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dobro

dobro

Well-known member
The latest tungdrum tune.



And I invite/defy anyone to come up with a reference I might have used for this one. :-)

Q: Should I mix the vocal louder?

There's something that baffles me about this one, though. (I'm easily baffled, no big deal.) I mix down to -14 LUFS usually, cuz I put stuff on Youtube. Most of my mixes come in at about -20 LUFS, and then I limit the peaks and boost overall to bring it to -14 LUFS. But this one came in at -12 LUFS. I found myself *reducing* the level of the master to get it to -14 LUFS. What's going on with that?

Anyway, hope you like the tune.
 
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Well, I wasn't expecting that dobro :) A lovely sound and a great opening line, ha. For the reference I'm gonna guess...Close to You by The Carpenters?
 
I wasn't expecting that either dobro and I will step up to the challenge!

May I suggest you use 2 references.

Firstly, Once Again by Hang Massive (although they use a hang drum and not a 'tungdrum' but still).

Secondly for the vocal anything by Bob Dylan, obviously! Mix vocal level to taste on this one I think, but I'd bring the background vocal up a bit, dah da da da dah hhmm hhmm.


Seriously though, this is a great listen and my day has started brighter having heard it :-) (y).
 
Very melodic instrument. Nice for a warm and sunny Sat afternoon. Vocal levels are fine to me.

Reference? Tubular Bells, lol.
 
Nope. Vocal is clear and defined against the background, P. What I'd like to hear is some of your low mumble of what you've got going on in your head that you murmur while playing added. :D
 
I dunno - I just like to sing and mutter along when I play. Glen Gould used to do it a lot too. Maybe it's a Canadian thing.

The reason I asked about the vocal is that the top mic was picking up tons of drum sound, so I couldn't separate voice from drum in the mix.
 
dobro said:
The latest tungdrum tune. Anyway, hope you like the tune.
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Pretty cool - the lyric part was depressing for me - and I don't know if it's on purpose but you definitely hear. you counting the rthymn - I am not sure it bothers me - it kind of has a good quality to it.
 
Yeah, the lyrics are pretty gnarly. I usually don't offer context for the stuff I come up with, but I'll do it this time. About a month ago, I heard a (UN?) report about the climate crisis that said we have about three years to turn it around, otherwise we're going to pay in ways we'd rather not think about. Shock, fear, no denial possible. I sunk into wondering how we allowed this to happen - so many of us feeling helpless or assuming that the scientists will save us, variations on head in the sand. And this tune popped up. At the very least, there's anger behind the contempt, but it's even darker than that, I think. So if you find the lyrics depressing, I get that, but actually shock or alarm wouldn't be out of place. Here's a really clumsy parallel: Imagine you're Ukrainian and the Russian tanks start rolling across the border into your country and you suddenly find yourself taking action that would never happen in peacetime. Shock, threat, violent reaction to survive. No more comfy armchair.
 
Never heard of a tungdrum but I'm guessing it's derived for the West Indian steel drums?
There's quite a lot of tension between the sound of the instrument and the lyric, a good times bad times kind of deal.
Speaking of which John Bonham used to vocalise his rhythms constantly. Keith Moon was famous for it
 
I've heard different stories about tongue drum origins (I call mine tungdrum cuz it's made in China 8-) ). I've heard it goes back to Aztec times, but that the metal variant like I play was put together by an American guy.
 
dobro said:
Yeah, the lyrics are pretty gnarly. I usually don't offer context for the stuff I come up with, but I'll do it this time. About a month ago, I heard a (UN?) report about the climate crisis that said we have about three years to turn it around, otherwise we're going to pay in ways we'd rather not think about. Shock, fear, no denial possible. I sunk into wondering how we allowed this to happen - so many of us feeling helpless or assuming that the scientists will save us, variations on head in the sand. And this tune popped up. At the very least, there's anger behind the contempt, but it's even darker than that, I think. So if you find the lyrics depressing, I get that, but actually shock or alarm wouldn't be out of place. Here's a really clumsy parallel: Imagine you're Ukrainian and the Russian tanks start rolling across the border into your country and you suddenly find yourself taking action that would never happen in peacetime. Shock, threat, violent reaction to survive. No more comfy armchair.
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Wow, I completely misinterpreted this song when I first heard it! 🌍
 
It probably fits other situations - I can see it being a parting shot at your ex, for instance.
 
dobro said:
It probably fits other situations - I can see it being a parting shot at your ex, for instance.
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Nope, I was way off that too, the opposite in fact!

I heard it as a love story between a man and his totally incompetent, brainless partner that he loved in spite of her 'failings' imploring her not to change as he'll look after her and love her as she is.

Maybe I'm just a weird romantic fool...
 
Yeah, it could be that, too. But I dare you, if you're in a relationship right now, to play your partner the song and tell them your interpretation of it and then ask them what they think.

And no, I'm not trying to cause trouble. Lol
 
dobro said:
Yeah, it could be that, too. But I dare you, if you're in a relationship right now, to play your partner the song and tell them your interpretation of it and then ask them what they think.

And no, I'm not trying to cause trouble. Lol
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Dare fulfilled.

She interpreted it the same way I did (without me telling her what I thought) but then we have been together for more than 25 years so we probably have something in common...
 
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