ALICE with drums

  • Thread starter Thread starter rayc
  • Start date Start date
That's good Ray! FF did a great job. The fill gets a little wongo at 2:02 and I'd like more snare, but it's coming together. More bass too.
 
Greg,
The bass is where it is as I was uncertain if I liked the slightly busier lines I played. Still don't know. Whatdyareckon? The 2.02 spot suits the lyrical theme! Thanks for the analysis.
fat_fleet,
You did a grand job!
CrowsofFritz,
Thanks mate.
 
So much more lively with these drums! Good job.

The kick kind of sticks out a little too much for me, especially in relation to the bass guitar, and the snare seems a bit buried.

It's coming along though...thanks for sharing this update.
 
Ray, sounds much better with the drums, I'll have a proper listen tomorrow when I don't have distractions and comment further.

all the best

Tim
 
Good to see how this is shaping up ray and I'm really glad you went with the drums from fleet - I could have done you an interim job, but these work so much better and give the song better dynamics and energy.

The new bass line sounds good too - I hear a few timing issues with the acoustic guitar line here and there and I would say that the vocals could do with some more compression as they're a little uneven in the mix volume wise, but it sounds like you're revisiting them.
 
Ray, I have to confess I've found myself singing the chorus a few times when I have been out working. I like the artistry of the track as whole beyond the technical tweaks. The bass is sitting a lot better to my ear through my various means of listening. A couple of spots early on, first few bars I found the rhythm/bass/drums kind of works in a way which alters the perception of its timing, and it happens at various bar changes throughout to a lesser degree, which is not a criticism as it does add something beyond the sum of parts. The guitars are sitting well now and the vocals are kind of endearing, more so if they didn't have the odd flatty here and there, more early on. I actually enjoy the singers voice, it suits the style of the song. Your persistence is yielding results.

Very enjoyable track

Tim
 
Great tune Ray - mix is working fine for me. Real drums are always going to elevate a song. Who is singing?
 
heatmiser said:
So much more lively with these drums! Good job.

The kick kind of sticks out a little too much for me, especially in relation to the bass guitar, and the snare seems a bit buried.

It's coming along though...thanks for sharing this update.
Click to expand...

Thanks cobber,
The drums are going through a bit of a tweak at present. I'll let you know when the new mix is up so you can compare & contract.
 
robgreen said:
Good to see how this is shaping up ray and I'm really glad you went with the drums from fleet - I could have done you an interim job, but these work so much better and give the song better dynamics and energy.

The new bass line sounds good too - I hear a few timing issues with the acoustic guitar line here and there and I would say that the vocals could do with some more compression as they're a little uneven in the mix volume wise, but it sounds like you're revisiting them.
Click to expand...

Hello Rob & thank for your offer & understanding.
I've not done much with the vocal as it is being possibly re done (maybe with a female voice) but I'll address that issue anyway as I'm sure Eric, (the singer, guitarist & co-writer), would like a decent copy for his archives.
The timing issue is a case of different systems across different continents I fear. that & Eric hasn't really had the chance to deal with latency.
Gain, thanks.
 
Phrasemaker said:
A couple of spots early on, first few bars I found the rhythm/bass/drums kind of works in a way which alters the perception of its timing, and it happens at various bar changes throughout to a lesser degree, which is not a criticism as it does add something beyond the sum of parts. The guitars are sitting well now and the vocals are kind of endearing, more so if they didn't have the odd flatty here and there, more early on. I actually enjoy the singers voice, it suits the style of the song. Your persistence is yielding results.

Tim
Click to expand...

Thanks Tim,
The timing issues are all mine I fear: I retracked the bass after the drums arrived but I find it very difficult to lock into a kit as bassist. That SHOULD be skill #1 in my set but isn't. Not enough practice! I did note the tension it created & figured that suited the song so, after 13 complete runs through recording bass, I settled for best fit. I think that living with a song & arrangement for 36 years also complicates things.
Interestingly Eric's vocal is very close to his original. He recorded it as a guide to build the arrangement upon & through lack of alternatives it survives. It does have a quality that suits the topic & tone.
I'll let you know when there's an update.
 
ido1957 said:
Great tune Ray - mix is working fine for me. Real drums are always going to elevate a song. Who is singing?
Click to expand...

Gerry,
my co-writer from the mid/late 70's & now 20teens, Eric Drabwell, sings this. Funnily enough the song is currently two Eric/ks & a ray: Eric on lead, 12string & vox, Erik on drums & me on bass & rhythm.
I'm glad you like it.
 
The big thing that sticks out to me is the pitchiness of the vocals. With the vox being kinda low in the mix and the not-particularly-crisp enunciation, it makes him sound really hesitant (which, in-turn, emphasizes the pitchiness).

The kick sounds good to me. It's very clear. The snare is a bit buried.

I like the guitar tones you're getting here, especially the buried lead part at the beginning.
 

This is a link to the latest ix with new drum mix (more snare) & more vene vocals.
the Soundclick link in the oiriginal post will also take you to the newie.

VHS,
re vox - yep. It's being addressed circuitously. Thanks mate.
 
Not too shabby, Ray! Sounds like something akin to Tom Petty (which is a good thing in my book). If it were me, I'd work on the vocals a bit more - make sure you're getting the best take possible (sounds like you're going to get a new singer, anyway), and then compress the vocals more, so they don't dip in and out of the mix. Drums sound good, bass is present, and everything else is where it should be, IMO.

Thanks for sharing! It's good to be listening to the music in this forum again!
 
Hello P.I. & Welcome back from wherever your ears have been.
There's a strong possibility of getting a female vocal but if that falls through I'll get Eric to retrack the vox.
When he did the current vocal he was still getting used to his recording set up (R16 into Reaper) as well as getting back into singing. He can hold a tune but hasn't done for quite some time. The vocals betray a lack of confidence which is actually quite endearing the context of this song.
I've tried compression to iron out the levels but it's obvious that some fader automation is needed.
I'll wait'n'see if the new vocalist commits something to HDD 2st.
 
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