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rats

rats

New member
http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/4/1155/singles.shtml

Jonathn (dip off my chip) is the latest and completes the line-up for a three song promotional disc my boys and I are putting out (hopefully this weekend). The other two songs (Dick Oskie and Polly Ethelline) I've posted in the past for reviews and critique, and have made several changes to the mix as well as additional tracks. These are what appears to be the final mixes for the disc if you'd like to review...although we've set Saturday as the release date, it's not too late to make changes! Any type of critique on the performance, the recording, the mix, whatever is invited!

For those of you that don't know I record on cool edit pro, mixdown digital, I use waves plug ins, an audiophile sound card blah blah... Live drums, but recorded one drum at a time... dynamic mics on the instruments, big diaphram condenser for the vocs...
 
Great drum sound, but what's up with the funny sound effects 1/4 way through? :-)

Did I mention I like the drum sound?
 
I've only got a little time, Rats, so here's my quick two cents:

Snare's a bit too loud, maybe drop it a couple of dB's... bring up the vocals a bit, they're a REAL asset (you've got some great pipes, bro), the acoustic sounds great, but if the vox comes up, they'll prolly need to come up too (to help areas like 2:26). The xylophone stuff is great, love yer creative breaks, and the cymbals sound good in the mix.

Like I'm gonna say somethin' bad about your songs, LOL...

Great stuff, rats, let us know how the show goes and the CD gets "received."
 
yeah Xalien, but what about the drum sound?! How did you like the drum sound?:D We really had fun with the drums. These songs are my first venture in recording drums, I've always used sequenced or looped drums in the past, or had someone who knew what they were doing record drums. I'm glad they sound good to you because I think real drums are very important to rock music and should be heard loud and clear!

I'm hoping to get to a place where we can record all of the drums together, but I'm not sure how to on the system I'm using now unless I'm recording them all onto two tracks, and I don't really want to lose that control over the individual drums and cymbals. How do the rest of you do it?

BTW Xalien those funny sound effects are what we call a bridge! :D

Kelly: Hey I can always count on you for some feedback! Bring up the vocs a bit, huh? There are some difficult politics faced when dealing with mixing a song with the band in a democracy. Luckily there is an odd number of us. The problem is that we all want to be heard.:rolleyes: I never cease to be amazed at the difference in what th emic sounds like when it's played in different rooms/ vehicles/ stereo systems! I'll keep you posted.

NOTICE
To anyone who takes the time to download any of rats' songs : Please feel free to get as critical as you'd like! Rip it up, tell me how pissed you are for wasting a download, how you despise this kind of music, how I can't sing or play giutar, how my lyrics are stupid, how my arrangements are boring, unmelodic, whatever! In my opinion if you've taken the time to download one of my songs, you've earned the right to tell me what you think regardless of the severity. And to those of you who look down on people who bash other people's music, get over it. Honesty is the best policy, and criticism is how people improve, not through ass-kissing (not that I consider a compliment ass kissing). I know a lot of people don't respond with an attitude of "if you've got nothing nice to say don't say anything at all". To you I say, look at the heading of this forum. MP3 mixing clinic. In a clinic you may find yourself undergoing painful surgery, but it is for a benefit to the patient.
 
Shit, rats? Hold up on that vox thing, I just listened to Track Rat's thing a while ago at low volume and started posting the same thing... and realized I was listening about as low as my speakers at work would allow (I moved to day-shift, thank God, and can't crank 'em like I used to). When I DID turn them up, his vocals were just right... which means that I probably screwed up my listen of your song.

Oops. (Although, because the vocals really do shine *smooch smooch* (LOL), you oughtta keep those as high as possible) If you have any doubt at this point as to whether your vocals are up enough, then pump them up.

Yeah. Still busy here at work (people actually CALL during the day. yeah, I was surprised too!), so I can't listen until tonight (and you'll have done your show by then, right? shit).

You know.
 
hey rats,

cool tune, I like the strange things you add... it gives it a different vibe.... there was something every now and then with the drums that didn't work for me......I don't know.....maybe like it was holding it back when it should have been pulling it forward??? As I have said before, I know next to nothing about anything so pay no attention... I'm just listening and typing as I'm thinkin it..... I really do like the strangeness you add to set it apart.. bass drum sounds a bit too low... I think that's my biggest complaint with this tune..........the drums.....but maybe it's just me..


good job overall!:cool:
 
This is a fun tune to listen to,but there are some problems with the excecution!
The drums(especially the snare)seem just a tad behind!Did you record anything to a click track?It seems that eveything except the drums(and again,especially the snare)was ok!I would just look at the wave files,and line up the snare with any reliable point of reference.The quality of the drum sound was good,except I really couldn't hear the kick well,but that may be my shitty speakers!
The synth track was really cool,especially in the breakdown parts,with the fucked up souding vibes!
Again,just move the snare,and other applicable drums a little to the right,and this will click!
 
yeah, I know what you mean

xalien said:
Great drum sound, but what's up with the funny sound effects 1/4 way through? :-)

Did I mention I like the drum sound?
Click to expand...

No, kidding......whats up with the sound effects????
 
Re: yeah, I know what you mean

tcdave said:


No, kidding......whats up with the sound effects????
Click to expand...

The sound effects kick ass. Do NOT take out the "sound effects."

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaann..........

:mad:
 
Sounds pretty good

The beginning reminds me a little of The Sisters of Mercy meets Cobain. What sounds like flanged muted guitar about 1/4 into the song is a good slowdown, but lasts a little too long. I'm not sure how to explain it, but maybe a couple of sweeps and let it reverb on it's own and drop the level a little to ease into the second verse starting at 1:00.

I love the Detroit sky line. The groove great until it hit's about 1:45 of the song. Driving beat. Up to that point, drums are loose but still hold it together. After that, the beat loses the parallel with the vocal and makes it seem like one is fullstepping while the other 3/4 stepping to keep up. Kinda like walking with one knee locked.

The effects that kick in around 2:26 reminds be of Bauhaus as well as the closing riff. That effect sounds great but it sounds like it's crammed in there. Shortin' it maybe, I don't know. First time in this area of the board so you can take my comments as they are.

I could really dig this tune. Great!

Dick
 
Cool tune, that's for sure. The snare IS a bit hot. Back it down a bit, gas the kick a little and also bring up the vocal a little more as well. It's not that I don't like the sound effects in the middle, they just run too long. The average listener will lose interest.
Very good tune fellow murder city person.
 
rats said:
To anyone who takes the time to download any of rats' songs : Please feel free to get as critical as you'd like! Rip it up, tell me how pissed you are for wasting a download, how you despise this kind of music, how I can't sing or play giutar, how my lyrics are stupid, how my arrangements are boring, unmelodic, whatever! In my opinion if you've taken the time to download one of my songs, you've earned the right to tell me what you think regardless of the severity. And to those of you who look down on people who bash other people's music, get over it. Honesty is the best policy, and criticism is how people improve, not through ass-kissing (not that I consider a compliment ass kissing). I know a lot of people don't respond with an attitude of "if you've got nothing nice to say don't say anything at all". To you I say, look at the heading of this forum. MP3 mixing clinic. In a clinic you may find yourself undergoing painful surgery, but it is for a benefit to the patient. [/I]
Click to expand...

the tune is ok...not great, and imo, needs stuff like the sound effects to keep your interest. The drums, especially the snare are really thin, crispy sounding....too much so. There is some weird sounding stuff going on in the background, and it's really hard to tell what it is...kinda like a gtr whamming around, and it gives the song a 'drunken' kind of sound... The effect is almost there but instead just kinda mushes stuff together. I think that a song of this caliber needs to be recorded REALLY well to keep the listeners interest, and you've got some good production ideas, but for some reason, they're not getting pulled off. It just sounds TOOO home recorded, and I think a more 'state of the art' sound is what is called for. Yeah...a difficult solution, but I think what it needs. Kinda like, listen to Pink Floyd...there stuff is really simple, for the most part, but if it wasn't recorded well, it would sound like crap. So...get your drum sound together, get the gtrs and other instruments filling their own spaces without stepping on toes, find the "unique" solution to your vocals, and walla!! your about there... You've got a creative mind, and that is your strong point, over your playing and recording skills.
 
I'd say the "sound effects" bridge was awesome. Right on time with perfect texture. The "Cars" sections didn't have the slick production that works well with that sort of progression. Some of the vocals sounded like Captain Beefheart screaming on the sidewalks of LA. That might be a good thing?
 
mixmkr said:


the tune is ok...not great, and imo, needs stuff like the sound effects to keep your interest. The drums, especially the snare are really thin, crispy sounding....too much so. There is some weird sounding stuff going on in the background, and it's really hard to tell what it is...kinda like a gtr whamming around, and it gives the song a 'drunken' kind of sound... The effect is almost there but instead just kinda mushes stuff together. I think that a song of this caliber needs to be recorded REALLY well to keep the listeners interest, and you've got some good production ideas, but for some reason, they're not getting pulled off. It just sounds TOOO home recorded, and I think a more 'state of the art' sound is what is called for. Yeah...a difficult solution, but I think what it needs. Kinda like, listen to Pink Floyd...there stuff is really simple, for the most part, but if it wasn't recorded well, it would sound like crap. So...get your drum sound together, get the gtrs and other instruments filling their own spaces without stepping on toes, find the "unique" solution to your vocals, and walla!! your about there... You've got a creative mind, and that is your strong point, over your playing and recording skills.
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you cock suckin little bitch, you couldn't hold a ffffeeeeeeaah ***mmmmmhhhmm*** errr...ummm I mean thank you thank you for your honesty and frankness (you little static huffing little jellybean).;) Seriously though, I've been waiting for your inevitable and always refreshing response. We need to make a trade, some of my creativity for some of your recording skills, what do you say?:rolleyes: :eek: ;) Your response is well thought out, you listened closely, and you took the time. That I can appreciate. (And a little criticism for you) when you insert "walla" intead of "voila" you look like a turkey!:D

doc: what are the Cars sections? And what is it with all of the Cars comparisons lately with everyone? The last tune I posted got a bit of that too. I'm missing the production, the production....hmmm...
I'm just a glorified Tascam 4 track Portastudio engineer with a computer and cool edit pro so I have no fucking clue what production means!:D Just keep on flattering with those Beefheart references though!

Track rat: Thanks for the listen and feedback! The snare has been a topic of concern. I don't necessarily believe it's too loud, but maybe to thin...and I have to figure out this timing thing and what is off because somthing definitely is a bit. I'm a slight bit sceptical because I know a lot of the peeps on this board use sequenced or looped drums and are used to hearing every beat WHAM on time and thus mechanical. I don't like that personally. The human response of live drums and slight imperfections give it soul. It just can't be tooooo off...which it may be...

Evildick: Nice to meet you and thanks for the time and critique here (that's the tough thing to get around here and a valued commodity!)! Interesting comparisons I must say...but good ones none the less!!!
The groove great until it hit's about 1:45 of the song. Driving beat. Up to that point, drums are loose but still hold it together. After that, the beat loses the parallel with the vocal and makes it seem like one is fullstepping while the other 3/4 stepping to keep up. Kinda like walking with one knee locked.
Yeah you put that out there like it is. I've been doing some more critical listening and I think you might seriously have something there. Anyway, a good set of ears is always welcome around here so I'm looking forward to volley with you again...

tcdave: ummm....IT"S CALLED AN EFFEN BRIDGE!!!! eeeehemmm ummm 'scuse me...:)

bezulbaby: Nice nice nice... Actually the way we recorded the song was we started out with a track that was the original version of the song that I played all the instruments myself to a sequenced drum line. That original was perfectly in time. Then we layered the new drums on all new tracks, then the other instruments... I'm not sure what happened because our drummer has an incredible sense of timing, so I'm wondering if this could be a latency issue? I think if we do make any changes it will be on a snare hit by snare hit editing issue. Thank you though!

DTB: happy to oblige!

backstabbeth: ;) Hey man the next to nothing that you know is a lot more than a lot of th eothers around here! Anyways, I think you hit it on th ehead. Thanks for the kind words!

Kelly no no actually I think you are right on the vocals thing.. I believe if they came up just a c@*t hair they may solve that thingy that mixxymakey was wording on!

Right on folks I knew I could count on you!:D :D
 
>so I have no fucking clue what production means!

Neither do I but how else can I describe what the Cars achieved with their hit albums and what you've done here?


>what are the Cars sections?

Everything but the bridge. :) :D :)
 
so...........

.........how'd the show go?

(and how many people are playing the drums live? LOL...)

;)
 
ummm yeah?! There was no show, I'm not sure where you got that from unless maybe you thought that when I said we were releasing it this weekend that we would do a release party of some sort. Actually the thing was that we were planning on releasing it to the record label that has been asking us for it. I'm just going to make a few little adjustments this week and then turn it in. After all, the purpose of this thing is to get us in the pro studio where I won't have to worry about this kind of stuff! I just want to make a good impression, see....

Actually we're auditioning musicians that want to try out to be the fourth sunray this month. Shit, there is no way we could pull this stuff off live as a 3 piece!!!:confused:
 
Damn. Wish I lived up north...

:(

btw, this song is "Sonic Youth meets Love & Rockets (Earth, Sun, Moon)"
 
Kelly Holdridge said:
Damn. Wish I lived up north...
Click to expand...

Yeah me too! Why not pack up yer bags and yer camera and yer canoe and yer smoking cat and get up here!?
 
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