“On My Own” was written and performed by sxnchit, with MeetOTB engineering. Vocals are the primary element of the arrangement, though drum/percussion loops and synth sounds join the primary acoustic guitar loop that forms the bed of the track. In addition to the typical processing used on vocals in this style of music (for example, tuning used as a creative element rather than a repair), there is a nice use of panning, reverb and delay. Unison vocals are layered throughout the track, which means that the panning and the ambiance are helpful in separating the primary vocal from the other, doubled vocals.

I feel that “On My Own” shows not only how art can be created with minimal tools—a laptop, an interface, a USB mic and a set of headphones—but it also illustrates some of the pitfalls that can arise when creating music in a problematic listening environment. I feel that listening/mixing only on headphones—even Sennheiser headphones—can be problematic, because what works on a specific model of headphones may not translate to earbuds, speakers, or even other brands of headphones. The effect of panning can be exaggerated, and the apparent levels of some frequencies don’t always translate to other listening scenarios. In this case, though, I think that the production works OK, and is worth a listen.