"Snakes on a Mane"

[mellotron]

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6426380

I did not approach this song the right way. I didn't record the drum part until after I'd recorded the guitar part. Then I recorded the cello. To make things even harder to edit later, I didn't use a click track when I recorded the guitar. I used an ocarina for the woodwind sounding part.

My guitar part probably sounds thin. I only used one mic, and probably pointed it too much towards the headstock. Will this always be the case if the strings are too old? Or does it depend on the size of the instrument too? Also, I tried to record in the foyer since it's uncarpeted and has a high ceiling.

Anyways, I know vocals could be polished more and louder in places. Thanks in advance for any pointers or areas that could be recorded differently.

 

[DavidK]

Do it again. You have a laundry list of stuff you admittedly did wrong, so just go back and start from scratch. Its really muddy and the drums dont even sound like drums. Start over.

 

[SteveE9C6]

Snakes on a mane
Orpheus is fooled again
Go to sleep in mirrors
Will it bring them nearer?

Act like you are asleep
when the searchlight
combs through the deep
Waves are all unbroken
when silence is unspoken

Snakes on a mane
Orpheus is fooled again
And it's a long way
back to the mountains

In the deep, searchlights light the way for you
Who are, who are you now?
It's been long away
from your siren song

I'm really interested in lyrical content. I must admit that this is unusual. Is this referencing Medusa? I'm trying to understand.


Now... the recording itself. Drums are so dark that they sound kind of like bongos. The vocal is buried in the mix. I like to put new strings on my guitars whenever I begin a recording session. It makes a difference. The cello is quite loud in relationship to the rest of the mix.

 

[mellotron]

Thanks for the feedback. Yeah, I have a bad habit of rushing things. I end up with a lot of unfinished songs since I'm always trying to write a song even better than the last instead of getting the previous song to sound the way I think it should. I'm probably going to get rid of the flanger effect on the cello. I think it's a bit much, along with making the vocals drier, though I'm not sure if my room being untreated, it'll still sound muddy.

SteveE9C6 - I'm referencing Cerberus actually, the three-headed guardian of the underworld. I forgot that it could be interpreted as Medusa too.