"Dawn Awaits" (Pop/Singer/Songwriter)

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jeffoest

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Hi all,

Kind of hurried to write and record this one as I'm getting ready for a bit of a vacation and wanted to get it down.

Just my vocals and me playing the acoustic guitar (with loud fret squeaks - sorry)...

Anyways, I'm REALLY interested in your thoughts here because when I get back, I've already recognized some lyric improvement. Am thinking about adding some bass and light percussion and possibly some strings. But in a way, the acoustic guitar by itself does give it a bit of an intimacy.... Anyways, would love to get some free thoughts!!

Influences here are Beatles (hmmm... like about everything I've ever written!), Elliot Smith and Simon and Garfunkel...

Dawn Awaits (3:13)
 
For those interested - I changed a few things on this song - got some of the squeeks out of the fretting by retracking, added some subtle strings, and resang it.

Influences include Elliot Smith, Simon and Garfunkel and Paul McCartney. Instruments include acoustic guitar and strings.

Dawn Awaits (3:18) (same URL as above - I just updated the songfile)
 
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Nice song Jeff. I bet your fretting fingertips are like solid oak!! - still a fair bit of fret squeaking even now, don't know the answer to that but perhaps somebody else will.

There is a lot of hiss on this track. To my ears it sounds a bit over compressed or limited - there just isn't as much dynamic variation as I would expect. If you have squashed it a bit and then brought the levels right up then that would accentuate the hiss, but perhaps the gain structure in your recording chain is worth another look?

Whatever you've done to your voice is no doubt an effect you were going for, so as an artisitic call that's fine, perhaps you could vary it a bit to give the song more movement. I don't know how to say this without sounding pretentious, but the production somehow forces itself out on the listener, and doesn't pull you in.

Overall, as I said, good song, well sung and played, I think a slightly rawer, less processed version might work a bit better, but as always YMMV.

Thanks for the listen.

Garry
 
Thanks for the listen Gary and the informed ideas and opinion!!

I wonder if I did overcompress a bit. I think the problem with the fret noise (should've heard the original which also had less production and was sort of more intimate as a result) is one of simply my technique - I'm more a keyboardist to be truthful but do enjoy the guitar very much. BTW - good idea on varying the voice effect (yes - lots of reverb and triplets) for movement - didn't think of it but like it.

Some of my friends have told me they liked my 'rawer' version better, some are tossed - I'm personally a bit tossed now...

Anyways appreciate your time and skilled observations...

Jeff
 
:eek: Please don't think they're skilled! There are some very experienced people round here but I'm not one of them ;)
 
The vocals really sond in the background compared to the guitar. Also some pitch problems in the vox, sounds like your straining a little too much on the higher notes. I didnt really notice the overcompression except on the quiet parts where you hear the noise floor come up. Guitar sounds a little 800Hz heavy.

Danny
 
Id like an extensive listing on how the guitar was recorded.
Room type/mic type/distance/etc..i want all the specs if you would.
Thanx.



BTW.
I really liked the guitar sound. heh....
 
Danny - thanks for the listen and the comments - very much appreciated!

xfinsterx - glad that you like the guitars!! Ok, here's a rundown of what I did and used:

Room
4'x5'x9' 'vocal' booth made from plastic piping and moving blankets

Recording chain
Taylor 414 six-string guitar --> 2 Rode NT5 microphones (both about 8-10 inches away, one pointed at 12th fret, one pointed beyond and higher than the bridge edge of the guitar) --> FMR RNP preamp --> Akai DPS16 24-bit recording.

Post-processing
Compression - FMR RNC 'super-nice mode' 6:1 and somewhat quick release and attack (don't remember exactly)
Reverb - TC Electronics M-OneXL - used a plate reverb with a bit longer decay than normal (because of space in song)
Panned both channels (both mics) hard left and right

Regards,
Jeff
 
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jeffoest said:
FMR RNP preamp --> Jeff
Click to expand...

Thats the info i was looking for.
Ive heard enough about this RNP.
Its just the shit.
Im buying one tommorow.
Thanx jeff, and again, nice work.


oh BTW, the vocals are too far back in the mix IMO.
 
Nice song Jeff,

Personally I'd probably change out the delay on the vocal for a very mild reverb or even dry.

If your really settled on using the delay maybe dry it up so the "echo" is not as pronounced as the source... with my headphones on it kinda confuses my brain...lol.. (sometimes it doesn't take much)

nice finger pickin.....when it started i thought you were doing a cover of dust in the wind....
 
Thanks Les Paul! On the voice thing - what I did was very intentional - i.e. I was going for that epherial 'floaty' quality. So for good or bad - that's what I was trying to achieve lol!! But I can see a case for bringing it up to be a bit more present though. So many choices when producing, eh?

xfinsterx - yea I would say the FMR products are pretty darn good investments for the home recording enthusiast. They are modestly priced and pretty good little performers!
 
Your picking pattern reminds me of "Blackbird." So does the chord progression at the end of the chorus. Not sure if this was intended or not.
 
jeffoest said:
Thanks Les Paul! On the voice thing - what I did was very intentional - i.e. I was going for that epherial 'floaty' quality. So for good or bad - that's what I was trying to achieve lol!! But I can see a case for bringing it up to be a bit more present though. So many choices when producing, eh?

xfinsterx - yea I would say the FMR products are pretty darn good investments for the home recording enthusiast. They are modestly priced and pretty good little performers!
Click to expand...

Yeah this thing is badass!.
Ive been playing with it for the last 4 hours.
SWEEET! :cool:
 
Guinea, I'll take any comparison to Paul McCartney/Beatles! lol

Wasn't thinking about Blackbird when I wrote it, but I see where you are coming from in the picking pattern!
 
love the guitar sound, wish i could get that sound.

the way you get the finger sliding sound really clear.

vocals are okay, maybe a bit breathy? a little out of pitch some places (i think), but i'm no expert, just sounds a little wrong sometimes that's all.

song is okay, does sorta sound like the beatles - maybe a few harmonies would be good.

someone said the guitars sounded like blackbird, i think it sounds like "landslide" actually. the original, not the dixie version.
 
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