A new track with some "oldskool" flavour...

[Myk]

I am having a go at making a site i started it a while back i only get 45 days or so free unless i start paying for it which i want to when i get my first breaks tune finished,ignore them tunes on there i made them in the late nineties just to fill that page up a little as i am still learning how to make a website.

djmonty.tk

I am trying to figure a way how to put a tune on my site with a soundclip if someone wants to buy it they click on a Pay Pal box to pay then they have access to download the tune wav or 320mp3,then eventually get on Beatport with Beatport on my site,i am also going to get a high quality webcam on my ceiling facing down on my mixer & decks doing 1 hour mixes & scratching (You Tube videos) to make my site more interesting & to help me get DJ bookings at breakbeat gigs,also get break Producers on my label,remix compitions,merchandise,make my own sample packs,1 on 1 teaching would love to get a tune on TV advert i have a lot work ahead of me.

On Friday night i play online gaming with my online gaming team so i will listen to all your tunes as i am playing online,i forgot to ask you what program do you use i use Logic Pro 9.

Here is one of my tunes i am working on i just did a ruff arrangement of it just for now:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1474260/Discarded From The Past.mp3

I'll start at the end for a change. That track you're working on that you linked sounds really nice. I like your big beat arrangement. I find the track is stronger at the the beginning (0-1.30) and the end (3.26 onwards) as it has a more potent and slightly darker feel to it which seems to sit on your drum arrangement very nicely. The middle chunk is not bad either but sounds a little too uplifting and light hearted. Not that there's anything wrong with uplifting and light hearted but with such a meaty beat I feel it clashes a little. In fact the last section is really really tasty (I am just listening again). I'd be very tempted to rearrange the track a little by squeezing out the light "electro trance" elements in the middle section and adding a few darker sounds. I hope you don't mind the feedback and of course it's only an opinion.

I use a few different programs but for the last 18 months or so I have been making nearly everything in Reason then exporting to Sony Acid Pro where I add a few fx loops if needed but mainly I do so to use the Izotope Ozone VST plugin. Reason is wonderful but lacks 3rd party plugin (VST) support. So I master in Acid. I also have Floops, Pro Tools (the M Audio Lite version), Logic, Presonus Studio 1 and Cakewalk installed but mostly for when I am working with others on remixes of their projects etc. Whatever I am using I do so via a simple but nice M Audio midi controller and a quality mic for live sampling and vocals. I have no other musical hardware (except a very good PC setup).

As for the website, it sounds like you have some good ideas. Embedding an mp3 player with a download option is easy enough. Especially if you have a Beatport account, they'll provide you with the tools/apps you need to do that. I believe Soundcloud have a purchase via Paypal option on their pro accounts, but don't hold me to that as I only have a lite account.
For all the other stuff that doesn't make it onto Beatport or iTunes you can always have a "donate via paypal" option on site and give away the tracks freely. I know a few people who have done this and it serves well in generating traffic for the site and more potential audience for future works. You not get rich from donations but often people can be quite generous. I had a zipped "LP" (8 tracks in high quality) on my previous site which I allowed to be downloaded freely but accepted donations on. Now and again people would drop a $1 in there (occasionally a little more). Think I managed to get about $600 from it in donations over the period of about a year with some 8000 downloads. So it's not going to make you rich, but as I said, it get's traffic and audience, which is important to start with.

 

[Myk]

Originally Posted by Monty
would love to get a tune on TV advert

Funny you should mention that. I was signed up in December by Lisn Music - Supplying Music for Media who specialise in ad campaigns and film scores etc. Basically they promote us the artists to the media industry as a whole. We will be releasing a LISN sampler CD later this year which with be sent physically to over 7000 media leaders, tv networks, radio stations, film production companies etc etc.
Check them out and if you feel that way inclined get in touch with Paul the owner, send him a sample and you might get lucky. They are currently looking to expand their artist base, so now would be a good time. Of course there is no guarantee they'll pick you but nothing lost in trying I guess. You'd have to be willing to make bespoke / tailor made tracks too though. So you maybe asked to make a strings based breaks track in root note B that last exactly 1 min 24 seconds for example

 

[Monty]

I'll start at the end for a change. That track you're working on that you linked sounds really nice. I like your big beat arrangement. I find the track is stronger at the the beginning (0-1.30) and the end (3.26 onwards) as it has a more potent and slightly darker feel to it which seems to sit on your drum arrangement very nicely. The middle chunk is not bad either but sounds a little too uplifting and light hearted. Not that there's anything wrong with uplifting and light hearted but with such a meaty beat I feel it clashes a little. In fact the last section is really really tasty (I am just listening again). I'd be very tempted to rearrange the track a little by squeezing out the light "electro trance" elements in the middle section and adding a few darker sounds. I hope you don't mind the feedback and of course it's only an opinion.

I use a few different programs but for the last 18 months or so I have been making nearly everything in Reason then exporting to Sony Acid Pro where I add a few fx loops if needed but mainly I do so to use the Izotope Ozone VST plugin. Reason is wonderful but lacks 3rd party plugin (VST) support. So I master in Acid. I also have Floops, Pro Tools (the M Audio Lite version), Logic, Presonus Studio 1 and Cakewalk installed but mostly for when I am working with others on remixes of their projects etc. Whatever I am using I do so via a simple but nice M Audio midi controller and a quality mic for live sampling and vocals. I have no other musical hardware (except a very good PC setup).

As for the website, it sounds like you have some good ideas. Embedding an mp3 player with a download option is easy enough. Especially if you have a Beatport account, they'll provide you with the tools/apps you need to do that. I believe Soundcloud have a purchase via Paypal option on their pro accounts, but don't hold me to that as I only have a lite account.
For all the other stuff that doesn't make it onto Beatport or iTunes you can always have a "donate via paypal" option on site and give away the tracks freely. I know a few people who have done this and it serves well in generating traffic for the site and more potential audience for future works. You not get rich from donations but often people can be quite generous. I had a zipped "LP" (8 tracks in high quality) on my previous site which I allowed to be downloaded freely but accepted donations on. Now and again people would drop a $1 in there (occasionally a little more). Think I managed to get about $600 from it in donations over the period of about a year with some 8000 downloads. So it's not going to make you rich, but as I said, it get's traffic and audience, which is important to start with.

Your feedback is more than welcome your 100% right about the lighter elements not going with the big beats i knew this but i just have not got any feedback yet until now so i will probably remove them elements & get some darker sounding synths in there instead,the end part is actually going to be the main drop i just did a quick arrangement to post for now thanks for the feedback it is much appreciated.

I will have a look at Soundcloud pro & the donate via paypal it is a good idea & thats not bad $600 period of about a year that comes in handy to pay for the site,about mastering i don't worry about that anymore i am going to send my tunes of to be mastered i would love to hear what they do with my tunes which will help keep me excited & keep enjoying making music i am going to try this guy out he masters for Finger Lickin Records & also looks a great bloke.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff2v0hQ5pNs"]YouTube - Mini-interview with Shane @ Finyl Tweek[/ame]

Also might try this guy out:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpidqcG7sSo]YouTube - Vinyl Mastering with George Peckham[/ame]

I would like a vocal both myself get some real singing in my music,i had to wright an arrangement for this vocalist in the late nineties then we went to a studio & i watch here sing over my music it was a great experience & something i would love to do again,thanks for that lisnmusic.com link i will put that in my Professional bookmarks folder I am working a 4/4 tune so i might send them that one just to see what happens.

I would look into Logic Pro 9 more it is a great program with the new Flex Audio i just love it!....i built myself a powerful Hackintosh PC dual boot into Snow Leopard & Windows 7 which is great i saved myself a lot of money!

Thanks for taking time listening to my tune i will put some darker elements into it,anything i can do to help in anyway give me shout!...

It looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you also & it's nice to talk to a professional!

 

[Myk]

First things first. Although I have signed a contract recently I still don't consider myself a "pro" at all. Thanks for the compliment but honestly I don't fell worthy (yet). I'll be a "pro" when I can live off my music

Mastering is an art form for sure and if your track is destined for CD or Vinyl then it's always going to be better if it's mastered professionally but that can become financially draining. Especially if you produce several tracks in a year. Izotope's Ozone is very nice to master domestically. In fact it's brilliant. I listen to some of my early stuff, pre-ozone and it sounds shit to me. Since using Ozone my sounds have gotten much more life to them. You should be able to find and install the VST plugin and use it in Logic or maybe even download the full standalone version. I believe they have a try and but demo available but honestly I torrented mine first. I have since bought it due to licensing, but you know the score
With Ozone you only need make a few clicks here and there to make the song gain so much. It's not as good as studio mastering but it's the next best thing and DIY
Vocals are a great addition to a lot of tracks. Good luck finding a singer who lives near you. I have had no luck in that department and anything I have done has been via online interchanging of stems with the singer, which is FAR from ideal. I've just ordered some new studio headphones and with them I have ordered a quality mic and stand. I am going to try and add some vocals myself on some tracks soon....I'll look like kin' Elton John when that mic stands up, I already have the Stevie Wonder movement going on when on my keyboard hahahaha

 

[Monty]

First things first. Although I have signed a contract recently I still don't consider myself a "pro" at all. Thanks for the compliment but honestly I don't fell worthy (yet). I'll be a "pro" when I can live off my music

Your professionally minded!

I'll look like kin' Elton John when that mic stands up, I already have the Stevie Wonder movement going on when on my keyboard hahahaha

Hahaha!

 

[U31]

Reet, the falling star ref is lost on me, cuz i'm T'ick... care to elaborate?

Great tooona too imho!

 

[Myk]

Reet, the falling star ref is lost on me, cuz i'm T'ick... care to elaborate?

Great tooona too imho!

Hahaha, don't worry about it. I make weird connections so I can't really expect people to follow my line of thought always. The reference to the falling stars under the deep blue sky is a metaphor for the U.S. flag and indeed the whole track was inspired by the theme of failing capitalism, that's why I added the little "Gulf of Tonkin Resolution" speech. There are another couple of subtle references in there too. The dreamer and free me samples representing the ideals of the American dream and freedom. As I said I do tend to have an odd thought process so really quite normal not to follow what the hell I'm on about. As long as you enjoyed the track then everything else is secondary phones: