New Setup, New Song

[Alaking]

my new setup = SM57 - Audio Buddy - Sonar 2.0

I spent minimal time actually tracking this - but it was worked on it over a long time period.

I have'nt fussed with EQ or compression etc because I really don't know 100% what I'm doing when it comes to that.

any comments or suggestions that could help my sound or performance?

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/?aid=1541/singles
"For Us To Keep"

thanks,
John.

 

[Zikes]

Wow! Nice guitar tone with the 57! I like the guitar a lot on this. Not hyped, just plain rythem. Don't know how else to explain it but fits the tune well in my opinion. I'm thinking the two synths might sound better with less panning. I'm wearing cans and they sound really close to the guitar to me, at least on the left. You could leave the right synth alone and move the left side to the same place it is after the break and near the end of the tune. Experiment by bathing them in a bit of reverb to mix with the lovely dry guitar also and see how that sounds? You might of tried these things and they didn't sit right for you but just some ideas. Nice work with a minimum of equipment. I like the hesitation before the synth break. Nice!

 

[Alaking]

thanks for the reply Zikes.

i am playing around with some synth panning right this minute - i had also thought about trying some reverb as you suggested but i will surely get to that soon.

im not sure if i am really going to bother to "polish" this track, as i dont really have a use for it, but i like to keep these ideas in mind for future projects.

any other comments?

keeping the peace,
john.

 

[studioviols]

Nice guitar sound ... and ... very ... creative, and I'm not being condescending.
Straight 8th chords ... it's a really nice change and promotes a hell of a lot of tension.
We are begging you to break out of it.

Plus, there's lot's of room for collaboration.

OK ... to much reverb.

Don't hide your vocal from THIS board, especially when it's good, and this is a nice vocal.

The backups are there ... but the guitar is a bit to loud, when the vocal comes in, maybe you should take some verb off the guitar with an envelope at that point. So a drier vocal is a little more there.

The percussion instrument at 1:55 is ... distorted ? Is that 'rap mouth' ? 'mouth drum' ? whaaaaaat is that thang ?

So, it's all about minimalism for a bit ... and yes, the straight 8ths in the guitar are quite cool at this point.

If I had to go pee ... I wouldn't until the song was over. very effective.

Too much reverb, if yer gonna do somethin' cool vith this vocal ... phase it, or flange it, and the reverb guitar makes a bit more sense, but it needs less reverb.

I can understand the words, not a struggle, but I don't think they are super important here ... door number 2

This is a cool song.

Actually, pulling off a good straight 8th performance in the guitar is much harder than some think.

I don't think you should have ever released us from the guitar 'figure' ... until the last 5 or 6 beats , what happens at 04:19 should end the song ... you don't need the wierd MIDI stuff at the end, just fade down real quick.

I heard your nosehair ...

Thanks for sharing, I just recorded a cool violin riff in the beginning ... uhhhh ... in my head ;-)

Peace out dode,
Pat

 

[Alaking]

studioviols, thanks for the time.

thanks for the vocal comment - because i'm never happy with my voice/ singing skill. this is why i usually double or triple my vox, i think it makes them sound a bit thicker, and can even out some of the minor mistakes.

that percussion "instrument" is a sorta homemade beat box. I had this old organ i bought for 30 bucks, which i eventually ripped apart. it was a crappy organ, but had this cheesey drum machine that i loved. so after much tinkering and testing, i separated all those electronics and built a new little cabinet for it.
12 presets and tempo control. i love it. and yes.. it is kinda distorted... but that's part of the reason i like it.

haha - as for the "reverb" guitar, well, there is no reverb. i just recorded the same tracks. one is centered, one to the left, and one to the right. should i maybe try ditching the stereo tracks? i kinda liked the effect/way it turned out.

ahh... the fading out . i kept battling with myself about wheather to have it fade out, or break down. im leaning back towards the fade out again.... it would sorta make it seem like it jsut keeps goin and goin and goin that way....


and of course, i would be 110% interested to see what kind of stuff could be added to this (if you get bored!!!). i orignally had a guitar solo after the 1st chorus - but i just am really rusty and choppy when it comes to guitar, so i cut it out.


thanks again for listening,
john.

 

[studioviols]

i'm never happy with my voice/ singing skill ... i usually double or triple my vox ... and can even out some of the minor mistakes.

... that percussion "instrument" is a sorta homemade beat box ... old organ ... cheesey drum machine that i loved built a new little cabinet for it ... it is kinda distorted ... but that's part of the reason i like it.

... haha - as for the "reverb" guitar, well, there is no reverb. i just recorded the same tracks. one is centered, one to the left, and one to the right ... should i maybe try ditching the stereo tracks? i kinda liked the effect/way it turned out.

... im leaning back towards the fade out again.... it would sorta make it seem like it jsut keeps goin and goin and goin that way....


... interested to see what kind of stuff could be added to this ...

If you are already singing your vox multiple times, think about singing it 10 times, and cutting only the best parts from each track. This gives you an opportunity to really analyze and study your voice and things can occur to you about your vocal technique while you analyze 'what' is a good part, and 'why' that part is good, or 'why' that part didn't work out. This is exactly what all the big stars do ... and then of course they use Autotune and lots of other good stuff.

only a mother would love a beat box as oooooglay as that !

The guitar seems a bit muddy on reflection. Review your mix with only one guitar, try to pick the best guitar track and place it in the mix where it is most effective. Then bring the second best guitar track in to double it, place it strategically and treat it as a 'backup guitar', mix it 4-8db lower. Then finally, use the third track for additional spatial and depth production ... but only in key places, perhaps to make certain sections sound different from others. And I think I'm talking about the electric guitar.

If you fade out before the straight 8ths get relief ... we'll subconciously want to come back to the song and listen again, and again, always subconciously waiting for the resolution ... of that DAMN GUTIAR that just keeps going ON and ON and on and on and on ....