Blade of Grass - Original

[K-dub]

Some of the chords sound out of tune, or perhaps the intonation is off on the guitar. Vocals are really off in spots, but that's okay to me. It has a Dylan quality to it. My biggest problem with this mix is none of it sounds organic. Those sound like sim guitars and canned drums, but the drumming is way off in spots. Did you over-humanize the drums on this thing? But for the mix, levels and stuff, I think it's okay. The vocal delay is a little too clean and ridiculous to me, but that's an artistic choice and your call.

I hate it when Greg comments ... because he always catches the same things I do.

The organics (or lack thereof) really struck me. Nothing sounds "natural" ... for as natural as you're going for? It all sound unnatural. In a song like this, I'd mike an acoustic guitar and leave it fairly dry. The swishy "processed" guitar is out of context with folk-ish intent of the piece, and the whole presentation comes off a little incongruous. I'd have taken a more Spartan "less is more" approach in the production ... dry vocal, dry guitar ... going up close and intimate.

It just strikes me as "trying too hard to sound natural".

And I'm not sure the guitar is fishy so much in it's intonation as it is swishy in its presentation ... which makes it sound slightly out of tune.

I might also consider speeding the song up slightly ... as sometimes the vocal appears to be waiting for the beat to arrive before delivering the lyric ... there's an uncertain hesitation that causes a kind of herky jerky hesitation ... again creating the impression of not just "going naturally with the flow".

The song is good ... the presentation of it doesn't fit it quite yet.

 

[DM60]

I actually pretty liked the song, had a sort of neil young feel to it. The only complaint I'd have (suprised this didn't come at all from other members so take it with a grain of salt) is the accoustic guitar. There's some sort of boxy low mid frequence that prevents the guitar to have a more crispy sound. Lowering that frequence (between 200hz to 500hz) should give a little shine to those guitars. Yet again that's how I like accoustic guitar sounds so take it with a grain of salt if you prefer more boomy guitars.

I have cut some from the acoustic, wonder if the bass is interfering, but I will take a look and see if cutting a bit more may improve the sound. I try to keep acoustics from that boomy sound, either muting the top string or EQ'ing it out.

Thanks for the inputs.

 

[DM60]

Well, the track in the OP is not the same as yesterday, so I'm assuming this is the new mix. I can hear a bass guitar part in there, and the lead notes are much more pronounced. Really tightened things up (and it does sound better in tune). Greg's right about the Dylan esque quality. The new mix sounds a lot like early 70's Dylan. Just need the mouth harp!

Yes, I did an update to the song today from the original. It is moving in the right direction. A bit more work still is required.

Thanks for the listen.

 

[DM60]

I hate it when Greg comments ... because he always catches the same things I do.

The organics (or lack thereof) really struck me. Nothing sounds "natural" ... for as natural as you're going for? It all sound unnatural. In a song like this, I'd mike an acoustic guitar and leave it fairly dry. The swishy "processed" guitar is out of context with folk-ish intent of the piece, and the whole presentation comes off a little incongruous. I'd have taken a more Spartan "less is more" approach in the production ... dry vocal, dry guitar ... going up close and intimate.

It just strikes me as "trying too hard to sound natural".

And I'm not sure the guitar is fishy so much in it's intonation as it is swishy in its presentation ... which makes it sound slightly out of tune.

I might also consider speeding the song up slightly ... as sometimes the vocal appears to be waiting for the beat to arrive before delivering the lyric ... there's an uncertain hesitation that causes a kind of herky jerky hesitation ... again creating the impression of not just "going naturally with the flow".

The song is good ... the presentation of it doesn't fit it quite yet.

It is really a sparse song, One Acoustic, Bass, drums and the electric. The vocals will be getting another go, when I am tracking I am loosing the groove and it is off. So, I agree. I think the next take with the drums tightened up and a few loose end fixed corrected, the vocals go better. That was one reason for waiting to do the vocals again. (Plus, I can't sing early in the AM).

Thanks for the inputs.

 

[polarity]

It's sounding better to me DM. Do you have 1 acoustic and 2 electric pieces? One kind of strumming and the other doing a texture/lead thing?

If that is what I'm hearing the strummed electric still sounds strange to my ears but doesn't sound out of tune anymore. Everything else I had to comment on sounds fine to my ears now but I am sure some of the others can offer more there.

Keep it up man it's definitely going the right way.

 

[DM60]

It's sounding better to me DM. Do you have 1 acoustic and 2 electric pieces? One kind of strumming and the other doing a texture/lead thing?

If that is what I'm hearing the strummed electric still sounds strange to my ears but doesn't sound out of tune anymore. Everything else I had to comment on sounds fine to my ears now but I am sure some of the others can offer more there.

Keep it up man it's definitely going the right way.

One electric, one Acoustic (doubled mic'd) I might have some timing issues still. I will give it a closer listen and see if there is something going on I may have worked on that caused something else to be out.

Thanks for the re-listen. I think the next one should be pretty close.

 

[polarity]

I'm enjoying it. It's cool to see a project move forward.

 

[mjbphotos]

Vocals sound a little Joe Walsh-y (good thing to me). Drums need something more (not sure what, reading the other comments here), some 'body' to the snare, maybe. Think throwing some lead guitar lines in between lyrical lines would add something in places.

 

[DM60]

Vocals sound a little Joe Walsh-y (good thing to me). Drums need something more (not sure what, reading the other comments here), some 'body' to the snare, maybe. Think throwing some lead guitar lines in between lyrical lines would add something in places.

Yea, I agree, I think once I get the basic issue resolved I can add a little something to give it some boast. I did redo the vocals, they are a little better, less pitchy. I am born with the voice I have, plus age doesn't help.

Thanks for your listen.

Everyone's feedback has been a great help. It is much appreciated.

 

[fat_fleet]

Nice laid back vibe.. I lie the balance. Some of the performances could be tighter..not sure which instrument, but there's a general loose lazy feeling to the playing. Some of that could be intentional.

Is it just me or does the start sound chopped, like your render didn't catch the first few microseconds?

 

[DM60]

Nice laid back vibe.. I lie the balance. Some of the performances could be tighter..not sure which instrument, but there's a general loose lazy feeling to the playing. Some of that could be intentional.

Is it just me or does the start sound chopped, like your render didn't catch the first few microseconds?

Might of been I was early on the count in. Doing a song at 55 BPM is painful. I don't think I will being doing one of those again. I tapped it out and that was the beats, but man has it been painful.

The intent was to be loose but not sloppy. Hopefully it doesn't give that feel.

Thanks for listening.

 

[fat_fleet]

Might of been I was early on the count in. Doing a song at 55 BPM is painful. I don't think I will being doing one of those again. I tapped it out and that was the beats, but man has it been painful.

If I'm doing something really slow like that, sometimes I double or quadruple the click rate to get more granularity.