O. K. what you been waiting for

  • Thread starter Thread starter dtb
  • Start date Start date
dtb

dtb

Well-known member
O.K. fellow recorders. I am thinking of maybe a little upgrade this fall, sense I'm back on the golf course regular, and a little cash coming in, ready for a little saving up until fall. So give me some views on this recording and mixdown. Here's what I have and how I did it.

424mkIII
recorded tracks 1...acoustic guitar
2...bass
3...synth keys
4...synth sax
acoustic mic'ed with a 57
all others are direct into 424mkIII
not recorded very hot ( could be hotter )
listen with a little extra volumn ( I've worked on that )
everything is straight up in the panning ( I just learned about that stuff )

Anyway, peoples, I do want to stay within a hobbiest budget. The only reason I'm doing it this away is so as any of you who listens and want's to comment maybe can say what it needs.

example; a little reverb on the whatever

thanks, the song is "Baby with those brown eyes"

http://www.nowhereradio.com/dtb/singles
 
I think it sounds good, considering the stuff you used. The synth keys don't have enough bite/high eq to distinguish them. My sub on my CPU sound system is really accentuating your bass, but it is a dual 8" Lucasfilm 5.1 THX system, and it can do that. Also, it sounds like your guitar and your keys are a hair out of tune with eachother. Hope some of this helps. Real nice, mellow song.

Pete
 
thanks mr. minnow,
that's what I am looking for. I think maybe some sort of enhancement effect for mixdown. I actually have been playing a little bass guitar. Mostly have been using a drum machine. Tuning, well, who's fault is that. he he he he
thanks, glad ya enjoyed it.

dtb (Dan)
 
Great tune there my friend. I thought it sounded very decent all things concidered (hell, it sounded pretty good period!). The sax was lost in it though but, IMHO, I thought I might like it better without the sax at all, but that's just me. Every now and then the piano would jump out (playing dynamics) but that's taking it to a fine point. Cool tune!
 
thanks Mike,
I invented this song, and play a lot of stuff with it from time to time. This was a version that I though had the very least distortion, and figured it would be a little nicer here. I also have a version with, get this, a keyboard player, and a singer who wrote some words for this tune.

thanks again,
dtb (Dan)
 
Pretty cool! Some of the synth sounds are a little weird maybe, especially one of them right at the beginning, I'm not even sure what it is. The bass is way heavy, and I don't think that's what you intended. It really interferes with the rest of the instruments.

It's a pretty nice mellow little jam though, I enjoyed it musically!

Slackmaster 2000
 
Hey Slack,
New shit man, new shit. The synth is fairly new and just beginning to work with it, as to trying a few things. It's either the piano or the sax, that's all I used in this version. Ah, the bass. Yeh, maybe a little to much. One of the few times I've used the real bass guitar ( left at my place so this bass player dude don't have to bring one every time he shows ). I have been using a drum machine for bass and have been a little more successful with the levels.
Thanks for the listen and comments, dude.

dtb (Dan)
 
When I first got a bass guitar a couple years ago, I also had a habit of really cranking it up. Bass is much more subtle than guitar it seems. You don't necessarily want it to stand out in front of the mix, it should be backing up the melodic instruments (in many cases anyhow).

Another problem I had was monitoring the bass while tracking. I still have this problem! I don't know why it's so hard but it really is. I always feel like it's not loud enough, and that carries over into the mixing stage where I have to force myself to not over-compensate.

I don't know why I'm sharing my own problems, but I guess maybe you can relate to them. I did find that adding a little compressor to the bass going into the board helped a lot. I just use a silly little dan electro compressor that doesn't have enough knobs, but it works ok. I've found it to be easier to get closer to the sound I'm after if I compress while I'm tracking instead of afterwards. And if you compress it a bit, it'll be easier to hear and your brain won't trick you into thinking that you need to crank it up in the mix so much :)

Slackmaster 2000
 
Cute tune!
I also think the sax is a little too much in the back. If you can bring it up, like you did towards the end, it would be even nicer.
What I'd really like, is to hear the version with the lyrics. Should be great!

Oren
 
Slackmaster2K,
What you said. If yours, or anyones, problem is the same as mine, and you or they, discuss how you, or they, helped it, then it will be a learning thing for me. Cool. I've also noticed the lack of percussion might make one crank a little more bass. I'm really bad about this. But I have a lot of trouble with drumming things.

dtb (Dan)
 
Aren/Oren,
I'm having a lot of fun with the sax. I have a few little short ditties using the sax and other synth. Since this is a newer toy, i've been trying to use it some.

I might put the vocal version up, if the other guys playing will say o.k. They seem a little funny about this stuff. The words are really good, and Jim ( singer ) wrote like 90% of the lyrics while Bob ( keyboard ) was trying to learn the music. From there it developed into what we have now. Anything I've put up here that had someone else playing always had permission to do so. My own stuff, shit, I let everyone listen to it.
Thanks for listening and commenting,

dtb (Dan)
 
dtb,

I think this is my favorite of yours so far...I agree with the previous comments...Piano jumps out sometimes....

aaaaaahhhhh the slow jams.........In that sax solo.........I think the piano is too loud.....the sax volume may have been decent there, but the piano got too loud.....lower the piano's recording level maybe, so you can play it harder without clipping......or possible remix and ride the piano's fader......maybe????

I don't know..... I just know I listened to it a few times in a row and I like it a lot......very sweet mood.:cool:


pretty decent sound for any gear...


cool post Slack!!



later







































:cool:dtbtunz:cool:
 
Hey Sam,
Thanks, dude. I'm listening and learning. I guess you've been reading. I'm learning about levels and stuff. I talked with my "boys" and I'm putting up the vocal version.
Hope you like it. Look for it at your nearby mp3 forum. he he he

dtb (Dan)
 
Nice tune! I came into the thread late, so I only picked up the vocal version.

Here's an idea. One of the things I'm trying, is for the guitar to avoid a "straight" rhythm during a break, but instead pick up some part of a melody line and work with that. I'm not sure if I'm communicating it right, but the idea is that a straight chordal rhythm blends with vocals and supports them, but can stand out during an instrumental break and yield a kind of "jangajanga" effect, simply because it's right out there. Food for thought, anyway. I liked the tune and how you've managed to mix quite a few tracks without getting muddy. I'm still at the stage where three tracks is a crowd - someone always ends up in a toon fight.
 
Hey Treeline,
I think their's more of what you are saying in 2 or 3 instrument bluegrass. I also think this would be easier, as well as more natural with a good bass line and maybe percussion. But I know what you're saying.
The first, or instrumental version, is under the same name with no (vo) in the name.

dtb
 
Kinda has Skynyrds "Every Mothers Son" feel to it.Low-fi but an ok song.
 
rbw87,
thanks my friend. I've been working some on trying to get a hotter signal in ny recordings. My limited gear, and knowledge kinda makes it a slow go. But I have a lot of fun. And if you haven't read, this is really a hobby for me, and upgrades in gear come far and in between.

dtb
 
Very nice,

Singing and acoustic, sound great.

I think the synth needs to be a little more strictured, less jammed, and less prevaliant, how's that for a critique?

Great work!!

GT
 
Great GT,
If I ever figure out what strictured and prevaliant mean. he he he
I know exactly what you mean dude. New synth stuff, and still working on the signal strength. Also, maybe some panning might help that. Everything here is straight up. Thanks alot my friend. Do you have anything here? I don't know much about mixing stuff but I love to listen to the homerecorded music here. It's what I do.

dtb
 
Someone teach me how to spell, before I throw another stone.

Sorry about thit!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top