Julything updated

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rayc

rayc

retroreprobate

THe above is a mix with Kdub's melody, lyrics and vocals.
He did such a splendid job I figured his parts needed a proper drop in.
There's still some work to be done on this with drums, lead lines as well as the set of lyrics I started & will follow through with.
As I said, Kevin did a grand job so here's a mix with him in it rather than on top of the MP3.
Thanks Kevin!!

Here's an update based on WhiteStrats comments - alittle more bottom end through EQ and some more Kevin through volume.

& now with lead guitar ... I've only dropped it in - haven't done much else with it.

30/09/13 mix - vocals a little louder and the lead solo blended to show off the duality.
A little work on the drums and a tiny bit of mud removed from the stereo buss.
 
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Hey Ray--

The highest compliment I can pay to any song/mix posted here is that I got lost in the song and forgot I was listening to "home recorded" music. Whether it's my taste in music, something I'd record--or something at the other end of the spectrum, that litmus test still works. If the song works, I groove on it like I do on a new album I just bought. This song does that for me: the roomy drums, the edgy guitars, and that killer hook "I've got nothing to say" all really work.

The nits: from where I sit, the lead vox need to come up. The background vocals sound about right, but the lead vocal could come up a bit. I like the level of compression on the lead vox--the dynamics feel right--but the overall level could just come up a bit. Again, from here, the bottom end sounds a bit lacking; the mix seems a bit favored toward the mids/upper mids. For what it's worth--my own mixes are bass-challenged (my room/monitor combination is apparently still not dialed in like it should be yet), so wait to hear what others say about the bottom end before you take me seriously on that part of the mix.

As always--I love your stuff. Thanks for making and sharing this collaboration!
 
You're welcome, Ray! I remember listening and having the melody occur to me as it played. Glad you liked the result!

I'm on earbuds at the moment, but the mix sound good through them ... for what that's worth. :)
 
I first listened to this a few days ago and I didn't thing it was anything special. I might have been tired or something because hearing it again tonight wow this is a great song. It's got a relentless groove and great progressions and changes. I can't believe that's Kev on vocals. Sounds nothing like him. Brilliant distortion on the vocal, what is that? The vocal melody rocks hard. The whole production sounds fantastic to me ray. Drums and wires. That's rocknroll right there. I can't stop listening to it
 

This is the second mix as seen above.
WhiteStrat. Thanks mate. The catchy componenet is K-Dub's melody & delivery plus that phrase "I've got nothing to say".
I've tweaked the bottom end and raised K's vox for you.
Kevin,
again, thanks.
Bulls Hit,
Relentless - that sounds like my stuff indeed. Yep, K's vox & melody do the thang! Thanks for your kind words.
 
Yeh sweet tune, sorry I haven't replied to this before, somehow I missed it. It's got the Ray feel about it for sure, and definitely the flavour of down under. Hard to describe what that flavour is exactly, but I know it when I hear it. It's probably in my blood a bit. Your stuff definitely has a drive that's both original and awesome. Cool Tune Ray, and really excellent vocals as well. I think you sent this to me as 'Listen like Brian'? I remember liking it a lot back then, but not being sure about what to do with it vocally and lyrics, I went with 'Watch'. :)
 
Mix #3


It's in the initial post - frequently edited - but here as well.
New mix with lead solo added.
I've not done anything with the solo but drop it in. I'll bed it in later this evening I hope.
FTG,
Thanks for your kind words. This backing was in the package but not a LLB. That's still hanging around waiting for developments.
You've an ear for antipodean nonsense: obviously developed in the Land of the Long White Fleece.
 
Cool tune, has a David Bowie (Heroes Era) vibe going. I thought everything fit pretty good except for the vocals. The seemed pushed back to me. The vocals are cool enough to push them up more.
 
Love the song and mix, except that the vocals need come way up to my ears. they're "there", but they need to be "here". :) Snare might be a little too compressed and maybe can use some coming up in volume, too. But my main concern is the vocals. They sound great, but not only are they not up front, they're pushed pretty far back.
 
Thanks RAMI. I can work on the vox but the drummer is from band In A Box so all I have is a stereo file. I'll suss out if a change in FX across the kit makes a difference though.
 
As has already been said Ray, great track. For me the various instrument sounds are very slightly muddled by some of the reverb. The drums sound a touch stifled in the mids to my ear. Enjoyed my multiple plays.

Regards

Tim
 

30/09/13 mix - vocals a little louder and the lead solo blended to show off the duality.
A little work on the drums and a tiny bit of mud removed from the stereo buss.
Phrasemaker,
I'm going to have to look at my set up. There's no reverb except on the vocals - & they came printed on, yet I've had comments about the excessive reverb on the last couple of projects I've posted. Hmmm, Maybe latency? I've scooped a little of the mid away & fiddled with the drums but the Band In The Box stereo track doesn't allow much scope.
 
I woke up this morning with the chorus playing in my head so it's obviously burrowed its way in there to stay a while. Listening again, I don't think the reverb is doing the vocal any favours. In terms of the overall mix, I think it could be treated a little more bomastically. At the moment it's a bit small and far away, be good if you could bring it more up front, the song deserves it.
 
If you get the drums and vocals kicking, everything else will fall in easier. The reverb on the vocal is pushing it back, then when you lift the vocal level it washes over everything else. See if you can get a dry vocal off Kev and start with that. Try high passing and compressing it before adding any reverb. You might get it to blend without any verb at all. Run the drums out in parallel through a fast release compressor so they're pumping and rasping and bring them up under the mix. Make sure the kick and bass aren't getting in each others road.
 
Very cool tune!! My first impressions sonically are that the top half of the drums needs a little more emphasis, the kick is clear and solid but the cymbals and snare are muted and under defined. I think the lead vox could stand to be a tiny bit drier and more upfront. In fact, all of it could survive a bit more dryness, this genre seems to thrive on that. The tune itself is a delightfully catchy power pop beast. Really really like the song!
 
Since you only have a stereo file on the drums, I'd suggest drying them out a tad, bumping the eq at about 4khz to give them more presence.
 
I'm currently away from the studio, but I could send dry tracks to you Thursday or Friday, Ray. I'll just mute the effects.
 
rayc said:

30/09/13 mix - vocals a little louder and the lead solo blended to show off the duality.
A little work on the drums and a tiny bit of mud removed from the stereo buss.
Phrasemaker,
I'm going to have to look at my set up. There's no reverb except on the vocals - & they came printed on, yet I've had comments about the excessive reverb on the last couple of projects I've posted. Hmmm, Maybe latency? I've scooped a little of the mid away & fiddled with the drums but the Band In The Box stereo track doesn't allow much scope.
Click to expand...

Hey Ray, I've been wanting to comment on this but haven't been in "listening mode" lately. I haven't read any comments and just skimmed through to what I'm guessing is the latest mix? I like the song a lot. It's very Stones-ish. The vocals are very overcooked IMO. They sound hot and compressed hard and then hammered with delay or reverb. It sounds like a pre-processed vocal track plopped on top of a backing track. The lead guitar can come way up to me. I also think you should redo the rhythm guitars. I usually dig your signature spacey strumming rhythm sound, but it's not working for me on this one. It doesn't fit the song. At the risk of sounding too much like a Stones song, I think you should crunch them up a bit. Those jangly chords just seem out of place to me on a song like this. Cool song though, I look forward to hearing it as it goes along.
 
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