New sticky that might be on its way, need some suggestions

steffeeh

New member
So I and one of the mods are discussing the possibilty of making a new sticky for the Showcase-section of the forum (to be exact, I suggested to add this sticky under the EDM/Electronics/Ambient/etc subforum).

The purpose of the sticky is to adress common feedback and common issues in tracks that people link in their threads for feedback.

Why?
Because since the Showcase forum was divided into several smaller ones, all focusing on a limited number of different styles, it's been a lot easier to find and give feedback to styles that you actually want to give feedback on (thank you once again for this!).
This means that I've spent more time giving feedback to tracks, on the EDM/Electronic/Ambient/etc section, and I've started to notice a pattern of reoccuring issues on the tracks.
This means that I (and probably others as well) have to repeat the same point-outs a lot of times, so I thought: hey why not create a sticky for this, so we may quickly refer to it, instead of rewriting stuff or having to find an older post and copy-paste the text. This would also encourage producers to take a look at their tracks for potential issues.

This sticky will highlight actual issues (no personal opinions), as well as mentioning common feedback (that probably are based on personal opinions many times), to encourage the readers to check their music for potential issues before posting (making it easier to focus on artistic stuff when giving feedback instead), as well as preparing them for what common feedback there is, and what more experienced producers often complain about in newer artist's tracks.

To throw some examples of actual issues:
- For FL Studio users: the Fruity-Limiter-on-the-master-squashing-everything-issue: This is a constant problem in many people's tracks, they don't know what the Fruity Limiter on the master is doing (the one that's there by default when FL is started), and can't understand why their music sounds so squashed.
- The issue with listening to your track at a too loud volume: This is the worst and most common issue that I've encountered. Many don't understand what happens when you crank up the volume and how it affects the psychoacoustic perception, and how it affects your personal bond to your track (it makes it harder to have a nonpartial view on your track).
- Scales that are clashing: This happens often when someone shows their new remix, and the vocals have a different scale than the one you're using on the other elements at that moment (I'm no expert in music theory but my whole body shivers when I hear it). Of course sometimes a track's approach may be a bit experimental actually, but it would be good to highlight this to prevent these issues.
- The lack of transitions: This could be caused by personal opinions, some like more while some prefer less, but it would be good to highlight what a transition is since many tracks in the showcase sometimes contain almost no transitions at all.

But wait, there's more!

Anyway, to be a little more clear one last time, in this sticky the writer won't be biased due to any personal taste in music.

The writer will try to be brief about these topics, so the reader may quickly check their music. If they're more curious, they can do a little further research on their own.
And last but not least, the text won't be as chaotic as my post here.. haha. :)


Now, do anyone have any thoughts about this? Any suggestions perhaps on further topics in this sticky, or critique on the whole idea of this? Anything you want to be done differently than described above?
Share your thoughts!
 
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I think it's a very valid idea, since I feel that too.

The only problem I can visualize is that stickied threads tend to be left there, at the top of the list, untouched.

What I mean is: we have recurring threads asking the same things over and over again ("what is the best DAW?"; "what is the best VST to achieve [insert producer name here] sound"; "what is mastering?"), when a simple search could help.

This could happen to this stickied thread as well: people won't read it, because the more important thing is how many people will listen to you song, and give feedback. It's the "race for attention", IMO.

If there's a way to direct people to the stickied thread before posting the track, then I think it should be fine.
 
Can you number them so if I'm giving feedback, I can say: I think you should look at number 2,4 and 5 on the common mistakes thread at the top of the forum.
 
Does anyone have any suggestions of a topic (issue or common feedback) that you think should be included?
 
Is this an exert from a book your about to publish, steffeeh, and could you identify who the we are? are the 'WE' going to arbitrate the validity of every question that passes through this forum, without sounding like a boys club. Important music is fun, and I don't see Joe Pensado palming the music community off with a sticky, although it's not for me to complain, I know if things went tit's up, I'd be shrewd enough to start posting threads under an alias with questions that are relevant to my own answers, but that's just me, I can be a bit devious like that, and on ocassion, just a teeny bit sly.:)
 
It's nice to have recieved a personal message from Band Coach over my recent concerns with the implementation of a sticky.

Please totally disregard my comments about the 'We'/ boys club, put it down to semantics or something, English not being Steffee's native tongue, that's not a slurr at Steffee, if you've read his detailed and sometimes complexed replies, you'd contest, he articulates/ executes the technical side of sound engineering and music production with surgical precision.

As for falsifying threads under an alias, it creates more work for the moderaters and perpatrator's will be dealt with firmly, so please, please don't do it.:angel:

As for the sticky initiative, let it roll, so long as it doesn't alienate the inexperienced or prohibit the enthusiastic.
 
Sorry I actually forgot to reply.

To be honest, I really don't get what you're trying to say...

What's all that with the "falsifying threads under an alias"-thing?

As for my english, I just happen to type that way.
 
Steffee, I don't try to say anything, your a smart guy, I hope your ideas work out just fine.

Band Coach was kind enough to reply to my post, the falsifying threads thing was put to bed with his message.

It was never specifically aimed at any individual, read my posts, it was written to deter forum users from being daft enough to copy the silly idea from my first post. 'I just happened to type that way'.
 
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