I'm guessing this was mixed on cans with tired ears?
That's correct, but it doesn't matter: I'm out of my element and am beginning to embrace that. My instrument is the orchestra, not midi. For the past 3 years I've been writing symphony charts, I've had 19 performed since January 1st alone. It's the only musical language I am 100% fluent in and am 100% confident with. My symphony stuff is nothing like this, it's full of bravado while this is kinda flat. I'm actually relieved to say that: I took several years off of the pop/synthy stuff and coming back to it, I find it boring and lifeless. As the great writers say, "Write what you know" and I don't really know this. I know the world of 80 people in a concert hall reading music.
As I speak/type, I'm doing a commission for Orch of "Cinema Paradiso" themes, and It's about 6,000 times better than this. It's alive.
When it gets off the one note, it breathes air into things.
EXACTLY. Thank you Mixmkr for a well-needed dose of reality, you're a smart cookie (and everyone else in this thread too). My orchestra stuff wouldn't do the pedal nonsense in a million years. Lines flow all over the place, they aren't stagnant, everything is active and nothing is passive. This sounds sterile, clinical and anti-emotional. But mainly, it sounds like someone with talent but out of their element, which is exactly what it is. Now if you gents will excuse me, I'm a-gonna fire up Sibelius and get back to doing what I love, which is writing geeky but good orchestral scores.