The Reveal - New VHS nerd punk original for RPM

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VomitHatSteve

VomitHatSteve

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Hi folks! This month, I've been working on the RPM challenge doing a Harry Potter/I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream/Dr. Strangelove crossover fanfic rock opera. (Yeah, it's about as cool as it sounds!)

Between computers dying and collaborators dropping out, it's been an adventure, but I'm finally at the mixing stage (with days to go even!)

Here is the first draft of one of the songs.

The Reveal.

Please let me know what I can fix. (Preferably, in-box since I really don't have time to do any more tracking!)

Thanks! Upvotes for all!
 
Another VHS classic. I'm really liking the song.

Vocal effect is weird...but it's yours...I'd not like the stereo vocals, but that's up to you.

Same with the drums, I'd keep them more centered and not bouncing around so much. It almost sounds like one song on the L and another real similar song on the R.

And maybe tighten up the bass with some compression, longish attack to let the transients through.

Basically this song needs a foundation which is usually more centered than you have it. But, what do I know, that's just my opinion. Well recorded and cool tune.
 
Thanks Aaron.

I actually tried pretty hard to increase stereo separation in this one, I was afraid that there wouldn't be enough!

I'm kind of pleased with how I got the drums separate like that. It's actually a mono track, but I did some clever tricks with a gate on one channel and a compressor on the other. Maybe I need to tone it down though.
I also panned the two types of guitar pretty far out from each other. I was afraid if I put them in the center, it would get muddy really quickly.

I was actually kind of going for the two slightly different songs on each side. Now as to whether that's a good idea or not...

My neighbors are probably sleeping now, but I'll try to get a new mix up early tomorrow evening.
 
If you like it go with it. It doesn't sound bad at all...it's pretty cool if that's what you were going for!
 
I'm one of the collaborators that dropped out, or maybe I'm the only one. Anyway, again, I sincerely apologize. Too much shit fell in my lap at once. :(

I think this is pretty good. I don't have a problem with the crazy drums, even in cans it doesn't get distracting, which is usually the case with rapid fire panning and stuff. This works. I think you could minimize the potential for distraction by bringing the guitars up more. They're barely in there. Pan em way wide and bring em up.
 
No worries, Greg. There were 3 other collaborators who either dropped out or stopped responding to my emails. (Though one of them got me some stems first, so he still collaborating on 2 or 3 songs, I guess.)

Alright, on the next mix I'll see if I can get the guits louder, and I'll mess around with the pans on the guitars and vox.
 
I think I still have the drums for the one test I did. If you want them I can get them to you if I still have them. They weren't great, but you might could do something with them.
 
I feel Like this song needs real drums

I agree, but at the same time I think you would need a drummer who has massive chops to do this piece justice.

For some reason this song reminds me of Rush...which of course means insane drumming.
For what its worth I was confused the first time I listened but then the second time and put my head in the middle of my desk at speaker level and it was pretty cool.....then someone walked my office...oops!
Back to work!
Cool song!
 
Sure, Greg. I probably won't mix them in right away since one song with live drums would probably mess with the flow of the album, but I may do a remix later.

Thanks dreib and Phil. Maybe the song will make more sense in the context of the final album? It is the 8th song, so there's a lot of story prior to this one.* (I just started with this because it's one of the best.)

* I sound really pretentious saying this. Let me assure you, the story is pretty silly regardless.
 
Ok. Mix 2 is up.

I moved the guitars out a bit and turned them up (especially the less distorted one).
I also moved the vocals in a bit and bumped them a smidge.

Lemme know how it sounds!
 
T-t-t-triple post!

Mix 3. I added a smidge of compression to the bass.
 
It's a good song & the drums were only distratcting once other than the slight lean to one side of the stereo sound stage.
Is there a 2nd bass off to a side as well?
That distorted guitar is a little bit fizzy.
Good melody, good narrative.
 
Wow.

To my ears, this is by far the best mix I've heard from you yet in terms of clarity and separation. I think the drums sound cool and I really like the way you processed the vocals. I thought of early devo when listening to this, which is a good thing.

The only things for me are that the vocals during the verses at the beginning of the tune should come up a bit. I really had trouble making them out although they came through clearer later in the song. I also thought the distorted guitar(s) were pretty fizzy and wonder if you could EQ them to have a more mid heavy sound with some highs tamed? I dunno, sounds pretty good as is though. Well done.
 
Thanks, Ray and Heat.

Yes, there is a second "bass". I'm using that modified bass I posted about some time back. That's the left channel "guitar", and a standard 6-string is the right channel.

With my computer crash, I lost all of my EQ presets (as well as some of my soft EQs themselves), so I kind of have to re-learn all that stuff. I'll have to do a few more random mixes after this project to get that stuff sorted out.

Normally, I'd go through and add a lot of volume automation to the vocals to make sure their level are right, but with the deadline of Wednesday, I basically just turned it up as much as I could without having to add more than one or two cuts.

If I can find time on Monday, I might revisit this mix a little, but I wouldn't count on it. (I actually frantically mixed the remaining 8 songs today!)

I suppose I could just forgo sleep for a few days... :D
 
I remember the bass you posted a vid of it didn't you?
This'll sound great when you've had the time to spend on it post deadline.
 
I don't recall specifically posting a video of the Abomination, but I'm playing it in most of my YouTube videos.
 
Maybe it was a picture? I do recall somethinga round the time you were building/had built it.
Good vids by the way. One man went to mow the mountaion with his abomination.
 
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