Advice/Pointers for my music, please

[Jeffw]

I'm writing and recording a lot of material for a possible melodic metalcore band, and I do not get much input from my friends because they do not know this style of music. Can you folks here give each of the songs a listen and give me some thoughts/criticism?

Listen Here (http://www.myspace.com/jeffwebbersmusic)

[Munkey106]

Is that you on drums and guitar?

Wow...the guitar is very good! Great metalcore-ness! WOW, this is great! You better start a band!

This really is good. Great melodic metalcore. I'm feelin' the melodicness now! What are you recording this with? How did you record the drums?!?! I have so many questions....

Once agian..this is wonderful. I have listened to all of your songs BTW

[Munkey106]

You are definitely my favorite FS Musician. GREEEEEEEEEEEEEAT Stuff...I'm still wondering how your recorded all this. The tone is perfect.

I'm extra curious about the drums (recording process)

[Jeffw]

Thanks, dude! It's not real drums, but a drum machine of sorts.
For guitar: Fender HSS Strat -> Line 6 Spider II Head (insane setting) -> GuitarPORT (bypass setting) -> My PC (Sonar 6 Pro)
Bass: Same thing, only diff. instrument and amp settings
Keys, Piano, and Acoustic: Casio 800 something-or-the-other -> GuitarPORT (bypass setting) -> My PC -> Dimension Pro Dream synth
Drums: GuitarPRO (PC program used to write MIDI drums) -> Dimension Pro synth (different drum settingss and stuff)

[the EDGE]

You my friend have a very good ear, and you should move to washington and hook up with this band IFBUTFORONE...lol....your music is very good and very "tight" man! Just keep going.....maybe turn down the drums just a bit to allow the guitars to ring! Excellent!

[Munkey106]

Can you explain [briefly] how you do the drums? Is it free? Is it hard? Does it take a long time?

[the EDGE]

Dave, I bet it takes forever, unless he just writes loops which is what I think he is doing, then it just takes a little bit of time to create the measure needed. He did a fantastic job though! I commend him for that!

[Munkey106]

What I really want is just a simple "2-step" beat, a simple "breakdown" beat, and a simple "circle pit" beat....that's all I want :(!!!!

Then I can just mess around with 'em (speed 'em up, slow down, loop, etc). I have Sony Acid Music Studio 6.0. I'm sure it's a lil more complicated than that tho :D

[Jeffw]

I don't use loops. Loops would never work for this. the way I write drums is actually very wierd. GuitarPro is a program that works like powertab, only it is much nicer. I can write everything out in tabs for every intrument I need, including drums. This means that I literally tab my drums measure by measure for the entire song. 36th fret = bass drum 38th fret = snare 57/49th fret = crashes 52 = china 43-47/toms and so on/so forth. It isn't free. GuitarPro, Sonar 6, and Dimension Pro all cost money.

[Munkey106]

Oh, alright. Thanks and keep up the good work!

[JaQ]

seriously dude, this is some good stuff. you should try programming your drums on Reason. you'll have better drum sounds to choose from than just MIDI sounds. or go with BFD, you can plug your MIDI files into either one.

lots of potential there.

[Jeffw]

Thanks! It really helps to hear that kind of stuff! None of my local friends think it's any good >_<

I like Dimension Pro much more than Reason. A lot of people have never even heard of Dimension, but it's nuts!
Beautiful (http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/DimensionPro/)

[exo]

It's actually really, really good for the style it is. it fits in perfectly with the bands you list as influences.......

[VIA DOLOROSA]

boys got skills, nice stuff, it does sound like every other metalcore band though, i would just try to incorporate your own thing into it, experiment a little bit

[fatalmoment]

Nice piano, I wish other bands used the piano as melodically as you do. What kind of vocals do you think would go with this (hopefully not the high Zao kind all of the time?).
Keep thinking about multiple options (different cymbal sounds, different guitar sounds) like you are. Good job!

[JaQ]

Thanks! It really helps to hear that kind of stuff! None of my local friends think it's any good >_<

I like Dimension Pro much more than Reason. A lot of people have never even heard of Dimension, but it's nuts!
Beautiful (http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/DimensionPro/)

This is the link (http://www.myspace.com/manufraqture) to the stuff we've programmed with Reason and BFD.

[Jeffw]

I have a new song up called "Seventh Seal" go listen!
It's basically Zao... :rolleyes: whatever, I like Zao!

[Greg]

AWESOME!!! Keep up the good work man!

[ToddB]

good stuff, and we're in the same state......... :)

[williamr]

I'm writing and recording a lot of material for a possible melodic metalcore band, and I do not get much input from my friends because they do not know this style of music. Can you folks here give each of the songs a listen and give me some thoughts/criticism?

Listen Here (http://www.myspace.com/jeffwebbersmusic)

Hay MetalTrooper,

I'm not an expert by any means in metal etc. just interested in what it sounded like. I must say, I'm not entirely sure what kind of music yours was, but I digged it.

As far as my thoughts go, I just thought I would add my 2c but remember that I'm not that clued up on this type of music.

I listened to "Like Pages Burning": From what I heard, you seemed to be playing in Bb... Do you have the ability to record a little bass? If you do I strongly suggest adding some in... What I thought it lacked was a little build up, and maybe just an extra layer of sound (If you know what I mean)- the bass would solve that.

I know musicians dont like being told what to do, but I just thought you could try this and see how it sounds:) ....

I thought you could introduce the bass in the 25th bar, which is where you bring in guitar. What I think is very effective is holding the same bass not for a few bars! In this case try holding a G bass note, hitting every beat of the bar(building it up very slowly)...

Then in the 45th bar you could try a simple "walking" bass. At this stage, I think you are using synth bass, thats going (the numbers are the beats):

1-G 2 3 4 / 1 Eb 2 3 4 / 1 D 2 3 4 / 1 F 2 3 4 repeat

What I thought could be effective to add to that is bass like this (Double Time- So two per beat):

1-G 2-G 3-G 4-G / 1-Eb 2-Eb 3-Eb 4-Eb / 1-D 2-D 3-D 4-D / 1-C 2-C 3-C 4-C, SLIDE TO G -REPEAT

Thats really simple, and not for the whole song but anyway. I really enjoyed your stuff, just thought you might like try that!:D

If you cant record bass then just completely ignore this entire post;) :D

[Jeffw]

I love advice, man!

Like Pages Burning is in G minor, which I think uses the same notes as Bb major? I know the 3rd note in a minor scale can be used as a root for a major scale and still have the same notes as the minor scale. Which would make since because the notes you gave me sound good on my bass when I loop/play it. Can you explain the walking part better?

[williamr]

I love advice, man!

haha... well then you a very rare breed as far as musicians go, lol:D I've meet a few... ummm... interesting characters before

Like Pages Burning is in G minor, which I think uses the same notes as Bb major? I know the 3rd note in a minor scale can be used as a root for a major scale and still have the same notes as the minor scale. Which would make since because the notes you gave me sound good on my bass when I loop/play it. Can you explain the walking part better?

Of course its the same as the melodic minor. Sorry I was using my ear, and not my brain:o , I should have realised you were using the minor scale:D Anyway...

It nots really traditional walking bass but similiar. The synth bass you are using is playing on the beat, and holding for the whole bar. Now do that 8 times faster, aka two hits a beat[8 a bar]. (obviously you got to keep the strikes reletively soft or it can get a bit much).

Play exactly the same notes you are playing in the synth bass, except change the F at the end to a C...

I hope that makes it clearer... I gotta hit the sack now, but if you dont understand then i'll try post tomorrow:)

[Jeffw]

So the synth is always whole notes and then there's a regular bass playing the same note only in an an 8th-note pattern and with a changed note in the last measure of the pattern? I think I interpreted that right...

[williamr]

So the synth is always whole notes and then there's a regular bass playing the same note only in an an 8th-note pattern and with a changed note in the last measure of the pattern? I think I interpreted that right...

Yup, thats right, you will have to add it and see how it sounds first, but I think it should work.:o Its quite plain, but sometimes thats better!:)

[Jeffw]

Thanks again for everyone's input. I'm always open for more! Give 'er a listen.