New one "Unread" - Mix comments, etc. please.

T

Teddie

New member
Hey HR buds,

I was trying to get the song "Conformity" done first for my upcoming CD. That's the one where I did the acoustic parts at Buck's and Mac2's studio out in Chicago... but due to some technical difficulties I needed to put that on the backburner until I get some time to talk to Buck on the phone... He and Mac2 called me last night, but I had to run out to get some infant Tylenol at the Giant... Doh!

Anyway, the song that I did finish is called "Unread" and you can find it here: http://mp3.com/smartapple.

I wrote the lyrics back in `92. I wrote the music to it a couple of weekends ago and recorded it last weekend.

Even though I recorded it pretty quickly, I'm at that burned-out-ear stage where I don't like this song anymore :)

Anyway, if I could get some comments on the mix and stuff, that'd be great.

Thanks guyZ!!!!,
Teddie (Smart Apple)
http://mp3.com/smartapple
http://www.smartapplerocks.com
 
hey dude

been trying to download it for the past hour and a half. it keeps screwing up

"connection with server was reset" blah blah

mp3.com and my isp just don't get along
 
Stunning. I couldn't fault the mix, although I am a musician not a producer/sound engineer. Good space between instruments, I love the drummers style. Nice fat sounding solo break.

Very very impressed, even though this isn't the sort of music I listen to generally, if I heard it on the radio I'd turn it WAY up.

You'll be proud when you get your ears back.

Pap.
 
Teddie,

First impressions :

Beautiful as always. This sort of thing justifies the whole homerecording idea. Write a song, record it and get it to your public in a coupla weeks.

Very polished sounding. I hate to gush, but...


After going through a few times looking for suggestions :

Maybe the first 30 seconds, more bass? I could just sort of hear the potential for more growl there?

Sorry, that's all I got.
 
You know...(I Drank Alot Today):D wow man "Unread" is mabey the best I heard so far from you...I dunno heck their all great work but this one seems to shine a little brighter right now. I can't belive some giant label hasn't picked you up yet dude,,when they do dont let-em try and change you man...unless they offer you a trillion$$ then you can wear panties and a bra if that makes them happy:D Great Great stuff Teddie...
 
I can't critique this. It's not the type of music I listen to often, but I know what I like. Just want you to know that I enjoyed it - it has so much volume, life and BIGNESS. Loved the ending especially.

Hope you do well with your stuff - if you don't then don't blame it on the music. :)
 
Ted, this is another good one. It's actually really, really good but when put up along side your other stuff it's just another song, par for the coarse and one of many good ones. How are you getting that bass sound, are you using something with more than 4 strings? Ok, I"m listening again and the tune is a little more spectacular the second time around. Yeah, another well written, well done tune.

Ray J
 
Hey man. Awesome. I was finally able to download it. You definately have your own sound. The song is good although it may not be as catchy as some of your other tunes.

The guitars sound great as usual.

As for the mix, I think the panning could use some work. Something about this one just sounds a little too 'mono'. One thing is noticed was that the drums don't seem to have much stereo spread. It sounds great but it just feels like there's a little too much crowding up the center.

Gotta run.
Keep it up.
 
Unread

I listened to unread,

I love your intro !!!!!!!

I dont know alot about grunge, I was kind of scared to listen. lol


on your chorus, I have a hard time hearing the vocals, I am not sure if that is how it is supposed to be, if so I apologize

I love the song overall , added it to my mp3 .. :)

I just wish the vocals were hotter on the chorus part

the lead ride is a little muffled sounding .... but I still like it .. :)

your vocals are extremely strong !!!!! great lyrics ....

Lana/www.mp3.com/thecrowleys
 
MrLip, I think you were able to get in lower down in the thread… I’ll type at you in a second.

PapillonIrl, thanks much for listening. I’m glad you liked the drum tracks. I’ve been getting really intense on my drum programming… Probably takes me the most time to lay those out just as I want them. I did two takes on the solo break and panned them 9 oclock and 3oclock to get the fatness. It was two thin, in my opinion when I initially had it as one track/take. I’m starting to get my ears back about this song… starting to enjoy just listening to it… thanks again.

OldGrover, hey there! Thanks for listening of course. Definitely, the homerecording arena lets you get songs out there fast for immediate input and feedback… I love it. Everything I take in from you folks, opinions, etc have helped my mixes tremendously and have helped teach me every step of the way. I think you’re right about the bass in the first 30 seconds… I’m going to bring that up on the remix… I’m almost thinking of bringing it up on all of the softer parts (or most)… what do you think?

David, my bud david, how’s it going man… I’m glad you liked it. Anyway, nah, no label seems to want a tired old punk like me… :) I’ll wear the panties if they vibrate. I should check to see if my wife has some… (what in the world brought you to talk about panties and bras, bro?)

psmith66, thanks for the kind comments. I experimented a lot with the panning to try and get a big sound, yah… although, I’m still not sure about the main chorus (the heavy part)… something irks me when I hear it… I dunno… But, thanks again I’m glad you enjoyed it.

Hard2Hear, thanks, yeah, I hope it gets some airplay. I’ll send it in to the radio stations after I get a few more tracks for a maxi-single or something like that.

Ray J, hey bro! Hehe, your post sounded bad then good then bad then good :) hehe. Anyway, that bass sound… I’m detuned a few steps… I’ve been doing that a lot lately. Detuning… Thanks for the kind words and for listening to it the “second time around” :)

MrLip, hey bro, glad you were able to get it downloaded. I’m glad you like it… Yah, it’s not one of my favorites. You were saying something about the mono sound of this tune… I can definitely fix the drums on the remix… What did you think about that main chorus? Does it sound funked to you? Something about the main chorus is irking me and I really tinkered a lot with it on the initial mix but couldn’t figure out why it sounds weird to me… I think the verses “… this is what it said”etc, moving into the main chorus sound really fat and punchy (I think), then when the main chorus hits (that heavy part) something misses, but I can’t for the life of me “hear” what it is… I can’t focus in. Let me know if that makes sense to you and if you heard what I’m talking about. Maybe you have an idea (or anyone else)… thanks again…

lanac, hi. I’m glad you like the intro. Thank goodness I didn’t scare you off enough not to listen to it :) hehe. You said you were having a hard time hearing the vocals in the chorus – now you mean the heavy main chorus right? If it is, that’s the part I’m having difficulty with… (thinking)… maybe it’s the vocals level that’s amiss… Although I think when I tried to bring those up, it had that “tacked on feeling”… I dunno… I’ll fiddle with it some more on the remix. When you say “The lead ride”, do you mean the music that the lead is playing with, or do you mean the lead solo itself? Thanks for diggin’ my vocals. Those lyrics I actually wrote a long time ago… I love taking old lyrics and finally putting them to music… Kind of a “hey I finally did something with this” feeling… and I can close the book on that lyric sheet that collected dust in the corner… (ahhhh).

- Thanks again everyone… If you have anything else to add, please please let me know… I’m going to remix this thing next week…
 
Really polished recording there. Only a couple of comments. The bass drum could use a little more oomph in the low end (although it could be my headphones). Also, the guitars sound pretty dope, maybe a little more room sound would be cool so they don't sound quite so sterile. The drums could get beefed up in the chorus a little more too and maybe a little wider stereo on the dirty guitars to make them sound bigger. Overall though, fantastic job even though its not exactly my cup of tea.
 
Here's something I forgot to mention last time. At 00.39 something sounds a little strange. Like the harmony might be a little off or something like that. I only noticed this the first 3 times I listened to the track. After that I don't really hear it anymore, maybe I got used to it.

Maybe the main chorus part you're asking about is the part I felt was too mono. Like it kinda sounds like everything is jamming up the middle. Maybe you could try panning the open string guitar riff and the cymbals/hihats (if possible) away from the center. To me, the chorus sounds less 'stereo' than other parts of the song. Maybe that's why it sounds a little 'smaller.' (It's so hard to find words to describe sound sometimes.)

The solo reminds me of Soundgarden. Very cool. I love your guitar work man.

The stops in this song are cool too, so is the ending.
 
gnarled, yes! You're absolutely right about the kick drum... I'll be fixing that... Thanks for the comments. I'm going to spread the guits out a little more. Probably not too much in the pre-chorus, but much more in the main chorus. Thanks again.

MrLip, that part at 0:39 where the harmony sounds off to you -- is that "the world broke her heart..." is that where you here it? Hey, by the way, I'm going to fix that mono sounding chorus tonight... there is also one thing I'm sure I'm going to do... (besides spreading it out)... I want to fill the "in between" harmony vocals on that main chorus... the area between high and low... but very subtle... I'll put it in there almost unoticably... but I think it might help things.

Okay, someone keep the old mp3 on their hard drive so you can do a "side-by-side" comparison... I'm going to remix now taking all your suggestions... There's gonna be a poop-load of tweaking... wish me luck.

I'll let you know when it's updated.

THANKS THANKS THANKS.
I'll say it again, you guys really help my mixes... everytime.
 
Yes, the word "heart."

Ted, for the chorus do you mean you want to add an additional vocal line? Go for it. I think it might help... or maybe it will just cloud things up.. haha well, you never know until you try, right?
 
NEW VERSION IS UP.

CMiller, hey bro... yah, I killed the old one last night so I could put the new version up in the queue.

MrLip, check it out bro.....

The new version is up:
"Unread" http://mp3.com/smartapple

If you have the old version on your hard drive, do a before and after comparison... There's a huge difference (in my opinion) sonically...

Let me know if you think it's decent enough to say "it's done".
I can easily do a remix if you think it needs it.

Thanks again!
 
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