hello. i'm a long time finale user. i thought i'd share some of my songs with you. i had a finale 2007 and now i have a finale 2009 (a legit one from a school bookstore ;)).

i thought about what to submit for my first impression.... and i decided to be little silly. this piece is appropriately titled "there's no me in amigos"

this piece actually has a story behind it. first, there is a guy (piano) who likes to be alone. then he encounters a big dude (bass guitar). the guy kinda startles because the big dude just came out of nowhere. the big dude is accompanied by a ditsy girl (celesta). he gets annoyed... but then comes a pretty girl (oboe). the ditsy girl gets jealous and da da da da da. there's some tickling parts and some :bohaha:, and some "don't be so immature" parts. there are some other instruments, but we can just assume that those are "extras" walking around the main characters. hope you like it.

Well, this sure is fun, isn't it? I really like your main theme as well as your interplay between the instruments.

Just a couple things:

--The piano doesn't sound that lonely. But I guess you don't want the overall theme to be moody at all, and if you had some kind of stormy Rachmaninov-esque passages, it would throw off the overall feeling. So whatever.

--It's really hard to distinguish the bass guitar from the piano.

And yes, Finale is awesome. We love it.

Welcome to Ichigo's!

I absolutely love this, especially with the description. I really just can't get enough of this piece, thank you so much for sharing. I agree with Alfonso. This sure is fun. ^_^

If you have Finale 2009, is there any reason you're not using Garritan sounds?

...yeah, the piano doesn't sound lonely at all >_<

The story fit in perfectly with the music; good job...!

to deathraider: actually i haven't tried to listen to all the instruments in that category... but i do have a piano piece. (also i'm not really used to the new sounds yet).

other than this song i don't really have any other ones in which i used the garritan sound. anyhow... i know the title is a little out of date... but i hope you like this song.

Well you should definitely invest some time in that. This piece that you posted sounds kind of melancholy for Christmas, doesn't it? Also, be careful of your pedal and of your chord spacing when you get down in the lower register of the piano because some spots tend to sound really muddy, which is not generally characteristic of this type of music. For instance, where you write any intervals smaller than a fifth down in the low register of the piano, it sounds muddy. Also, be careful not to have too much leading tone in your dominant chords.

I kind of want to hear some harmonic material that is more distant from the tonic somewhere in the piece, too.

Overall, a nice piece. Why did you end on the iv6 chord, though?

i know it's a custom to start and end with the same note... but i don't know... i just thought it kinda fit.

i know it's a custom to start and end with the same note... but i don't know... i just thought it kinda fit.

Not necessarily "the same note", but iv6 is definitely a weird chord to end on. Hisaishi often ends on weird chords like that. However, I'm not sure it really fits for me in this case...

it seems like you know what you're talking about. what would you have done?... if you don't mind me asking?

Sorry, I just listened again and realized that it is more like a iv6/5 (meaning you have the seventh of the chord in there, but it's still in first inversion). I think I would have resolved the iv6/5 chord to a V chord with a suspended fourth and leave it unresolved. That way, you get the best of both worlds; you get to have the piece feel unresolved as before (not only do you end on the dominant without going back to tonic, but also you have an unresolved non-chord tone as well), and I think it will feel more like there's a purpose behind that feeling as well.

I'm not sure how much music theory you've had, so if you have any questions about what I just said you can ask here or PM me.

that's what i was trying to do... the "unresolved feeling" i think i kinda know what you're talking about. i took an intermediate piano class... and yet i'm not sure i know what you're talking about. heh. i'm more of a do re mi kinda guy.

i just like to thank everyone for their inputs.

Well, a iv6/5 chord would start on "le" (or "fa" if you use "la-based" minor) and then have "do", "me", and "fa" ("la", "do", and "re" in la-based minor), and then the V chord with the suspended forth I was talking about would be "so", "do", and "re" (or "mi", "la", and "ti" in "la-based").

Hopefully that helped instead of making things more confusing? In case you don't know, there are 2 ways of doing minor in solfege (do, re, mi), which are "do-based" and "la-based". For the first("do-based"), you are thinking more about modifying different notes in order to change the traditional major solfege scale to its parallel natural minor scale, which means lowering "mi" to "me", "la" to "le", and "ti", to "te". The resulting scale is "do re me fa so le te do"

For the second ("la-based"), you are thinking more of the relationship between the relative major/minor scales, and so you don't change any of the syllables or the notes they represent, you simply use "la" as the tonal center instead of "do". The resulting scale is "la ti do re mi fa so la". You can also do this for other modes, such as lydian ("fa-based"; "fa so la ti do re mi fa") or dorian ("re" based; "re mi fa so la ti do re"). I personally prefer this method, but that may not be the case for you.

whoa... you crazy deathraider...

That's what happens when you are a vocal/composition major! ;)

hahaha. makes sense to me. still... you crazy

alright... a new piece added to my journal. this is of the side where the sun rises. this is little more serious than the very first piece i submitted. i tried not to make it too boring. anyhow... after the midpoint of the song you might hear the dragon part. enjoy guys.

i got so excited that i forgot to attach the new piece. so here we go again. a new piece is added to my journal. it's little more serious than the very first song i submitted. this is of the side where the sun rises :) hope you guys enjoy it.

i don't know what happened.

this piece is appropriately titled "there's no me in amigos"

this piece actually has a story behind it. first, there is a guy (piano) who likes to be alone. then he encounters a big dude (bass guitar). the guy kinda startles because the big dude just came out of nowhere. the big dude is accompanied by a ditsy girl (celesta). he gets annoyed... but then comes a pretty girl (oboe). the ditsy girl gets jealous and da da da da da. there's some tickling parts and some :bohaha:, and some "don't be so immature" parts. there are some other instruments, but we can just assume that those are "extras" walking around the main characters. hope you like it.

The piano part (or mainly the piece as a whole) brought up, for me, some mood along the lines of Follow the Yellow Brick Road from the Wizard of Oz due to its march-like mood created through the bass line of the piano, and the introduction of new instruments; I didn't really hear the "loneliness."



other than this song i don't really have any other ones in which i used the garritan sound. anyhow... i know the title is a little out of date... but i hope you like this song.

"Christmas" doesn't come to mind to me - the piece sounds like something that could be used as background music in a movie score during which a dark scene is introduced, or perhaps some "sad" vocal solo in some movie, but that's just my opinion. It doesn't help that you use minor-key arpeggios that ascend, which typically has that "sad" suggestion.


i got so excited that i forgot to attach the new piece. so here we go again. a new piece is added to my journal. it's little more serious than the very first song i submitted. this is of the side where the sun rises :) hope you guys enjoy it.

i don't know what happened.

(A side opinion: Do not just put chords and parts of the melody in the strings for the majority of the time. I cannot express how much that bugs me. :heh:)

I can't say too much because I have strong opinions toward this style of music (which will just take over any analysis or criticism I say about it), so I'd rely on someone else. :heh:

Hey! with "serenade", i think the flute can be doubled by an instrument. Maybe violin? Also I would suggest some more rhythmic variety at times. Mostly in the first half. Something the orchestration seems a little weak, that doesn't mean more instruments but the texture dropped in a bad way I think. Also the recording has these random crackles that kill.. hahah.

Eesh... not going easy on the new guy eh... :heh: heh. thanks for the comments though. i do need them. i do want to get better... and i don't wanna be stuck doing the same thing.

this new one is actually somewhat interesting to me. i just wanted to use 3/4 beats and i came up with this.

the story goes... there's a man, a sad man, who's been drinking and going through his old pictures in his study room. it's obvious that he lost his lover. he reminisces of waltzing with her and he breaks down crying (this is the chorus of course) then his lover's spirit shows up and they start to dance once again. the sad man knows this isn't real so he goes berserk in his study room, trashing the whole place (this is the second chorus). During the last half of the final chorus is the part when the sad man sees a window in which he had broken during his mayhem... he steps up.... and stands there tall... and then jumps off.

i don't know what came over me. :huh:

I didn't listen to too much of A Sad Man's Waltz, but try something: if you want to try to create a story out of music, make the story the music, i.e. try giving the instruments "personalities." (This is how I learned to refine my orchestration.) Make them "talk" to each other, personify your music, etc. Try something new.

...The waltz seemed very.. dramatic, but not really that sad... Seemed quite happy near the beginning. However, the ending was brilliant :D

I didn't listen to too much of A Sad Man's Waltz, but try something: if you want to try to create a story out of music, make the story the music, i.e. try giving the instruments "personalities." (This is how I learned to refine my orchestration.) Make them "talk" to each other, personify your music, etc. Try something new.

oh man... i was hoping people would listen to the whole thing.:unsure:
but i understand what you're talking about. that's exactly what i did with There's no Me in Amigos. i started out with the piano and just added different personalities (instruments) to interact with it.

Truth is... i didn't start A Sad Man's Waltz for the story i presented. i just added the story to this song because that's what came to my mind.

and to mushyrulez... thanks for the kind words.

Black, red, and cream with a sun set in a town is what makes me think your waltz. I really like it. :) The piano parts are the only things I could not like from the waltz, and the last notes played.

hello. i'm a long time finale user. i thought i'd share some of my songs with you. i had a finale 2007 and now i have a finale 2009 (a legit one from a school bookstore ;)).

i thought about what to submit for my first impression.... and i decided to be little silly. this piece is appropriately titled "there's no me in amigos"

this piece actually has a story behind it. first, there is a guy (piano) who likes to be alone. then he encounters a big dude (bass guitar). the guy kinda startles because the big dude just came out of nowhere. the big dude is accompanied by a ditsy girl (celesta). he gets annoyed... but then comes a pretty girl (oboe). the ditsy girl gets jealous and da da da da da. there's some tickling parts and some :bohaha:, and some "don't be so immature" parts. there are some other instruments, but we can just assume that those are "extras" walking around the main characters. hope you like it.


Thanks you for the post.
Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.

here's another one. i personally like this one. definitely one of my top 3. i had a hard time coming up with the title though.... and i'm still kinda iffy about it. but i did want this to be like a battle song.

hope you like it.

I like this a lot Ander! It sounds like a very important battle theme, like a battle that was built up in the plot. I like the beginning the most, (sounds like a reed organ?). As for a battle theme it's great, but respectively it gets started sort of slowly. This can be a good thing if maybe there is some character dialogue in the beginning just before the battle (such as in "Kuja's Trance" from FFIX). All in all, I think it's a very good piece. I'm no expert or anything, but my only real complaint is that the percussion doesn't play as big of a role in the song as I would personally have made it. That, however, is only my personal opinion and taste, and doesn't necessarily reflect your skill level.

I'm definitely impressed, and think you should continue to polish this a bit.

I'm hoping to hear more works from you in the future too!

thanks elezeid. the percussion was a spontaneous thing, but i came to like it. you're right about the beginning being a little slow.. but i'd figure that could be like the introduction part to the villains and the heroes of the story.

and it's actually an accordion.

okay... here's another piece. i made this song to make my co worker feel better about her life, hence the title "Happy Adversity". you might think the organ part is a little boring at the end... but i tried to cover that up with a bass guitar. i think this song might be too boring for some of you guys... but it satisfied my itching for composing. i'll tell you what though... that tiny electric guitar part was not easy.

it sounds better when you listen to it loud. :lol:

...I like it. It sounds pretty lonely at the start but then it got upbeat without me even noticing >_>

...I like it. It sounds pretty lonely at the start but then it got upbeat without me even noticing >_>

yeah.... i am a little bit of that lonely... i will post something new next week. perhaps it won't be as lonely as this one.

got two new songs. not much to say about these two. the piano piece was something that i just wanted to try out for i had discovered a new chord progression. And then i wanted to reach out a little further at the end.

listen to them loudly.:heh:

A Road to Forgiven -
What program are you using? I'm not a big fan of the blanket reverb going on here; I would like it much better if the percussion had less reverb than the guitar and piano and some stuff like that, but maybe you are planning on recording this later with a band? Anyway, it's pretty good; it would be a lot more exciting with some live performers and maybe some vocals!

A Kid Who Has Twenty Seven Things to Do -

Either the reverb or the pedal is making this one really muddy. Also, be careful to space things farther apart when you start getting in the lower range of the piano to keep things clear, especially in this type of music.

A Road to Forgiven -
What program are you using? I'm not a big fan of the blanket reverb going on here; I would like it much better if the percussion had less reverb than the guitar and piano and some stuff like that, but maybe you are planning on recording this later with a band? Anyway, it's pretty good; it would be a lot more exciting with some live performers and maybe some vocals!

A Kid Who Has Twenty Seven Things to Do -

Either the reverb or the pedal is making this one really muddy. Also, be careful to space things farther apart when you start getting in the lower range of the piano to keep things clear, especially in this type of music.

you know what... i actually looked into this "reverb" thing on the 'help' menu and i came across this "ambience" thing. now i feel like i got a new toy to play with. lol. however i think i might ruin a piece by doing something wrong with this reverb thing. oh boy...

you know what... i actually looked into this "reverb" thing on the 'help' menu and i came across this "ambience" thing. now i feel like i got a new toy to play with. lol. however i think i might ruin a piece by doing something wrong with this reverb thing. oh boy...

Let me know if you need any help (although I sometimes get a little carried away with the reverb myself XD ).

A Road to Forgiven -
What program are you using? ... but maybe you are planning on recording this later with a band? Anyway, it's pretty good; it would be a lot more exciting with some live performers and maybe some vocals!

i forgot to mention that i use finale 2009. as for the recording... maybe. i don't know anyband or anyone, for that matter, who can play "a road to forgiven". but it is a pretty exciting idea to add vocals and whatnot. that would be so awesome:eek:! i think i'll consider it to be one of my long term goal.

i got a new composition. first it started out as just 'black cat, white moon' but on my birthday one of my coworker bought me a blue parakeet (a budgie) hence the title... "black cat, white moon, blue bird". i personally like this piece.

p.s. i adjusted the reverb for the second piece... and now i like the piece far better. i always thought the piece was good... at least for my level... but i knew something wasn't quite right... and now that i have fixed it... i like it better. thanks deathraider. thanks DEATHRAIDER!

so this is supposed to be another one that i usually do, i guess. hope you guys like it.

This reminds me to the waltz you composed. Probably the similar harmonies. I like this piece. I wish things were not so muddy to appreciate the other instruments better.

"Don't Know" is quite lyrical. I like that. It does seem a bit busy at times, though. Like, I would lose the classical guitar parts. Its timbre just doesn't seem to fit. And whoa! Is this a piece full of paradigm shifts, or what? I was not expecting that hip-hop section. It works surprisingly well with the main theme, though. Props.

This reminds me to the waltz you composed. Probably the similar harmonies. I like this piece. I wish things were not so muddy to appreciate the other instruments better.

i suppose you are quite right on both of the statements. I feel like a failure. lol jk. i actually didn't realize it until you mentioned about being similar to the waltz piece.

as to the Sabio's comment. I actually had this idea of composing a song that sounds like it's been sampled. sort of like a trickery.

thanks for the comments

Another good one.

That said, I can't help but wonder why you always seem to make your compositions sound distant. Personally, and this is just my opinion, but it gets a little irritating after a while. It's not even that bad really until the percussion come in. Having those drums sound so much in the background doesn't sit well with me. It's like... the kick drum is all muted and muddy, for one thing. Same with the cymbals and high-hat, which lack any kind of high-frequency bite.

Again, this is just my opinion and you're obviously free to compose how you want, but I think having stuff buried/distant seems to detract from the composition.

Other than that though, your melodies and progression are pleasant.

^I don't think he can do much with that if he just using Finale soundfont. Unless Finale's reverb help you to lower the whole reverberation?

Another good one.

That said, I can't help but wonder why you always seem to make your compositions sound distant. Personally, and this is just my opinion, but it gets a little irritating after a while. It's not even that bad really until the percussion come in. Having those drums sound so much in the background doesn't sit well with me. It's like... the kick drum is all muted and muddy, for one thing. Same with the cymbals and high-hat, which lack any kind of high-frequency bite.

Again, this is just my opinion and you're obviously free to compose how you want, but I think having stuff buried/distant seems to detract from the composition.

Other than that though, your melodies and progression are pleasant.

hmmm. i always compose with my earphones on... do you think that matters? i'm also very skittish about stepping out of what i've been doing. but i will consider it much more next time... since it's seems to be like a repetitive thing.

hmmm. i always compose with my earphones on... do you think that matters? i'm also very skittish about stepping out of what i've been doing. but i will consider it much more next time... since it's seems to be like a repetitive thing.
For some reason, I doubt that headphones have much to do with it. It's sounds more like some kind of sound effect, as if one were listening at the far end of a large to medium-sized acoustically muffled room. Well, that might not be quite right, but I'm not sure how to describe it better.

So, I don't think there's any need to change your compositional style, if that's what you're skittish about, but rather, to find out what sound effect is being added on to make everything sound so distant, and then modify said effect as necessary.

so this is supposed to be another one that i usually do, i guess. hope you guys like it.

This one caught my eye since I had also "written" (or rather arranged) a piece with a similar name, heh.

I quite enjoyed the contemplative intro, but the piece kind of takes stylistic turns that I wouldn't necessarily find agreeable, heh. The orchestration changes are kind of abrupt too (some gradation in when instruments are added/removed would better the piece in my opinion); it has a sort of montage feel to it right now, for better or worse. But an interesting effort overall, for sure.

i keep getting the upload fail. what gives?

Maybe is too big?

Relevant FAQ section (http://forums.ichigos.com/faq.php?faq=vb3_reading_posting#faq_vb3_attachment s)


In the attachment window you will find a list of the allowed file types and their maximum sizes. Files that are larger than these sizes will be rejected. There may also be an overall quota limit to the number of attachments you can post to the board.
If your file is under the maximum size, then the underlined part might be preventing it. I don't know if the overall quota is actually in place on this board, but it's something to keep in mind if you're sure your file is meeting the individual requirements as outlined in the first two sentences.

Edit in reply to below: The quota limit is for the whole forum, not just per thread, so making a new thread wouldn't help. Only deleting some older unused files to free up space would work.

so i have to make a new thread?

My thread has more stuffs than yours. Try uploading something small and see if work?

You could also try sound cloud: http://soundcloud.com/

I am actually using 83.70 MB from Ichigo's and around the 90% of all that is located in my Thread, the rest is in the music game thread. XD

i already tried attaching smaller things... and they work. but this mp3 doesn't. it's smaller than the other ones i have attached before. Ahh... it's killing me!

oh well.. i decided to give Soundcloud a try (thanks to Nyu)

a little bit about this piece... i consider this piece to be a breakthrough in my understanding of music composition and it all starts from one note around 1:22. that one note changed everything for me.

i tried not to do too much with this piece because i don't want it to be too random, but at the same time i wanted to extend as much as i could.

hope you like it.

Sidewalk ([soundcloud url="http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/sidewalk" params="show_comments=true&auto_play=false&color=42d744" width="100%" height="81" ])

so i have to make a new thread?
It's your total uploads on this whole forum, so making a new thread wouldn't help.

I recommend tindeck (http://www.tindeck.com/) over soundcloud.

ok... i hope this works.

again this piece i consider it to be quite a breakthrough in my music compostion understanding.

i hope you'll like it

Sidewalk (Click here to listen to Sidewalk.mp3)

It's a nice blend of styles. The transitions are good and it seems you're making good use of modulation. I like the variation in dynamics toward the end. The bass gets a little muddy at times (in my opinion), especially near the beginning. The tonic chord mashing near the end was just a wee bit grating, but I liked how you ended softly after that.

Interesting, it sounded sharper in that player. Downloaded sounds less sharp.

I like that you implemented more ideas in it than usual. I do see this probably took you more time than your other compositions. It was an interesting listen with the variety, though, the themes barely grabbed my attention. Maybe a re-listen tomorrow will change my mind (That tend to happen o_O).

By the way, I tried to upload it then I tried with another file and both of them failed to me too.

thanks. i initially wanted to do the same melody in different key signature... but as i mentioned that one note changed everything for me. i also had many ideas and it seemed like i had to keep on adding things to connet the ideas together.

i got rid of many ideas, and i'm quite nervous that i won't be able to use them. do you guys get that?

and yes this one did take me a while to finish.

it seems pretty dead in this thread, and i don't know why:think:

i thought i'd share this piece. it's an arrangement of a song i randomly picked from the ichigos website a long time ago.

hope you'll enjoy it.

Fruits Basket - Epilogue (http://tindeck.com/listen/xhry)

Yeah, I didn't listen to the original but this sounds... nice, I guess?


I can't really describe it by anything other than nice :V

Yeah, maybe tell us what you were trying to accomplish with this piece.

Yeah, I didn't listen to the original but this sounds... nice, I guess?


I can't really describe it by anything other than nice :V

:lol: i suppose that's better than nothing.


Yeah, maybe tell us what you were trying to accomplish with this piece.

well, i wanted to add more instruments to make it sound like a orchestral piece. i knew what i wanted to hear and i simply executed it. i initianally just wanted to learn how to play it on the piano, but it was too hard for me, with the key changing multiple times and everything. don't get me wrong, i can read music, but my hands and fingers don't move as fast as i read, and i can't even read that fast.

with that said... i finally have another song:lol:. i was kinda discouraged that i won't be able use the things i learned from my last piece :unsure:(Sidewalk, that is), but i'm studying on my own, on my own pace, and i think this is one of my favorite one.:P

not much to say about this one. i thought of all the suggestions from the past, and tried to make as clear as possible. i hope you listen to it, and i hope even more that you'll like it. thank you:lol:

A Minute of Two (http://tindeck.com/listen/itpl)

Wait, ya composed an entire piece in two days


*head blown off*


What are those clapping noises called? Just 'clap'? :/

Anyways, first things first - I liked it. I think I played it five or so times (anyways, around the time it takes me to finish my homework :P)


It's really relaxing, yet energetic at the same time. Like, there's no loud blaring chords or horns, yet it really moves forward with the energetic beat.

The variety of things ya use for percussion and different instruments make it sound really... exotic? I don't know. Sounds like the music ya hear when ya explore a forest or cave in a RPG :P

It's great, I'll say that much. The sudden shift from a bunch of notes to a smaller ensemble was really smooth as well, and the xylophone solo sounded brilliant.


Only thing I'd suggest would be maybe make the last chord a tiny bit louder? I know you're trying to go for that fade out effect, but I almost thought it just ended on a dominant because I didn't hear that last chord!

EDIT :V I use too many colon-Ps

hahaha. colon buster! wow. i really don't know what to say. i really appreciate your words.

the clapping noise was the "clap", but i added something else along with it so it wouldn't sound too dull. i used some varieties, like some tongue clicking noise and stuff... can't really tell you what the exact term for the sounds i incorporated, but yeah... not just claps.

thanks again mushyrulez. there shall be more.... hopefully

I really like how rhythmic this is. I think it'd be really fun to play. You also do pretty cool things with the harmony, I'm not gonna lie. Keep it up. I wish I had more advice, but I just don't write this kind of music very often.

It's not bad at all, keep posting your stuff =]

forget what I said here... i totally forgot you can't give out feedbacks till the end of the year.

My beef with this song is that it doesn't feel like the poem at all. The poem is solitary, introspective, quiet, and pensive. None of those things would I use to describe your piece. It's not a bad piece, it's just not at all fitting the text.

Well, I got this impression that the narrator stops in the middle of the woods in a dark, snowy night without a valid reason. I thought the narrator is a female, though the poem was rather written by a man, as we all know. Anyway, something clicked. The narrator stops for a reason. It could even be for the reason(s). Anyhow, of course her little horse won't understand the sudden halt, and the narrator emphasizes it. It's nothing subtle. I tried to understand why she stops like that. Why does she care so much as to stop in these woods in "the darkest evening of the year"? Is it really the darkest evening of the year, or does she just see it that way due to this man she mentioned? I couldn't get rid of this idea of how she wouldn't stop without a valid reason, on the contrary to my initial impression.

I don't know. More I read it, more I was convinced that the narrator had a past with this man; a bitter one, if I don't say so myself.

I do feel like my song was introspective. She was going through all kinds of emotional states, to the point of lying to herself. :think: Perhaps I'm getting too "personal" with the poem, but we all know the narrator isn't really revealing any feelings. We do know something is happening internally. It's as if she's hiding something from us. WHAT IS SHE HIDING? It's somewhat mysterious that way. So, in that sense, I don't think it's very pensive either, because she's hiding her feelings rather than revealing them, hiding them with things she sees and hears; the woods, her horse, the lake, the snow, the harness bells, the wind. Only thing she really reveals is her mission. I picture her just taking off on her horse with these last thoughts.

Basically, I've drawn this out from inside out. I wasn't trying to be the narrator, but rather someone who happened to imagine her in the woods, going through this. Maybe I'm the guy she mentions...:whistle: :P

Interesting and cool interpretation. :P I am waiting for the contest to close to give a comment to the music. Though I am not someone that tend to say much, lol.


Maybe I'm the guy she mentions..

xP

I enjoyed "A Minute of Two." You might want to study up a little more on drum-set patterns. With more variation it could sound even better. I don't know much to say about the piece. Like I said, I enjoyed it, but it didn't really jump out at me in general.

Keep it up.

Fun spam, lol.

I enjoyed "A Minute of Two." You might want to study up a little more on drum-set patterns. With more variation it could sound even better. I don't know much to say about the piece. Like I said, I enjoyed it, but it didn't really jump out at me in general.

Keep it up.

it's funny you mentioned that. I'm actually fixing it up alittle bit. Not much different, but there are some places that could be more... elaborated. When you say drum-set pattern... did you mean the actually real drum-set?

Okay.. this is going to be the last time I'm going to retouch up on this piece. I only fixed total of like 8 bars, almost all of them at the climax part and onward. You probably can't even notice... but yeah... I'm done with it now.

Warm Memories (http://tindeck.com/listen/wfwo)

One of the composers here got me to think that I should really consider the dynamic of the finale. If it's there... why not learn how to use it. So... this piece started out that way... but I got way to stressed out with it. so I gave myself a little break by adding something more of the things I enjoy... but I also wanted to expand myself... thus the ending was kinda... not like the middle section but more in the line with the beginning of the piece. I guess that's where I got my title from. Though... I don't know what you'd use this music for, but I hope you like it.. I'm probably gonna do more with the drum part.:think:

What's Around is in Between (http://tindeck.com/listen/soji)

In the beginning section with the piano, make sure you are being careful about adding/subtracting voices, because it sounds a little haphazard sometimes. Also, sometimes your voice leading in the left hand feels pretty jumpy. The second half is by far the better half, in my opinion. Even though it's a little bit more formulaic, it manages to be quite pleasing.

In the beginning section with the piano, make sure you are being careful about adding/subtracting voices, because it sounds a little haphazard sometimes. Also, sometimes your voice leading in the left hand feels pretty jumpy. The second half is by far the better half, in my opinion. Even though it's a little bit more formulaic, it manages to be quite pleasing.

I was kinda unsure about the adding and subtracting... and now I know it's not a good thing... or at least I didn't do a good job on it... :heh:. Thanks

I like Warm Memories. The orchestration reminds me a lot of the game Tales of Symphonia for some reason. I really like the effect that the choir and tubular bells add, and the oboe line adds a really great color. There was a timpani roll that I also liked a lot at one point.

Overall, I enjoyed the piece a lot. It was cinematic, and the dissonance in the strings at the beginning was nice. It had variety and nice colors. The only complaint that I have is that it seemed to lack one clear, memorable melody. It was great mood music, but it didn't leave me with that one line that I'll be humming all day, you know? Either way, good work. :)

Thanks BlazingDragon. I must admit that composition is one of, if not, my best one. Surprisingly enough though, it only took me about 2 weeks to finish it.

Anyhow, I got a new song. It's pretty short but I wanted to do more of a simple thing. It supposed to portray a kid playing a tag. Well, a bunch of kids but a camera is focused on this particular kid. Good for him! haha. Hope you like it.


http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/youre-it

I like the main idea behind it, though I think the mixing could be better. Maybe turn up the treble on the piano EQ, and overall the other instruments were hard too hear such that I was questioning their melodic significance. I'm not sure if I liked the glockenspiel-sorta-thing at m.25. How about adding a triangle to the percussion (maybe on 2 and 4)? That might conflict with the 8th note pattern on the ride at m.29 though...maybe..not sure really.

I definitely think the piano should get louder after the break - it's a really nice melody and textural shift from the rest of the piece.

I think you're right. I should make that last part a little louder.

I think I'm going through a phase where I'm just making a short piece. I don't know if that's a good thing, or maybe I just don't know how to make it to be a good thing. Like, should I just focus on one thing, such as melody, chord progression, and etc? I can't help but think that I'm just getting lazy with it.

I don't think it's necessarily a "bad" thing. Short is fine...long is fine, whatever. What matters is that the "message" of the piece gets articulated.

As for focusing on one thing...hmm. Not quite sure what you mean. When I write one aspect of a song will be its core - usually the first part I come up with - and the rest sort of writes itself. Sometimes I'll come up with an interesting chord progression, so the task is writing a good melody. Or maybe you write a good melody but aren't sure how to contextualize it.

The flute left me wanting to hear more of its melody. :(


Before jumping to the solo, I think creating a bit more tension and a sudden crescendo with a slow down of the tempo a sec or milliseconds before stop sounding would have had a better impact when the solo piano came. And, I think the solo piano would benefit of a cello beneath playing another melody. I think it would add more interest. The piece would sound a lot better if the instrument volume were balanced. By the way, if the piano were louder that it is, probably would lose its sweet/cute/childish/playful/sentimentalism effect?


I like the piece though. :)

Surprisingly... I decided to something for the Valentine's... hahah I don't have someone to celebrate with, though I'm not saying I'm bitter about it:whistle:... oh no sir.<_<

I really tried to get some feelings down. I realized I'm not utilizing all the Finale has to offer. So, naturally I decided to mess with it a little. Actually A Lot! At least compare to what I've been doing.

The title says it all. The piece has a frustration side, romantic side, indifferent side, lonely side, "I should really try to contain my anger" side, and ends with the "what the hell am I doing? This is effin' stupid. I'm done!" side.^_^ I hope you guys like it.

http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/my-black-valentines-1

You said you used Garritan for the Steinway vsti? Man that sounds really nice...

Anyway, I liked it. Liked the harmonic vocabulary, particularly around 1:30 when I hear some b9 and stuff. The only thing is that I think you could use better use of the dynamics spectrum. I feel like around 1:40 the left hand should get really quiet; the piece never gets into the pp range and it sounds sort of stagnant in that regard, so I think more extravagant use of dynamics would bring out the melodies nicely.

Okay. I revised my previous composition "My Black Valentine's". It's exactly where I left it, just revised. But I do have something else to share.

This song is an orchestral version of the piano piece I have, and posted here earlier, called "Sidewalk". I was working on this right before the winter composition and I honestly believe that it helped me with the orchestral structure for the piece I wrote for that copetition.

As I kept on listening to this, I couldn't help but imagine a scene from Cowboy Bebop. The walking through the busy sidewalk thinking to himself. We hear the narration as he explains his problems. However, I lost that foundation after awhile. After I worked on the winter competition, I've been away from this piece that I couldn't remember what I was trying to do with it, so I just stopped working on it. Luckily I was at the place where it could be an ending. What do you think? Orchestrally, that is.:think:

http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/incmplt-3

Oh I love how the composition thread is so active... It's so contageous... contagious... oh I forgot how to spell that word.

http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/rotomatic-junktion

ROtoMatic JUnKtion! I just wanted to make something with some grunting brass and I was surprised that finale garritan can make that kind of noise. Hope you'll like it.

Your mix, to me, is missing some depth. It helps to give each instrument a different amount of reverb, but to do that you would need a sequencer; you can't do it very easily in Finale. If you have Finale GPO, then it doesn't sound like you are using it; remember that you can use GPO and softsynth at the same time if you run softsynth through VST instead of midi.

At 1:14 everything suddenly drops out for a sec and then kind of comes back in. I didn't really like the effect because it ruined the build-up.

The last part of it really reminded me of the Tron soundtrack in terms of the ostinato and the horns.

This last track sounds quite cool to me, because it sounds original and not something that seemed influenced from other music intentionally. I really like that. About the reverb if you decide to try to add reverb individually to each channel, keep the bass and snare with a minimal reverb if you do not want to lose the solid punchy feel they produce.

@deathraider
You know what? I think you're right about the missing the depth thing. I tried to make that pop music effect at that one part you didn't quite like. I want to know more about this Finale GPO. I tried to look for it prior to the last composition, but I don't know if it comes standard with the Finale 2009 or not. I just concluded that I have buy it.

@Nyu001
I'm glad you thought it was cool. I'm entirely frustrated with the volume, though. It's always so soft. I'd be listening to my composition using my earphones and then when the rage against the machine comes up next my ears are just like... well you know the rest. I tried fixing that problem and came across this Finale GPO and kontakt, but my story ends there. I have to buy it, don't I?

If you have the full version of Finale 2009 (i.e. not songwriter or allegro or notepad or whatever) then it definitely does come standard. When you create a document using the setup wizard and you are choosing the instruments, there should be a little drop-down menu at the top that says either "Garritan Instruments for Finale" or "Smartmusic Softsynth".

Also, I realized my last post lacked positive reinforcement, which I think is well deserved. The composition itself was really fun and exciting despite the little issues I mentioned.

I also wanted to clarify what I mean by depth, because I realize that could be interpreted in many ways. A good mix (especially in this kind of pop/electronic music) should have 3 dimensions - depth, width, and height. Depth is created by giving your mix some reverb and making some instruments sound more dry and some sound more wet. Width is created by using panning to create a stereo affect. Make sure that you have your instruments spread out between the left and right channel to create some interest and to prevent your track from sounding "mono". Height is created by making sure to have a good balance of notes/sounds in the high range, middle range, and low range of hearing in your mix.

If you have the full version of Finale 2009 (i.e. not songwriter or allegro or notepad or whatever) then it definitely does come standard. When you create a document using the setup wizard and you are choosing the instruments, there should be a little drop-down menu at the top that says either "Garritan Instruments for Finale" or "Smartmusic Softsynth".

Also, I realized my last post lacked positive reinforcement, which I think is well deserved. The composition itself was really fun and exciting despite the little issues I mentioned.

I also wanted to clarify what I mean by depth, because I realize that could be interpreted in many ways. A good mix (especially in this kind of pop/electronic music) should have 3 dimensions - depth, width, and height. Depth is created by giving your mix some reverb and making some instruments sound more dry and some sound more wet. Width is created by using panning to create a stereo affect. Make sure that you have your instruments spread out between the left and right channel to create some interest and to prevent your track from sounding "mono". Height is created by making sure to have a good balance of notes/sounds in the high range, middle range, and low range of hearing in your mix.

You know what... I totally understand. I realize I should have used more of the width...

Okay... after many days of working on this thing... I think I'm finally ready to let you guys listen to it. It's very..... heavy... I think that's a good way to put it. I added a lot of instruments for such a simple thing to add more shades and color to the song. I don't know why I didn't realize it before. Maybe I was too stubborn to go out of the way to make effort to make it sound better. Hope you like it.

http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/zombie-love-affair

Honestly the first thing I noticed was the mixing of the drums. Can't tell if you deliberately want them to sound like that. I would have turned them down a lot, probably changed the brightness of the reverb, and turned down the mid-high a bit. They sounded too in the open, in front of the actual musical content. Similar with the mixing in the piano. Panned to the left too much...not enough treble, turn down the velocity (but increase gain) to make it sound softer.

I really love the very first note in the song; sounds like a minor or second resolving upwards into an equally spooky-sounding harmony. Wish it was repeated. I like some of the melodies. Maybe I wasnt listening hard enough but it was hard for me to discern a structure.

I see... I didn't even notice that. I did notice that some of the instruments are not loud enough... I'm working on it right now, making the song louder, but it seems like I need to get rid of some of the crackling noises. Thanks for the input.

okay... after a few days of working on it... I think it's ready to be called the final version. I was messing around with the GPO Ambience and then when I exported to audio, there was a bunch, a lot, immense amount of crackling noise... So my advise to you.... don't adjust the GPO after you're done... if anything do it before you begin to compose. Well... here it is...

http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/zombie-love-affair-1

Nice piece. I like how you used many things. The E. guitar could be a bit more in the front and in a part the drums were more prominent on the right side for a few secs. o_O The bass intro reminded me for a moment to Zombies ate my neighbor from the Snes. xD

Whoa, Nyu.... The last comment sounds outrageous. Your neighbor was eaten by zombies who were in the Snes? hahaha. That's pretty funny. I don't know why I didn't notice that earlier.

Okay... I got a new song. This started out very original... I guess, but somehow I ran into this familiar sounding rhythm... and I decided to just connect some random songs together.

Beginning is all mine...
and then you'll hear the famous piece,
then it's me again,
then it's another famous piece
FFVII Aeris Theme
then it's less famous song
Neyo - One in a Million
then a little bit of Wondergirls song on top of the previous song.

http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/juxt

I hope you guys like it.

I must say that this song is all over the place. I wanted to try and make something quite epic. It's there, but I must say that it's still very random to some point. But I'm still proud of this piece. I started from an idea and ended upon the idea. I hope you like it and maybe give me some pointers.

http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/toggle-my-struggle

Hey!

That was pretty interesting! You seemed to touch on a lot of different forms of music: different forms of Jazz, Orchestral, Rock, ... Honkey-Tonk?! Haha! Only thing I'll really criticise is that the sound production could use a little more work. It sounded like everything was pretty lound and a little mushy at times and could use a little more ballance.

Yeah, you definitely show your range. This piece kept surprising me, but all the changes actually seemed pretty natural. I'll go with PorscheGTIII and say that there are definitely some muddy moments. Keep up the good work.

My most intricate piece yet. That's right. I used the word "intricate". That's how serious I am.:mellow:

I used the piece I submitted in the mission contest. Many people liked the beginning and I did as well... so I had to make it somewhat better. I hope you guys will like it.

http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/over-the-thorn-bush

Oh yes !
It should have been this version submitted to the contest ^_^

I really like it. Does the strings accompaniment near 0:43 isn't too confused? It should be clearer with less voices, like a single bass line with piano+Cello for example :think:

You know, I feel like this proves beyond a doubt the value of having these competitions and is a fine testament to the existence of Ichigo's. This version is such an improvement on your submission, and I don't think it would have gotten where it is if it weren't for a whole community's worth of critiques mixed in with your own creativity and inner ear. Congratulations Ander, and congratulations Ichigo's. This is a wonderful piece.

Ander, job well done. :) I'd probably just like the orchestration to include some pizzicato when you're using it for rhythmic purposes - otherwise, well done. Try extending it a bit.

Oh yes !
It should have been this version submitted to the contest ^_^

I really like it. Does the strings accompaniment near 0:43 isn't too confused? It should be clearer with less voices, like a single bass line with piano+Cello for example :think:

You know what I did have something that needed to be fixed there. My viola and cello had the same low note.

You know, I feel like this proves beyond a doubt the value of having these competitions and is a fine testament to the existence of Ichigo's. This version is such an improvement on your submission, and I don't think it would have gotten where it is if it weren't for a whole community's worth of critiques mixed in with your own creativity and inner ear. Congratulations Ander, and congratulations Ichigo's. This is a wonderful piece.

I was thinking the same thing. After many experiments and working on my dynamics and muddy sound and what not I have finally created something that I could be proud of, and it is partly, and a big portion of it, due to Ichigos.


Ander, job well done. :) I'd probably just like the orchestration to include some pizzicato when you're using it for rhythmic purposes - otherwise, well done. Try extending it a bit.

x_xAHH... How did I forget to use pizz. I think I know where to put it.

Thanks for liking the song. I might extend it if I can.

Okay.... I DID extend "Over the Thorn Bush". It was so much harder than I'd expected, but I think I did it. I don't know why it was so much harder. Hope you think I did a good job.

http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/over-the-thorn-bush-ext

I wasn't sold on the strings until 1:00. This is a great piece. I like the rhythmic variation you give the piano. Also, the addition of pizz was a smart call on Clarinetist's part. The plucking really complements the percussive nature of the piano. I like this piece more and more with each new version!

I have to agree, the song is much better than in the contest now. Nethertheless I think the song loses its character in the second part from 1:28 on. I wish myself that the theme or a variation of the theme would be played one more time there. It sounds more like a background music as a jazzy piece. Maybe a tension will be built and broken to often. And when the tension finally comes to a climax it sounds more like an orchestra piece in this moment. I hope you keep working on it!

Thanks for the comments. I really appreciate them.

I've been wanting to do this for the longest time, but I would always get some negative comments on it from my friends. What it is that... I want to make a beat. Maybe to rap or freestyle. My friends like to freestyle and rap, so I wrote some of beats but they say it was too messy, complicated, unnecessary, jumbled up, and what not. SoOOO... Finally I've come up with something simple yet catchy. But I also added some more flavors. Only thing that I really really want out of this piece is... BASS! You know what I mean right, but since I don't have it... I decided to wing it. I hope you guys'll like it.

http://soundcloud.com/ander-2/untitled

okay... Finally I made a song. I was so discouraged to make one because I got a macbook and that meant I had to get use to mac's way of composing music... not to mention I don't have garritan anymore. So.... I decided to make something more along the line of a cute song with more midi sounding instruments.

I just wanted to make a happy song... kinda song that reminds you of early mornings. Perhaps a lovely morning... the day of having the chance to meet someone you really like.... someone you're a fan of. Of course it's not going to be easy as one had thought... although the road to meet that one person may be dreadful... once you see that person... your heart will sing and you will sing together, in fact. You will sing and prance together down the street and no one needs to be told how wonderful they will all end up together.

I hope you'll like it.

Dang, your instrumentation is so fun. And you obviously know how to write for piano. What a great track!

Thanks Emeraldshine. I do appreciate your input. And I'm glad that you like the song... ^^

Well... here's another one I made. It's pretty short, but it's pretty jam packed. It's a simple video game song... and I didn't want to loop it, but rather make seem like someone was playing and then suddenly lost. ;p

hope you'll enjoy it.

p.s. so, I don't usually post my sheet music, but I'm thinking I should start uploading my sheetmusic as well, because I want to know if what I'm doing is "conventional" or at least correct.

I loved the hell out of that theme lol. So much fun!!

This is just fun. I enjoy it!

So... it seems as though I haven't written much music lately. Well... that's about to change right now because I have a new composition. Well... technically I guess it is a cover, but it's a song that's been stuck in my head for a long time. In fact so long that I had to get rid of it by writing it down.... in my finale... using my old computer.... because Mac apparently makes 8bit sound fonts noises.

So I hope this song gets stuck in your head for a long long time.... AND SUFFER AS MUCH AS I HAVE! BUWHAHAHAHA!!!!

p.s. the louder the better, so raise up that volume

Okay I found some new sounds I could mess around with. I mean it's new like you wouldn't believe even if that person was your grandma. It's gonna be different and well... at least different coming from me. You'll see. excited. YES! let's do this.

Okay.... I don't know why I'm even posting this here. No one seems to be around here. So if you're reading this then you should make some music like me! Okay I'm just kidding. I haven't posted anything decent in many months now either. So here's another one of those songs I like to make. Enjoy.

worked on it a bit more.

Ok.. So I'm in a good mood because I just finished a piece. I feel like this one took forever. But I got it done. I also want to mention that I haven't written anything over 5 min. in a while.

This song is quite electronic and poppy so I call it electronic pop.

I must admit this is one of those songs that I forced it out and end up really liking it.

Also I think I'm getting better at controlling volume.

so without anything else to add... i present to you my finished work.

https://soundcloud.com/ander-2/falling-snow-machine

https://soundcloud.com/ander-2/blood-on-snow

Guys I made a new song! The title is "Blood and Snow". I wanted to create a somewhat of a mixed emotion, just like the title.

[0:00] Imagine - Snow. Thick and soft. Falling gently and gracefully. The snow falls from the grey sky, which hangs low to the ground. Horizon shows nothing but vast space. In the midst of all this, a swordsman walks on freshly powdered road, dragging his rugged sword, leaving a trail of blood behind him. No one knows for sure why he is bleeding, yet he carries on. His back - slanted from the wound. His shoulders - tired and weak. His breaths, visible as he exhales. His heavy eyes fixed onto the distance, as if he's trying to make out the old memory he once deeply treasured. The sweet times he was happy, and the bitter times he regrets. The tears of both joy and sorrow. His head is heavy, and ironically, his heart is drowning in his own blood.

[0:53] He carries on. He clinches his fist as he remembers the fight he had with his loved ones. He only wanted to become a better swordsman, so he could one day protect them. His friends and family, however, wanted him to be safe. Their concerned faces - He didn't understand why people didn't want him to become "better". The frustration consumes him. Then suddenly, he relaxes his hand. Blood runs down to his finger tips. He grips his sword firmly. He looks into the distance. His back straight. His shoulders - prompt and proud. His breaths, nice and deep. [1:29]

Pause.

[1:30] Behind him, an army is gaining. The swordsman doesn't turn around, but he knows what's coming. The snow drops like heavy stones. The swordsman closes his eyes and remembers the faces he once saw everyday. The friends he used to kid around with. The family he used to share laughters with. They make him smile a bit. He opens his eyes. His smile - gone. He turns around, standing alone in a pool of blood and melted snow. His feet planted firmly while the ground shakes from the rushing army. He slowly holds up his sword and makes his stance. He slowly... exhales. [2:04]

[2:05] The sky is still grey, but it seems higher than before. The snow melts as it lands on his worn out blade, which faces the army fiercely. But his feet lose their stability. His knees grow weak, and his hands drop below his waist. His shoulders look small. His body is once again cringed. There's pain and uncertainty in his face. His spirit is low. He looks at his feet. He's about to give up. The army continues to march on. His trail of blood is nothing more than trampled earth. The outcome looks grim. The swordsman closes his eyes once more. [2:42]

Pause

[2:43] The swordsman opens his eyes and charges toward the army in slow motion. His blades gently cuts through snowflakes as he runs. The blood on his face races towards the back of his ears as the wind pushes into his face. The blood on his feet scatters around the white snow. His breaths - deep and hot. His eyes - fierce and sad. He whispers something to himself and, with it, a single tear flies out of his eye and bursts into ice crystals. He cries out loud and gets ready to strike. Blood splashes in cold air. The snow still falls.

I'm gonna stop right here and let you interpret what happens at the end.

Thank you and I hope you enjoyed it!

Hi everyone. Ander here. I got a new piece written and it's basicaly about this month's tragedy over Boston. It's not all about that, but it took me about 3, if not, exactly 3 weeks to finish this song.

It's got no real melody in this song, because I thought maybe melody isn't all that important in this piece.

I hope you guys will like it. :)

https://soundcloud.com/ander-2/blinding-light

https://soundcloud.com/ander-2/sober

It's been awhile since I composed a new song. If you noticed the song's titled "Sober" and that's because for a long time i've been smoking too much weed. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with smoking it, but anything can be bad if done too much. Recently I stopped seeking that high and have been sober for some time. I'm feeling better and I think it shows in my music. I hope you guys listen and i'll make some more music. Thank you.

huh... So were you trained with adjustable "do" or fixed "do" in regards to modulations? I'm not sure which one I like more...

a lot of it has to do with people around me. the song is more for them. I just think it's very admirable as far as what they have endured.

Nice job on the song. Did you make the song in Finale. I was thinking of buying Cubase Essentials. I am a beginning cello player. You think it is a good idea? I have Finale Notepad. You think that is enough?

THank. it's cool that you like it. i do use finale but do i think it's enough? Yes. if it's not. then it's only fair that someone shows me that it's not.

Thanks for the advice. I was looking at playing and recording a cello piece this week. I will post in the thread next week by the latest. Look for it. Keep in mind I am a beginner; I know only most of first position on the cello.

I've been wanting to do this for the longest time, but I would always get some negative comments on it from my friends. What it is that... I want to make a beat. Maybe to rap or freestyle. My friends like to freestyle and rap, so I wrote some of beats but they say it was too messy, complicated, unnecessary, jumbled up, and what not. SoOOO... Finally I've come up with something simple yet catchy. But I also added some more flavors. Only thing that I really really want out of this piece is... BASS! You know what I mean right, but since I don't have it... I decided to wing it. I hope you guys'll like it.
Michael Jackson's Thriller? = \

Thanks for the advice. I was looking at playing and recording a cello piece this week. I will post in the thread next week by the latest. Look for it. Keep in mind I am a beginner; I know only most of first position on the cello.

I am downloading Garage Band, an Apple recording application, and I will post my playing soon.

hey yusaku.... thanks for taking interest in my piece. looking forward to listen to you playing. hope it's a good one.

Garage Band was a real flop. It would only record fifteen second tracks at a time. Hey what could I really expect for 4.99? I went and purchased Cubase 7 Essentials last Monday. The software is fine, but I need to get a new audio interface. I am going for a Steinberg CI2 audio interface. It may take a couple more weeks. My Tascam US 144 will not work with Windows 7 even though I got 64 bit drivers for Windows 7 from the Tascam site.I am going with the company that made Cubase to get my audio interface this time. Thanks for your interest. I posted in the play something thread a vid of the song i want to play.

it's all good. i'm hoping to make better music, too. it really is something that i truly enjoy. sometimes i'm off tangent but when i make a connection with a composition, it's a great feeling. i've never used anything other than the finale, other than audacity, which i only use to amplify and compress the mp3 files. However, as long as i've been using the finale, it still feels like i have a lot that i haven't tinkered with. actually i know i haven't fully utilized the entire program. i still got lot to learn.

I just downloaded Audacity after one of the forum supporters told me about it. I was able to get a recording and playback of that recording within five minutes. No audio interface was necessary; my USB microphone was enough. I am eager to use it when the sun comes up. It is the late at night to make a recording right now. I am going to do some cello pieces in the morning.

That's good. I also use soundtrack pro. It's better than audacity when it comes to compressing and adding effects. You can sort more digital sounds with your microphone depending on what you're into. Cello is nice because it's big, so you don't have to worry too much about finesse, hey but wdik. I don't have a cello. But I consider myself to be a quick learner so give me about 3 weeks and I think I'll be able to play some simple tunes in cello.

I will be on vacation next week. Expect some music sample posts!

:) ok... sounds good. And create a thread for your own posts. that way you don't get banned or anything. ANd try the soundtrack pro. First it's free and it's quite radical!