Contemporary Pop

[AM:PM]

I just did my first attempt at a mainstream pop song. Am on shaky ground there, so I wouldnt mind a review or two.

The song is available here. Please bear in mind that I wrote the song with a female singer in mind. Anyway never mind my voice(s)

Constructive reviews most welcome

Kind regards

Patrick

[hawkan2580]

Available where? Happy to give feedback from a producer point of view but.... no link!

[Krummhorn]

AM:PM ...

If you want a url link inserted in that post, just PM me with the details and I'll edit that posting.

[C5Says]

You actually just have to type in the link and it will be automatically a hotlink.

[AM:PM]

My bad- I never saw that. Anyway here is the link to my audio page.
The song is called Magic Of you . Its the second on the list. Thanks to Hawkan, Krummhorn and C5Says for pointing out the missing link.

[C5Says]

Patrick...that's your name, right?
I'm listening to it right now...

[AM:PM]

Thats right Patrick is my name. Thanks for responding and listening.

Cheers

Patrick

[hawkan2580]

Alrighty,

Firstly, I want to have said that if the song showed no promise or I disliked it, I wouldn't bother commenting at all, so keep in mind when reading the rest that overall, I like it (just to get clear on the fact that even if I'll be coming with a few suggestions for changes, it doesn't mean that the equation of good/stuff for improvement is as it might look).

A question as well, although I will comment on it anyway..did you mean just commenting on song writing/arrangements or production too?

My main "concerns" have to do with production, not arrangement or song writing.. The main thing I'd do differently is adding harmonies in the backing vocals on the last "It's the magic of you" in the chorus.. coming from unison and spreading out into harmonies in the end will create a lift which serves the song well when backing off for the next verse, accentuating the different parts a bit more clearly.

In terms of production, it is a bit flat. I'd mix it a bit more imagining the sound room in 3d.. Basically, making sure that some of the synth sounds don't clash with each other frequency wise. By putting some carefully selected high/low pass filters on them, you'd gain more clarity... perfect example is between the "rhythmic synth a la electric piano" verses bass parts + the FX pitched synth part (A high pass filter on that would do wonders).. basically, take off some higher end bits from the bass parts, do the reverse on the rhythmic part and make sure that is mainly driven in the mid frequency range of say 600-8000hz (with a scoped out bit around 1200-3000hz to leave room for the vocals, which is fairly mid ranged...) and leaving the top end for the fx part.

I would also not be afraid to pan things a little bit harder just to create space for the vocals a bit more.. which would create greater clarity without compromising things.

The drums are a matter of taste.. I personally would have created a bus and sent the whole lot to it, put a high pass filter set on refusing everything under 12000hz.. put a distortion on + compressed the **** out of it.. move the fader to 0 and slowly move it up just until you can hear it open up the drum sound + creating a bit of an edge to it. (a trick to create a high end "sparkle" and get some definition into the kit back.. often when hearing the kit in mix it sounds a bit muddy compared to when soloed.. this "restores" the kit in the mix). Personally, I don't like things as dry as you seem to do.. but that is a matter of taste (or lack of good reverb).. I wouldn't be afraid to use some short reverb and some delays set on extremely short time and almost 0 feedback to get some room into it without sounding like you have applied reverb.. using a delay for this task has the benefit of not mudding up things, still create a sense of room without sounding like a reverb. Very useful on things like the rhythmic parts...

I would also be careful about the placement/sound of the backup vocals.. I often find that it actually can help the mix overall to not strive to make the backing vocals sound as good (from a strict sound perspective, not performance) as you can.. I often use a lesser microphone deliberately, or take off a lot of bass and top end.. making some of the backing vocal takes extremely mid driven.. especially if they are sung at the same time as main vocals.. otherwise, they are competing in the same spectrum as the main vocals and thus, mudding things up..

from an arrangement point of view, there is a difference of making a homeage tribute to a certain era and sounding too much like it.. I am afraid that you are all over the border with this one.. it sounds (not the song itself, just the sounds chosen) a bit like it could have been recorded in 83-86. I would retain some of that feel but also try modernize it a bit.. based on genre (and as much as I don't like using much of it) maybe put some loop driven rhythmic things in or, alternative, use a more contemporary sound in there for some parts to off set the 80's feel.

But as I started out saying, overall it has good potential and I am only saying these things from the aspect that I would take as a producer.

Cheers and best of luck with it.. if you want more close analysis and suggestions, let me know.. it is hard to know just how much people want to hear... sometimes, I have found that people ask for feedback when they really only want to hear good things, not areas for improvement..

[AM:PM]

Hawkan- Thanks for listening and responding. And yes I liked your review, its more than just a part on the back but one with some really nice pointers. I am very interested in a close analysis and suggestions. I'll respond to you later with a pm after having digested your suggestions

Kind regards

Patrick