CMiller's Latest

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CMiller

CMiller

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Here's my newest tune. It's a little long for me, coming in at 4:35. But hey, I've seen longer. Give it a shot and tell me what you think! Thanks in advance.

It's the one called "On My Side"...
http://alphadog.iuma.com
 
CMiller, checked your tune out really liked the mood and style of this tune, the mix sounded great to me but I'm not a rec engineer so thats as for as I will go with that, I thought the lead vocals were great, but was that some one else that shared the lead vocals with you? If it was I thought you should of done that by yourself (the lead vocals and thats just my thought :), now the back up vocals on this thing was Killer! to say the least. this song had me thinking the "outfield" for some reason kinda had that style to me, overall I liked this song the best so far, GREAT PRODUCTION of this song as the others I've listened to, your one hell of a writer man.

David

P.S. list off your equipment, guitars/amps/etc. I already know your using cubase. thanks.
 
Beautiful man. :cool: That is an awesome song with awesome production.
 
It's true, the back up vocals were great. I also liked the panning left/right on the guitar.....some time back you posted a song that had a lot of Croby/Stills/Nash influence...this has a different sound and I dig it. Bye the way "Reach" ROCKS...my fave for sure.....was "Mattole" posted before? Very nice.....gibs
 
Wow guys, thanks for the posts! I'm blown away by the kind things you guys said. I'll try to answer a few questions you guys had...

David: That was just me singing! I think what you noticed was some less than invisible punch-ins for certain parts. I did the vocal tracking over the course of several days. During that time my voice would come and go.

It's funny about the Outfield, I really dig them, although I admit I only know their hits. I've got a greatest hits CD that I listen to from time to time.

My equipment list for this one is a little long on the recording side. On the guitar side, I played either a 1985 Contemporary Strat (with either a Seymour or DiMarzio humbucker, I can't remember), or a 1995 Ernie Ball Music Man Van Halen through an ADA MP-1 preamp, a Rocktron Guitar Silencer, Digitech DSP-128 for the delay, into a Cerwin Vega stereo power amp and finally into two 2x12" cabinets. I don't remember the acoustic I used, I borrowed it from a friend. I think it may have been a Yamaha or something. A note on the stereo guitar that plays that main riff...it is two seperate guitars playing the same riff. All in all I recorded maybe 6 tracks of both electric and acoustic guitar. That little interlude in the middle is a combination of 3 acoustic tracks. I was looking for a real "lush" guitar sound. I panned the acoustics around to give the impression of even more guitar. It was overkill I know, but that's the way I am sometimes!

Recording wise, it's a long story, but the tune has been through the ringer. I tracked the drums and guitar on DA-88's, transfered them over to my analog MSR-16 and finished off the guitar work & bass guitar. At one time I thought I had a buyer for the 16 track so I made an emergency mix onto cassette (I know, I know but it was all I had in those days) and eventually dumped that mix into the computer where I recorded the vocals through Cubase. Not exactly the ideal situation, but it was an emergency damn it!

Fishmed: Thanks man, I appreciate it!

Gibs: Thanks for your kind words! "Mattole" was actually the first tune I ever posted way back in December. I originally posted "Reach" under the title "Bicycle" on a Juston account. At the time the lyrics and vocals were considered "place holder" tracks, but everyone seemed to like them so I said what the hell!

Thanks again for your praise guys, I can't tell you how much it means to get feedback from your peers (and such good feedback at that!) Thanks!
 
Man that's nice. Possibly the best production Iv'e heard yet on this site. You must have put a lot of time into this one.
 
Nice arrangement...very classy, check the peaks on your vocal....can you BE on my side.

Garger
 
Listened to all three and particularly liked "Mattole". In the BIO I read where you play all of the instruments except drums. What was used for the drum tracks which I thought sounded quite good? How were the vocals recorded? (i.e., mic, pre-amp, effects)
-Jim
 
Thanks for the comments guys, I appreciate everything that's been said.

Garger: I know what you mean about the vocals, and can hear what you're talking about. I did compress and limit the vocals but wanted to avoid really screwing with the dynamics of the lead. I agree that I probably could've done a little more. Thanks!

Lambo: The drums were recorded about six years ago at my friend's studio. We used Audix and EV mics for the toms, 57 on the snare, and if memory serves, I think an ATM 25 on the kick. I have no recollection what the overheads were, maybe PZM's but I can't be sure. The drums were recorded through (Sonusman will appreciate this) a Soundcraft Ghost console into DA-88's.

The vocals were done with an EV RE-10 dynamic cardiod into a Mackie 1604-VLZ. On this song, that was the only thing I recorded in Cubase. Oh, I didn't compress before going to tape (actually hard drive).

The original track was already colored enough during my emergency mixdown, so I added nothing but EQ to perk everything up. Actually I tried to eliminate frequencies rather than boost to keep the tape hiss at a minimum. I also slightly compressed the track to even out any inconsistencies. Barely any at all...I didn't want to increase the noise.

The background vocals were very colored. First, I found a place for all of the parts in the field and sent them to a sub were I compressed the hell out of them to keep a consistent blend. Then I added chorus (standard Cubase Choirus plugin) and then a fair amount of short reverb, which lended the effect of filling the gaps between the individual parts making a more homogenized blend.

I added a touch of the same chorus and reverb on the lead vocals because I wanted a consistent sound but I didn't want them to sound identical. As I said in Garger's reply, the compression and limiting on the lead vocals could've been done better. Unlike the background vocals, I was looking to keep a lot of the dynamics rather than eliminate them, so I took it easy.

I'm particularly proud of the vocals on this one not so much for the performance as the production. It might be excessive to some, and maybe it is, but I knew what I was looking to do with the parts and I came very close to that goal in the final analysis.
 
Hey Cheeshead!

Nice tune! How do you like that EVH Music Man? I have a hard on for the Peavey Wolfgang. Pretty much the same thing. I need to get something with better tone then my mexican fender strat.

Jimmy
 
cool man, definitly got som cool 80's meets the year 2000 kinda vibe-(sorry, just the mention of the outfield makes me say that) the sound is spectacular, really full and in your face- the overkill on the production gives it a kick in the ass (in a non Boston kind of way, which is more like pulling out a moustach hair) well it's not really overkill at all but just in the density of how they (your vocals not Boston)were put together. I do think that they could be a little more homogonized in the mix- not so much homogonized in relation to themselves but in the sound of the music if you know what I mean- It's pretty intresting that you recorded on different mediums and got it to work!- what I'm saying here is that you've got something that is so damn near perfect, that you either need to make it absolutly perfect (i.e. mainly with the vocal performance, i sort of get the feeling that the key it's in isn't exactly where your voice would be the most comfortable (I cheat and use a capo or retune when I feel that happening)) or funk it up a little more in order to really make it kickass!- I feel like your kind of caught in mid breath here- I can hear every ounce of the energy you put into it in the mix, a rare and beautiful thing. I almost want to hear you struggle a little more. well it looks like my art school critique background is popping up it's ugly head, but if i didn't think this could be pushed a little more I wouldn't even try to give you my opinion.
 
James, wow man, you hit so many points right on the head that I'm kind of taken back. You're partially right on in regards to the vocals. It wasn't so much that this key is out of reach for me, it has more to do with passion. I just don't have too much of it when I sing. I don't care much for the "character" of my voice, so it's a constant struggle when I'm recording my vocal parts. I wanted to have someone else sing on my music but I've had a tough time finding people to work with. After six years and nowhere else to go I said, "F*ck it, I'll do it myself." I really like my voice for supporting vocals, I think I have a knack for that. Right now I'm struggling with a ton of other songs that have the same problem. I work all day on vocals only to scrap them come quitting time.

Thanks for your comments, I really appreciate your input!
 
I do think that you have a good voice, maybe concentrate on your diction a little more, be confident with your words phoneticly and melodicaly. as far as passion, cut a couple of takes singing the whole way through and then live with it for a couple of days, listen for the parts where you think you sound good and don't concentrate on the "bad" parts. It'll come
 
I got your song right away and have been listening to it at home and at work since then. I give up.
Sorry- I can't find ANYTHING wrong there. Those harmonies were really warm.
The tune was great. Nice work.
 
Okay, okay, I'll give it a listen. But if it's merely flawless, somebody's gonna hear about it...
 
I couldn't begin to put together something like this. You might like, by the way, to listen to "Jollification" by the Lightning Seeds. British music, interestingly.
 
CMiller,
I agree with rest. Very good. The lead vocals had this separation thing that I hear on very well done productions (something that I am trying to do but can't figure out). Just very well done. Good job.
I listened to Mattole and loved it. What a cool arrangement. Do you play out live sometimes? If you do, let me know, I'm just around the corner in minnesnowta.
bobbo
 
Thanks again guys.

James: If I'm guilty of anything when recording vocals especially, it would be that I'm probably too particular with my vocal performances. I'll punch in a hundred times to get a three word passage only to trash it at the end of the day. It's probably me just being uncomfortable with the sound of my voice. I'll have to get over it.

Doc: Thanks man, I really appreciate your input!

Dobro: The Lightening Seeds eh? I'll have to look that one up. Thanks man!

Bobbo: The seperation is just panning. I try to picture my arrangements as though my head was a microphone sitting in the middle of (in this case) three singers. The funny thing is that I thought they were a little too seperated, hence the chorus applied to the harmony submix to pull everything together.

I don't play out, I'd like to but I'm terrible at finding players. I have a phobia of approaching other musicians. I don't know what it is, I'm a good guitar player, but I just have a tough time making musician contacts. That's why I play everything myself. Most players that I've come across in my life aren't interested in playing my music. What about you? Do you play out or have this problem?

While we're on this subject does anyone else out there have this problem?
 
CMiller,
It almost seems like its more enjoyable just sitting in the basement recording on your own time etc. At least it feels less stressful maybe, but I do kind of miss playing out. It was pretty fun.
bobbo

[This message has been edited by bobbo (edited 03-17-2000).]

[This message has been edited by bobbo (edited 03-17-2000).]
 
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