Nola
Well-known member
Edit: this is the updated mix.
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Eric Malone
Active member
It is pretty slow as-is. I wouldn't go any slower, personally. I can however, hear it either way faster, or a few BPM faster.
I've found BPM's really tricky. I find some days, some of the songs I'm working on sound so freaking slow. And then a week later, they sound normal again. They never sound too fast though, weird eh?
Nice tune, has a haunting kind of feel to it.
EL
I've found BPM's really tricky. I find some days, some of the songs I'm working on sound so freaking slow. And then a week later, they sound normal again. They never sound too fast though, weird eh?
Nice tune, has a haunting kind of feel to it.
EL
Nola
Well-known member
Thanks. It's weird because the tempo is pretty slow, yet the bassline in isolation, which is the foundation of this particular song, sounds better to my ear when I play it slower. It has more mojo slower. Yet, the song overall feels better faster.
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Eric Malone
Active member
Well you are not too far into the song as it is, being a sketch. Try it slower and see how it fits?
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Nola
Well-known member
I did some more recordings on it today so I'm deeper in. Haha. Maybe I will just roll with this. It was about the fastest I could go where the bassline still felt "vibin'" as the kids say.
Nola
Well-known member
Here's a mix a lot more filled in. What do you guys think? Should I redo the vocal or tune it or is it good enough? Anything too muddy? Any L/R issues? Should I bring the snaps back in at the 1:15 mark for arrangement "interest"? I redid the guitar solo in this one - it should be better (although the timing is still not right...I was high tonight haha...I can probably do it better so let me know). Thanks!
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Nola
Well-known member
I redid some stuff this morning. Here's a version with the "snaps" added in at various points in the song (i.e. the quieter middle part and ending) for arrangement interest, the solo redone/tighter, acoustic guitar moved to the center during the quiet middle section with shaker added there, upstrokes at the ending tightened up, and the bass with a bit more compression to tame the notes popping out of the mix. I still think I need to redo the vocals. These are okay, but I think I will redo them and keep these as a backup if I can't do better and then just tune a few notes. Is that what others are hearing?
rob aylestone
Moderator
The organ is very Farfisa-y - and very loud in the mix? It sort of shouts that you have to listen to it.
Nola
Well-known member
Thanks. I was wondering if the organ was a bit loud.
T
TripleM
Well-known member
I think the first version was too slow. The second and third versions were about the right tempo I suppose. I could even go for 1-2 bpm faster still.
Something about the finger snaps bug me. They have some weird delay or something on them. And they don't sound quite like finger snaps.
I would re-do the vocal. I apply pitch correction. There are quite a few pitch issues.
Something about the finger snaps bug me. They have some weird delay or something on them. And they don't sound quite like finger snaps.
I would re-do the vocal. I apply pitch correction. There are quite a few pitch issues.
Nola
Well-known member
Thanks, all. I think I will start from scratch tomorrow. There's something in the groove bothering me.
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spantini
COO of me, inc.
I think the organ is out of sync with the rest. The vibrato or Leslie effect should either be slowed or speeded up slightly to better match the timing. One of those would lock it in and tighten this up. Of course, I could be imagining things . . .
Nola
Well-known member
Interesting I’ll look into that.
dobro
Well-known member
I think the tempo's fine. The main thing I noticed was that the space on the vocal pushes it behind everything else in the mix.
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BorderlineProductions
New member
The vibe of the song is driven by the bass and the organ at this tempo. I think any big changes in tempo would undermine this. The vocals are sitting where I like them for the feel of this song.
Nola
Well-known member
Thanks that’s how I hear it, too, and was thinking maybe slower? Any thoughts on that?
Do you think the panned guitars add anything or should I strip it down to bass/keys?
Nola
Well-known member
Okay did a lot of work on this today. The following changes:
1. Lowered the right guitar a lot. For some reason it was way out of balance with the acoustic on the left. This gave the vocal way more space.
2. Lowered the organ a few DB and cut the piercing resonance frequency in the highs. This also allowed the vocal more space to hear the lyrics better.
3. Fixed the levels of the shakers, ride, and snaps at the end.
4. Got the tom fills more aligned.
5. Compressed the bass more so it's still heavy in the mix without popping out on some notes and hurting your ears.
6. Lowered some instruments at the 1:15 mark so there's some dynamics in the mix. Not quite a drop out, but low enough where it feels dynamic to me.
7. Compressed the ride so it's more even.
Now I feel like it's grooving way better. Anyone agree/disagree? Any issues you're hearing?
1. Lowered the right guitar a lot. For some reason it was way out of balance with the acoustic on the left. This gave the vocal way more space.
2. Lowered the organ a few DB and cut the piercing resonance frequency in the highs. This also allowed the vocal more space to hear the lyrics better.
3. Fixed the levels of the shakers, ride, and snaps at the end.
4. Got the tom fills more aligned.
5. Compressed the bass more so it's still heavy in the mix without popping out on some notes and hurting your ears.
6. Lowered some instruments at the 1:15 mark so there's some dynamics in the mix. Not quite a drop out, but low enough where it feels dynamic to me.
7. Compressed the ride so it's more even.
Now I feel like it's grooving way better. Anyone agree/disagree? Any issues you're hearing?
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Robertt8
Well-known member
Love it! Very 60s (in a bitchin way). I’m hearing some early Velvet Underground vibes.
Might sound crazy, but love to hear some shakers or tambourines panned hard (opposite sides)…not through the whole thing, but in parts.
Cool stuff for sure!
Nola
Well-known member
That's awesome, thank you, man. Lou Reed is my favorite artist of all time. There is shaker (an egg) at times.....I kind of bring it in and out you should be able to hear it unless I accidentally disabled that track in mixdown. I will look.
Nola
Well-known member
So I think this is done. The final mix is in the original post now. Any issues? I my issue with not liking the groove was somehow fixed with adjustments in the mix. I dig the groove now. The only thing I'm still wondering is vocal placement. Is it too far back? I kind of like it where it is, but I can see it going more forward, too.