Love and War

[Stratomaster]

This is an old song-i probably posted it on these boards over 10 years ago.

I'm trying to get my singer buddy to come over-he lives about 30 minutes away and has family, traveling job, (a real life)...So he requested i record this for when he finally does make it over someday (likely never). I layed down some vocals to help guide the drummer, i did not spend much time singing and it shows-the vocals definetly take this down into the demo category. Just layed down a third guitar today and did a quick mix.

Was wondering how the mix is sounding, this tune started with guitar and click then electronic drums were added, replaced by real drums then replacing the original guitars. At one point it had much bigger sounding guitars, i went with a kind of jimmy page-ish sound i think, much less distortion and some distance on the mic to give that almost shoebox sound. Drums I verbed, i was inspired by a sound i had in AD2-a real arena rock hall sound-i got about halfway there with the real kit-

So is this too garage-y sounding? I really hope to have the real singer here soon, i may revive this thread someday to be able to show a before and after.

I only did a light mastering touch so it may need to be turned up.

Thanks for your time and any comments!

love and war by NovaBasa | Nova Basa | Free Listening on SoundCloud

Version2

love and war2 by NovaBasa | Nova Basa | Free Listening on SoundCloud

I guess we took it for granted right from the start
I never thought it would happen but here we are
I wanna push you away
but not too far away
not too far away

Can't help this feeling we've waited too long
How can i go on pretending that nothing is wrong
I wanna push you away
but not too far away
not too far away

All is fair in love and war so they say
Life seems cruel sometimes
that's the way it is baby
something inside me i cant help feeling this way

I think you're looking for someone or something it's not me
It wasn't me that you wanted what you wanted me to be
I wanna push you away
but not too far away
not too far away

Can't help this feeling it's time to move on
We knew it from the beginning it wasn't in the stars
I wanna push you away
but not too far away
not too far away

All is fair in love and war so they say
Life seems cruel sometimes
that's the way it is baby
something inside me i cant help feeling this way

 

[ibleedburgundy]

It sounds pretty good to me. There are certainly no glaring errors here that are jumping out at me. I am listening on decent monitors in a treated room.

I guess for the first verse there is a guitar on the right side, it kind of has a higher harmony. That guitar could use a little more guts maybe. More tone somehow. Maybe EQ a little more low mids in there but honestly I can't say for certain if that would work with the rest of your mix until it was tried. But yeah that git sounds kinda small and distant, almost like I am hearing it through a headphone speaker that is sitting a few feet away.

 

[Bulls Hit]

I think the vocals sound great. I really like the melody and chord progressions too. The guitar on the left does sound a bit like Page, Song Remains the same kind of tone. On headphones it strikes me as too loud. Either that or everything else is too quite. Maybe it's the clean tone is just cutting through in a frequency range all by itself. I'd like to hear that part with more distortion occasionally, just out of interest, see what the contrast is like. Great stuff, cool tune

 

[Robus]

Sounds pretty good. I like your melody and harmonies. Is is my imagination, or is the mix leaning slightly left? It might be that rhythm guitar on the left that isn't really balanced by anything on the right. Composition wise, I feel like the song wants to develop a little bit. Maybe an instrumental part, or a bridge?

 

[Nola]

The left guitar sounds like a tele through a small champ, which is a pretty classic tone. I don't have any issue with it...fits the genre. I'm hearing a guitar part on the right that's lower -- to me it fits where it's at, because I can imagine a band on stage and the guy on the right just being further back.

Agree with Robus that compositionally it could use some space and room to breath. The vocals are non stop.

There is a little bit of harshness to the entire mix. I think it's probably the grit of that small tweed type champ amp (what is it exactly?) and the compression. I can't pinpoint it exactly. Many times when this happens it can be the overheads being noisy, too. The kick drum during the opening when it's isolated can use a little more meat. Personally, I'm not a fan of fade out endings, either, but that's a judgment call. To me it's a dated method and somewhat of a cop out -- find a nice ending chord and give the listener the finality of the piece.

That might all sound critical, but that being said, I think the mix and song are close. I liked the vocal as-is, btw. I don't think you need to have someone else sing it.

 

[mjbphotos]

I'm not a fan of hard-panned guitars, but that's me. I think the guitars are a little harsh in their sound, with not enough mid meat to them. Had to give this a listen because it's the title of my next album!

 

[TripleM]

Not having the bass in the intro was kind of weird to me. i'd have it playing along with the kick and playing the root notes. It sounds pretty good when it comes in. Maybe missing a little low midrange - could use a little more 600hz or so. The low end might be the slightest bit boomy.

I like the guitar sound. The guitars are getting in the way of the vocal just a bit. The harmonies sound nice.

Kick is just a bit loud and the snare is just a bit soft.

Love the energy of the song. Performances were very good. The bass part is nice in spots - when it really moves.

The fade at the end starts a bit quick. I'd make it a little more gradual.

Mostly nits. Very good song.

 

[JohnnyAmato]

Sounds good Strat. I wouldn't worry about another singer, I like your voice on this.

The guitars could use a tad more meat, like somewhere in the 3-500 range maybe? Not as much to the left guitar though, the right guitar needs it more. I'd even try to cut a little 2-4K from the right guitar, just a db or two...

Like TripM said, no bass in the beginning threw me off a little, I almost had to re-read your post to see if I missed you saying the bass wasn't put down yet, but then it came in. I think the intro would have more impact if the bass played the accents with the guitars.

Don't have much more mix-wise, it does sound pretty good as a whole. Lead vocal could maybe come up a tad. Drums sound pretty solid, as does the bass. Again, you did a good job on the vocals. (I dig the bass fill at 3:05)

It's catchy too, the melody of the chorus vocals against the progression of the foundation is very cool. Nice writing bro.

 

[Stratomaster]

Thanks all for listening and the helpful comments.

I.B.B.-Thanks, yeah i was trying for that small/big sound on the guitar in the first version, thats what i was referring to as the Jimmy Page sound (Physical Graffiti). I since replaced all guitars and went with a more big/big sound. (Spinal Tap)

Bulls Hit-Thank you sir and yeah as you and Robus both pointed out, the mix was left heavy-I recalibrated my monitors-i think 1 side was off by like a db it can make quite a difference.

Robus-See above-and yes you're right that the song could use something else, between now and when the singer comes by, i'm going to try some ideas out. I already did a little build up at the end and there will also be a vocal "improv" in the last section..Thanks for the good ears!

Nola-that left guitar was a strat through a marshall(jcm900), I redid all guitars and bass-latest version-same thing; strat-rat pedal-marshall on the left and humbucker strat-rat pedal-marshall on the right and all other guitars. There's also an ebow that no one noticed, comes in on the "away" vocal. Also i agree a fade is a cop out and i let the song run to it's conclusion in this latest mix, halfway towards some kind of real ending but probably too long and boring now. I'll be working on a proper ending.. Thanks!

mjbphotos-I experimented with the guitar panning and I actually like them more panned near %50(LR)-they were about 80 before. Thanks the good idea.

Triple M-Even though this song is ancient and cemented in my memory, I tried bass in the intro and i like it, the guitars are too thin alone, and it sounded kind of awkward-it comes out guns blazing with the bass, great idea! Everything except drums has been redone over the last few days, as mentioned the ending is still not quite final though i did fix that fade which preceded a few clunkers on vocal and drums...Thank you sir.

JohnnyAmato-Thanks for the good ears and ideas-guitars and bass have all been replaced, i had some intonation issues that were annoying me and finding the right gutars for the job. Guitars are are more meaty and overdriven now-hopefully not too buzzy...

Thanks for listening!
Strat