Summer (w/Stu - new bass from Tjarko)

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K-dub

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This one wrecked me this morning. It's a song about looking back to one's youth. All the background vocals, guitar leads etc ... done by Stu. He nails it. I reached out to Tjarko, who had also worked w/ Stu frequently, and he contributed a bass part to add to the posthumous collaboration.

Any/all comments welcome - and thanks in advance.
 
There’s a click or a clank more like a scrape around a 320 mark. Otherwise really sounds great Kevin I mean I really like your voice in this register not to say that you can’t hit the high strident notes, but you feel and sound so much more comfortable down where you are in this the whole thing sounds crystal clear Stu’s guitar the bass, the vocals, the drums everything spot on. Extra points for using the word Halcyon.
 
Manslick said:
There’s a click or a clank more like a scrape around a 320 mark. Otherwise really sounds great Kevin I mean I really like your voice in this register not to say that you can’t hit the high strident notes, but you feel and sound so much more comfortable down where you are in this the whole thing sounds crystal clear Stu’s guitar the bass, the vocals, the drums everything spot on. Extra points for using the word Halcyon.
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Thanks bud! I'll investigate. Tjarko's bass just elevated the piece to next level arrangement. The man works musical magic.
 


@Trojka adds more magic sauce to things ...
 
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New mix above - Tjarko forgot to add the room tracks to his submission.


Also - quick opinion por favor.

I added Stu's vocal again at the very end.

Yes?

No?

Too much?
 
To be honest: I don't think my noodling at the end adds much (it was never intended as an actual part, just figuring out the chords with the record button switched on)
 
Trojka said:
To be honest: I don't think my noodling at the end adds much (it was never intended as an actual part, just figuring out the chords with the record button switched on)
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Duly noted. I'm still rolling the tape in experimentation - gathering input. It sounds like noodling - and in the breakdown of the piece, doesn't sound like a sore thumb. It kind of fits as an unwinding. Still, it doesn't add much to the piece either. Any thoughts on adding Stu's refrain back in? Is that unnecessary as well?
 
Personally I would fade out during the last chorus and skip the outro entirely. The song is long enough, and it's a more solid statement without the vague, slightly opaque sonic structure of the outro. The fact that you hear me struggle on the guitar to find a rhythmic and harmonic achor is an indication of this.
 
Trojka said:
Personally I would fade out during the last chorus and skip the outro entirely. The song is long enough, and it's a more solid statement without the vague, slightly opaque sonic structure of the outro. The fact that you hear me struggle on the guitar to find a rhythmic and harmonic achor is an indication of this.
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Ha - I'm leaning towards agreeing with you. I added more of Stu's vocal to add more blended interest and structure to it ... but I'm still seeing if I can make it work.
 
K-dub said:
Any/all comments welcome
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Love the song, it struck a chord with me and has been added to my playlist. The pacing is so good and I didn't even realise the song was over six minutes long the first couple of listens I gave it, great.


However,
Trojka said:
Personally I would fade out during the last chorus and skip the outro entirely.
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I agree with this, It'll be interesting to see which way you go with it.


Really nice (y)
 
HumanPlanet said:
Love the song, it struck a chord with me and has been added to my playlist. The pacing is so good and I didn't even realise the song was over six minutes long the first couple of listens I gave it, great.


However,

I agree with this, It'll be interesting to see which way you go with it.


Really nice (y)
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I'm coming around to that conclusion myself. The song varies enough to maintain interest (as per your note), but then reaches the end and ... repeats an orchestral section over and over until it stops. I tried adding Stu's vocals back in to increase interest again - but as good as they are, it sounds "forced" - as if I added them in order to maintain interest.

I'm thinking Tjarko has the right idea. I implicitly trust his musical instincts.
 
While you're there, hunt those clicks down and get them gone.

Around 1.48 - 2.28 - 3.15 - 4.30 - 4.43 - 4.55 - 5.05 - 5.40 - 6.02 - there may be more...
 
Okay - quick analysis reveals that the "clicks" are rimshot hits that were incorrectly assigned to a snare stick hit in the midi mapping. I'm going to change the assignment and see if I can get them to not sound like clicks. Great ears, boys. I've listened so long to the inaccuracy that it settled in as normal to me.

:D
 
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I'd tone down the microshift/widener effect on the vocals a tiny bit, to make it sound more intimate and 'you' (which suits the nostalgic nature of the song). To me an effect like this should be inaudible until you turn it off. It's a good vocal delivery, and you don't need it. I know you love this type of effect on your vocal, but give it a try.

Second snare hit at 3:45 should have a lower velocity. Really small details are popping up which is a good thing, you're getting closer.

Guitar on the left might be panned to the center more I think, or use a different type of panning method to get it more together (I sometimes use Boz Digital's Pan Knob for this). It feels a bit separated from the rest, it needs some filling towards the center. You can also pick the version of the track without room reverb, pan it to the left and add some stereo ambience with a small room type of reverb or other small room ambience reflections. It's so subtle that it doesn't matter much if it's a slighty different ambient sound.
 
Trojka said:
I'd tone down the microshift/widener effect on the vocals a tiny bit, to make it sound more intimate and 'you' (which suits the nostalgic nature of the song). To me an effect like this should be inaudible until you turn it off. It's a good vocal delivery, and you don't need it. I know you love this type of effect on your vocal, but give it a try.

Second snare hit at 3:45 should have a lower velocity. Really small details are popping up which is a good thing, you're getting closer.

Guitar on the left might be panned to the center more I think, or use a different type of panning method to get it more together (I sometimes use Boz Digital's Pan Knob for this). It feels a bit separated from the rest, it needs some filling towards the center. You can also pick the version of the track without room reverb, pan it to the left and add some stereo ambience with a small room type of reverb or other small room ambience reflections. It's so subtle that it doesn't matter much if it's a slighty different ambient sound.
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It's funny. I ABSOLUTELY have altered my mixing "philosophy" to deal with these mile high observations. I don't worry as much about tweaking EQ on the instruments (unless something is wrong) as I do about high level issues - like staying true to a song's intent. You hit the mark w/ the microshift comment. I KNOW that it "broadens" the stage, but it does begin to impact the "intimacy" of delivery - creating a "polished" or "glossy" blending to the lead vocal.

I will attend to all your notes. Thanks for the input, T. Truly appreciated.
 
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