Richie Parker - Cop Chase (my favorite)

[Dj-Richie-Parker]

Hi lads,
Im going to be releasing this track, i really shouldnt post up a link, but id respect your opinions, i have clips on my site but here is the full monty..

This is my favorite production, constructive critisism welcome..tanx

(same story opens straight away, just play track no need to download, thanks)

http://www.streamload.com/RichieParker

[rhythmtech]

ohhh. gettin all funky on us ritchie!!! lovely synth. i'd reverb it a bit but thats my own opinion... again you've got that nyc style goin on...

right i think this has potential but i personally would use differant sounds on it.. i think you know what you wanna do as your style is very specific and thats good i just think you need to process sounds better... but most importantly the tunes are there. so thats more than half the battle. good work.

[Dj-Richie-Parker]

thanks baz, a marco carola track inspired this, cant think of the name right now, its hard to get exactly whats in your mind & soul to come out of the speakers, thats the challenge i suppose, its all learning

[xfive]

Overall this is very dry and the sounds are quite digital. This needs a lot of warmth and should be spread out a lot wider. Everything sounds like its in one little box.
I would consider changing the horn sound as it is a tad loud in the mix, and does not really complement it well at all.
Also where's the bass?

I'd say you have a good basis here for something... but it sounds like it was tossed together with a very quick arrangement. Drop a loop in.. take a loop out... repeat.
Don't mean to sound blunt but the production is not of a very high standard.
Try to use some compression, reverb, eq, and panning to treat the sounds and really make things fuller and not so digital and cold.

It would help a lot.. as you definitely have ideas, but no matter how good they may seem... if they aren't put together well, then you are not doing it justice.

[Dj-Richie-Parker]

Overall this is very dry and the sounds are quite digital. This needs a lot of warmth and should be spread out a lot wider. Everything sounds like its in one little box.
I would consider changing the horn sound as it is a tad loud in the mix, and does not really complement it well at all.
Also where's the bass?

I'd say you have a good basis here for something... but it sounds like it was tossed together with a very quick arrangement. Drop a loop in.. take a loop out... repeat.
Don't mean to sound blunt but the production is not of a very high standard.
Try to use some compression, reverb, eq, and panning to treat the sounds and really make things fuller and not so digital and cold.

It would help a lot.. as you definitely have ideas, but no matter how good they may seem... if they aren't put together well, then you are not doing it justice.

thanks for listening, i dunno i like things to be in their box, well for this track anyway, like take a loop out and put one in..is not done just for the sake of it, its tying to acheive something, personally adding decorations like reverb and panning etc i just dont buy into, i understand what you mean by saying it would make the track sound more fuller and widespread rather than just straight down the line layering, but i kind of like this way../?!!

Thanks

[dirty_bass]

Overall this is very dry and the sounds are quite digital. This needs a lot of warmth and should be spread out a lot wider. Everything sounds like its in one little box.
I would consider changing the horn sound as it is a tad loud in the mix, and does not really complement it well at all.
Also where's the bass?

I'd say you have a good basis here for something... but it sounds like it was tossed together with a very quick arrangement. Drop a loop in.. take a loop out... repeat.
Don't mean to sound blunt but the production is not of a very high standard.
Try to use some compression, reverb, eq, and panning to treat the sounds and really make things fuller and not so digital and cold.

It would help a lot.. as you definitely have ideas, but no matter how good they may seem... if they aren't put together well, then you are not doing it justice.

thanks for listening, i dunno i like things to be in their box, well for this track anyway, like take a loop out and put one in..is not done just for the sake of it, its tying to acheive something, personally adding decorations like reverb and panning etc i just dont buy into, i understand what you mean by saying it would make the track sound more fuller and widespread rather than just straight down the line layering, but i kind of like this way../?!!

Thanks

Erm decorations?
It`s called professional production.
I gotta agree here, I mean considering this is something you are thinking about releasing the production is very amateurish.

For a start their is no balance with the levels.
The main chordal synth (that sounds way too dry and cheap) totally overpowers the kick.
the kick itself lacks any punch.
there`s no bass.
The hats are very very thin and lack any presence or dynamic in the mix.

this sounds like it was made with a losse collection of raw, unprocessed sampled and wacked together in reason.

Not that things can`t be imporved though.

The bass could be enhanced with a nice analog eq. Also a little compression on the kick would give it a touch more oomph.

Some verb or delay, or maybe chorus on the main synth would stop it from sounding cheap. Also maybe look at adding some small velocity changes to make the synth more dynamic over the whole tune.

the hats could maybe have a little compression, and some boosting in the top end, maybe some kind of stereo split to widen them in the mix too. and again, some little velocity programming would make them much more interesting than the flat straight velocity they have now.
Also maybe some quantise shuffle somehwere would suit this kind of tune.

It`s a nice collection of samples, but overall for this place, a pretty low standard, so don`t be surpised by the critisism. everyone here gets it, but it`s helped us all develop our production skills.
If you think you have nothing to learn, then it`s time to quit.

[Dj-Richie-Parker]

i dunno you both sound like you just swallowed a music production book, look i definately dont feel that i have nothing to learn, far from it but obiviously your standereds are alot higher than mine,
i dont think thats nessasarily a bad thing on my behalf, its techno we are talking about yea?

you are always going to find problems with a track or something that you could tweek, i focus on whats there rather than whats not there..

[rhythmtech]

uh oh....

[Evil G]

i focus on whats there rather than whats not there..

i don't think this approach will get you very far. obviously there is going to be something good about every track you write, otherwise you wouldn't have written it. but by looking for things about the track that detract from the good things you've put into it, you can make the best of what you've created.

[dirty_bass]

Whats there is a tune that sounds like it took about 20 mins to put together.

Sorry man, that`s a bit harsh, but I¬m being totally honest.
I get sent demos all the time, and they generally, even when they are bad, are of a higher standard than this.

I think the standards of techno have fallen dramatically since the means to make it became more easily accessable, and anyone with a few spare evenings and a crack copy of reason is making techno, but most of the time it`s bad, amateurish mp3.com techno.
We should set the bar high, it`s music desinged to make maximum use of minimal equipment, to be played loud on a good quality soundsystem.

Most people when producing badly tend to use the same excuse
"yeah, but that`s how I like it" it`s a cover up for a lack of knowledge.
there is however a wealth of information, help and advice available on this site, so you`ve come to a good place.

[Dj-Richie-Parker]

well no you picked me up wrong, what i mean by saying i " focus on whats there rather than whats not there" is that, if there is a general theme or groove which i like i will focus on that rather than focussing on having pans and reverbs etc, like i acheived the exact feel i wanted to acheive with this track and yes mabey having filters pans and compression will make it sound more professional, not having them, for me, doesnt detract from the original goal...?

[Evil G]

sorry mate, but i think you are fooling yourself. it's not just chin strokers who notice production value. the average punter, who doesn't have a good musical vocabulary to describe what they are hearing will still stay that a better produced tune "rocks harder" than a sloppily produced one.

[Dj-Richie-Parker]

Whats there is a tune that sounds like it took about 20 mins to put together.

Sorry man, that`s a bit harsh, but I¬m being totally honest.
I get sent demos all the time, and they generally, even when they are bad, are of a higher standard than this.

I think the standards of techno have fallen dramatically since the means to make it became more easily accessable, and anyone with a few spare evenings and a crack copy of reason is making techno, but most of the time it`s bad, amateurish mp3.com techno.
We should set the bar high, it`s music desinged to make maximum use of minimal equipment, to be played loud on a good quality soundsystem.

Most people when producing badly tend to use the same excuse
"yeah, but that`s how I like it" it`s a cover up for a lack of knowledge.
there is however a wealth of information, help and advice available on this site, so you`ve come to a good place.

well techno comes from the soul and not from a text book, ok getting it from the soul to the mind through the speakers is a big leap, but if you can manage to get a good sound together its a great start, someone else will like it too..

so if someone manages to express that feeling or groove they want to express with a techno track well then its important to look at that rather than the finer details that will obiviosly make it sound more professional but if they have the basics well then fair play to them, but dont knock someone because they are not up to this bar that you are raising, i can look past the finer details in a track if it has something i like in it, and mabey you wouldnt feel the "standerds in techno have dropped dramatically" if you looked at the positive side of it..

[Dj-Richie-Parker]

and how did yee start makin techno, did yee submit a cv to the techno governing body and get accepted or something..?

its great that production is more accessable to people, who knows what great producers will come from it...

[rhythmtech]

richie, i think what they're trying to say is that although you've got the right ideas and the concept of where you wanna go is in your head, you havent quite got that fullness of sound that only comes with years of experience. look at your favourite producer and listen to how his/her sound has progressed since you first started listening, thats what gaining experience is all about and believe me there are people on here who have the experience and knowledge. sometimes taking a step back and looking at what you're doing in comparison to others is a good idea. everybody needs a bar to aim for and until we feel were near that bar we keep trying. then we raise the bar again. its not a personal attack on your music but more of a constructive criticism on their part.

(and btw try to look at the positive aspect to dirtybass's comments. he knows what he's talkin about even if he is a grumpy old fucker!!!)

[dirty_bass]

Well, producing as you compose should come just as naturally as the notes themselves.
It`s not difficult to do.
It`s just a matter of knowledge.
time spent.
And practice.
When I started producing, I was making good tunes, but my productions were wank. And I never even thought of releasing something sub standard, when there was so much good stuff out there. even then, my first release was below par.

however, seriously dude, what you are doing here, you are jumping about like you`ve made some real super amazing tune, when it just sounds like a few loosly cobbled together samples from a 20 minute session in fruity loops.
Little thought seems to have gone into this.

However, as you develop your skills you should naturally be able to produce as you go along.
If you can`t even see the point of improving your production levels then you will never develop.

this is a production forum you are posting in however, so if you just want people you pat you on the back and say well done, then maybe you should post elswhere.
We all get and expect critisism here, it`s what helps us develope.
Without this place I think it would have taken me twice as long to get to the standard I have reached now, and I feel I`m still improving all the time.

[dan the acid man]

i don't think anybody here is being grumpy or moaning, people are just offering excellent critical advice as normal.

stop, take a look, have a listen, and improve your productions

[Dj-Richie-Parker]

ok i know what your all saying but i just felt a bit put out by the way it was put accross, i felt "is there anything these guys like in the tracks"

So anyway guys, thanks for your feedback even if it is very difficult to swallow..

regards

[dirty_bass]

Sorry, I do like the kinda housey offbeat stab groove that happens in this.
It`s a bit oompah, but it does work.
Maybe try shuffling it though to really get those asses wiggling.