Look At Me

  • Thread starter Thread starter Subanez
  • Start date Start date
I really like this. I think the structure of the song and the style is excellent. The recording is very minimalist. I think if you could 'heavy it up' a bit it would be so awesome.

At the minute, its got huge potential. Lyrics and melody are good. Drums need to be louder and more punchy. Kick needs to be a bit louder, and the the cymbals need to be louder. I like the fact you havnt gone over the top with the distortion like a lot of people do. It sounds very precise.

Some vocal effect would be good, bit of subtle delay.

What do you think to adding some more instruments? Synths and atmospheric stuff maybe?

Overall, me like.
 
Cool, thanks for the feedback. :) Its funny, everyone always seems to use the word "minimalist" with my stuff, as much as I try to keep "upping the ante." I'll try messing around with some different "harder" stuff, and see how it sounds.

Not owning any synths is a potential roadblock for adding them to the mix. :D If only I had a few thousand $$$ laying around...
 
Subanez said:
Cool, thanks for the feedback. :) Its funny, everyone always seems to use the word "minimalist" with my stuff, as much as I try to keep "upping the ante." I'll try messing around with some different "harder" stuff, and see how it sounds.

Not owning any synths is a potential roadblock for adding them to the mix. :D If only I had a few thousand $$$ laying around...
Click to expand...

Yeah tell me about it. If your using a newer verson of cubase, or some other DAW's, they come with a mini synth. Otherwise just google free plugins - there are more than enough free synth programs out there that you could layer a warm pad up or 2 with.

Have you recorded the drums live or is it some kind of virtual instrument? If its a virtual instrument, you might want to check the velocities, make them a bit higher, even if you decide not to increase the overall volume of the parts.
If you've recorded the drums live (which it sounds like you have) you might want to get the timbre of the instruments to sound a bit more heavy. Im not a drummer myself, but the timbre you get from a drum when you hit it really hard is better then the alternative. Saying that ive never had a problem with getting drummers to play loud enough... :)
 
Okay, the above link is now to the re-mixed (and some vocals, re-recorded) version. The mix is a bit tighter, so let me know what you think. There's still plenty of room for improvement!

Thanks guys
 
Didn't catch the first mix, but this sounds cool...love the dmz line. The second round of "look at me"s or was it ("stay away"s?) seem to overload a little bit. It is a bit sparse which is great, but perhaps some layering just in parts for contrast? I dunno...very tight and pretty cool sounding as is...
 
Sounds like a less textured Tool.
Less textured is fine though and the intro actually suggests more texture than is there which works well too.
I think the drums are what make it sound sparse.
Lyrics seems fine - Dee Emm Zed to me though.
The Look at me & other repeated linesthing need to actually break out into something quite cathartic If you screamed I need a barrier - without Death Metalling it maybe.
 
I agree with RayC

My random thoughts are:

Great song, engaging and maintaining my interest. Sparse is good, and I applaud your ability to resist over-producing. Even greater is the juxtaposition of different rhythms. Awesome stuff!

"I need a barrier" sounds inhibited; as if you wanted to give it more but were worried about the neighbours. Think Freddie Mercury here. Act accordingly.

The kit started off okay, but ended up sounding thin. Possibly a result of compression, but also possibly because the big guitars left and right pushed the kit back. Trying holding back on the guitars a bit.

I'd like to hear a bit more instrumental drama on the 'barrier' bit. It is kind of big and wide before, then narrows down at this point, to the extent of almost becoming mono, where it seems it should exert a lot more command and influence.

Great work!!
 
Subanez said:
Cool, thanks for the feedback. :) Its funny, everyone always seems to use the word "minimalist" with my stuff, as much as I try to keep "upping the ante." I'll try messing around with some different "harder" stuff, and see how it sounds.

Not owning any synths is a potential roadblock for adding them to the mix. :D If only I had a few thousand $$$ laying around...
Click to expand...

plenty of freeware out there....try KVR Audio.
 
Thanks everyone, that's a lot of good feedback!

The "I need a barrier" comments are spot on. That's the only part of the song that I half cringe when listening to. I tried the louder "damn the neighbors" approach, but it seems very easy to overload the mic signal chain and get distortion, and I'm trying to figure out how to be loud and not have it distort.

FYI its an AT4040 mic, into a DMP3 pre, through lexicon MX400 (de-ess and slight compression) and then into an AW-1600 workstation.

Awesome comments so far though, thanks for taking the time! :D
 
Problems...please help

Okay, so I'm trying to record "loud" vocals. Not a screamfest, but definately using the pipes (the whole "damn the neighbors" thing).

However, if I open up even a little, I get distortion. Big time. I've tried to isolate the problem all the way to plugging my mic straight into the AW1600 DAW, but that still distorts. I've tried fiddling with different settings on the mic itself, the pre, the lexicon, the DAW...its either REALLY faint and tinny recording with no distortion, or a ton of distortion.

Very frustrating. Its happened on other tracks, but I've always just worked around it or toned down the vocals...but this song needs some nut in the chorus.

Suggestions? You are the experts... :(
 
It's not so much LOUDNESS that's needed but the opening u/ projecting the voice. Use old fashioned mic technique - when you get loud back off from the mic so that it doesn't distort. Lots of rockers do that - it works - captures the performance. You can adjust real vol in the box later on. It'll take a bit for you to get a handle on that sort of mic technique but it's worth it.
Oh, I'm no expert. Just a gumby who enjoys a hobby.
 
As ray said, its not the loudness, its timbre. You can hear the vocalists in heavy bands reaching their vocal limit when they scream (ish). I would listen to Monkey Wrench by the Foo-Fighters. That has a lot of restrained singing and a really heavy bit near the end. That sort of thing would work really well in your songs.

Cymbals louder, that's the only other thing I would change.

Keep at it, this will be an awesome track once you've finish it! Can't wait. If you have some orchestra/strings samples, that would work well towards the end playing the same melody as the guitar in the same octave and one higher (if you wanted this, drop me a midi and I can mix some down for you).
 
this is really good, remixed and tweaked a little it could be awesome. The drums need more definition. it needs to pound. The vocals are well done but could use a little more production. I really like the playing and the ideas, and performance but the mix isn't doing it justice. Really cool song...get a crisper mix and you are there.
 
reminds me of la villa.....you need to growl a lot more in the chorus otherwise its sounds like teenagers in their bedroom trying not to piss off the parents....

in fact the whole thing sounds like its done during curfew:(

also words like buffer and barrier have no place whatsoever in rock....needs to be changed right now.:)
 
buffer and barrier? not able to be in rock music? lol thats funny...

kinda like tool.

I thought this was going to be the john lennon song at first

the chorus needs to be bigger than the verse, thats for sure.

but minimalist isnt bad.

problem is, the verse has all this big stereo stuff and it gets all mono and quieter for the chorus, which is fine in itself but you are getting louder and it just seems to be mismatched.
 
Lots of potential here, man!
Great songwriting. Mix lacks a bit of stereo depth to me though, sounds almost mono. Drums seem to get lost after the intro making the whole thing sound a bit muffled. Great style though and I think you should keep working at it. ;)

Joe :)
 
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