Postcards From St Ives

[robgreen]

Hey, thanks both of you for coming back and listening to the update. I'm glad that most of the problems with the initial mix seem to have been addressed. If nothing else, this thread has confirmed that I have something of a cloth ear when it comes to the low end

Ray, the mix up in post #18 is a 320 mp3, but I've rendered a FLAC version for you here too. Thanks for all your help:
Postcards From St Ives - flac

Pete, I was sorting out the flac for ray, so I figured it would be no extra hassle to run off a copy without the sample for you too. I had a quick play with the bass again too. I'm kind of loathe to lose it as it was the spark for the whole tune, but maybe that's why proper musicians work with producers and engineers to slice through emotional attachments and do what's best for the song. I'll keep the two versions in mind for the time being and maybe revisit it after a few months break to see whether I prefer one or the other.

This is the version of Four Women version I have, there's another a piano figure at around 3.08 that I really wanted to include, but it just didn't fit anywhere. Maybe the main riff doesn't either. Anyway, thanks for all your help, and get making some music again soon!

Postcards From St Ives - 320 No Sample

I repped all those of you I could!

 

[heatmiser]

Awesome. Thanks Rob!

Yeah, for me, that mix sans sample is so much better. It's clearer and more open sounding and I can hear all the elements (esp. vocals and bass) better.

Needs a solo instrument of some kind during the outro now though. Obviously, you go with whatever works best for you, but I really appreciate you taking the time to let me hear it like that.

 

[fat_fleet]

Ray, the mix up in post #18 is a 320 mp3, but I've rendered a FLAC version for you here too.[...]

Pete, I was sorting out the flac for ray, so I figured it would be no extra hassle to run off a copy without the sample for you too.

Can you mix me a dancehall reggae version?

 

[Manslick]

Rob, dude, there are some really weird notes in this.
The piano (?) figure left at 00:42 & 48 clashes like it was cross fingered.
At 1:40 right side something sounds like an oboe is clashing. It's when the chord goes to Em9 every time. On the Dm9 it sound ok.
Drums sound a lot better.

 

[robgreen]

Awesome. Thanks Rob!

Yeah, for me, that mix sans sample is so much better. It's clearer and more open sounding and I can hear all the elements (esp. vocals and bass) better.

Needs a solo instrument of some kind during the outro now though. Obviously, you go with whatever works best for you, but I really appreciate you taking the time to let me hear it like that.

Cool, that's good to hear. Once I get a bit of distance from this I can re-assess. I'm intrigued what you meant by something needed in the outro - there were no samples there, so I'm guessing this must be something you feel's been missing since the beginning? For me, I really wanted something at the end that just floated off into the distance rather than having a single focal point and I think this does. Maybe I just toned down the mellotron a little too much as I like the melody from that in the last section.

Can you mix me a dancehall reggae version?

Just checked my hard drive Fleet. Looks like I have a yiddish dubstep version, an 8-bit Mariachi remix and an acapella recording in Esperanto. 'Fraid you're bang out of luck buddy

Rob, dude, there are some really weird notes in this.
The piano (?) figure left at 00:42 & 48 clashes like it was cross fingered.
At 1:40 right side something sounds like an oboe is clashing. It's when the chord goes to Em9 every time. On the Dm9 it sound ok.
Drums sound a lot better.

Ha, I know exactly what the 1.40 clash is! It's pure laziness on my part. I knew it was there, but as nobody else noted it, I thought I'd gotten away with it. I did two tracks of background vocals at one take each and they're both off pitch on the Em chord - I found the Dm note fine both times and figured that it was probably buried enough to work okay without bothering to go back. Good spot on your behalf - I really should get that sorted.

Re. the piano part, there's a sample-less version in my last post that shouldn't clash at 0.42 and 0.48 - looks like another vote for dropping Nina. Thanks for looking back in to share your thoughts Man.

 

[heatmiser]

Cool, that's good to hear. Once I get a bit of distance from this I can re-assess. I'm intrigued what you meant by something needed in the outro - there were no samples there, so I'm guessing this must be something you feel's been missing since the beginning? For me, I really wanted something at the end that just floated off into the distance rather than having a single focal point and I think this does. Maybe I just toned down the mellotron a little too much as I like the melody from that in the last section.

Yeah, it doesn't need anything, and sounds nice as is. I think I kinda wanted to hear a featured instrument the 1st time around but didn't mention it as I had other, more pressing issues for you to address, which you've done. Having some kind of "solo" there is actually a pretty conventional idea though, so go with your instincts and leave it out. If I come up with any other complaints or special remix requests I'll be sure to let you know!

 

[rayc]

Thanks Rob - straight onto my flac playing portable.
I also grabbed the sample less version as the discussion around it was interesting.
I think the vocal note clash is useful as it is - a little dissonance to highlight the harmony.
Good job & double thanks for the info in the PM.

 

[joeym]

This is beautifully wierd in a very good way, Rob!
It's got elements of 60's psychadelia which I really like. Mix-wise, it could sound a bit bigger though, I find that the different elements are panned somewhat close to the centre. Although of course that could change the vintage feel of it. But it's a great song and that makes it possible to try different things with it.

 

[robgreen]

This is beautifully wierd in a very good way, Rob!
It's got elements of 60's psychadelia which I really like. Mix-wise, it could sound a bit bigger though, I find that the different elements are panned somewhat close to the centre. Although of course that could change the vintage feel of it. But it's a great song and that makes it possible to try different things with it.

Thanks a lot for the listen and your thoughts joey. I really appreciate the compliments about the song - when I was working on it, I kept finding myself placing the tracks close-ish to the centre as it seemed to work better with everything blending rather than with too much separation.

I'll have a think about how I might be able to make the sound a little bigger though after a bit of a break from it. I also really want to get those off pitch BVs re-done!

Ray, I'm flattered to make it onto your player, and Heat thanks for your thoughts again

 

[rayc]

I really enjoyed listening to the song last night - decent headphones and decent FLAC player meant good sound - even the headphones added to the vintage feel - maybe they shouold make Tape Wwalkman looking digital players to really push the retor!
The top of range Colorfly player comes complete with a slab of wood and knobby bits! But at $600 I was happier to go with virtually the same quality for $99.

 

[robgreen]

I really enjoyed listening to the song last night - decent headphones and decent FLAC player meant good sound - even the headphones added to the vintage feel - maybe they shouold make Tape Wwalkman looking digital players to really push the retor!
The top of range Colorfly player comes complete with a slab of wood and knobby bits! But at $600 I was happier to go with virtually the same quality for $99.

That's great to hear ray. It's funny how regularly retro, 60s and psychedelia get referenced by people in response to my tunes - I've got a pretty big record collection and the 60s is probably the least represented decade of the lot! I always wonder how that can be - maybe it's that the records I listen to were themselves influenced by this era and it's somehow filtered through that way.

Glad the flac sounded good - I hear much difference from the 320 mp3 myself, but as this thread has demonstrated, what I can/can't hear doesn't mean much!