Formal Ghosts

[robgreen]

Cool song, rob.

Just a few minor nits stuck out to me. There did seem to be a bit much reverb on the lead vox (just a tad), and they also seemed a little dark. Maybe it could use some more high end?
I'm also not much a fan of the organ, but then again I rarely am.

Cool, thanks for the listen and your thoughts Steve. I'm nearly done with the remix, which I'll hopefully get chance to post up tonight - I've re-recorded all the vocals and they've got more high end to them. There was something in my voice I didn't like in the higher frequencies of that last take, so I'd put a fairly severe low pass filter on them. I've eased back on the reverb too, so other than the organ I've got your suggestions incorporated.

Cheers man

 

[dobro]

Do formal ghosts wears suits and ties?

 

[robgreen]

Do formal ghosts wears suits and ties?

Formal ghosts wear long white dress shirts that trail down to their feet like a sheet...

Right, I've updated the mix - new vocals and endless tweaks everywhere, that probably don't amount to a hill of beans. Still sounds a little small and narrow when I A/B it with commercial recordings that I used as reference points, but they are commercial recordings and probably beyond the limits of my abilities/resources at the present time. Maybe one to come back to in a year or so, as there's still stuff I'm not wild about, but for now it's probably good enough and an improvement on the first mixes.

Original link on page 1 contains the updated version too, but below too in case anyone would like to hear. Haven't had chance to listen it on soundcloud yet - stuff always sounds different on there from the mixdown, which in turn sounds different from playing straight from Ableton. Hopefully nothing went too seriously out of whack on the transcoding:



Thanks everyone who listened and commented

 

[dobro]

Yeah, it's better. During the guitar solo, maybe the organ's too loud in relation to it. Maybe you could cut some more lows from the main guitar. Maybe you could turn it down a taste during the vocal. Maybe.

Good tune. Delightfully haunted.

 

[robgreen]

Yeah, it's better. During the guitar solo, maybe the organ's too loud in relation to it. Maybe you could cut some more lows from the main guitar. Maybe you could turn it down a taste during the vocal. Maybe.

Good tune. Delightfully haunted.

Cool, thanks for listening back in dobro - glad it's an improvement. I know the organ's still pretty reverby - it is down a notch or two though and a little lower in the mix. I tried a bunch of different ways, but it just wouldn't gel and didn't sound right any drier than this. It adds to the hurky-jerky Ghost Town feel of the tune I think.

I'll have a look at the suggestions you make and see if I can make any final tweaks before putting this tune away for a good while. Thanks for yer help and ears

 

[rayc]

The organ sounds great.
Your vocals sound much more at home this time.
The placement of the sane in the stereo image struck me as a little too far off centre & the kick drum a little the same. It may be my ears or headphones doing that.
I like the bass tone and it's rumble.
It's a very cool piece mate!

 

[robgreen]

The organ sounds great.
Your vocals sound much more at home this time.
The placement of the sane in the stereo image struck me as a little too far off centre & the kick drum a little the same. It may be my ears or headphones doing that.
I like the bass tone and it's rumble.
It's a very cool piece mate!

Great, thanks Ray

I'm pleased with the bass too - there's a squelchy synth bass line in there pretty low in the mix as well as the bass guitar line. I tend to DI it quite hot and then not do much else other than notch out any boom and it seems to come out pretty well.

I'm pretty sure the kick is dead centre. I don't usually move it anywhere, but I'll check in case I inadvertantly knocked it. Not sure what you mean by 'placement of the sane' - if you would mind just clarifying I'll take a look at that too.

Thanks for your kind words and thoughts throughout

 

[rayc]

Whoops - SNARE. Sorry

 

[robgreen]

Whoops - SNARE. Sorry

Ah gotcha, thanks ray. I made a final couple of small tweaks to volume levels and EQ and I think that's me done with this song for now

 

[Tobe]

I love it... Kind of has a "Windmills of your mind" vibe... this link is the reference for my comments...

Thomas Crown (1968) The Windmills of Your Mind - YouTube

Your song has many extra elements that I really like (and is a much better quality recording than the link). Having said that I think the mix of the lyrics in "Windmills" is a good reference... you have some really cool sounds going on here, but I feel the organ in particular dominates rather than supports the lyrical melody.

 

[Tobe]

P.S.

You have quite a few instrumental passages... use that to flood the song with the organ etc... but allow the melody of the lyrics to dominate the lyrical passages. Hope that makes sense.

 

[robgreen]

I love it... Kind of has a "Windmills of your mind" vibe... this link is the reference for my comments...

Thomas Crown (1968) The Windmills of Your Mind - YouTube

Your song has many extra elements that I really like (and is a much better quality recording than the link). Having said that I think the mix of the lyrics in "Windmills" is a good reference... you have some really cool sounds going on here, but I feel the organ in particular dominates rather than supports the lyrical melody.

Hey, thanks a lot tobe - for your mix comments and kind words. I was kind of aware of that song but had never consciously listened to it before. I guess the title is some kind of Don Quixote reference is it? I really like the lyrics in the song - they're kind of wistful and each line of the the melody is teased out by the last one like it pulls it out and stretches the meter (if that makes any sense?)

I wouldn't have picked up on the likeness myself, so it's cool and interesting that you made reference to what it brought to mind for you.

P.S.

You have quite a few instrumental passages... use that to flood the song with the organ etc... but allow the melody of the lyrics to dominate the lyrical passages. Hope that makes sense.

That makes perfect sense I think it's right. I'm so hooked on that organ sound that I think I do lose a little perspective with it and smother it over everything. I'll have a look at whether I can turn it down a couple more notches in the vocal passages.

Thanks again Tobe

 

[Iechineband]

Not really bringing anything new to the table, but I'd like the vocals up more. I think its a great song.

 

[robgreen]

Not really bringing anything new to the table, but I'd like the vocals up more. I think its a great song.

Cool, thanks a lot Iechine, that's really good of you to say. I'll take a look at the vocal levels - always hard to hear yourself pushed to far out in front

 

[kokain]

I say the lyrics are good. The words flow and the syllables play well in between lines. The lyrics and overall sound is sort of solemn but the words themselves and the cadence is pleasantly playful. Especially the first verse. I love the "...for sure" and how that line fits in with the backing tracks.

I love the back vocals around 1:00 and then the awesome organ breakdown. I don't think the organ is too big or wet. When it comes in for the breakdown it takes over and fills the spectrum. If that is what you wanted then I think it sounds great.

The background vocals at 2:23 are buried a little bit. They may need to cut through a little more like they did the first time. Unless the intent was to blend them into the crunch guitar.

The tone on the outro guitar is perfect. Nice and creamy. But it might be a little too wet for my taste.

And I agree with others that the kick is too loose. Most evident at 3:03 when it pokes out from the mix. The second time listening that kick sound stuck in my head and the loose sound was more noticeable. I do however like the looseness of the snare. It adds to the eerie vibe of the song.

But all in all the vibe of this song is wicked awesome.

 

[ido1957]

Howdy, I've completely lost perspective on this and could really do with some fresh ears. I came up with an arrangement without too much trouble, but the lyrics have been a complete pain in the arse. I wrote and binned two sets - this is the third and a halfth attempt, and I'm not even sure I like these much better. Nevertheless, I can't face writing yet another batch.

I also agonised about the lead vocals - whether to play it straight or a bit more 'out there'. It's maybe a mishmash of the two, I dunno.

I'm a bit fatigued by the whole thing as it stands, so not sure whether this current mix is close or way off. Some feedback would be great. Thanks

I lose the vocals in the chorus so that could use a tweak. I found a couple notes dissonent - not sure if it's the vocal note or the chording moreso. I think it's creative but was a little distracting. That said, the vocal volume was the only thing I found needed any attention. TBH I pay more attention to the vocal melody than the words. As long as the words make sense and rhyme I'm a happy guy. Then I was raised on pop radio. The only thing I don't like is swearing in lyrics. Sounded like a western song initially then shifted completely over to British style when it got going

 

[robgreen]

I say the lyrics are good. The words flow and the syllables play well in between lines. The lyrics and overall sound is sort of solemn but the words themselves and the cadence is pleasantly playful. Especially the first verse. I love the "...for sure" and how that line fits in with the backing tracks.

I love the back vocals around 1:00 and then the awesome organ breakdown. I don't think the organ is too big or wet. When it comes in for the breakdown it takes over and fills the spectrum. If that is what you wanted then I think it sounds great.

The background vocals at 2:23 are buried a little bit. They may need to cut through a little more like they did the first time. Unless the intent was to blend them into the crunch guitar.

The tone on the outro guitar is perfect. Nice and creamy. But it might be a little too wet for my taste.

And I agree with others that the kick is too loose. Most evident at 3:03 when it pokes out from the mix. The second time listening that kick sound stuck in my head and the loose sound was more noticeable. I do however like the looseness of the snare. It adds to the eerie vibe of the song.

But all in all the vibe of this song is wicked awesome.

Thanks a lot Kokain - that's a pretty considered critique, so much appreciated

The lyrics on the song posted up now are re-done since I first posted a couple of weeks back, so I'm a lot happier with them. I do tend to focus more on the sound of the words and how their rhythm influences the meter than thinking consciously about any particular rhyming schemes - so I'm happy to hear that that works.

I'll have a listen to the kick at the spots you mention and the background vocals second time around. I don't think I had any conscious intent to bury them - I was just looking for the right level. Re. the kick, it gets hard to discern any rhythmic parts that get out of wack after hearing the song a couple of hundred times - after that much exposure, I think your brain tunes into the groove of the rhythm, whether it's meant to fit or not...

Cheers for your thoughts and nice words man

I lose the vocals in the chorus so that could use a tweak. I found a couple notes dissonent - not sure if it's the vocal note or the chording moreso. I think it's creative but was a little distracting. That said, the vocal volume was the only thing I found needed any attention. TBH I pay more attention to the vocal melody than the words. As long as the words make sense and rhyme I'm a happy guy. Then I was raised on pop radio. The only thing I don't like is swearing in lyrics. Sounded like a western song initially then shifted completely over to British style when it got going

Thanks for looking in ido - general consensus seems to be that vocal levels are a little low, so I'll have a look back at that and see if I can give them a little bump.

Re. the dissonance, I'll have a think. There's a nylon acoustic part with a high capo that was a nightmare to keep in tune when I was tracking, so maybe it's that? There are also quite a few layers playing different parts and some ringing notes, so could be in there too maybe. It feels like minimal enough for me to live with.

No cussing in here either, no sirree. Cheers ido