The Satanic Verses

Well... I just tried to view them and they are not up yet. Maybe they will appear someday.
 
Thanks.
The plug-ins I use are the ones that come with Cool Edit Pro... I cant figure out how to get other ones to work.
The songs you heard were all done with drum machine... I have done some more recent stuff with live drums that is 10X better. Check out "Mangled".
Tartiness?
 
As promised, here is what I have to say...

I've only downloaded two tunes I think...I'll have to look around on my hard drive to see if I have more (long and dumb story). But the first tune I downloaded was "Disgruntled...". This one I love. I appeared on this forum right around the time you posted this one, so I don't know what else I can add except that I'm very impressed with the overall sound, but I especially like where the vocals sit in the mix.

The next one I got was "Burning Churches". Again, the vocals are placed really well, and I'm particularly fond of the phase on the vocals around 1:06-1:15. I love that! I'm sure you have already mentioned this in another post, but what plug-in's are you using on your system?

As I'm sitting here writing this, I've come across "Unclean" on my hard drive. Cool tune, I like the guitar. I'm listening through AKG K240 headphones, so my monitoring set up isn't the greatest, but the vocals don't appear to sit as high up in the mix as the others. Other than that, it's got a great sound.

I've got to admit, I don't often listen to music very similar to this, but I like what your doing. If I can only harness a fraction of the power of Mofo, I think I'd be happy!

Sorry again about the tartiness of my post!
 
S8-N, i was able to get those lyrics.

"I'd day on my feet rather than live on my knees". Dude you said a whole lifes worth of lessons in one line there. The mix was really good and the background barking added a good feel the beginning. The live drums sounded great, but I thought youre drum machine on previous tracks was pretty decent. What kind of machine were u using?
 
I was using an Alesis HR-16b. I like it. The samples in it sound way better than my drummers actual drums.
And its "Die on my feet" what are ya, British???
 
Just got back from work/margarita trip...forums all different and some missing, so did I miss something other than these posted lyrics of yours? S8-N - your words are GREAT. No shit. Maybe I'm hearing impaired, but being able to see words just one time sorta makes a song whole for me, and I can get the intent behind it...In MANGLED you write "I'm dying faster than most...". Those five words can actually stand by themselves, the rest is icing....In DISGRUNTLED, the "Got bills to pay/American way" line stayed in my memory both as a musical riff and a rhyme, which is really sorta the purpose of the exercise...In SOME ASS REQ, you sorta had some rumination of the meaning of life...hmmm...so maybe there's not such a huge difference between our mutual musical intent as much as our musical styles. I dug your tunes before, as I've said, but seeing the words have made me dig 'em more.....Respectfully, gibs
 
"Tartiness" as in I'm late in posting comments.

I was just thinking about my lack of involvment in posting my input to everyone's MP3's and I think that I don't have as critical an ear for other people's music as I do for my own. I'm not as studio savvy as some of you guys, and I have a tough time dissecting a mix and analyzing the details of it. My ear isn't that fine tuned yet. But, I guess that's why we're here! Enough excuse making, I'll try harder.
 
"Tartiness" Yeah right, I meant "Tardiness". Need to put a little more effort into proofreading my posts.
 
Sick of me yet?

Just got done with "Mangled" and as usual, I like it a lot. Aside from the riff in the middle (00:50-1:00 & 1:17-1:22) I think the bass guitar is a little subdued. You tune your guitars down don't you? The bass guitar might be next to subsonic! I like the "liveness" of the drums. I think it's creative, I like it better than everything but "Disgruntled...", but it's close.
 
Sorry, S8-N...typo, ill have to get that Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, but shes one butt ugly bitch! BTW, from Denham Springs, LA. Bout 40 miles from New Orleans
 
Gidge, you're on the same side of the culture-shock line as me...
I lived in NOLA for six months, then I moved here. My next MP3 is a song I wrote while staying there, It should be posted before Y2K.
GIBS: Yeah, I tend to occasionaly wax philosophic... I was burnin' you for writing about the meaning of life, but I've done my share of introspective ranting. My dad is a philosophy teacher at UALR. He planted the seeds of religious doubt in my mind that grew into the cactus of blasphemy that is my current mindset.
 
So does "Mangled" refer to the actual mix?

It would seem that the drums where recorded with low end preamps which would explain the lack of openness to their sounds. Also, the mics where obviously too close.

Overall the mix sounded cluttered and flat. Sonically speaking, the whole range was filled in, but it seemed that this was done at the expense of clarity. All the tracks seemed to lose their "space" in the mix.

It would appear that a lot of the impact that the song needs is lost due to the fact that the musicianship is not very tight. In many places the drum fills where rushed. The guitar playing also sounded a little to stiff. Of course due to the lack of any real tone on the guitar tracks it was probably hard to perform it and have any idea how it fits in the song.

Was the vocal mic in a cardboard box while recording???

Cymbals seemed to dominate, as well as had a very harse quality to them. Proper mic placement can improve this as well as assuring that the overheads are running though quality wire and preamps. Overhead mics easily pick up more diverse information sonically than any other mic will. The best signal path possible should be dedicated to this. Of course a very moot point if you are using cheesy preamps like mackie or alesis.

The bass seemed like it would have benefitted from having better mid range information on the track. It sounded bloated and kind of artificial. Of course you may have intended this to sound that way. Who knows.

Thinning out alot of the tracks, better mics and preamps, some better limiting while going to tape (obviously to fill in the metering because it is digital), and better better sense of production would benefit this cut a lot.

On a scale of 1-10 compared to big boy stuff, I would give this a weak 4.

If this helpful??? :)

Ed
 
"Some Assembly Required"

Some mixing required......

Drums sound like cardboard. Kick drum was not very detailed in the mix. Definately needs to lose a whole bunch 250hz to clear it up. It could benefit from some additional 3khz boost for some impact.

Guitars sounded like they where in another room. Very low resolution or something on the recorded track. Also they could have benefitted from some possible track doubling with the two tracks panned out in the mix since everything except the hi hat seemed to be center panned.

No real low end in the mix. You can hear it, but it doesn't seem to do anything. Once again, better preamps and wire would help.

It would seem that you are not hearing much of the detail in the sounds judging by this mix. Like Mangled, it seems to be flat and cluttered.

Again, the muscianship could use some tightening up to add depth. But I would suggest that there is flaws in the listening environment like monitors that don't reproduce well, average cableing, or standing waves in the room that would make you think this mix is close to finished.

On a scale of 1-10, this one is a tad better than Mangeled, so I will give it a steady 4.

Even more helpful??? :)

Ed
 
"mfubs"


Gosh S8-N, in hell, does every song start with some weird sampled sound??? This is three in a row!!! Getting a bit stale by now considering everyone did that thing like 5 years ago.......Songwriting counts now a days.....

I would only be repeating myself in critiqueing this mix. It sounds relative to the others. Flat, cluttered, basically what I would expect from low end equipment. I think it may be time to ask God for a loan and get something better than Alesis preamps and a AKG mic pack if you want to start getting rich sounds onto the drive. Also, your monitoring is obviously flawed here. Any decent studio monitoring would show the flaws here.

I give this mix a 3, it definately has more problems than the other two.

I am having a problem believing that you think these mixes are 90% as good as professionally recorded CD's S8-N. I have heard 4 track cassette recordings that have better sound overall. These mixes don't sound like they are breaking through the glass ceiling you claim exist's with home recording setup's. But hey, that is why people pay me to do this stuff, because I have made the significant investments for gear that doesn't just claim CD quality, it delivers it.

Good luck....and you are welcome for all this "help".

Ed
 
Lotsa hall reverb on this baby...

"... And in the utha corna, hailing from the boiling belly of the NetherWorld, the Clovin Hooved Kid, the Devil himself...

S88888888888888888-NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN...

888888-NNNNNNN..."


"Now, I gave you boys instructions in the dressing rooms, protect yourselves at all times... Let's get it on!!!!!"
 
Hey thanks!!!
That's what I call helpful. I am kinda curious about whether or not you have purchased an album in the last ten years. I'm not going to critique your personal musicianship here (untill I find an MP3 of it) but your magnum opus "Secret Heart" has a kind of Bon Jovi "Wanted Dead or Alive" production to it. I think that any band who would settle for this 80's-ish style of recording would have missed their window of opportunity for a record deal by ten or so years.
And since you and I are both making "demo quality" recordings, I feel that mine are more true to the "demo" ethic. I am trying to reproduce the sound of a live band, rather than layering on tons of reverb and compression.
As for the quality of preamps and mics that I use... I am using the ones that YOU recomended I buy.
When I say that the quality of my mixes exceeds that of a "pro" mix I was referring to a certain few CD's in my collection... Not "Dark Side of the Moon".
I can see why you harvest this bitterness toward digital audio workstations. It is sad to think that, in a few years, Echo Star will be replaced by a laptop, a moped, and a backpack full of mics and cables.
My mixes can't compare to yours on a sonic level. But if you refer to DMC SILVA's post "Here's an interesting article..." you will find some recordings done on a cheap PC using low-end gear and all software FX processing which, to my amatuer ears, surpass your recordings.
One last thought... The purpose of these "demo quality" recordings is to hopefully convince an A&R man to give you a record deal so you can go record with "the big boys". I think that someone who listens to hundreds of demos every week would be trained to listen for quality songwriting and would be fairly annoyed by a cheesy, overproduced recording.
 
Ed:

Are you going to stoop to reviewing posts in the mp3 mixing clinic only when it affords you the opportunity to retaliate to what you considered to be a personal attack on you, or can you offer others the benefits of your experience?

I read your open invitation to pit mix vs. mix to anyone who thinks that their mix quality surpasses yours. If anyone responds to that challenge, they are a tool. Also, if that's what you think the mp3 mixing clinic's purpose is, then you're one too.

Music is not a fucking sport, it's art. These recent threads are bringing that art down to the level of professional wrestling.

Hollywood Hulk Hogan




[This message has been edited by dmcsilva (edited 01-05-2000).]
 
Ed,

You have in the past been very informative, and no doubt helpful to many people on this BBS, myself included. This type of critique although it may seem accurate to you, appears as more of personal attack. The MP3 mixing clinic is in someways the culmination of all the other forums, the recording result in terms of fidelity is not always the paramount focus.

I would guess most of the people on this BBS are using consumer or pro-sumer/semi-pro equipment. This is what is used, so results may not sound like something recorded at a multi-million dollar studio. The results can still be very listenable, and at times comparable to other commercial recordings. I listened to "some assembly required" and liked it, and posted my comments in the correct thread.

Maybe this BBS just doesn't meet your professional expectations.

Emeric


[This message has been edited by Emeric (edited 01-05-2000).]
 
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