"Rhythms" 2003 (New Recording)

  • Thread starter Thread starter SLuiCe
  • Start date Start date
Lovely acoustic guitars. Sounds like they're double tracked. Incredibly tight performance. You can certainly capture the acoustic guitar. Your vocals are great and your style is recognisable. That's a very good thing. You really should get these songs on the radio or something. The compositions, mixing and performance are just so good. This piece is definitely one of your good ones. Well, I can't remember a bad one from you.
 
First things first, great tune. Killer all way around for me. What happened to yo guitar. You mention looking at new ones in my post, but you didn't mention damaging yours. accident?
 
1) Flute synth was kind of annoying. Maybe a warmer sound set farther back would have a better impact. I'm also not keen on the orchestral synth sound (that one that starts at the beginning and is used throughout)...I think maybe something at least an octave lower with more "grr" would work better, like a cello. Just my opinion of course.

2) Guitar is so bright that the string noise might be distracting, and I can *hear* the pick on the strings...it sounds like little clicks or pops...couldn't figure out what that was at first (it's really noticable in the beginning).

3) The break at 1:23 is too important to leave that little accidental guitar squeak in there.

4) A little too much variation in cymbal levels and panning. I don't like the china crash very much, and panning it around is odd because no drummer has more than one china :) You did an ok job with the canned drums, especially considering the dynamics you were going for.

5) Vocals are really great. Wonderful job on the harmonies especially.

6) Overall guitar sound is really good.

7) Drum break at 1:28 was really cool. It almost woulda been cool to extend that section a tad and then not let the drums in the rest of the song at all!

8) "It's starting to hit me" worked very well. Overall you had some pretty interesting changes in there.

I'm just listening on headphones so I can't comment too well on the mix overall, but it does sound pretty solid to me. Good work!

Slackmaster 2000
 
Hey Sluice...Gee, I wonder who Sam was talking about, LOL. Yeah, I use Autotune sometimes, I don't others ... as far as lieing about it, LMAO,... that bugged me for a second, but whatever. I got yelled at once for using it when I didn't even have it, so that might tell you something about how GREAT people are at recognizing it. Yeah, I use it as "an effect..."...an effect to pitch correct the shit out of my vocals that suck...:D Oh, I don't lie about using reverb either. Yup, I like it. And "EQ," uh huh...I use the shit out of that too ...LOL.
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Man, this recording kicks so much ass, I'd hate to see you trash it...Re-attack parts of the vocals that bug you after awhile, pull the synth down if you want. Man, it's HUGE and clear and great. I've only listened a few times, but the only negative that sticks out is:

"Hey are ya' home," 1:48, etc. - tuned or not, those backs sound off to me. Maybe it's the lead, but I don't think so.

I've been recording some of my acoustics with an omnidirectional neumann, and I've been recording others with an SM58, LOL. After I heard what "cat-eggs" was getting out of a 58 and a Tascam 6-track tape recorder, all my snobbery about mics kinda' went out the window. I see I'm in good company.

Hats off to you, man.
 
chrisharris said:
Hey Sluice...Gee, I wonder who Sam was talking about, LOL. Yeah, I use Autotune sometimes, I don't others ... as far as lieing about it, LMAO,... that bugged me for a second, but whatever. I got yelled at once for using it when I didn't even have it, so that might tell you something about how GREAT people are at recognizing it. Yeah, I use it as "an effect..."...an effect to pitch correct the shit out of my vocals that suck...:D Oh, I don't lie about using reverb either. Yup, I like it. And "EQ," uh huh...I use the shit out of that too ...LOL.
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No.. I definitely was not talking about you.. You have always been up front about your auto tune abuses! :D I dont' want to drop any names because it doesn't matter..




They know who they are! :eek:
 
B.SABBATH said:
No.. I definitely was not talking about you.. You have always been up front about your auto tune abuses! :D I dont' want to drop any names because it doesn't matter..




They know who they are! :eek:
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Thanks for posting that. In addition to being a little bit anti-social, I'm apparently paranoid. :D
 
Hey guys thanks a lot. My threads have been like debate forums lately :) I like that though...shows everyone's thinking!



Couple things...


Sam- thanks for taking the time to talk to me there. I see no way to improve my struggling vocal abilities by using pitch shifters. I have no intention of leaving that stupid sounding effect in the song...but my whole being was getting tired and I wanted to throw this out there to see what people thought of the recording direction I was trying. This is a very difficult song for me to sing, and I have to work very hard at my vocals because I'm not a born singer. I did more re-takes on this song than I ever have.
Apart from that, it sounds like I may have tried too hard for a "pro" recording with this, and I did what the pros tend to do, which is suck the life out of the piece. Ahh well...I've got another remake coming where I upped the production too, but I think the performance was better. We'll see. Thanks a lot for the generous words too.




Hold on I'll be back in a bit to respond to the other things...

I just thought of trying a mix without any synth at all. I just realized I haven't yet!
 
Alright what do you guys think of this approach? It's Rhythms (Practically Naked Mix) Got a lot of ideas from you guys...thanks!


Guernica- I'm hearing what you're saying now about it being a guitar song....

Cranky- Very encouraging words coming from you...you're a very tight player yourself!

Sam and Chris- You guys are a cute couple.

SlackMaster- Thanks for swinging in man...and thanks for the attention you gave to your response. Couple quick things...I may re track the gits when I get a new guitar...both my acoustics are mysteriously fucked up right now. But you get what you pay for. I agree with you and many others about the synth being out of place. Once I swallowed the "lost time factor" I was better able to hear that. Thanks. You might like what I did to the drum arrangement. The cymbal sounds are pre-panned and I just haven't adjusted them yet, for some reason...probably because I suck at drums and never really played them. I get drum tips every song I post here...thank god.

mixmkr- Hopefully you read my post in your thread and you know how much help you've been. Thanks again!

Chad- thanks for keeping an eye on my work :) I appreciate it.

dtb- The guitar I recorded this with last June has since somehow had the neck begin to break away from the body. It's an $800 Guild with Fishman's (which I never actually used much) so I'm a touch bummed. The strings were very difficult to press because the neck was bending. Made this song really challenging. After that I bought a $400 Seagull but I don't like the tone. I think I want something fuller. Thanks for listening dtb...love your stuff a lot.

Jagular- hey man welcome to the board. Hope your diggin it. Thanks for the feedback!

Fender- always with something good to say about people's tunes....thanks man!
 
SLuiCe said:
Alright what do you guys think of this approach? It's Rhythms (Practically Naked Mix)
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OH... MY.. GOSH... :eek: :eek:




This is freaking beautiful man.... *sniff*... I'm gettin' all choked up just listenin' to it....





:D


seriously dude... I'm a big proponent of the "less is more" theory. And this is definitely "more".



I am dangerously close to replacing the old version that I have in my playlist with this newest version. :eek:


If I had to make one change it would be adding the slightest bit of percussion at 2:00. Not a full beat, but just some percussive presence.


WATYF
 
i would have to say that i prefer the newest 'naked' mix......sounds great............both are good though
 
LESS IS MORE. I like this one a lot better...in fact, I can now hear more where you were going with the song...really nice.

I think that the "it's starting to hit me" break needs to be longer or something...it's to quick...sounds almost accidental.

Slackmaster 2000
 
WATYF said:
If I had to make one change it would be adding the slightest bit of percussion at 2:00. Not a full beat, but just some percussive presence.
WATYF
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Very good thinking..I believe I hear what you mean in my head. Just enough to move it up a notch in dynamics. Thanks man...that might be a change I go with.
 
I decided to go for the "best of both worlds" approach and I kept em both in my playlist... :D


If you add a tiny bit of perc at 2:00 I'll prolly update it to that version, whenever it's ready.



P.S. I think the acoustic drops out a bit too quick at the "it's starting to hit me" part... but that's a minor thing.


(sorry for being so anal... :( )


this is great though, dude.


WATYF
 
Slackmaster2K said:
LESS IS MORE. I like this one a lot better...in fact, I can now hear more where you were going with the song...really nice.

I think that the "it's starting to hit me" break needs to be longer or something...it's to quick...sounds almost accidental.

Slackmaster 2000
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Sorry man, just missed ya...

I haven't settled on anything with the break either, especially now with the lesser synth use. I don't want it to be flashy, but I want a sort of introspective pause there for obvious reasons...
 
Man, ......wow! I could not agree more.
......I compared this w/ the 2003 mix, as well as 8/13. This sends chills up my spine man. This version really lets your improved vocs take the forefront too. just beautiful. Have i mentioned that i love this song?:D
If i were going to release this on CD, this would be the version i would prefer.

Nits: .....awright, i know im gonna sound like a punk here:) .......
...With the layers clouding the beautiful heart of this song taken away.......... the bass sounds like a synth dude:) This song needs real bass now........ git your northeastern ass to the store and git yerself one pronto!!:)



btw: there's a hiss in the mp3 at the beginning....... ....i dunno:confused:

G w/ no stars, cause they dont speak loudly enough for the best song ive heard in this clinic......
 
Mike, would you like to do the bass on this? :) I don't have enough money for one right now...I have to buy an acoustic :(

The hiss is from the SM58 etc that I recorded this with last June :( I'll probably re-track with said new guitar :)




See it's help (and sometimes mental support) like this that makes this board rock.
 
........uh, ........Yeah........ hello.......:D

.......Im gonna have to see how clean i can get my tone........ my regular compression settings aint gonna cut it......... ......and need some new strings......... and.........


Im definitely on this...... I'll PM ya
 
oh man...



if G puts bass on here... I will definitely be keeping that version...



:D :D


WATYF
 
Man,sweet tune SluiCe!

Those guitars are just beautiful,I see why you kept them.
Really great melody,I love the interplay on the vocals.
Can't wait to hear the G bass!

The only thing I heard was,the synth part at 1:44 sounded like it was a little too loud.
I'm listening on phones,sooo:D

Really fine song,thanks for sharing it,
Pete
 
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