Impressions Composing Jam : Ambience #4

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A jam submission

Tidal Bore - Impressions Ambient Jam #4View project page

Submitted by evanshmevan — 1 day, 6 hours before the deadline

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Tidal Bore - Impressions Ambient Jam #4's itch.io page

Results

Criteria	Rank	Score*	Raw Score
Correlation to Theme	#18	3.700	3.700
Overall	#21	3.430	3.430
Vibe/Atmosphere	#22	3.650	3.650
Listenability	#22	3.250	3.250
Execution	#23	3.300	3.300
Composition	#24	3.250	3.250

Ranked from 20 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

Description
My submission to the Impressions Ambient #4 composing jam.

To meet the challenge constraints, I composed in A Lydian. I attempted a few versions where I modulated to other modes, but I found it distracting and ultimately settled on the steady arpeggio throughout. I included a few drones: One low synth entrance at the beginning, an extended reverb trail from the strings at the end, and a field recording of a chorus of frogs that appears intermittently throughout.

I'll be interested to hear if folks think this is ambient enough. I was worried these bottles I found on pianobook and the strings were becoming too distracting for ambient music, but ultimately liked how they sounded and felt the pace and atmosphere of the whole thing kept the music in the background. Let me know what you think!

Samples: Picnic Bottle Choir by ockpii, Berlin Free Orchestra, field recordings of frogs, crickets, and canoe paddling done by me.

Link to Streaming Service
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqIfV3Beyts

DAW Screenshot - Demonstrate that this is your own work
on the project page

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Comments

kirrifantSubmitted21 days ago(+1)

Very cool sound design work at the start. Creepy mystery vibes. The panned percussive synths are great and very tastefully made. I also like the flute sound. The strings feel a bit artificial and tiring among the rest of carefully created soundscape. Great mix. The compound time works great to give it a gentle groove, it might be the first one I hear in this jam. Good job.

Submitted

The Secret Lake

KaleOverlordHostSubmitted22 days ago

Frogs are a little too loud and flat, though I think the idea of doing a frog chorus is cool and on point for the theme.

Composition is good and it creates a nice vibe. I think just mixing the elements in space and getting a better handle on spatial mixing would help. L/R is augmented by near/far, which is largely moderated by stereo width, stereo timing to the ears, and wetter reverb with lower delay for far sounds (vice versa for near).

Submitted

The Secret Lake [Host Submission: Disregard Placement]

The Symphonic SquirrelSubmitted34 days ago

Wow! Solid work here. I really love the frogs and crickets! I wish I had used them for mine, but didn't have the time. The paddling is a bit distracting but the strings do give it some weight. I like the feel and sound of it. It gives of a sense of wonder and a journey! Really good job. It does some ambient enough to me. Good work here. I really enjoyed it.

Submitted

A Secluded Lake

JacobMotlMediaSubmitted35 days ago(+1)

I really enjoy the wonder you expressed in the music. The mix blends together really well. Great job!

Submitted

HAQ1Submitted36 days ago(+1)

Serenity, calm, a sense of journey, and at the end, that hint that something is coming really got me. Great work! The strings and the arpeggio sound fantastic. Beyond the instrumentation, I believe ambient is a state of mind, and you absolutely nail it. Well done!

Submitted

HAQ1-The great mistery of the Secret Lake

FoxHyodeSubmitted37 days ago

Unexpected intro with the super cool eerie bass textures then you went for a very smooth melodic track, I was wishing for the eerie bass to come back but you never did it :( , I like the creativity you went for, its very "watery" if I can say so.

Submitted

evanshmevanDeveloper35 days ago

Oooh an eerie bass call back would've been good :/ haha my bad I will bring it back next time

FuhpSubmitted37 days ago (1 edit) (+1)

Hey, thanks again for your feedback.

I don't have much to say, someone already pointed out the SFX, and your track is overall pretty good.

Tbh i did actually noticed how well it's mixed, in a way that i even took some notes of things you did that would be good for my track lol.

In the end i just would say to use more silence between notes, specially in the strings sections or you could even work more with the volumes of each note, automate it or do whatever you think it's better, just to give a more realistic feel for the strings.

Just a final reminder that these are things that i thought i would do. If you made these choices intentionally or if you do find smth that i said helpfull, but done in another way, thats all fine. Smth i want to say in my comments for everyone is that if you received a feedback or saw somewhere a tip or piece of knowledge of some sort, that this is not a rule or pointing that this is wrong, bcs in the end music is art and you really can do whatever you want ;).

Submitted

This Unknowing Lake

evanshmevanDeveloper35 days ago

Yes thank you too! Good reminder to bake in more empty space, I have a big washy reverb on the strings that is probably taking up too much room. Thanks for listening!

kokupoofsSubmitted37 days ago(+1)

Really nice work! I was curious if someone would try to apply something subtly rhythmic to this artwork and theme as I just couldn't imagine it yet. It seems you were able to and I dig it! There was a moment earlier in the track, starting around :35 where the paddles are a bit loud in the mix. Other than that I enjoyed it very much.

Submitted

LateNightGamerSubmitted38 days ago(+1)

An interesting combination of Nature Sounds & Strange and/or unique Textures! It's also interesting to hear that it seems like you used the sounds of waves as a sort of Texture/Percussion, which is pretty unique!

Submitted

TurtleBoxSubmitted39 days ago(+1)

The drone work here is super nice, as are the melodies. I would have lowered the volume on the watery boat sample thing, or at least added something to diminish it's presence in the overall track. I think it works nicely and melodically lines up in the track very well but it feels beefy and bassey and could benefit from being thinned out a little and made a bit wider.

Good work though.

Submitted

The Secret Lake - Ambient Jam #4

evanshmevanDeveloper39 days ago

That's good feedback, I was having a little listener fatigue mixing this one, good to hear what other's ears think. Thanks!!

TurtleBoxSubmitted38 days ago

Listening fatigue sure is a thing! We all suffer from it.

Something I like to do when I'm getting it (especially from mixing) is just go mix something else. Like just open a project you have on the side or open loops or something from a loop pack or whatever and just play around with those.

To me it's like a figet, it gets my mind off my own project mixing while keeping me in the mixing headspace.

warner.roseSubmitted39 days ago(+1)

Sounds like ambient music to me :) The piece sounds pleasantly lo-fi with sounds like the drone and water effects. The water paddling effect sounds great but around halfway the water paddling get faster and to the beat - it sounds interesting but I think it breaks the feeling I'm hearing somebody naturally paddling their canoe if that was the intent. Nice submission!

Submitted

evanshmevanDeveloper39 days ago

Yeah there's another rattle sound that comes in on top of it you're probably hearing. Sounds like it could've been mixed in better. Thanks for listening!