# Young composer looking for feedback - Old thread with a new twist.



## roknardin (Jul 22, 2015)

*<MODERATOR NOTE>* _This thread is 7 years old, but there's an interesting twist starting at post 14._

Hey guys.

Here is my latest track. I would really appreciate some feedback on it.

"
Rok Nardin


----------



## creativeforge (Jul 22, 2015)

I'm not a real composer, but I like it. Listening through studio headphones, I personally really liked the mix, placement of instruments. Too bad the end piano didn't come in earlier, though, it could bring a bit more "hope" in the last stand, imho. 

Did you make this for a project? All I could see were rolling credits at the end, or a very long panning of a landscape with armies after the battle. I think if this would accompany a clip, probably needs a bit more dynamics. A lot happens in 4:00 minutes in any kind of movie nowadays... 

Others will probably share more helpful tips! 

Regards,

Andre


----------



## mwarsell (Jul 22, 2015)

Cool atmosphere, nice track. However, after the 2 min climax nothing new is brought to the table and it just keeps jarring on and on. I think a change in key, instrumentation or something would breath some fresh air to the piece.

[disclaimer: listening on crappy iphone speakers]


----------



## roknardin (Jul 23, 2015)

creativeforge said:


> I'm not a real composer, but I like it. Listening through studio headphones, I personally really liked the mix, placement of instruments. Too bad the end piano didn't come in earlier, though, it could bring a bit more "hope" in the last stand, imho.
> 
> Did you make this for a project? All I could see were rolling credits at the end, or a very long panning of a landscape with armies after the battle. I think if this would accompany a clip, probably needs a bit more dynamics. A lot happens in 4:00 minutes in any kind of movie nowadays...
> 
> ...


Thank you for your kind reply. No this was not made for a project it's just a standalone composition.


----------



## roknardin (Jul 23, 2015)

mwarsell said:


> Cool atmosphere, nice track. However, after the 2 min climax nothing new is brought to the table and it just keeps jarring on and on. I think a change in key, instrumentation or something would breath some fresh air to the piece.
> 
> [disclaimer: listening on crappy iphone speakers]


Thanks for the reply. Yes it is kinda repetitive. I will take notes


----------



## FriFlo (Jul 23, 2015)

It ain't bad, besides I am currently a little fed up with those epic tracks, but that is just my personal taste ... Apart from that, you really need to get rid of the sucking in between the long string sustains.


----------



## creativeforge (Jul 23, 2015)

Ah, yes, I noticed that too, what FriFlo is pointing at is - you have a polyphony problem that is quite evident in some places. Maybe lift your foot off the sustain pedal when changing chords.


----------



## FriFlo (Jul 23, 2015)

I don't think it is dropouts due to voice count, as I understand you. It is more likely bad programing (or playing) of the melodic lines with sustain patches (high strings and horn ensemble). Try to get those notes connected in a more natural way. It just sounds unnatural.


----------



## ryanstrong (Jul 23, 2015)

FriFlo said:


> Apart from that, you really need to get rid of the sucking in between the long string sustains.



Yeah the sucking stood out to me. What is this from? Too much compression? Or just programming?


----------



## NoamL (Jul 23, 2015)

Nice chord progression. And very nice reverb, what are you using?

Your samples are letting you down starting with when the horns come in (but it's apparent a bit earlier as well). 

Real strings and horns have a much more immediate *attack*. All of your attacks are swelling behind the beat, it sounds like either your samples are ADSR enveloped with the attack too high, or you're even side-chain compressing them like an EDM track.

If it's inherent in the samples themselves, you can always use a MIDI track delay signal and time it so they hit the beat properly.


----------



## roknardin (Jul 24, 2015)

NoamL said:


> Nice chord progression. And very nice reverb, what are you using?
> 
> Your samples are letting you down starting with when the horns come in (but it's apparent a bit earlier as well).
> 
> ...


For the reverb I used valhalla room. I think I automated the velocity of the instruments in a wrong way, that's why it sounds so unnatural and they don't have attack.


----------



## ClefferNotes (Jul 24, 2015)

Very nice track great job! I definitely agree about the string sucking effect but that is VERY easily rectified. A technique I learned back when I used Logic Pro X stock string samples was to increase the release time of the samples a tiny amount and lengthen the string notes so they overlap slightly to give less of a ducking edm sound. Other than that, the piano line is really nice blending with the really good chord structures and background ambience. The choral ending was also really dramatic and worked really well! Superb job!

Well done!


----------



## roknardin (Jul 24, 2015)

ClefferNotes said:


> Very nice track great job! I definitely agree about the string sucking effect but that is VERY easily rectified. A technique I learned back when I used Logic Pro X stock string samples was to increase the release time of the samples a tiny amount and lengthen the string notes so they overlap slightly to give less of a ducking edm sound. Other than that, the piano line is really nice blending with the really good chord structures and background ambience. The choral ending was also really dramatic and worked really well! Superb job!
> 
> Well done!


Thank you for your kind reply. I'm glad you liked it


----------



## MeloKeyz (Aug 24, 2022)

7 years later 2022, Rok Nardin is a big composer now


----------



## PeterN (Aug 26, 2022)

MeloKeyz said:


> My question marks aren't for the honest feedback itself, I love honest feedbacks.
> 
> My question marks are for a feedback to a 7 yrs old track when the composer was young and I just posted that the young composer became pro now. I bet Nardin already fixed these issues in this old track and moved on to release his entire album lol


Yea, I checked the Soundcloud. He has developed a lot regarding sound quality and making chords more interesting. There is, however, still space left.

good post btw


----------



## MeloKeyz (Aug 26, 2022)

PeterN said:


> Yea, I checked the Soundcloud. He has developed a lot regarding sound quality and making chords more interesting. There is, however, still space left.
> 
> good post btw


Not only that! The dude writes for Really Slow Motion 
Nardin is really a success story in my view


----------



## MeloKeyz (Aug 26, 2022)

Shit! The dude is on IMDB too https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11153840/


----------



## MeloKeyz (Aug 26, 2022)




----------



## PeterN (Aug 29, 2022)

@roknardin

Why dont you share your success story - just for general value/entertainment - since the thread woke up. (assuming it is a success).

Did you give a bunch of red envelopes under table or is father CEO at Blackrock or Vanguard?

Jokes aside, you got the magic wand now to make this thread interesting: "the thread of the month"


----------



## roknardin (Aug 29, 2022)

PeterN said:


> @roknardin
> 
> Why dont you share your success story - just for general value/entertainment - since the thread woke up. (assuming it is a success).
> 
> ...


Lol this thread gave me a good chuckle. Haven't been here in a while.

7 years ago was basically when I started making orchestral music, now I mostly do trailers and release music on yt/spotify. 

Here are some of the principles I follow:
1. Make every next track at least 1% better than the last one in some way
2. Compare your tracks to the best in the business ruthlessly in every way and be honest with yourself that you probably suck.
3. Once you identify areas in your tracks you could improve - for example drums, work on that until they sound the same as your reference tracks. (Never say ah it's good enough when it's mediocre. This process might take years. Took me 2 years of working and improving my drums until I got to a point when I was satisfied with them - exhausted all ideas on how to improve them more)
4. Trailer music is like cooking. If you have shitty ingredients you can only make a mediocre meal out of them even if you are the best chef in the world. So focus on making all your individual ingredients (sounds) really good on their own and then combine them together to make an amazing track. 
5. Learn every aspect of music making. From sound design, synths to mixing, mastering. A good mix starts with your first sound. If the arrangement is not good you mix can be mediocre at best.


----------



## MeloKeyz (Aug 29, 2022)

@roknardin Keep it up man, you have a fan here


----------

