(Classical Cinematic) Backpressure

[aburazaru]

Been messing with this work in progress for a while, as I just wanted to tinker with drastic key/tempo changes. Went back to it today and it still seems.... weird! Thoughts on how I can make this kind of key change a little more smoothly? (Warning: It's pretty long)...

[VHS]

Didn't sound weird on my end, very cinematic and well done. If I ever have to score a film, I'm calling you. Hopefully someone can help, but I think it's great.

[aburazaru]

Haha, awesome! Thanks!

[darkmode]

Great work. If it was me I'd go for the easy route. If you're talking about the 1:39/1:40 bit - I love how the tempo starts to speed up and you have the big hit. At that point I'd put a pause in of about 1 sec then start the up-tempo section, maybe with another big hit and the horns coming straight in. However, I don't think it sounds too weird as it is..personal taste really.

Really great track though. Nice work!

[aburazaru]

Hey, thanks! That makes sense, going to tinker with it some more this weekend me thinks!

[stratatonic]

Cool. I especially like it when it gets heavy and epic with the metallic hits!

[aburazaru]

Thanks much! That's my favorite part too, haha. Definitely strengthens up towards the end.

[dana]

Sounds great, the only thing i would say is the percussion and drums are a little too bright or maybe too loud i the mix

[selig]

Sounds great, the only thing i would say is the percussion and drums are a little too bright or maybe too loud i the mix

Agree with this, perc sound "clicky" and thin. Making things brighter brings them forward, but keeping them softer conflicts with this. This is all good and well until you're trying to mimic a real orchestra. Just like with painting landscapes where things get lighter as they get further, in audio "sound" gets darker and more ambient (reflective) as it gets further away. This is because air itself absorbs higher frequencies easier/quick than lower, as does the environment for the most part.

So to create depth, besides adding reverb you can also make a sound slightly "darker" to move it back compared to others. Think of these two extremes: someone gently whispering right in your ear (close and quiet) vs an atom bomb going off in the distance. Both could be exactly the same level to your ears, but one will sound much closer and the other much further. That is to say, it's not volume alone that determines distance or "depth" in a mix.

As for your change, I thought it really implied movement in the action. Remember that all sound track work is to support the emotion (or action) on the screen. Emotions and moods can change subtly and very abruptly. Being able to create these sort of changes musically is ESSENTIAL, and to have them sound smooth as yours is an added bonus IMO. The "trick" comes when you are looking at a film clip and you begin to actually "hear" these emotions played out as music, connecting the audible with the visual in a way that is greater than the sum of the parts.

[aburazaru]

Sounds great, the only thing i would say is the percussion and drums are a little too bright or maybe too loud i the mix

Agree with this, perc sound "clicky" and thin. Making things brighter brings them forward, but keeping them softer conflicts with this. This is all good and well until you're trying to mimic a real orchestra. Just like with painting landscapes where things get lighter as they get further, in audio "sound" gets darker and more ambient (reflective) as it gets further away. This is because air itself absorbs higher frequencies easier/quick than lower, as does the environment for the most part.

So to create depth, besides adding reverb you can also make a sound slightly "darker" to move it back compared to others. Think of these two extremes: someone gently whispering right in your ear (close and quiet) vs an atom bomb going off in the distance. Both could be exactly the same level to your ears, but one will sound much closer and the other much further. That is to say, it's not volume alone that determines distance or "depth" in a mix.

As for your change, I thought it really implied movement in the action. Remember that all sound track work is to support the emotion (or action) on the screen. Emotions and moods can change subtly and very abruptly. Being able to create these sort of changes musically is ESSENTIAL, and to have them sound smooth as yours is an added bonus IMO. The "trick" comes when you are looking at a film clip and you begin to actually "hear" these emotions played out as music, connecting the audible with the visual in a way that is greater than the sum of the parts.

Awesome! Thank you both for the feedback! I can try some things out in the mix against the percussion to get some depth out of it this weekend!

[Teaflax]

Agreed on the comments re: percussion above. I also think the reverb is a bit too big. It sounds like the orchestra is playing in a cave, rather than a concert hall or recording studio. But there are plenty of good ideas in there and I hear no acutely weird key changes at all. I do think that when the percussion goes away, the change is a bit abrupt and may need to be marked by something. Also, I would have loved a counterpoint to the violin theme at the end, maybe even just an octave jump melody of some kind in the root key. Also, a little bit of tonal color wouldn't go amiss. The chords seem pretty basic, and a bass instrument playing , for instance, a 9 or 7 would add some depth.

[aburazaru]

Agreed on the comments re: percussion above. I also think the reverb is a bit too big. It sounds like the orchestra is playing in a cave, rather than a concert hall or recording studio. But there are plenty of good ideas in there and I hear no acutely weird key changes at all. I do think that when the percussion goes away, the change is a bit abrupe and may need t be marked by something. Also, I would have loved a counterpoint to the violin theme at the end, maybe even just an octave jump melody of some kind in the root key. Also, a little bit of tonal color wouldn't go amiss. The chords seem pretty basic, and a bass instrument playing , for instance, a 9 or 7 would add some depth.

Awesome suggestions! I can play with all of that! Now there's just the issue with trying to find time to do it!

[jappe]

Hello aburazaru,

Listening on headphones and my amateur ears don't hear any flaws, I like what I hear: An emotional beautiful intro, followed by a tasty shift of tempo and rhythmic pattern.
And then some Industrial flavour...making war machinery? The choirs...for some reason I think of a Soviet military choir.
I can easily imagine this in some movie.