Hello Everybody,
Could You please help me, why my track got hard rejected?
Here’s a SoundCloud link:
I’m still learning what AJ wants/accepts,
I really want to improve!
Thank you for your constructive criticism.
Everybody have a nice day!
Hello! First of all - this is a pretty good track. I don’t think this track deserves for rejection. It positive, not boring, a decent number of different instruments, decent arrangement.
Some reasons that could be the reason for rejection:
Long chord chain - yes, it interesting, but it makes me fill a little bit annoying.
Bass - it needs to be more confident, readable, maybe with another notes and rhythm.
Strange dark reverb - it appears with the bells part and in some other places.
Are you use an EQ on a master channel? I hear some lack of the frequencies in the mid\high mid. My advice to you - don’t use an EQ on a master channel.
Good luck, best regards.
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Thank you very much for your tips!
I will try them out,
I’m not sure if I can change the bell because it is a glockenspiel patch from EWQLSO Silver edition, and unfortunately I don’t have dryer mic positions yet (I have only 1 mic position which is medium-“reverby”), I’ve already tried to reduce the sample release tails inside PLAY player, but it sounded weird, it also shortened the notes themselves,
nowadays I’m planning to get a decent drum library (maybe EZdrummer sale soon? 
(no Superior for me yet, I’m not good enough at mixing yet for that)) because I feel sample library-wise I lack drums the most.
I am using ToneBoosters - Reverb 3, which usually sounds fine with dry instruments, although I tend to cut some highs of that too.
I use only a tiny bit of master EQ, like 1 db cut around 400Hz, I felt that helped, but it looks like I should boost highs a bit instead, thanks for this tip too! I will try this change
Good point on the longer chord progression, I’m trying/experimenting with longer chord-progressions to make thing less boring throughout the whole song, and composing in 8 or even 16 bars blocks, instead of 4 bars, and to me it felt like the longer chord progression gives a little advantage of being less boring, but THAT might be distracting too I haven’t thought about this way, thanks!
I tend to use a limiter on my bass guitar (or synth bass, or any bass really) instead of compressors, because I felt more consistency this way, but if I push it too hard the 8th notes almost sound like just 1 whole note, because the attacks (transients?) of the bass notes starts to disappear.
I’m not sure how to balance or solve this, do you have a tip for treating bass to sound consistent, but still have transients/attacks/notestarts (sorry I don’t know English technical words well)?
also sorry for my long “novel” here, I’m still learning
Have a nice day and thank you for your useful tips!
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No problem=) Check this few short tips=)
About Glockenspiel: may be you will find free and dry samples? You need only the few sounds…
About the bass. Check this video (awesome advice here about compression)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFNMd1J8Bwc
About harmony: try to use different 4bars progressions in one track. I use 2-3 4 bars progression in one corporate track. This trick is more natural to ear than 8-16bars progression.
Example (D-e-b-G; D-e-F#-G; b-G-D-c#) This chord progression used in my Real Estate track.
Best Regards.
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I’ve watched a few videos on compressing/limiting bass before, but I haven’t seen this one yet, and this channel looks like I should watch a few more videos from it, thanks for the link, it is really helpful!
And also thanks for your example! I’ve listened to it, I think I understand now what you mean.
Yes, probably longer than 4 bars-chord-progression is too long for ex. advertisement background music, especially simple corporate style like mine or yours here. Well that was a lesson for me, so thanks for that, I appreciate you took your time to help me, that’s awesome!
I’m trying to learn something new every day,
until next time,
have a nice day!
Edit:
I almost forgot this:
I swear I was thinking about something like this, but I didn’t know how to put it in English, but it is very good to see it, I mean actually read it hear, it confirms my guess, so makes this “lesson” even more valuable. Awesome-sauce!
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I’m glad to hear that you think so 
This is the best approach to our profession, I try to learn something new every day too!
Keep working and good luck!
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Thanks for the bass compression video!
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