Need Some Feedback on new song "just say it"

[14yearoldkid]

Hey guys i needs some comments on my new song "just say it"... im not a recording engineer in fact im 16 years old that uses a dollar radio shack mic and a keyboard to record lol into a very cheap computer software but i think i get the best quality i can... give me some advice on my song!!! thanks a lot


www.myspace.com/bxany the song is "just say it"... thanks a lot

 

[jamesduysen]

I like the song...If you want song writing tips..I would say it would be pretty cool if you added some more vocal harmony and maybe a little lead guitar!
Also...I don't know if you are micing the guitar or just going line in with an electric accoustic...but the guitar sounds a little tinny...so maybe add some eq at lower freq...also to add a little space to the sound you could add some reverb to the guitar...

--james

 

[14yearoldkid]

yeahh

hey man! thanks a lot for listening... yeah i dont know too much about eq or reverb or what that means! but i am going to college for that so i should know soon... i did do some harmonies in the vocals but i had to cut some of them out becasue it sounded too cluttered and i dont know just "bad".. lol anyways thanks a lot for listening and thanks for the feedback!

P.S.- do you think i can send any of these songs to a small indie label? or what and how would i go about doing that thanks!

 

[jamesduysen]

Alot of labels are always looking for artists... If you have a company in mind..go to their website...get their address and send them a cd and hope for the best!

good luck...

james

 

[DavidK]

P.S.- do you think i can send any of these songs to a small indie label? or what and how would i go about doing that thanks!

I will be honest: I dont think so, sorry.

The production values have to be better i.e. it has to sound more pro. Take your time, get the right gear and learn it, this stuff takes years and years. The guitar is pretty outta tune, so tune that sucka up.

The song is fine. A label needs a good song PLUS good production values. Some better gear will fix some of that.

 

[jpw23]

I will be honest: I dont think so, sorry.

The production values have to be better i.e. it has to sound more pro. Take your time, get the right gear and learn it, this stuff takes years and years. The guitar is pretty outta tune, so tune that sucka up.

The song is fine. A label needs a good song PLUS good production values. Some better gear will fix some of that.

What he said!!!!

 

[bigbubba]

The song is ok. But you might want to sing some parts in higher octaves for a more dynamic feel.

Also the guitar is definitely out of tune. It sounds like you might be tuning the lower E and then tuning all other strings using the fifth fret of the last strings. If you are, don't do that. Tune each string to a tuner.

The sounds captured are pretty fine. But you may spend some time using EQ and verb and consider that a lesson well learnt. When you go to school and spend time on EQ and other things, you won't have time to learn much else. If you already know those things, it will allow you to focus on picking up a few extra things.

 

[jamesduysen]

I will be honest: I dont think so, sorry.

The production values have to be better i.e. it has to sound more pro. Take your time, get the right gear and learn it, this stuff takes years and years. The guitar is pretty outta tune, so tune that sucka up.

The song is fine. A label needs a good song PLUS good production values. Some better gear will fix some of that.

This is true...

...But I would go so far as to say that if your band has "the right stuff" a small label will look at you no matter how poor the production of your demo. I say if you are confident in your stuff, what could it hurt getting a professional oppinion?

 

[danny.guitar]

Sounds pretty good.

Guitars sound like they were recorded direct. I never was a big fan of that sound, but use whatever you got.

I would at least invest in mic/preamp, even something cheap, and it will improve the sound a lot.

Vocals sound fine to me, especially for what you're using.

As far as a label goes, it's worth a shot. But if you really care about your songs and/or getting accepted by a label, you'll at least invest a little money into your production. Like I said, get a cheap, but decent interface/mic.

MSH-1 mics go for $20 each. I use those myself on guitar, they're great. An Audio Buddy is less than $100, and an M-Audio DMP3 preamp is $150.

So for less than $200 you could have a much better setup going.

Either way I think the song sounds good. I would just work on getting a better sound out of the guitars.

 

[14yearoldkid]

whoa.. that was exhausting to read!! you guys rule... yeah some mentioned "band"... i record and play everything myself as well as drums but i dont have good enough equipment to do that...yeah i should definitly buy some better gear.. gotta start saving up but right now im just concentrating on the "songs" because hopefully someone can hear them and record them for me for free.. lol yea ok.. but yeah i dont really know where to find any small indie labels around NY... do any of you guys know where i can find addresses? names? or w.e? thanks a lot

 

[DavidK]

. but yeah i dont really know where to find any small indie labels around NY...

It doesnt have to be in NY, it could be in Timbuktu or on Mars.

They have books out there, one is perhaps called the indie bible?? The books have thousands of labels listed. A google search will pull up thousands like This

DISCLAIMER:

I am signed with a record label. Trust me on this one: it may not be all you think it will be. You might have a better shot doing CD Baby, at least you keep most of the money that way. Small labels dont have the budgets. Mine has opened a certain amount of doors, my CD is in Borders and I couldnt have done that. As for getting people to BUY it, thats basically up to me.

 

[14yearoldkid]

lol..

LOL.. mars... haha hey man thanks that site is awesome! but wouldnt it be more conveniant if its in NY? i wouldnt know cause i know nothing about the music bizz YET... thanks a lot for that site!

 

[ido1957]

Great advice all around... you're on the right track now....the writing is very good. You just need some work on the production, some polish... Perhaps you can ask for some of these pieces of equipment for Christmas . PS3's are 600 bucks - you could get some nice music recording equipment for that kind of money....

 

[bigbubba]

Listen to anything that I do. Most of it is just using a Fender Squire and a computer. Granted I've bought a DigitTech RP200 and a DigiTech pedal lately but most of the my stuff has been without any of these.

Hamd/Humd (however I spelled it) was all done using Amplitube. So was MJ 2.0 on my page. So was A.R.I.J.M.

The point is not to get a few hits from you on my page. Just pointing out that while it's not the best, I am trying to make the best and learning about EQ and such things is really helping me out.

 

[bigbubba]

DISCLAIMER:

I am signed with a record label. Trust me on this one: it may not be all you think it will be. You might have a better shot doing CD Baby, at least you keep most of the money that way. Small labels dont have the budgets. Mine has opened a certain amount of doors, my CD is in Borders and I couldnt have done that. As for getting people to BUY it, thats basically up to me.

David, it's just an idea but how about you ask the local record stores (borders and barnes and nobel's and such) to put your music on the rotation?

Also, put flyer up around and in your local record stores. Basically find the dorkiest picture of you and put on some nerdy glasses and put at the bottom of it a caption that says, "You don't think this guy can rock you? Listen to the free demo inside."

It'll "put behinds in the seats" so to speak. And that's all you need. 'Coz when people hear your stuff, they'll definitely wanna buy if they like anything classical.

 

[DavidK]

David, it's just an idea but how about you ask the local record stores (borders and barnes and nobel's and such) to put your music on the rotation?

I cant really, I dont own the CD. The Label does. We are getting a lot of radio play in various markets, so hopefully that will take care of most of the PR. Its been kinda difficult dealing with the Label lately, I cant really say more. My busy season is about to start, I am booked pretty heavily with playing so the CD will do what it does.

 

[Freudian Slip]

after waiting 2 minutes It started playing. Sorry but it's the truth.

It's a good effort and is pretty cool. I think my biggest 3 things would be this.
Way heavy on the effects, mute the tracks that are only producing noise and fix the end. You have got to have a track for the end that you mute all others and it ends some what smooth with out tons of noise in the back ground. If you can't rerecored then find the track you want to end with and find a good way to fade it out.

I think you need to look at muting tracks after the have played thier part.

the over all writing and sound of the song is pretty cool. You just need to fix the details and you will be way ahead.

F.S.

 

[bigbubba]

I cant really, I dont own the CD. The Label does. We are getting a lot of radio play in various markets, so hopefully that will take care of most of the PR. Its been kinda difficult dealing with the Label lately, I cant really say more. My busy season is about to start, I am booked pretty heavily with playing so the CD will do what it does.

That sucks. You do all the hardwork and someone else decides how to control it.

Anyhoo, hopefully you'll take off. Can't say that I know any local radio stations that I could request the song from. I'll try to find one.

 

[DavidK]

That sucks. You do all the hardwork and someone else decides how to control it.

In Borders, it is in the Dance Section. Seriously. I;m not joking. Stravinsky, Saint-Saens, Faure, under Dance.

 

[bigbubba]

In Borders, it is in the Dance Section. Seriously. I;m not joking. Stravinsky, Saint-Saens, Faure, under Dance.

Just for that, next time I'm at Border's, I'll pick up a copy.