Solong Shuffle (The Leaving of Saigon)

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rayc

rayc

retroreprobate
PLEASE USE THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE THREAD!
As I'm prone to just watching TV if I don't motivate myself I decided that last night was the time to FIX this song.
When I 1st posted it in the clinic some years ago I had uploaded the basic tracks into my computer from the 4 track cassette in stereo only (in built sound card et al).
Yesterday I pulled up the 4 tracks and went about reworking & remixing.
1st I cut the vocal/flute track into 2 sep tracks so I could EQ them appropriately;
2nd I dropped a stereo effect onto the mono Roland drum machine track;
3rd I cloned the single guitar track & gave it 100% of a tiny delay;
4th I added cymbals, shaker & tambourine:
5th I stripped the bass part (it had several errors) then recorded the replacement track using the 4 track preamp as I had done in 86
&
threw away the tambourine track (I just couldn't play a decent hit rattle) before remixing.
I lined everything up with the sound effcets as per the video clip but decided to just use the song & an intro rat-a-tat-tat.
When I was reasonably happy with the mix I threw Glaceverb & Classic Limiter over the stereo bus & there we have it.
Old, political, drum machine propelled (there's actually a skip in the drum machine track but since everything was synched to it I left it - no one will be able to play a drum track on it but that's OK).
Any thoughts on the mix?
This link to the streamer has today's reworking
Solong Shuffle 2011
Oh, it was a little over the 10 meg upload limit for SClick so I had to render it at about 240 & they rerendered it at 1/2 that I think.
Here's a modification & wav download that differs from the the original post in that I've removed the cannon intro & upped the ante a little in the change:Solong Shuffle tweaked
Just to split the difference here's a 320 MP3 of the mix:
Solong Shuffle 320
 
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Nice - I have the original version and this sounds better. All the parts seem a bit cleaner and punchier. The compressor is nice - especially on the vocals - it that the classic limiter?
 
Thanks Gerry, a little more clarity ws what I was aiming for. I lost the original project files - and they were as described above anyway. I used Blockfish vintage vocals on Terry's voice & then the Classic Limiter on the full mix.
 
I was working on your 2011 tune today :-) finally! Got a few things down... still needs some work... Snow, bronchitis, broken cars, and work just distracting me... Felt good to get some callouses started....
 
BROKEN CARS too. Mate, you've had a bad trot!
I go back to work on Thursday next - that's almost as bad as snow & bronchitis but not quite - & still some way off.
GET WELL!
 
It's a pretty interesting tune, Ray.
I like the guitar sound but I find the riffing pattern tends to get a bit tiring on the ears, because it doesn't change much. Also the guitar is overpowering everything else. I couldn't hear the drums very well, they're quite drowned out. Terry sings a nice tune but the voice is too low in the mix. Also I thought the song could do with a nice hookline. But seeing as this is an older song I guess that's out of the question, unless you want record it all over again. Your bass lines as always are very expressive and clear. Song has a nice 70's vibe about it.
Just my humble opinion......:)
 
yeah Id agree the vocals could come up..I also gets Joes comments on the guitar riff...I think a little flanger or phaser coming in every now and then would add more interest

has cool little vibe about it...I like the actual song and the recording doesnt sound old to my ears

good job mate :)
 
Joe & kcearl,
I'll boost the vox in the morning & I'll throw something else on the guitar for some more variation. I added a tube VST to the almost modulation ( from Am - C to Em F#m doesn't quite rate as a mod does it?) & will try a flange/phase for one of the verses to break things up, (here's hoot for you. Bck in the late 80's I was bemoaning the lack of effect fx gear - I had NONE - & told my missus I thought I'd splash out on a flanger - I didn't get around to it. Unbeknownst to myself she wrote it down & went xmas shopping - took the note to a music shop and asked for a flang er as in sang her. I got a laugh at the time - the store sold her a Yamaha FX500 ! Quite a nice piece of gear but at almost $900 in 88 a LOT of money!!!).
Back on task - I'm amazed the vox and drums are too low - It must be my ears stuffing around again.
I just hope my recording comp work tomorrow - yeasterday it kept trying to boot up but failing until I pulled the cover off & pushed on all the ram sticks etc. HOPEFULLY it'll play fair with no such heart strating hiccoughs manyanah.
Mind you I did learn a lesson & backed up all the current projects!
 
Yeah the guitar is a little much. I think just dropping it some will balance the whole mix out.

So have you heard from Terry lately?
 
Greg,
Lower the guitar -will do. As to Terry: an xmas card & we talked on the phone in October. Since then nothing. He was offline in a disput wih the phone company.
Gerry,
yeah, but...the recording comp. is only 25 months old & was bought NEw from Dell & DEDICATED to recording. It wouldn't have done 100 hrs in the 2+ years. Oh, I bought extended warranty with it - for 24 months & ... well we all know the story about warranty. A new motherboard from Dell is 400 from China is 100. I'll have to think on it.
 
Cool tune, Ray.

I don't know which mix I'm listening to. It's the streaming link.

I like it. I'd bring up the drums a bit, bring down the guitar a bit, and bring the vocals up just a touch.

Really digging the flute.
 
Just back up everything right away after each session. I lost a bunch of stuff last month and I back up even more regularly now....
 
RAMI,
I've brought the vox up, the drums up, lowered the guitar a bit but also added a subtle touch of flanger in some sections jsut to create a difference as suggested by GL & KC the link will take you to it - it's a 320 download. Thanks for the suggestions & ears.
Gerry,
Did that with today's mix - I'll keep a portable HDD attached for just that from today! Thanks.
MEGAUPLOAD - The leading online storage and file delivery service
 
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This may well be the last mix. Have I done what was asked in sufficient qualtities?
 
Enjoyed this rayc. The twin-tracked panned guitars create a nice texture, which in turn contrasts well with the Talking Heads-y bass line. You've got an original sound too - I'm reading Chickenhawk at the moment, so an interesting companion piece.

The only issue I have with the mix are the hi-hats (?) panned to the right between between around 1.07-1.20, 2.15 & 2.43 - they sound a little messy to me timing-wise and don't seem to quite fit in the mix EQ-wise.
 
Yup, totally get the talking heads thing from the bass line. Nice.

This sounds good ray - I listened to the most recent link from megaupload. You've got nice separation here with the vocals, guitars, bass & flute...the drums are kinda 1986 sounding, but I adapted as the tune went along. I love the guitar part but felt you could've gone way heavier with the flange thingie to add more variety there, but then again I am pretty heavy-handed with FX, so...

Anyway, nice to hear another of your ever-evolving works!
 
I also agree with the statements made about the guitars. Also, something I noticed was the overall mix sounds fine on my headphones but on monitors I am hearing what sometimes sounds like a bitcrusher or some kind of vinyl emulator. It's hard to explain but I'll try. Normally it kinda sounds like it's a vinyl record playing but when there is, say, a high note in the vocals or the flute I hear aliasing. It's a rather interesting effect. Did you use any kind of processing as such or am I going nuts?
 
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