My Handsome Nell - Something to Strive For

N

Neeps

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Here's another song called Something to Strive For.

What I want to know is this...

Is the arrangement too busy or would a good mix (and better mic placement) make this all sit nicely?

I know all about the clams and the horrible thing going on with the autotune on my vocal, the thing is the last time we sat down to work on this song we started to hack out bits of it to make it sit better... like removing the cello from the first verse...

Thing is i kinda like this messy version more than what we ended up with.. it got scrapped...

So instead of hacking bits out of the song when it gets busy... is it worthwhile sticking with this arrangement and trying to fix it with mic placement and eq... could a good engineer mix this and make it sound good? Provided of course that I fix the clams, timing issues, pitch issues and all the other issues that I'm sure people can hear!
 
you need to use the manual function on auto tune, or in the least turn it's responce time down. the manual function is better.
sounds as good as anything i do, but you do the same thing as i do, everything is a little to dark.
is that a midi violin? i might do something about that.
busy, kinda, can it be made to work, i don't know.
have fun
 
Great song, man.
I don't think the arrangement is too busy at all. Maybe it doesn't build in the more traditional sense, but that's OK.

Only thing is, Cher spoiled that vocal modifier with her hit song 5 or so years back. It actually sounds cool, but she's all I think of when I hear it.

Your band is great. Keep it up. Honestly, I've listened to mostly alternative and heavy music my whole life, then started getting more light. The "cut your hair" line started to make me laugh, but within seconds, I realize you make good music and should be respected. It's like if you listen to death metal lyrics all your life (which I didn't) you might brush off "pop" music or lighter lyrics. But that isn't the case. It's good music that doesn't fit the norm at all and good lyrics. I'm not calling you pop music.
You're expanding my musical tastes. :) Trying not to sound too much like some wussy fan.

Anyway, good song. I don't have much technological expertise to offer, as I don't even own much gear or have ever worked with it.
 
giraffe said:
you need to use the manual function on auto tune, or in the least turn it's responce time down. the manual function is better.
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Cheers. Thats what I intend to do as soon as I work out how to...

giraffe said:
is that a midi violin?
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It's a sampled cello from East West Orchestra... we'd love a real cello or a fiddle player but we don't know anyone who plays... if we finish an album we might go looking for a fiddle player and replace what we have written with real fiddle...

In fact... does anyone know a good fiddle player that hangs around here?

swatsds said:
Great song, man.
I don't think the arrangement is too busy at all. Maybe it doesn't build in the more traditional sense, but that's OK.

Only thing is, Cher spoiled that vocal modifier with her hit song 5 or so years back. It actually sounds cool, but she's all I think of when I hear it.

Your band is great. Keep it up. Honestly, I've listened to mostly alternative and heavy music my whole life, then started getting more light. The "cut your hair" line started to make me laugh, but within seconds, I realize you make good music and should be respected. It's like if you listen to death metal lyrics all your life (which I didn't) you might brush off "pop" music or lighter lyrics. But that isn't the case. It's good music that doesn't fit the norm at all and good lyrics. I'm not calling you pop music.
You're expanding my musical tastes. Trying not to sound too much like some wussy fan.

Anyway, good song. I don't have much technological expertise to offer, as I don't even own much gear or have ever worked with it.
Click to expand...
The vocal thing was a mistake we weren't trying to sound like Cher... lol

Listen man... it seems to me like you've came from a pretty shitty musical background but I want you to know that you'll always be made welcome at Our Handsome Forum. We've got lots of people in rehab over there (well me, the rest of the band and my mum)... I myself used to be heavily into hardcore dance music before I went cold turkey and found salvation in folk'n'roll...
 
Very nice. The opening lines are very good. Loses its way for a bit around 1:15, the "Recreate...for you and me" bit is too stretched. I think your vocal could be a little more confident and it is absolutely crying out for vocal harmonies - really needs a female BV singer.

Lovely use of the East West library - I have the Garritan one, have never found an excuse / the time to start using it properly.
 
I don't know. I got lost in it, and forgot to be critiquing it! Sorry. I'll listen again.

BTW, I have that song I was talking about. PM me and I'll give you the details. I'll let you hear it first, to see if you are still interested in doing it...
 
i love your voice and accent so much dude! It makes the songs sound so cool to me. Maybe all the songs sound like that in scottland though? Hurry up and get them released in the U.S. before someone else does hehe.
 
astric69 said:
i love your voice and accent so much dude! It makes the songs sound so cool to me. Maybe all the songs sound like that in scottland though? Hurry up and get them released in the U.S. before someone else does hehe.
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Travis man... you'll be very welcome at Our Handsome Forum...
 
I got lost in your song. I wanted to curl up on a blanket in the sun and giggle! :) I agree with some female vocal backing, just something simple.
 
guitarhunny said:
I got lost in your song. I wanted to curl up on a blanket in the sun and giggle! :) I agree with some female vocal backing, just something simple.
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This song is fast turning into the Bermuda Triangle of songs... that's Rokket and Guitarhunny already got themselves lost in it!

I hope the giggles were good giggles... like giggling in contented bliss... not giggling at my naff lyrics!
 
there is one part towards the end where you say "the hearts of men" i think except it sounds like the "men" got cut off im not sure if thats supposed to be like that or not?
 
astric69 said:
there is one part towards the end where you say "the hearts of men" i think except it sounds like the "men" got cut off im not sure if thats supposed to be like that or not?
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When I recorded the vocal I had a bad chest cold and couldn't sing for more than a couple of minutes without breaking into a fit of coughing... I stopped singing cos I was about to cough...
 
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