. The first part, at least. The rest seemed a litte....out of order to me. But the intro was definitely good.