Trance trouble

[Gps]

I am trying to make a trance track, but seem to fail horrible.

https://soundcloud.com/user586365033/trance-test

What am I doing wrong ?

A few examples on what I looking for: ( they might not be trance at all, but give a good example of what I am after, comments on if this is trance also apreciated )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCJreHJ6yqU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct_5jJV80dw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlBHY_gLsA0


I have been listening to a lot of this type of dance music.
Claps and hi hats seem to be very important, and a fat bass.

[T0NIT0RMX]

I am trying to make a trance track, but seem to fail horrible.

https://soundcloud.com/user586365033/trance-test

What am I doing wrong ?

I have been listening to a lot of this type of dance music.
Claps and hi hats seem to be very important, and a fat bass.

Hey Gps ! I'm not a Trance specialist but maybe I can help !
I listened to the your track and to the 3 YT links, you are not very far of Trance but you could improve some little points to unleash the "trance character" of your song !

First, you need a clean kick, not too weak not too much bassy, you can find some free packs on musicradar (just for the percus like kicks, snare, hihats etc..) http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/sam ... les-223498

Also I have the feeling your track is a little slow, how much BPM's is it ?

Your bass is too loud and notes are too long, you could try to shorten notes and lower the Sub frequencies of your bass,
Do you use sidechain ? If not, i suggest you to try to add some SC on the bass so it will not "cover" the kick when it hits.

I hope my advices will help you because I really like the melody, It will be a nice trance track

Let me know if you have questions or when you have improve your song !




EDIT : I also find this tips to make trance, that might be helpful -> http://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/ ... tips-34006

EDIT2 : I made you a "remake" of Call It Sunrise, (just the beat actually, I don't made the right synth) -> https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/399 ... ForGPS.wav Is it this way you would like your song to sound ?

I also tried to use your melody with this beat and it sounds pretty good and trancy-> https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/399 ... orGPS2.wav

I can give you the projects if you need

[brandystarbrite]

This trance test track sounds pleasant.
But it's definitely not trance music.
Your last track sounded more like trance music. The spacey kind.

However, after listening to the melody of this new trance test track etc. I would say, you are on to something.

Use this track as a reference Gps.
This space trance techno track is a classic one.
And my fav too.
Try to pick out the synth sounds, used in this track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6b3OYRKQ9Q

Enjoy the vid too.
I'll be back.

[Gps]

Thank guys, and yes that is the sound I am kinda looking for.

Boom clap boom clap, it sounds so easy lol.

It seems to have a more simple lead then mine and more repetitive, something to think about.

Interesting also that link, I will bookmark it

@ Brandy, I have started to make trance tracks many times already but always end up with something not really trance. This time I refuse to give in.

Was already wondering about using different synth sounds, thank you too.

lmao at trance for gps 2 It seems I am on the right way, but my percussion needs to most work it seems.

[T0NIT0RMX]

yes that is the sound I am kinda looking for.
Boom clap boom clap, it sounds so easy lol.

Glad to hear And yeah ! It sounds easy but actually it's not that easy I had to cut some of the hihats and other little tweaks to make it sound trancy, the bass is very important also, I put a TranceGate (included in T-Force Alpha Plus VSTi) and a SC to get that pumping trance bass, I did it quickly so the bass notes are too "sharp" in the demo I made for you, it would need a soft but strong bass.

The lead is very important, it needs to be "airy" (like feeling really light), try to use reverb/delay on it ! and make short notes, they will sound longer with the reverb/delay.

It seems to have a more simple lead then mine and more repetitive

Not really simple but more airy I guess, it have to be repetitive to sound like trance but you should add lots of small variations to make it fitting your style & not boring !

Was already wondering about using different synth sounds

Great idea ! I really suggest you to try T-force Alpha Plus which is a synth designed for trance music ! (Even if it is similar to Sylenth1 (but free) and you can get any sound out of it )

lmao at trance for gps 2 It seems I am on the right way, but my percussion needs to most work it seems.

Haha ^^ I did it quickly don't laught at me :p It was to show you some tips & stuff !
I don't know if the problem comes from percussion only, actually, as music is a "whole thing" the percussions, the bass, the leads etc needs to work together, and that's really hard sometimes, but don't give up, we're here to help if you need

[Gps]

I need to learn most right now about why trance is trance disco is disco and so on.
And making good drum and bass lines, is also were I still struggle a lot.

I wish I knew were to find that tv program I saw many years goo. It was a small band and every episode was about different music.
From what I remember they did disco funk reggae, rock and hard-rock.

My track is at 128 bpm, but I agree it sounds slow.

[slipstick]

This is the most detailed Trance tutorial I've found...don't know if it will help.
http://howtomakeelectronicmusic.com/tra ... g-progress

Steve

[Gps]

@ T0NIT0RMX, I was btw not laughing at you, I was laughing because you used "my" melody to make trance in a relative short time were I failed.

@ slipstick thank you, this should help too.

[musikbear]

I have been in exact same posistion, and i am not really 'there' yet imo, but there are some elements that are almost mandatory in trance.
LeadIn:
You like to give the dj a neat lead-in, where he can cross-mix from previous track to yours. That is quite often just the kick, and perhaps a 'sandy' reverb

Filter-sweeps
You (almost) -must- use automation and slowly filter a arp or a rolling bass-line over 16 or 32 bars. Usage of these automated filter-sweeps is almost the hallmark of trance. In old-school it is almost always LP-filter, in newer industrial and Goa it is also HP sweeps

Percussion
Thats your drive!
You need a very good percussion!
You should spend at least as long on percussion, as you do on any other element. Uninteresting percussion, and your track is -dead- :p
Always have your kick as the dominant element. I think i did some setup in the 'mixing' videos, where i set hats at percentage of kick aso. This balance is also important

but

MELODY
Without a good melody, you do not have a good track. It is that melody that all need to run with! Your arp plays with it, the lead fabulate around it, and the pads follows it, and laydown the whole wibe.
I think you have a piece @0:42. That could be a theme for a whole track

:Steve

's
Link is pure gold. That is the structure of trance!

[Gps]

Thank you muscibear.

You answered a question I had after reading that link. ( Automation and filters to create a build up )

I am far from done but still in shock about some part, for now I mostly changed the intro.

Kick hi-hat, kick hit-hat and so on. This change already made it much more trance like.
Using three kicks together making sure the kick and hi hats are always there. ( changed the kicks a bit by making the hold and decay shorter. They seem to be very dominant in trance.
Noticed this while listening to different trance tracks. Claps are also used a lot. (boom clap boom clap)

Still have to figure out how and were to use arpeggios. I do have a build up, the melody using more and more notes.
It does not sound bad, but if its really trance ? Prob not. Trance seems to have one melody part repeated over and over. Kicking in after the break.

I am off course free to not follow the rules exactly but don't want to do that for now. First need to understand it better.
Learn the rules and then forget them, as that one link explains.
Funny how hard it is to make music that sounds so simple.