uptempo rock tune, "Work it Out"

[GONZO-X]

download, or stream.

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/...d=2302&alid=-1

or

http://tinyurl.com/yx5kqx



a fun little tune about not arguing, and working it out.

the drummer, worked his parts out from a distance..
using an old demo of mine, with drum machine, stripping the drum machine off and replacing it with a click..
then tracking new drums, sent me the tracks, and i started over, building up the rhythm section and then the vox.

pretty simple straightfoward mix...
going for an old classic rock mix vibe...


Work It Out
I never think about the reasons that we
do the things we do
I always figure, it will work out by tomorrow.
yeah, I don't like to argue over little things
let's talk it out, with a smile, and walk
away happy.
Let's work it out, yeah, man, it's cool.
Let's get it back together.
There ain't no sense in arguing…
c'mon. let's go!
Let's work it out, man, it's cool.






i found some pics from the guitar tracking session:

cab and mic:



boogie MKIIb

[JordanD]

its not catchy enough! but it sounds good!

[WhiteStrat]

As always, I just love your stuff. I groove on both sides of the coin--the music itself and the production value.

This one sounds a bit thick and muddly in low mids--but be warned--I'm listening on cans, so let's see if anyone else is hearing that as well before you take it too seriously.

I've been spending a lot of time lately trying to nail my recorded lead guitar sound. I've been happy with rhythm guits for some time, but often still use modeling for leads. I'm almost there--but still working on it!--tracking with the amp.

Anyway, I love the sound you're getting, and if you had the time, would love to hear about your approach to recording lead work.

Great stuff!

[ocnor]

Cool tune! The guitars sound great as usual. Did you use the Yamaha DG stomp that's in the picture? Everything sounds pretty well balanced. My only complaint is that the drums sound really dry even for classic rock. Just a hint of room reverb would do wonders. The snare sounds very small and has no oomph. It would be better if you could get it to sound more like a Ludwig Black Beauty.

[joeym]

Great rockin' tune, Gonzo!
Love your guitar work and sound. Nice vocals, kind of freaky. I agree that you could use maybe a bigger snare sound, but if that's what you were looking for, it's cool.
Well done!

Joey

[minerman]

Hi,
I can't comment on the mix 'cause I really not qualified (newb), but it sounds very good to me, sounds like the kind of music me & my buddies used to listen to in high school. Good job!

[mikew]

Sounds clean! I just changed my monitor setup so hard to be a good judge, I do agree with this song a little bigger sound on snare but think it works.

The left -> right on the main guitar riff jacks with my brain!! (this is good) Not sure if you are panning or if it is just how the guitars are played. I love it. Around ~ 50s and 53s, seemed there was a little more pronounced movement like the right guitar cut out completely.

I really like the guitar work, the vocals and the cut of the left guitar near the end around 1:45.

I'll have to read your posts over at the vsplanet on the setup you used. Seems like quality musicianship plays a big part in it! I think it is catchy.

- Mike

[WhiteStrat]

Originally Posted by WhiteStrat

...a bit thick and muddly in low mids--but be warned--I'm listening on cans, so let's see if anyone else is hearing that as well before you take it too seriously.

Just listened again on some real speakers, and I'm not hearing any low mid problems. Must've been the headphones I was listening on...

[GONZO-X]

JordanD
glad you like it....

but 'not catchy enough' for what?!
simon cowell?
heheh


whitestrat-
thanks for listening, glad you're diggin it.
i see you went back and listened with speakers, yep, it's always a compromise trying to get it to sound good on ALL playback....
i'm just not that good of an engineer yet...
never really wanted to be, but i bet you know how it is...

My approach to lead work:
wow. that's harder to explain, than it seems.


i won't go into gear, or styles, or any of that...
just capturing the sound you've got, assuming you're happy with it already..


you know, i just play, and move the mic til it HEARS what i want it to hear.

you know, moving the microphone is voodoo..
even a fraction of an inch, left or right, up or down, makes a huge difference.
i spent more time moving microphones, than i ever did actually tracking.....

like, one hour to find the perfect mic position, and 2:30 minutes to actually play the track.
LOL

sad, but true....

so my approach is, IF YOU'RE MICING---- spend as much time as it takes, to find the perfect mic position.

this assumes, that you've already got a killer tone happening.

remember, unless you're multi micing, you're not going to get the ROOM sound, close micing.
when close micing, the mic, only hears what it hears up close...

go ahead, and get down on your knees in front of your cab, and put your ear right where the mic is, and play.

yes, you'll go mad after about one minute, but THAT is what the mic is hearing. this is just to get you used to the idea of trying to think like a microphone.....

to actually find your tone for the mix, it's important, that you can get away from the source sound (the raging cab), and listen ONLY thru the monitors, so you can really hear what the MIC is hearing.....

most of the time, guitarists forget that the room they're standing in, has as much to do with how they percieve their tone, as ANYTHING ELSE.

sometimes, it's the room that sounds good, even when the amp/cab sounds like ass.

this is key to understanding how to capture your 'perfect' tone.


now, add in a ROOM mic, and here's where you try to capture the good room sound, and blend it in with the close mic.
this is a science, that requires much studying, and i wont attempt to explain it here.

i have tried modelers and iso cabs, but none of that has worked for me.



i cannot track at volume anymore, and have moved to a new setup-

an attenuator, to tame the volume, and a Palmer PDI-09 device for direct recording. i also add some low-volume mic as well......
i'm getting excellent results from this.

[JordanD]

hehe thats good advice! i cant hear what my mic hears because i dont have a monitor, so i usually dont care what i put it! oh and one of my ears are clogged, been clogged for over a year now, my Eustachian tubes they say. so i hear things weird!

[GONZO-X]

ocnor, lord of the thighs

LOL
(who comes up with this stuff?!!)
thanks for listening.
you know, i tried to beef up the drums, but then it always seemed they were stepping on the guitars, which i wanted to feature more in this mix.
there is some verb on the drums, but it's very light. i'd love to get a sampled sound of a black beauty, and do a re-mix using that...
but on the other hand, the drummer did such a wonderful job of the groove, and it's the sound of HIS kit, i wanted to keep it real that way, not do any major EQ'ing of the snare and whatnot.... i just missed the mark on simple level, i think.
thanks for listening...


Joeym-
freaky vocals! cool, i always have wanted to be a little bit freaky.....
thanks for checking it out.

minerman-
Newb, yes, we've all been Newb's, and i'm still one. thanks for listening.

mikew-
the rhythm guitars, were played twice, and then panned hard left and right.
so, i tried to play them pretty tight, but every once in a while, i'll do something a bit different, just to create that sense of movement, like you said, and also to give it a more rock edge, not let it be so dialed in, it's my rolling stones influence i guess.

see, the producer yelled "make it perfect, damnit!!", and i said "F that!!"
heheh
thanks again...

[JordanD]

i listened to it again, and i think it just needs a big chorus in it!

[rayc]

I like everything except the bass - which sound fine when it's playing runs but the main stuff doesn't have enough note separation for me - just sort of burbbling - does that make sense - the tone is good but the notes aren't far enough apart to give a sense of movement - it's almost as iff it the one note - then again I have a sinus infection so my ears are shot so I probably am not hearing it properly - which is a pity because the guitars, vox, drums and keys sound pretty cool.

[GONZO-X]

jordan D
nah, no big choruses!!
it'd be.........too obvious.
but thanks for future ideas, for sure....


rayc-
sinus infection.
yep.
that'll make a bass sound pretty muddy!!
LOL
the bass IS playing unison lines with the guitar, that was the point of the riff, at that one point, to be one solid line.
the sound of the bass seems to work fine, when it drops out, and starts playing the counter riff.
i suppose, i coulda gone with a more 'ricky' sounding bass, for that note definition, but then it sounded too thin for everything else.
maybe, i could clone the bass track, roll all the low end out of it, then add it back in only on those unison sections, so that the bass will stick out right there....
hm.

[GONZO-X]

LAST BUMP, before i go a yankin' it down...

[GONZO-X]

ok, so that was the next to last bump....
sue me.

[Jpwikid]

Nice..I think it's a cool tune...Sounds like Rick Derringer if he threw some Steve Vai licks in....

[GONZO-X]

jpwikid-
thanks for listening!

Sounds like Rick Derringer if he threw some Steve Vai licks in

that's a pretty interesting combo, there..

i don't think i've EVER heard rick derringers name come up before.

i guess ALL AMERICAN BOY was a pretty damned-good rockin' album way back in the day, when it first came out.

i had only ever heard johnny winter do the rock and roll hoochie koo song before that....

derringer album that just absolutely kicked ass, but only derringer fans have ever heard any of them!!

LOL