first time piano/cello and vocals (flame this)

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B.SABBATH

B.SABBATH

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www.nowhereradio.com/samij/singles

'what a difference'

dont be a wimp! if it sux, tell me so I never attempt anything like this again.. :D

a vocal up mix that is so loud, it is rediculous..

flame on, and happy 4th! :D


thanks if you bother


sam
 
Ok...I'm gonna try and be the first to respond (like the good ole days...yeah right)

Listening and typing...
I could tell by the first pno chord..and the sound, that this was your stuff.

opps..gonna have to d/l...it keeps buffering for some reason...back in a sec...

but I am first..eh?;)
 
ok...d/l seemed to harmlessly work. sometimes it buffers and I don't know why...but unimportant I guess. ya made me log in too...ha!!
:)

like I was saying...after hearing 10 (!!) or so of your songs, I easily recognize your chord voicing, pno sound...and even the cello sound to some extent....it seems.

The vocals aren't up too much... don't get the delay up any louder though... I might roll of some high end on the delays, however.

I think you need a better piano sound for this kinda stuff, for some reason. analizing it...it is kinda muffled sounding. Or maybe it's just me, and I want to hear a different sound on your piano, since it is always the same.

Hey!! the vocals went in stereo around 2 mins. (with the verb) I liked that...but now its gone:(

when the vocals have the different processing, it distracts me to that fact.

your string writing/playing is good. some dynamics??

oh my...the f word!!

ya need a supprise bash of drums, gtr solo, for an instant..or something to break the linear flow of it.

I like this very much....but I feel it is about 90% there. It needs musical dynamics, a solo(?), and a little more arranging to the strings to keep them from being the same "thickness" all the way thru. Get a killer sound on the vocals (kinda almost like the one 'verbed section), and take away the distortion that's on them at times, and I think this song would go up a couple notches really quick. I view this as more a "sketch" from you.....and for some quirky reason...you don't have those unrelated musical changes anymore!!...whoa....wassup with that??:p

happy 4th sam....nice stuff as usual
 
oh...and just to make a post out of this one thought...and to repeat.

the vocals Are NOT too loud
 
sorry to ramble....but it hit me.

on this song, I want to hear REAL instruments... real pno, real drums, real strings... it is the MIDI factor that I'm hearing, and I didn't realize it the first time. That's the ticket.
 
oh...so I guess you're gonna need to book some time at your local "Ocean Way"...in the "big room" to fit that string section....and open up the wallet too!!:p

This is the song you record[on the second CD], since you've made millions on the first CD.....eh?;)
 
Sami... sounds great with your vocal. Nice timbre to your voice. What mic did you use? I, myself, can see the tune for what it is, and I like it as it is... I love listening to a CD of an artist who has the diversity and confidence to throw something like this at the listener; album filler, as it once was... Sure, you could force it into a more formatted tune, which would take nothing away from the piece, but I really like the profound simplicity of this version. Nice work!:D
 
This tune is great. I love the string stuff and the soundscape you conjured. And your vocals rock! They're really good. Really. I'm not just saying this. The vocal mixing, however, need a bit tweaking, IMO. I mean, the vocals sound a bit distorted. Did you check the recording levels while singing? Or did you do that for effect?

And this didn't sound like Elton John at all. I guess that's a good thing :D I hope you can be as honest in a few days, when I'll post a cover song with vocals :o
 
CrankyOne said:
I hope you can be as honest in a few days, when I'll post a cover song with vocals :o
Click to expand...

If he won't, I will be!!:D :D :eek:
 
coolio

Cool tune-I like the cello and piano sounds-drums dont seem up to your usual standard. As far as the vocals the volume sounds about right but that distortion crushes them just a bit too much for my taste and what the tune seems to call for. Also the melody line seems to lose its direction between 1:00-1:10,right before the chorus. I like when the vocals hit that high note it gave the song a climax-cool.How bout some kind of solo between verses?1:27-1:40?
 
"one goog nightmare is all it takes" "I still wake up in the same fucking place" "what a difference a day makes".


How did you know? I can write my own fucking lyrics but, I feel like you sucked these words out of my own darkened heart.

The mix is more than I can make better:)
You're a liar it you want me to believe that you haven't sat and crooned with your piano in the past;):)

The muse is a sultry cauldron of sirens, love, fables, lost dreams and unwanted memories. You nuture your muse well, my bro.........Let it know who is in charge.

All to touching tune friend. Thanks for your honest sharing.

Theron.
 
damn Theron...you're gonna make me cry:eek:


(ha!)



(nice observations, btw)
 
Now thats a vocal up mix!;)You have a good voice sam,no need to be shy about puttin it out there.You have a unique quality and sound to your voice.You seem to be getting more confident with you vocals and thats a good thing.It only gets better from here dude!

You took a bold step with a piano/vocal tune.I dont know if I could do that.You're definetly becoming the full package of musician/singer/engineer.

I dont have any comments on the mix.I've come to realize Im not qualified to give very much advice on mixes.

It sounds good to me.......nothing was jumping out with a flashing red light begging to be fixed.(MIXMKR has the ears for that:))It seems pretty well spread out and leveled.

Good job.I Enjoyed listening to it.:)
 
theron said:


The muse is a sultry cauldron of sirens, love, fables, lost dreams and unwanted memories.

Theron.
Click to expand...

Theron--thats about as good a statement about writing as I've ever heard.

sam--your stuff is so different! You can think in non-linear ways that never occur to me, which makes your writing interesting to me. The mix seems well balanced. Good job on getting those vocals up where they need to be!

yes, I'd like to hear you with some real instruments too. You are the first person I can think of who ought to have an E-4 at least. You'd wring some amazing sounds out of it.

The song is scarily honest. Ya got balls! I liked it!
 
A real interesting song. The instrumentation choices you made were terrific - they created a great atmosphere. Some of the lyrics were just terrific. I thought the vocals sat perfect in the mix.

I too would have liked some kind of changeup in the song to keep up listener interest. It might help to have the bass part brought up, roll off some of the lows, and boosted somewhere around 400 hz - just a thought. I think a bass part that really stands out would be a real nice touch.
 
Damn.......
..........the melody reminds me of trying to quit smoking........ Dude.... Those are the best vocals ive heard from you yet. They sound alot warmer. The levels are very nice...... I like the vocals effect. Are you riding the reverb? Seems like it opens up around 2:17 for a moment or two.....wether you are doing it or the vocal proc. your using does it..... I like it alot. There is still a little mid edge on some of it. ...but it doesnt sound inappropriate. What mic are you using anyway? And what compression? ......I love it man.... It's not Elton man, .....It's Manilow!!!:D :D :D g
 
same fuckin place!!

man that caught me off guard:p but it fit perfect!!

your a stylish dood! anyone who can make a piano tune edgy gets my vote!!


peace

rick
 
mixmkr - before I forget again, let me say I dig the new avatars! I like the latest one the best so far.. So your saying the tune neeeds more.. I was trying to do it where if there was just a piano in the room, I would be able to play and sing with out missing the extras too much.. so I kinda under did it I guess. I think more solos would help though now that you mention it.. yeah I guess I should try a new piano sound.. The funny thing is I got rid of my Jv 10-10 and got the XP-30, but I'm still using the same piano from the 'Session card' and the same strings and cello's from the 'Orchestral 2' card.. I dont know why I even bothered to get the xp-30? So far I havent used any sound that I didnt already have... I don't know how far I'm going to take this song other than getting it mixed as best as I can and maybe adding a solo or two.. As far as the vocals, I tried to change my whole way of thinking about them thanks to the input from here.. I cut down most of the effects and just cranked up the reveb for that one line.. I think the vocal distortion was caused from me driving the input to the vocal processor too hard.. I know I wasnt clipping on the recording levels or the compressor... it could also be the cheap mic I'm using.. I'm rambling... :D thanks mix..



caretaker9 - 'album filler' :D I think you nailed it! The mic was a cheap EV dynamic.. probably about half as good as an SM58 would be.. I'll type the whole vocal chain in Gernicas response if your interested..thanks for the comments man! :D




Cranky One - see mixmkr's reply for the vocal distortion excuses.. :D I cant wait to immediately sink my paws into your newest post! :D thanks..




Stratomaster - I was slacking on the drums.. This was my first time experimenting with a mellow setup and I tried to play the beat simple.. I just wanted it to be in the back somewhere so nobody would notice.. you did.. :D Yeah I think it needs a solo.. As far as the vocal direction that was lost, "Yes it was.." :D thanks man




theron - prehaps the coolest feedback I will ever recieve.. I really never have sang to a piano before.. I never even rehearsed this at all.. I had the melody in my head and these words, 'yesterdays promises were nothing but lies.' I set up the recorder and improvised the rest looping section by section coming up with one sentence at a time and recording it as I think of it.. When I listened back at the end I was suprised at what came out.. thanks again my friend, for allowing your self to feel this down.. It's not a pretty place to be, but that's unfortunately where the music is for me..:D




Kramer - thanks man! Sometimes you just gotta say WTF!! :D :confused:




crawdad - I'm sure I'm showing my ignorance here, but what is an E-4? and how much can I get one for? :D thanks for the feedback man.. what is an E-4? :confused:




Triple M - I hear what your saying about the bass.. my bass was out of intonation so I used synth bass until I can get around to setting it up.. I think it would help a lot too.. thanks for the thoughts man.. I will mess around with some e.q.ing.




Guenica - 'it's not Elton John, it's Manilow' :D funny.. I have been trying to do some different things with the vocals.. (see mixmkr's response for vocal distortion excuses.) THe vocal chain for this tune was an EV dynamic garbage mic that is not even as good as an SM58, into the Digitech vocal 300, and then into a BLue Max compressor on a vocal preset.. I also added more compression from the 788.. The part were the vocals get reverbed out was the 788 reverb that I pinned for that one line.. I have no idea why, I think I was just buggin'! :D After I record the vocals, I usually bounce them onto different tracks adding effects and more compression if needed.. I also get them at the right volume by punching the vocal bounces one line at a time.. The 788 is very cool for that.. thanks for the feedback my man! :D be talking soon about our thing.. :cool:




fenderlikingood - I dont say it often, but sometimes I just have to.. :D thanks man!
 
I think the vocal distortion was caused from me driving the input to the vocal processor too hard..
Click to expand...

......Hey man,
I think your right on the money about the dist. on the vocals,IMO. That clippy mid thing that i mentioned happening in a few spots actually sounds like a gain issue. Big ups to Sami and his smokin vocs.:D
 
E-4

Its the EMU Emulator IV, a sampler. Guys like Danny Elfman use them to score movies. There is an incredible library of real instruments and such for these things. I have a XP-30 also, and while some of the sounds are quite good, the sampled sounds are better. I am familiar with this piece because I worked with a guy who had one.

These days, there are all kinds of software samplers and hardware samplers, so I am not up to date on the latest and greatest. I just think the kind of music you make would go to the next level with some ultra realistic samples. Getting the libraries is really what costs the most, after you pick up the sampler. I have one on my list.

I have used the Unity DS-1 for a while, which is a software sampler. There is a latency problem, though. I get tired of aligning tracks that are late. Thats why I want a hardware rig.
 
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