How to NOT sound cheesy?

[mambazo]

Thats right. I seem to have this problem when I'm recording. The end result is always too cheesy.

I did a quick search on the forums but it seems very few people have, or owned up to, this problem.

Some might say that its the choice of song that makes it cheesy, but we've all heard a great version of the same song.

Does anyone else have this cheesy problem?

What can one do about it?

 

[NYMorningstar]

Hey mambazo, welcome to the BBS.

First of all you could stop singing about milk.

If you can't, then try collecting the milk at around -18 degrees and then mix it up to about -6. While your stirring it up, if you notice large pieces, try pushing the mix through a strainer to get rid of the bigger chunks. That will cool it off some so warm it up some more to -6 again and that will raise the value of the smaller average chunks and make the overall cheese smoother.

Make sure it's equalized and homogenized. Then send the mix off to Elsie, the master cow and have her sit on it compress to it's limit, about -1 degree.

If that don't work then moo-ve over let someone else do the farming. Did you ever consider fishing?

 

[mambazo]

First of all you could stop singing about milk.

If you can't, then try collecting the milk at around -18 degrees and then mix it up to about -6. While your stirring it up, if you notice large pieces, try pushing the mix through a strainer to get rid of the bigger chunks. that will cool it off some so warm it up some more to -6 again and that will raise the value of the smaller average chunks and make the overall cheese smoother.

Make sure it's equalized and homogenized. Then send the mix off to Elsie, the master cow and have her sit on it compress to it's limit, about -1 degree.

If that don't work then moo-ve over let someone else do the farming. Did you ever consider fishing?

lol

I suppose I should be a little more specific in my question.

I don't sing, so this is from an instrumental point of view. I have no trouble with sound quality and mixing. But there's something I can't quite put my finger on, that makes 90% of my music sound like a jingle for a gameshow, instead of a song itself.

I play a lot of jazz standards, on guitar. Backing tracks don't seem to work, and even if I lay down a rhythm guitar track (chord stabs with walking bass line) it still sounds like cheese to me.

There are some examples of what I mean on my eirejam profile. (I haven't made 5 posts yet, so I can't post a link to it...)

<edited out a link>

Perhaps this will aid in receiving a non-metaphorical-joke-answer?

 

[NYMorningstar]

How exactly are you recording this? What is in your recording chain and what level do you record at? If digital, what is the sample rate you are using? What does the source sound like on it's own?

 

[mambazo]

I've got the bare minimum of software here.

I have my guitar plugged straight into the line-in on my on-board audio chipset. There is a bit of hiss but it's manageable.

I have FL Studio 5 providing a click-track while I lay down my rhythm track into Audacity at 44100. I do this is parts. e.g. a number of variations of the A section, B section etc

I remove the hiss between chords and notes. Sort out any bad peaks etc

I import all the wavs into FL Studio to put the parts into a nice sequence.

Then I record the melody & solos into Audacity while listening to the playback from FL. Touch it up, save it as a wav..

Slap it on top of the backing in FL and I'm done

I'm starting to think my problem is more to do with the way I play, rather than the way I record

Or perhaps cheese is in the ear of the beholder!

 

[Dani Pace]

It kind of sounds like you are in a bit of a rut. I think we all get that way sometimes so don't panic. Instrumental music is a little different from songs with vocals, you have to rely more on the music to connect the parts. Repetition can cause a catchy ditty to sound like a jingle. Add variety, a catchy hook, bridge, modulation, almost anything to break up monotony and add a little zest to your tunes. I find collaborating with other musicians will often inspire fresh ideas or they will contribute that extra something that a melody needs to become a song. You don't need to overcomplicate, but a little variety can work wonders. Welcome to the forum, us old guys need someone fresh to pick on every now and then. Believe it or not, you can actually get some good advice around here too.
BTW is that cheese American or Swiss? Don't write any Limburger, that stuff stinks!

 

[legionserial]

Perhaps you are trying too hard? I have found that with some of my music, when I have been concentrating too hard on a guitar track, it can come across as slightly laboured and a little cheesy sounding. Basically, do you find yourself relaxing and rocking out when you are recording, or tensing up and paying too much attention to detail. In my case I found that if I relaxed a bit and got into the mood of the particular tune, rather than concentrating on machine like accuracy, as I was doing before, I enjoyed listening to what I had done much more.

This may not be the case for you at all but it's worth checking.

 

[mambazo]

Thanks for the feedback

It kind of sounds like you are in a bit of a rut. I think we all get that way sometimes so don't panic. Instrumental music is a little different from songs with vocals, you have to rely more on the music to connect the parts. Repetition can cause a catchy ditty to sound like a jingle. Add variety, a catchy hook, bridge, modulation, almost anything to break up monotony and add a little zest to your tunes. I find collaborating with other musicians will often inspire fresh ideas or they will contribute that extra something that a melody needs to become a song. You don't need to over complicate, but a little variety can work wonders.

I see what you're saying. I suppose with Bebop though, you do need to keep a sense of improvisation about it, otherwise it becomes cabaret. lol

As for other musicians. Its not easy to find jazz musicians (in Cork, Ireland) who aren't already up the walls busy. To find someone around my own age (24) would be great, they are far less likely to be busy, its just a shame they're all rock & metal players, the old three chord trick wonders, or the power chord abusers

As soon as I have 5 posts up, I'll link to a break down of a piece I threw together last night. Its a rush job, but you'll certainly see what I mean about cheesy. Even if the mixing was spot on, this would still be lacking greatly.

Perhaps you are trying too hard? I have found that with some of my music, when I have been concentrating too hard on a guitar track, it can come across as slightly laboured and a little cheesy sounding. Basically, do you find yourself relaxing and rocking out when you are recording, or tensing up and paying too much attention to detail. In my case I found that if I relaxed a bit and got into the mood of the particular tune, rather than concentrating on machine like accuracy, as I was doing before, I enjoyed listening to what I had done much more.

This may not be the case for you at all but it's worth checking.

You may be right here also, perhaps I expect too much from myself? I'm playing guitar almost 4 years now, maybe I'm just lacking experience.

 

[Sinistah]

Thats right. I seem to have this problem when I'm recording. The end result is always too cheesy.

I did a quick search on the forums but it seems very few people have, or owned up to, this problem.

Some might say that its the choice of song that makes it cheesy, but we've all heard a great version of the same song.

Does anyone else have this cheesy problem?

What can one do about it?

sounds like you need your own version of Ben The Rat, heard he worked wonders for Michael Jackson.......

edit: seems to sound more like a structure issue by what you were describing beyond the cheesy parts, use variation to seperate segments of the song, like some said to differentiate the bridge from the main, the main from the hook, etc.

thats all i can think of, i'm a newb.......

 

[legionserial]

You may be right here also, perhaps I expect too much from myself? I'm playing guitar almost 4 years now, maybe I'm just lacking experience.

I've been playing for 15 years and it still happens to me. Just one of those things. Especially being that I always have a tendancy to try and push the envelope as far as my abilities are concerned. All in all, you need to be in the right mindset for music.

 

[mambazo]

seems to sound more like a structure issue by what you were describing beyond the cheesy parts, use variation to seperate segments of the song, like some said to differentiate the bridge from the main, the main from the hook, etc.

As far as segmentation goes, its jazz, bebop, no two bars are the same.

As with pretty much all jazz tunes, the first run through is always the head (melody), then you run through a few times soloing, and then return to the head for the finish.

Maybe its all in my head. lol. I'll get a link up

 

[NYMorningstar]

I have my guitar plugged straight into the line-in on my on-board audio chipset. There is a bit of hiss but it's manageable.

Here's where the culture and rennet is coming from. If it's electric guitar then mic the amp for a fuller sound. If it's acoustic use a D/I box. Either way don't plug straight in to the soundcard or expect cheese.

 

[Sinistah]

As far as segmentation goes, its jazz, bebop, no two bars are the same.

As with pretty much all jazz tunes, the first run through is always the head (melody), then you run through a few times soloing, and then return to the head for the finish.

Maybe its all in my head. lol. I'll get a link up

interesting, i'll give it a listen when you get the link up..

me personally i don't play instruments or produce, just an overall music lover, who happens to do Hip-Hop!

 

[mambazo]

Tis an electric, yup. I must get my hands on a mic.

http://www.eirejam.com/?article=viewprofile&id=1

Blue Bossa, Motivation and Freight Trane are the tracks in question.

Well, there is the link to me eirejam profile. I just wanted to record a few tracks for it.

On top of not having a mic, I'm also using a Squire Strat to play Jazz. lol. Not really what I want but it's all I have.

 

[Ridickolas]

dont take it bad, but i think its kinda your playin - like blue bossa, stuff like the keyboard is whats making it sound cheezy - honestly, if your playin good, who cares about the quality, like Crossroad blues by Robert Johnson, quality on that's awful, but people still like it cos of his playing n singing.

 

[danny.guitar]

A lot of my lead playing sounds cheesy as hell. And I do only instrumentals. Hell, 90% of my stuff comes out sounding cheesy. Not sure why. Probably my arrangements of songs and the way I play. It sucks cause when playing I am consciously trying to not sound cheesy but I think it's inevitable and it fucks with my playing.

So...yeah, if that's what you're talking about then you're not alone.

If you mean it sounds overly digital/fake or something like that then I'm probably alone.

 

[mambazo]

dont take it bad, but i think its kinda your playin - like blue bossa, stuff like the keyboard is whats making it sound cheezy - honestly, if your playin good, who cares about the quality, like Crossroad blues by Robert Johnson, quality on that's awful, but people still like it cos of his playing n singing.

Yep, see thats what I was thinking too.

I suppose its less of a recording issue, and more of a playing issue. lol

Its odd, because I'm told that when I'm just playing the guitar, be it in the trio, or tootling away on my own at home, its not cheesy. But as soon as I try to record something, it turns into a TV jingle

A lot of my lead playing sounds cheesy as hell. And I do only instrumentals. Hell, 90% of my stuff comes out sounding cheesy. Not sure why. Probably my arrangements of songs and the way I play. It sucks cause when playing I am consciously trying to not sound cheesy but I think it's inevitable and it fucks with my playing.

So...yeah, if that's what you're talking about then you're not alone.

Thats exactly what I'm talking about. I'd be curious to hear two songs, by one person here (or more), one they think is cheesy, and one they think isn't.

But do not say which is which. I'm interested to see is it in the ear of the listener, or is it real?

 

[danny.guitar]

Yep, see thats what I was thinking too.

I suppose its less of a recording issue, and more of a playing issue. lol

Its odd, because I'm told that when I'm just playing the guitar, be it in the trio, or tootling away on my own at home, its not cheesy. But as soon as I try to record something, it turns into a TV jingle




Thats exactly what I'm talking about. I'd be curious to hear two songs, by one person here (or more), one they think is cheesy, and one they think isn't.

But do not say which is which. I'm interested to see is it in the ear of the listener, or is it real?

Amazing Grace
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=561665

All of my older recordings are the worst but I don't have any of them on my computer right now. The other ones on my SoundClick page I wouldn't call cheesy, or at least, not as cheesy. But the lead guitar on Amazing Grace is.

I liked it when I first recorded it. Then as I listen more it becomes more & more cheesy.

But believe me, my older recordings are so much worse. I had made a CD and gave it out to some friends awhile ago. Yesterday, I came across that CD and listened to the songs and I can't believe I let that crap get out of my bedroom.


It's more with the high notes. If you listen to the recording, you can hear I back off a lot when playing in the higher register. Because if I don't, it is just one big pile of cheese. And it stinks.

 

[Dani Pace]

A lot of my originals sound like they are from the late 60s or early 70s. I wouldn't quite call them cheezy, more like just moldy.

 

[legionserial]

If it sounds cheesy....add another 100bpm to the tempo!

Actually this thread gives me an idea for a 'Post the cheesiest/most terrible piece of crap that you ever recorded' thread.