First post, be gent[l]e. It needs a lot of work still, but every time I come back to it I just stare at it and don't really add anything. So I think it's time for some feedback. Plus I'd like to get thinking about some Russian background chatter from our resident Russian speakers (elizabeth, ???.) The current chatter I have in the middle is a place holder, It's cheeki breeki and "my hovercraft is full of eels".
So stuff I already want to work on:
not totally satisfied with the space the synths occupy
percussion in section 1 needs work
thinking about adding some progressions in the first section
overall the first section just needs stuff
latter section needs more ambient noodles
guitar work in the latter section? I'll probably scrap what's there already
EQing and stuff: it needs it. I'd like some input on what direction people think I should go though with various things
Anyways, there so much shit I want to change I should probably just stop listing it.
So the reptilian cosmonauts will have their day of musical glory. I'll make this a thing even if it takes me ages.
I'm still unsure about the script. It could have a couple things: we could have a dialogue between mission control and the lizards (don't think, just dream) about stuff like "what do you see up there" and some poetic, allegorical/foreboding response. We could have some kind of "systems, check" thing going on too in the background. I'll have some concrete stuff after people post up ideas if they want, but as far as I'm concerned you can go crazy with it. The mic won't be an issue. I'll probably do some heavy processing on it to make it more transmission-y anyways. Double thanks for offering your contribution.
If I may make a suggestion, translate this video.
Well, here's some constructive criticism for you: Let me start out by saying that it's quite obvious that your main instrument is bass guitar. The reason why I say this is that it's taking up WAY too much space in the mix. There's a big difference between practicing your bass alone, and putting it with other instruments. What you want is for all of the instruments to have their own space in the mix, so that they're not fighting each other. Your main tools for this are equalizers and filters. Other tools you can use in addition are panning and compressors. Basically, you need to decide what goes where in frequency. You can't have the bass swallow up everything, or else everything sounds muddy. The most obvious casualty is the kick drum, which can barely be heard when the bass is there at the same time. Do you want the kick to fill in the bottom end, or do you just want it as a rhythmic instrument? Do you want the synthesizer to add the crisp high frequencies, or do you want it to strictly be in the background of the fuzz of the bass? These are decisions that need to be made. You can't have both at the same time. Either get a different kick that doesn't boom as much in the low frequencies, or equalize the bass on the b. guitar. Either work more on the synth so that it takes charge of the high frequencies and EQ the bass, or keep the high frequencies on the bass and move the synth further up in frequency, so the bass gets that space.
The bass will sound less intense and visceral by itself, but in the context, it will allow your mix some breathing room, which makes it more pleasant, and less fatiguing, to listen to. Both the bass and the kick sound a bit overcompressed in my ears. Did you put a really low threshold on them? It's a bit much. The kick also barely has any snap to it, which I assume is because you have too short of an attack on the compressor. Increase the attack, and the drum will have the chance to get a higher amplitude before it's brought down by the compression. Even by itself (without the bass guitar), the kick is too "booming". It sounds like you've tried making it fatter by applying a ton of compression, when really what you need to do is get a better sample, or work with it to give it more character (try overlaying other samples, or play around with some light distortion/saturation). I hope this helps. Simply put, the mix is suffocating. Too much compression, and not enough EQ. Too much bass guitar, and not enough kick.
Definitely, and I'm well aware of it. I haven't actually EQ'd distorted bass before and I'm finding it more challenging than I'm used to.Let me start out by saying that it's quite obvious that your main instrument is bass guitar. The reason why I say this is that it's taking up WAY too much space in the mix.