Beat This! Competition - July 26-27, 2023
- Thread starter Fade
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Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
There's so much work that's gone into this system to make it anonymous, efficient, and mostly automated. Calling it rigged is ridiculous. I've done all I can to make sure it's fair, even years ago before this system I've had to deal with cheaters and whatnot.
I liked your track, knew it was you, was tempted to vote for it, but when I got to the originality question, it became a toss up between Bandia and Groove Genius. Would have voted for Groove Genius but like I said, couldnt make out an acoustic piano, heard plenty of electric piano. So went with @Bandia Gotach in the end due to the out of the box style of his track, it had an originality about it, and if that low piano panned right on it was centered or just slightly right it would sound so much better
You tell me, but we had a guy literally scouring the internet for other peoples beats to pass off as his own, and he did it for years. I cannot begin to fathom the mentality that would do that.What would be the purpose of cheating? The winner get's a little ego boost and that's about it
VVS
Banned
Battle Points: 133
Since you asked...the piano volume was a tad high and too harsh to my ears on the high notes. A little more control over the harmonics would've smoothed out the high end. Lacking low end bass...didn't have any oomph.
VVS
Banned
Battle Points: 133
InsideOutBeats
ILLIEN
Congrats @Bandia Gotach on the win. Couldn’t enter comp, vote or listen as away with work til Saturday
Fade
The Beat Strangler
Administrator
illest o.g.
Also, what would be the point in complaining about the voting system? Ego boost I suppose.What would be the purpose of cheating? The winner get's a little ego boost and that's about it
This is ironic... as to me, the bass is sounding overbearing. It's sounding bassier than any of the other mixes (minus maybe 1).
The piano is likely so... the treble was too much in monitor mix. Was too lazy to split it and lower it, but sounded alright and quite low back in headphone mix, I ended up brightening it.
Only thing I did different this time, was I didn't go back to my monitors after the headphone mix. Odd tho. My monitor - headphone thing was working well. But like I said the mix sounding completely different after export.
I also used a different limiter (which shouldn't have changed much)
V.J. Retro
The silent beat assassin
I couldn't even if I wanted to. No wi-fi but if I participate in the talent show in a few months, I will. lol
What were your thoughts about originality in regards to mine?
Also, care to give your thoughts on the mix?
It's sounding completely different to me after export so I need to investigate what happened - but still curious how the mix sounds to other trustable ears.
Originality is not great tbh, while you make an amazing facsimile of an early 90's Ice Cube type beat, thats not original. Its copying aka biting. Personally I think its time you expanded your hip hop horizons a bit, and study some of the east coast hip hop and incorporate some of that into your style. I think you still need to find yourself and express yourself as I havent heard you yet, only a tiny subset of hip hop from the 90's that was made by others and which you have become very good at recreating the sound of.
Just being 100%, not trying to piss anybody off or hurt feelings. I want you to grow as an artist and not be stuck in 1993.
Mix feedback will come in a few, I just got up and need a joint and a coffee.
Ironically I weren't trying to make that type of beat.
I'm trying to make this other style which is like modern, but is also a throwback to 80s electro funk etc. But my HipHop side often influences it too too much which then makes it sound that way haha. I could literally link you all my influences for the beat, and not a single one is hiphop!
I used to also make a lot of VA type stuff... Timbaland / Pharell type of stuff.
Currently tho, I've gravitated towards doing what feels fun. Otherwise it's 'just make trap' (Which you know our thoughts), or if I made East type stuff, then similarly it's 'already been made'.
Even non-hiphop artists I tend to like are just aesthetic throwback ripoffs.
I currently actually listen to music thay doesn't really have a genre ... jazz, funk, disco, electro sometimes hiphop kind of soup. So that's what I'm making. The sounds are grounded in 80s.
I don't think there's any originality in music anymore, not as an insult. Just I dunno. Name me something 2023 that's original
Even here, I cant really say any music here is original. So I've partly let go of that- unless it's generic-core levels of trap.
Appreciate your feedback
@Iron Keys Right, onto the mix. Before I get to the mix I just want to say, I love the composition, you have become a master of capturing this style and is why I think its time for you to expand your toolset. I think if you just changed up some of the sounds being used from your standard west coast patches then I think more of you will come through.
Maybe the bass could be a bit thicker, and you could do some side chained eq/compression in the higher frequencies too as you have the piano and the west coast synth sharing frequency range, id probably stick a compressor on the west coast synth triggered by the piano, so the synth doesnt mask the piano.
Apart from that its a great beat, and the only thing Id mark it down for is originality.
We are all inspired by others, but we really need to find ourselves and make our own mark in this world. Its all well and good sounding like somebody else, but you will never make your own mark while stuck in somebody else's shadow. If somebody want's a Pete Rock beat, they go to Pete Rock, if they want a Dre beat they go to Dre, same with Timbaland, and on and on and on. Make people say "I want an Iron Keys beat" and make them your own.
Maybe the bass could be a bit thicker, and you could do some side chained eq/compression in the higher frequencies too as you have the piano and the west coast synth sharing frequency range, id probably stick a compressor on the west coast synth triggered by the piano, so the synth doesnt mask the piano.
Apart from that its a great beat, and the only thing Id mark it down for is originality.
We are all inspired by others, but we really need to find ourselves and make our own mark in this world. Its all well and good sounding like somebody else, but you will never make your own mark while stuck in somebody else's shadow. If somebody want's a Pete Rock beat, they go to Pete Rock, if they want a Dre beat they go to Dre, same with Timbaland, and on and on and on. Make people say "I want an Iron Keys beat" and make them your own.
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Appreciate it!
Not sure re the bass. Chucked a pretty toney compressor on it hit with two stages of compressed. Also hit it with some tape saturation too.
In my headphones my bass is sounding the biggest here (in a Not good way). So not sure whats going on tbh. My monitoring for this things didn't seem to translate well.
Really tempted to try out Slate VSX. But I just don't know...
I really need to get a sub tbh, I often dont know how bad my low end is until I get to the studio. While the IN-8's have a good bass, they are 8 inch speakers and not subs so can be a little misleading, but I think my ear for bass is improving, I think lol.
id rather save another 150 and spend that on actual monitors. Headphones dont give a true stereo representation as you cannot hear in the left whats coming out the right and vice versa. Id have a pair of DT 770's, 880's or 990's just for a/b'ing a mix in headphones to see how it translates.
VVS
Banned
Battle Points: 133
Just make the music YOU think is fun. There's no need to find a "unique sound" unless you sell beats for a living. My influences are DJ Premier, Timbaland, Danjahandz and the Neptunes. If my beats start sounding too much like them then great!. For me it's about having fun and expressing myself through sound. What I appreciate is feedback on things that we can all improve on like mixing/mastering. I can shit on everyone's beat and give an honest opinion but that's not productive and that's not what I need to hear from anyone on this forum either unless I specifically ask for your input.
Yeah my headphones are extra bassy (like some +20DB low shelf or something insane.
But it's good because it gives the vibe of club speakers. So if your bass is too runaway you will reaaally hear it and the clashes.
However I realise on phone I have EQd my output. Only a little. But on PC it won't have it. I need to think about that. So far it has worked. I think currently not tho. Not sure about my monitor positioning either.
Re the slates and stereo field, I think they do mimic the cross ear thing. Cause they are supposed to capture the acoustics of the environment they're based on. Concept sounds weird af by me thinking how it would be to use. But so many people swear by it.
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