Subtle Change

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K-dub

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Subtle Change

Did you ever know a couple that were together, and they always were arguing so much that you wondered why they were even a couple?

This song is about them ...

Frank Basile on drums
The rest is me

Best,

Kev-
 
It's pretty good Kev, but there's something about the mix overall that seems kind of disjointed to me. Everything is clean and clear and the levels are all good, but there seems to be a lack of "glue" holding it all together. It's like I can hear each instrument in it's own space, but they still sound like isolated parts that don't quite make up the whole. Things just sort of jump in and out all over the place. Does that make sense? I might not be explaining it clearly. :o
 
I get exactly what you are saying, G ... because the effect is an intentional artisitic statement via the arrangement and the mix.

This song is about disjointed relationships, held loosely together by who knows what?

I wanted the production to reflect the nature of the lyric, so as you surmised, I crafted the piece w/ a lot of odd parts that come and go throughout ... ahhs ... horns ... odd piano tones etc ... all sort of loosely held together ... in disjointed fashion.

Very good of you to immediately catch that ... because that's just what it is.
 
I like the mix, no complaints there. The 'chorus', you know the loud part, is really neat, it really lifts the song up and makes it come home. Nice and full and energetic, how it should be. Your topic and lyrics are interesting, I like that. The piano is my biggest complaint. I'm a pianist first and foremost and this one sounds too toy-like. It doesn't have to be a full-on grand but it's lifeless, and even a difficult relationship is not lifeless...
 
A couple things.

I think the low end can stand a boost in the master, so I can hear the bass drum and bass grind. Helps hold things together.

I get the disjointed stain, but at 1:25 and 2:16, the tonality gets kinda lost. The intended changes are not clear to my ear.

You got your own sound stamp, mate!

Not my fave of yours....but very good stuff.
 
Hi Kev,

I liked this one a lot. Cool layering of parts, and I get the disjointed thing, but I think overall everything works well together in the song. Hopefully that's a good thing given what you were going for :)

One thing that I noticed right away was that to my ears the vocals stick out because there is some verb or delay on them that isn't present to that extent on anything else. The way it sounds to me is that everything is pretty dry sounding, which is cool in a mix like this, but then the vox come in and don't really sit with the rest of it because they sound like they are in a different space. If it were me, I'd let the arrangement and the instruments drive home the disjointed theme, but keep the vocals dry so the mix stays glued together. Just one guy's opinion...

I like the quirky back up vocals and the string parts, very cool.

Best Regards,

Dave DeWhitt
www.soundclick.com/davedewhitt
 
Sounds real good as usual.

Snare might be just a bit loud (in the verses) and bass might be just a bit soft.

Harmonies sound great on the "ahs".

Some weird flutter on the vocals at 2:28 - 2:29. That needs fixing.

I'd like a little thicker sound on the "main" guitar riff. Personal taste thingy.

Everything sounds real good.
 
singlespeak said:
I like the mix, no complaints there. The 'chorus', you know the loud part, is really neat, it really lifts the song up and makes it come home. Nice and full and energetic, how it should be. Your topic and lyrics are interesting, I like that. The piano is my biggest complaint. I'm a pianist first and foremost and this one sounds too toy-like. It doesn't have to be a full-on grand but it's lifeless, and even a difficult relationship is not lifeless...
Click to expand...

Thanks! As noted above, the odd piano tone was part of the design choice for the piece, but you're absolutely right, it's not a real piano sound ... it's not even a good piano sound. :)

Kev-
 
jeffmaher said:
A couple things.

I think the low end can stand a boost in the master, so I can hear the bass drum and bass grind. Helps hold things together.

I get the disjointed stain, but at 1:25 and 2:16, the tonality gets kinda lost. The intended changes are not clear to my ear.

You got your own sound stamp, mate!

Not my fave of yours....but very good stuff.
Click to expand...

Good thoughts, Jeff ... I'll experiment. Thanks! Kev-
 
dewhitt said:
Hi Kev,

I liked this one a lot. Cool layering of parts, and I get the disjointed thing, but I think overall everything works well together in the song. Hopefully that's a good thing given what you were going for :)

One thing that I noticed right away was that to my ears the vocals stick out because there is some verb or delay on them that isn't present to that extent on anything else. The way it sounds to me is that everything is pretty dry sounding, which is cool in a mix like this, but then the vox come in and don't really sit with the rest of it because they sound like they are in a different space. If it were me, I'd let the arrangement and the instruments drive home the disjointed theme, but keep the vocals dry so the mix stays glued together. Just one guy's opinion...

I like the quirky back up vocals and the string parts, very cool.

Best Regards,

Dave DeWhitt
www.soundclick.com/davedewhitt
Click to expand...

I did put different effects on the two ... more small room reverb on the lead, and chorus on the bgvs. I'll dry them up and see if I can close the differences. Thanks Dave!

Kev-
 
TripleM said:
Sounds real good as usual.

Snare might be just a bit loud (in the verses) and bass might be just a bit soft.

Harmonies sound great on the "ahs".

Some weird flutter on the vocals at 2:28 - 2:29. That needs fixing.

I'd like a little thicker sound on the "main" guitar riff. Personal taste thingy.

Everything sounds real good.
Click to expand...

Dude, you're amazing. I've listened 1k times and never caught the weird at that moment. You listen briefly and catch immediately.

That's two for more bass ...

Back to the console, I guess! :)

Thanks Trip,

Kev-
 
I hate everyone catching every imperfection btw ...

I'm never going to post again until I desire simple honestv.
 
Very cool, Kev.
I like all the spaces you created with the "disjointed sounds". Yeah, some low end maybe, but for me this is done.

Joey :)
 
Thanks, J!

It's all tweaking from here, but that's what we do best! :)

K-
 
kinda like your Rundgren's cousin or something.. like Edgar and Johnny Winter.

But this would be off those first albums.
 
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