New ambient electronica "Cathedral" ; feedback wanted :-)

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Today I was still working on my new album "Dark sun".
The result is a pipe organ piece called "Cathedral"

https://soundcloud.com/musikus/cathedral

I would be happy about your feedback. :-)

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I just uploaded a new version of the song.

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I now added a new church bell. I think that it sounds better than the first one.
Last edited by Gucky on Mon Dec 22, 2014 9:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

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My 2c:
- The drums add absolutely nothing to the song. In fact I think they are a minus and sound like some bad 1970s drummer has intruded on the session
- EQ out some of the repeating piercing highs

It almost has a feeling of Phillip Glass but doesn't change around enough. Maybe vary that initial sequence a bit and add some melodic surprise in the second half - or at least pump up the bell.

Perhaps you could stop everything for a moment about two-thirds in and hold some big change chord, then return to the theme?

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Agree with spirit about the drums, they don't fit in the track.
It could be better to accentuate the tempo with a brass chord or a bass or something like that. IMHO.
Seems your still working on this so, no comment about the EQ. It will come later.

It sound more cinematic than ambient to me. If that's what you want, the organ need more reverb and you can use orchestral percussions, timpani, etc ...

It's just my personnal opinion, it's still your music and your choices.

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The song was intended as a little tribute to Phillip Glass.

Many thanks for your help.
It is very useful for me. :)
I think I will make a new version in the next days without drums and change some things.
More the next days.

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I made now a new version of the song.
It has now no drums and it is much longer.
It also has now a part of silence to get a better dramatic and a church choir at the the end.
Last edited by Gucky on Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

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I really liked this. Very moody and sweet at the same time.

I thought the choirs worked, no problems there, although, myself, I'd want some kind of electronic choir there, or something that would make it less 'real' at the end, if you know what I mean. Some kind of ring modulated bells where you play with the frequency slowly, some other atmospheric pad to finish it of, rather than the real sounding choirs and bells (although, there is nothing wrong with them, they do work).

Part of me wants to do a remix of this and add a more gritty electronic sound at the end...


By the way, your track is called 'Cathedral' and coincidentally I posted a track with the same title some time ago. :-)
A very different approach to the Cathedral 'vibe': Roland SH-2, Arturia Minibrute improvised live, with overdubbed Alchemy choirs:

http://www.electric-himalaya.com/music/Cathedral.mp3
http://www.electric-himalaya.com
VSTi and hardware synth sound design
3D/5D sound design since 2012

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Hi himalya,
I just listened to your "Cathedral" song.I am very impressed.
I never thought before that three synth sounds can make a such fantastic song with a very meditative mood. :-)

I now made a new version of my song. Your tips are very helpful. Thank you! 
Starting from 2:16 now the song morphs from an chuch organ piece to a combination of natural and synthetic sounds.
Last edited by Gucky on Wed Dec 24, 2014 6:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

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This is better now.

The new synth sweeps really add more depth and drama, especially right at the end - the very ending is superb, great sound. And I like how you introduce the new synth sweep at 2:19. Very smooth!

I'm not sure about the high pitched synth (starting at 3:36min) as it reminds me a bit of the Scottish bagpipes, but it's no biggie.

On a technical note I can hear the compressor working on the choirs, which can be heard at 3:21 when the first appear. It sounds 'suffocated'.
http://www.electric-himalaya.com
VSTi and hardware synth sound design
3D/5D sound design since 2012

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I didn't hear the earlier versions, so I can only say that I listened to the final version just now, and found it to be well-balanced and interesting throughout.

Side note: it sounds like you got some good advice here, and knew what to do with it--that's a rare skill that bodes well for your future music making as well.

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Hi jopy,
many thanks for your feedback.

You are right, I like to get advice from other musicians. It makes my music better. :-)

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Hi himalaya,
many thanks for your help. :-)

You are right with the choirs. It sounds overcompressed. The problem for me was that the choir cannot be heard without compression. But now I lowered the compression a little bit.
The high pitch synth is a famous PPG choir sound. But it sounded like a bagpipe in that context.
I added now orchestral percussions at the end and also 4 bars more.
I think that it has now a complete morph from a church organ piece at the beginning to a cinematic sound at the end.

Here is the new version:
https://soundcloud.com/musikus/cathedral

I would be happy about your feedbacks.
I wish you and all members of kvraudio a merry christmas. :-)

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