Showcase SHOWCASE: June 1-8, 2025

[Fade]

Post your beats!

*Please remember to give others feedback.

For those that don't know, here's how to post your beats: https://www.illmuzik.com/threads/how-to-post-your-beats-in-the-showcase.44687/

 

[BiggChev]

Tried to work solely in Maschine today (write, arrange, and mix). The arranging part is a pain if you're not accustomed to it, but the real pain is the mix. I think I'll stick to Logic for final mix-downs.

BiggChev - "Sunday Sketch - Jun 01 2025"

 

[2GooD Productions]

One sampled


And one composed

 

[2GooD Productions]

@BiggChev This is pretty dope if a little short. But I suppose its just a sketch, has great potential to be hashed out into a full track. I think the keys are slightly loud, couldn't resist a little guitar eh? lol. I like it. Personally I'd send the last note or couple notes of it to a delay fx channel. Id pull back some of the reverb a little too, just a little too much IMO. Drums are dope, really like the way the beat drops out when the guitar comes in. Would like to hear this when its fleshed out a little more.

 

[BiggChev]

@2GooD Productions

This is the type of feedback I genuinely appreciate. Thanks! You know I gotta have guitar in my tracks! lol. I won't make excuses for myself, but mixing in Maschine can be a bit tedious - so there may be some half ass-ing going on.

I think I will flesh this out more. I like that idea of a delay on the last few notes. As for reverb, I've been trying to play around more with space and dimension, in fact I didn't initially have reverb on the pianos - I guess I over did it. Appreciate the pointers!

 

[2GooD Productions]

@2GooD Productions

This is the type of feedback I genuinely appreciate. Thanks! You know I gotta have guitar in my tracks! lol. I won't make excuses for myself, but mixing in Maschine can be a bit tedious - so there may be some half ass-ing going on.

I think I will flesh this out more. I like that idea of a delay on the last few notes. As for reverb, I've been trying to play around more with space and dimension, in fact I didn't initially have reverb on the pianos - I guess I over did it. Appreciate the pointers!

If I was you I'd stick to mixing in Logic too. It's so much more suited for that sort of thing

 

[BiggChev]

One sampled


And one composed

The intro is really dope! Movie dialogue can be either really cheesy, or feel like it's just slapped on to fill space. Often times, I find the vibe of the dialogue doesn't match the underlying music -- not the case here!

I like the "story" going on. The intro is the setup, the middle interlude is the actual heist, and the tires screeching is the get away. Sample choice for the strings may not be what I would go for, but I do like the mysterious almost spooky feel to them.

I mean this in the best way - this feels more like a soundtrack or the music to an art film more than a beat. Either way, still dope.

 

[BiggChev]

@2GooD Productions
If I was you I'd stick to mixing in Logic too. It's so much more suited for that sort of thing

Oh 100% I was just vibing inside Maschine yesterday and didn't want to break up the workflow exporting loops, or tracking from Maschine to Logic. When, because I will, re-work this - I'll be sure to mix in Logic.

 

[2GooD Productions]

The intro is really dope! Movie dialogue can be either really cheesy, or feel like it's just slapped on to fill space. Often times, I find the vibe of the dialogue doesn't match the underlying music -- not the case here!

I like the "story" going on. The intro is the setup, the middle interlude is the actual heist, and the tires screeching is the get away. Sample choice for the strings may not be what I would go for, but I do like the mysterious almost spooky feel to them.

I mean this in the best way - this feels more like a soundtrack or the music to an art film more than a beat. Either way, still dope.

I had a set selection of samples to work with. Tried to really work with what I was given, held back on the composition this time except for one electric piano. And then took the bank robbery and car chase samples from movies and a game. Also got the scratch samples from splice. Reloop Flux came today, I haven't even set that up yet. Have to unbox my old turntable, find out if any of my old mixers work and get practicing my scratches.

 

[BiggChev]

Dope! I want to see what you do with the ReLoop

 

[troublewithkeys]

Here's a beat I'm working on. Hope I'm posting this correctly. If not, please forgive.

troublewithkeys - "One More Time with Feeling"

T

 

[BiggChev]

@troublewithkeys

You did indeed post it correctly! The atmosphere is really nice on this. The Mallet/piano adds a really nice dreamy, ethereal vibe. The drums are mixed really well. I can get a good sense of weight on the kick without it sticking out. The vocal chops got the whole song very well. The little drop outs and kick roll are a great way to add variation.

I really like the break down around 2:19. While I like the bass tone, I’m not entirely sold on how it fits in the mix.

The outro is well crafted, I think the epiano/mallets are a bit too strong in the mix though.

Overall, really nice piece of music. Thank you for sharing!

 

[troublewithkeys]

One sampled


And one composed

Man! I have to learn how to get my mixes sounding as clean as this. Quick question: Are these beats meant to stand on their own period. Or, were you hoping to eventually have someone spit on them? I ask because with all of the activity going on re the dialogue in the background, it didn't seem to leave much room for vocal. Thus, I'm assuming the former but curious.

 

[DJ Excellence]

My recent remix of Chung 'Go Getta'.

 

[troublewithkeys]

@troublewithkeys

You did indeed post it correctly! The atmosphere is really nice on this. The Mallet/piano adds a really nice dreamy, ethereal vibe. The drums are mixed really well. I can get a good sense of weight on the kick without it sticking out. The vocal chops got the whole song very well. The little drop outs and kick roll are a great way to add variation.

I really like the break down around 2:19. While I like the bass tone, I’m not entirely sold on how it fits in the mix.

The outro is well crafted, I think the epiano/mallets are a bit too strong in the mix though.

Overall, really nice piece of music. Thank you for sharing!

Thanks for the very positive and helpful feedback! Much appreciated!

 

[DJ Excellence]

@BiggChev The drums knock, I dig the percussion sounds you used as filler between the snares. Overall, it was dope.

@2GooD Productions Enjoyed listening to both beats. The composed one is really smooth, had you told me it was sampled I would have believed you. Great work.

 

[BiggChev]

@DJ Excellence

Appreciate you! I’ve been trying to find ways to make my drums more interesting without relying on the standard Descending Tom fill or reverse crash (which ironically I have on this lol).

Your remix is super smooth! What’s your process for remixes? Does it start with the song you want to flip? Or do you get the beat going first then think of a song you want to put on top?

How much of it is in the box versus hardware? I feel like you could crush with “how to remix videos.”

 

[2GooD Productions]

Here's a beat I'm working on. Hope I'm posting this correctly. If not, please forgive.

troublewithkeys - "One More Time with Feeling"

T

I like this, did you compose it? Mix really doesn't sound that bad to me at all. The only thing that sounds a bit off to me is the kick roll that happens from time to time. The track could possibly be a bit brighter in the mids to highs, to balance it out a little more. Nice work, nice variation, Ive listened twice and at no point did it get boring. The little pauses are a nice touch too. Sounds pretty similar to some of the things I've composed. Also, welcome to illmuzik, I haven't seen you here before.

Re: My track, the theme for this beat was "Crime/Robbery" so the robbery/car chase samples are to reflect that and make it fit the theme. I tried to keep them mostly to the intro and the "hook" section, with more sporadic and carefully placed car chase ones on the second verse. I still tried to leave space for an emcee, just not on the intro or "hook" section. My plan in my head was a first verse about going preparing for and then going to the robbery, the hook is the robbery and the second verse is about getting away, but ending up getting shot, crashing, and dying at the end lol.


@DJ Excellence Sounds like it could be a bit brighter in the mids and high end. Will make it sound a lot clearer, make the vocals pop and overall not so low end oriented.

 

[DJ Excellence]

@DJ Excellence

Appreciate you! I’ve been trying to find ways to make my drums more interesting without relying on the standard Descending Tom fill or reverse crash (which ironically I have on this lol).

Your remix is super smooth! What’s your process for remixes? Does it start with the song you want to flip? Or do you get the beat going first then think of a song you want to put on top?

How much of it is in the box versus hardware? I feel like you could crush with “how to remix videos.”

Thank you for the positive feedback. I always begin with the original track I want to remix—taking time to analyze the BPM, key, and drum swing. Once I have a clear understanding, I source the stems and build the remix around them. I only use software.

 

[troublewithkeys]

I like this, did you compose it? Mix really doesn't sound that bad to me at all. The only thing that sounds a bit off to me is the kick roll that happens from time to time. The track could possibly be a bit brighter in the mids to highs, to balance it out a little more. Nice work, nice variation, Ive listened twice and at no point did it get boring. The little pauses are a nice touch too. Sounds pretty similar to some of the things I've composed. Also, welcome to illmuzik, I haven't seen you here before.

Re: My track, the theme for this beat was "Crime/Robbery" so the robbery/car chase samples are to reflect that and make it fit the theme. I tried to keep them mostly to the intro and the "hook" section, with more sporadic and carefully placed car chase ones on the second verse. I still tried to leave space for an emcee, just not on the intro or "hook" section. My plan in my head was a first verse about going preparing for and then going to the robbery, the hook is the robbery and the second verse is about getting away, but ending up getting shot, crashing, and dying at the end lol.


@DJ Excellence Sounds like it could be a bit brighter in the mids and high end. Will make it sound a lot clearer, make the vocals pop and overall not so low end oriented.

Thanks for the feedback. I am new. Just getting started, so the advice is appreciated. Also, I see what you mean now re how the dialogue in your track could be used to create transitions. These are things that I'm still trying to figure out. But again, thanks for the listen. Much appreciated!