My first REAL submission.... (but there's still a catch.. :op)

  • Thread starter Thread starter WATYF
  • Start date Start date
I just listened to it again and I have to say this song is fantastic. Top notch all the way. I will be keeping this song for a long time.


I dont even know you but I am proud!!!!

Keep it up.

Brian:D
 
thanks man.. that's a good idea.. I'll do that when I get home. I never can seem to get the "boom" out of my acoustics, but I'll try wiping out some low end freq's across the board... I think the problem may be my mic.. I was just reading a thread in the mic forum aboot how the MC12's are really "low-end" sensitive.


WATYF
 
WATYF -

Excellent! I agree with the previous comment about your voice. It's not range or tricks that sell a voice- it's character. Your voice is chock full of character! You're a drummer who doesn't want to sing? Tell that to Phil Collins! His voice has CHARACTER, and that's what makes it interesting to listen to.
Tres Bravos!

Bob
 
Hahaha! I knew what I was hearing couldn't be right. Thanks for the explanation, WATYF. The noise floor in cubicle hell is quite high. I listen via PC on Panasonic headphones which usually sound pretty good in a less noisy environment. My particular neighborhood of Dilbertville has it's own network hub to provide generous hum.

I like that link twist ----sadly enough sites like that have taken a lot of the color out of my listening. I thought all songwriters must be on dope, hence all the psychedelic songs---turns out it's my twisted mind--- and a quite a few others ---who are living deluded. hahaha
 
WATYF said:
thanks man.. that's a good idea.. I'll do that when I get home. I never can seem to get the "boom" out of my acoustics, but I'll try wiping out some low end freq's across the board... I think the problem may be my mic.. I was just reading a thread in the mic forum aboot how the MC12's are really "low-end" sensitive.
Click to expand...


Did you say you mic'ed it at the 12th fret only 6" away? That could be the source of the boominess...

I'm using a similar setup to you, but with the x/y pair... and a DMP3... except that I mic it so the "x" mic points at my picking finger, and the "y" mic points at the 12th fret... from about 18" away... you'd have to boost the gain on the pre, but imo much of the boominess would disappear...


Chad
 
you're prolly right... I have to mic it up close because my room sucks so bad. My computer is an eternal source of annoyance when it comes to background noise. I went through all sorts of trouble (and money) to get it "quiet", but it's still way too loud when I record... in fact.. I almost didn't even record this song because I was ticked off at how much white noise was creeping in when I recorded the first guitar track... but I figured I'd just see what happened once I started layering gits and vocals... obviously it's not that bad, since no one's mentioned it.. but I can hear it in there and it's annoying. (mostly during the intro and the ending)

When I get a controlled room, I'll most likely use an x-y set-up and have it a little farther away.

Anyway,... I basically sucked all the lows (and most of the lower mids) out of every guitar part, but I don't know that it helped much... so I put up a new mix... basically I just worked on the boomyness of the acoustics, and changed some vocal levels that I wanted to improve.. (mostly anal little stuff though.. :p)


Thanks for the help guys.


WATYF
 
nice

i like your voice a lot. if you go handing this off to someone else to sing i think you're gonna lose something there.

my only real comment on the mix is that i can't really hear your voice in a lot of places. actually, it sounds a lot like a guy who has a really great voice but isn't convinced of it yet. keep singing brother, i think you'll convince yourself soon enough! better yet, give this song to someone else and have them record it just to find out that they are doing it all wrong and you really can't describe how to do it right. the emotional investment you've made into the song is translating in only a way that you can translate it.

and one more thing, turn up the drum tracks, i can't hear them!
 
Well there's not much left to say, damm time zones !
Great song. The evidence is overwhelming, your voice if fine stop the false modesty please and learn to just say "thankyou". I can see how you could rock this up but it would really change the song enormously.. it would become something else.

In the spirit of being constructive I'm going to offer some critisism although even if you left the song "as is" it would be fine.

Vocals: Down low have great character but those high notes take on a different sound that has a strained feel. Maybe a second voice here would help ?
I'm sure the lyrics are important to you so the fact that people are having trouble understanding them is a worry... the sound is great but the ends of some words fade too much which is why it's hard to understand. Again a second vocal might fix it. I think you'd just lose the character of the voice if you tried to fix this by singing differently.

Considering this sparse arangement works so well can I suggest a little percussion (not drums) would really finish it. I can hear the odd triangle or gentle bongos in my imagination.

OK the guitar is a little boomy, but this is splitting hairs. Besides, unless you add bass you need a bigger acoustic sound anyway.

I'd be happy to have a go at adding vocals and percusion... but it might just ruin it too.

In summary, I'm totally jealous
dres
 
Great Tune!

Haven't read any of the comments (other than your opening) ... Hey, man, don't knock yourself about the vocals. They are really good! Kind of have a James Taylorish, or Cat Stevens feel to them. :)

Good song. Even without the production you eventually want to put on this, it works as an acoustic piece. Very nice indeed!

The mix sounded fine over here.

As far as the tune goes, even if it has been used somewhere before, hasn't everything? I mean, originality is in the heart really since as far as music goes, I think John Lennon said "there are only 12 notes" (unless you go into Eastern music...a different story) ... so don't fret it, man! This is good stuff! :)
 
Holy shit!.............I expected to hear a drum intensive song..............this is too fine.............I like it a lot. Good singing and guitar playing... Very nice tune. Since you recorded this.....does that mean you can record your drums now? I'm too drunk to critique in depth; but I'm gonna download it.
 
Upon Further Review...

On the latest version (single vox), I can't hear what you're singing. I know you thought the vocal was too loud on the first version...so I listened to it again...it wasn't too loud.

Turn up the vocal please.

thank you,
-The Management
 
Hey Man,
As mentioned in the other post, ...........very cool song. I liked this alot. The panning works much better now (dont forget to bring that one line back at arouind 2:45). I believe everything you need to make this better has been covered. The acoustics sound great except for the slight howl due to mic placement......... and I think Participants got your remedy. I might try adding a comfortable lower harmony alongside the higher vocals that it sounds like youre having a little difficulty with. That way you can kind of blend the higher voc in...... and not have it sound quite as labored. I really like your vocal style in this song....... very nice indeed. ....and again, woteef, what wife, what if........ or whatever the hell your name is......... Great song and a big 5 from me.

G
 
I confess not reading the previous posts before spinning this and I too was expecting a drum extravaganza/clinic.
This is a very interesting song, and recorded really well.
Any additions I could give have been covered. A touch of strings in parts wouldn't wreck it. But its fine how it is!
Nice job! A real curve ball for me!

Joel
 
Dude,

I aint been around for a while, and as ever....first thing I look for when I come back is one of your posts...

Havingt listened to your stuff a lot, have to say I like this one...(although 'Everyday' is still my firm favourite....)....

IMO 'Perfect' guitar playing, arrangement and pretty damn fine recording....but agree with a lot of the other posts up there ^ a little bit boomy which is pulling all the lows out of your vocals....

Vocals could go up a little.....cant make out qhat ur singing occasionally, but I think this is the boom masking them a bit.....

My only dissapointment?....No seagull. ;)

Peace dude..
 
nick... LOL.. thanks man... I miss it too... not! :cool: I have already washed the thought of that horrible song from my memory. :p

dres... that strained vocal "feel" is what we in the States call "I can't sing worth crap." :D I hope that explains it... ;) Actually,.. there's three layers of vocals that come in during the "high" parts, and, as you can see, they still don't help. ;) :p I don't think I'll be adding anything else to this version. I'll leave the further arrangement to the "real" mix.

Thanks for all the comments guys... I really am trying to figure oat what's up with these vocals... When I listen to the MP3 using WMP, I can hear the vocals just fine... to me, the vocal level seems to always ride above the music bed (and sometimes gets to loud)... but everyone else is saying that it's too quiet. I don't get it. (by the by,.. some of the words were "mumbled" on purpose.. that's how I like to sing.. :p you're not supposed to understand everything.. :p )


Anywhoo.. I put up yet another mix... :p I'm pretty much done with this one now. I raised the vox a little. Took more lows oat of the gits.. did a couple little tweaks and that'll aboot do it for now... But I may be using this recording in the future to try out some vocalists... so you may be getting a sneek peak in the near future of some potential singers. :eek:


WATYF
 
dres... that strained vocal "feel" is what we in the States call "I can't sing worth crap." :D I hope that explains it... ;) Actually,.. there's three layers of vocals that come in during the "high" parts, and, as you can see, they still don't help. ;)
Click to expand...

So that's what it's called :) The concensus is people liked your voice, just stick to your range that's all. I'll scream if I read this "I can't sing" crap again. Sorry mate, but I had to say it. Now where's your next song ?
 
I'm late to the party ... this sounds good to me ... some strained vocal places but very good song ...
 
oh ye... I dissagree ... I should be able understand everything you say ... :D
 
dres said:
The concensus is people liked your voice, just stick to your range that's all. I'll scream if I read this "I can't sing" crap again. Sorry mate, but I had to say it. Now where's your next song ?
Click to expand...
dude.. I am seriously not just making this up.. :p or doing some kind of stupid "false modesty" thing... every time it gets to that vocal build before the solo, I literally cringe.. :p I just don't like the way my voice sounds... so sue me.. :p :cool:

As for the next song.. actually I was thinking of recording another original this week. Unfortunately, I just found out a friend is coming in from out of town for the weekend and I hurt my finger playing drums tonight.. when I got home I tried to play guitar for a bit but it was too sore, so unless that goes away by tomorrow, I prolly won't have another one up for a while.

WATYF
 
Fed don't critisise his voice too much or we'll never hear him sing again ! ;) Like I said before it's just the very ends of some words that fade off in volume.. that's why some words are hard to hear. Everything else is fine.
 
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