Update: A Song From Under the Floorboards - with Keys

[Bubba po]

My mate had a spare hour to help me out with the keyboards to this project tonight, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. I've done a quick mix in order to share, but there is a fair bit of tweaking to do.

Anything glaring?




NEW MIX WITH KEYBOARDS MORE LOUDED UP A BIT.

 

[RAMI]

My mate had a spare hour to help me out with the keyboards to this project tonight, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. I've done a quick mix in order to share, but there is a fair bit of tweaking to do.

Anything glaring?

Thread reported. I hate keyboards and they offend me like almost nothing else. I think this should be taken down.





No, but in all seriousness.....I like it. I really like the guitar in the right speaker. Drums are ok, but the snare sounds a bit like a cardboard box. Nice instrumental break. Everything's a good level from what I can tell.

 

[Bubba po]

Thread reported. I hate keyboards and they offend me like almost nothing else. I think this should be taken down.





No, but in all seriousness.....I like it. I really like the guitar in the right speaker. Drums are ok, but the snare sounds a bit like a cardboard box. Nice instrumental break. Everything's a good level from what I can tell.

LOL. Thanks, RAMI. That damned snare is a thorn in my side. I must have a blind spot with it, because it sounds absolutely fine to me, yet to everybody else there's something wrong with it! I might just mute it and be done with the fecker!

 

[mjbphotos]

I listened to the remix. Maybe the snares (wires) are too loose on the snare? The piano on the left side is pretty quiet when I can hear it, same thing for the organ when I can hear it - rather than trying to use ALL the keyboards during the song, it would be better to stick with one or the other (plus the synth part)? (just a thought, feel free to ignore) I like what the piano does around 3:40, but its buried back there.

 

[dobro]

My mate had a spare hour to help me out with the keyboards to this project tonight, and I'm pretty pleased with the results. I've done a quick mix in order to share, but there is a fair bit of tweaking to do.

Anything glaring?



I don't normally do instant remixes, but I tried to do something with the snare.

'I accord them all due respect.' Me too.

I heard this one before. Like it then; like it more now.

The piano at 3.40 needs to come up, all the way to the end - it's the star of the show at that point.

The other thing that needs attention is the intro. There are two issues. One is that the balance isn't right. The other thing is that the guitar on the right is too bright/harsh.

 

[Bubba po]

I agree with the comments about the relative balances of the instruments - listening again this morning, the keyboards are far too low. I think that I'd been listening to the guitar-only mix for so long that when I introduced the keyboards they were so alien to what I was used to I artificially heard them louder than they were and mixed them too low!

I'll fix this tonight and perhaps redo the vocals, they were only supposed to be a guide.

 

[Bubba po]

I listened to the remix. Maybe the snares (wires) are too loose on the snare? The piano on the left side is pretty quiet when I can hear it, same thing for the organ when I can hear it - rather than trying to use ALL the keyboards during the song, it would be better to stick with one or the other (plus the synth part)? (just a thought, feel free to ignore) I like what the piano does around 3:40, but its buried back there.

Yes, I do need to address the keyboard levels. As far as I know, there is a maximum of two keyboard parts at any one time, but I'll check tonight that I've muted the organ under the chorus parts. I can't hear it there myself.

 

[Bubba po]

New mix in the OP.

 

[rayc]

New more mix
Good good good - the arrangement matches the original.
I actually felt that the some of the keys needed more reverb to mush them in but that's just me.
RElistening - I like the levels as they are - they reflect the original well.

 

[mjbphotos]

Didn't know this was a cover - not familiar with the original. The organ could still be just a little louder in the verses. Piano is still buried in the chorus but is probably correct, as it blends well with everything else happening. At 3:40 it could still be a bit luder, might it be better to automate the panning so that its's a bit closer to the center? (feel free to ignore)

 

[NotThatBright]

I like the piano sound that you have in the beginning, around 2:03, and then around 3:40. I could do without the church organ sound during the verses and then the Styx-like keyboard that comes in after them. However, I only listened to the original once when I was comparing it to your previous version, and I know you're a purist when it comes to doing covers so I'm going to assume you were just "keeping it real".

Mix overall still sounds good to me, though I suggested that your kid tighten his snare wires when I listened to your previous iteration, and I stand by that, though it still sounds ok. By the way, he must be a lefty, right? Send him to Catholic school and they might be able to save his soul.

 

[dobro]

Every time I listen to this one, I like it better. Should I check out the Magazines, or this their best song?

This mix sounds better, but I heard something else on this one - the way the hat shuts way over on the right sounds like it's panned too wide maybe.

 

[Bubba po]

New more mix
Good good good - the arrangement matches the original.
I actually felt that the some of the keys needed more reverb to mush them in but that's just me.
RElistening - I like the levels as they are - they reflect the original well.

Thanks so much Ray - I know you're a fan, so a thumbs up from you is a big deal to me!

At 3:40 it could still be a bit louder, might it be better to automate the panning so that its's a bit closer to the center? (feel free to ignore)

Thanks, Mike - this is a very good call, actually - I take it you mean when the piano break comes in towards the end of the song? I've never automated panning before in Reaper, but I assume it's as easy as the volume automation envelope? I'll give it a go - I was just going to drag the piano solo off onto its own track and pan it to the centre.

I like the piano sound that you have in the beginning, around 2:03, and then around 3:40. I could do without the church organ sound during the verses and then the Styx-like keyboard that comes in after them. However, I only listened to the original once when I was comparing it to your previous version, and I know you're a purist when it comes to doing covers so I'm going to assume you were just "keeping it real".

Mix overall still sounds good to me, though I suggested that your kid tighten his snare wires when I listened to your previous iteration, and I stand by that, though it still sounds ok. By the way, he must be a lefty, right? Send him to Catholic school and they might be able to save his soul.

Yeah, those late '70s keyboard sounds can be a bit hard to get on with in these modern times. In regards to the church organ, it was supposed to be more "Hammondy", but my mate was developing the fast rotor effect through the verses, when it might have been better to have it on all the time. I've noticed too, that the Moog synth line is an octave higher than it ought to be, except in the instrumental break, where it is right.

My kid's a righty, but I mix the drums from the audience's point of view! I'll have a look at the snare, it's possible he's altered something because this is the first time it's been a problem on any of my recordings!

Every time I listen to this one, I like it better. Should I check out the Magazines, or this their best song?

This mix sounds better, but I heard something else on this one - the way the hat shuts way over on the right sounds like it's panned too wide maybe.

Thanks, Dobro. I think everybody should check out the Magazines actually, though they're not to everyone's taste. I'd recommend the songs "Parade", "The Light Pours out of Me", "Definitive Gaze" "Permafrost" and "Motorcade". If you don't like those, you won't like the rest, I reckon.

And you were right about the hi-hat - it had somehow got panned 73% to the right, which is miles too far. I certainly didn't intend that, so I must have done it by accident using the scroll wheel on my mouse. No excuse for not hearing it, though!

 

[BroKen_H]

With the exception of the hi-hat, the stereo field is beautiful. Love the synth sounds. Very engaging and all the instruments come through nicely.
Not used to Hammond style organ sounds without a little Leslie going on...

 

[Tadpui]

Listening to the more louder keyboardified mix. I like the guitar tone over on the right, reminds me of Carlos Alomar on the late 70s Bowie albums. The keys sound fine to me, maybe a touch too much verb in the intro, but it disappears when the mix gets busy.

The hihat sounds way too prominent to me, like it could either come down or use a little EQ to tame the mid-highs and highs on it. I tend to want more kick and snare holding down the core of the beat, and I can't hear either of them very well. When the snare is doing things off of the primary beats I can hear it fine. My ears always like to have a very conspicuous snare right in the middle of everything. Could just boil down to preference, but I'd like to hear more of the drums in general (except that damn hihat )

 

[Bubba po]

With the exception of the hi-hat, the stereo field is beautiful. Love the synth sounds. Very engaging and all the instruments come through nicely.
Not used to Hammond style organ sounds without a little Leslie going on...

Thanks Broken_H. I've done a mix where I've added a fast, subtle chorus to the organ to simulate a Leslie, and I've sorted out the hi-hat panning. I'm just deciding whether I ought to re-record the vocal or just stick with what I have, now.

 

[Schwarzenyaeger]

I've always liked that 80's chorus sound on guitars that you have on the right side. I wouldn't call it a pleasant sound but it's cool.

Good bass sound.
The levels were good.
Good spread.

The snare isn't punchy.

 

[Bubba po]

Listening to the more louder keyboardified mix. I like the guitar tone over on the right, reminds me of Carlos Alomar on the late 70s Bowie albums. The keys sound fine to me, maybe a touch too much verb in the intro, but it disappears when the mix gets busy.

The hihat sounds way too prominent to me, like it could either come down or use a little EQ to tame the mid-highs and highs on it. I tend to want more kick and snare holding down the core of the beat, and I can't hear either of them very well. When the snare is doing things off of the primary beats I can hear it fine. My ears always like to have a very conspicuous snare right in the middle of everything. Could just boil down to preference, but I'd like to hear more of the drums in general (except that damn hihat )

Thanks for the comments Tadpui. I've tamed the hi-hat and pulled it in a little and am still working on the snare. I checked the snare tension yesterday and it did seem a little slack. What I don't understand is that I must have recorded a half-dozen songs with the same settings and never has the sound raised so much disapproval. Usually the snare has got a thumbs up. Either the snares have suddenly gone slack or something weird is happening to my recording setup.

I've always liked that 80's chorus sound on guitars that you have on the right side. I wouldn't call it a pleasant sound but it's cool.

Good bass sound.
The levels were good.
Good spread.

The snare isn't punchy.

That bastard snare.

Thanks, dog-in-door.

 

[mjbphotos]

Thanks, Mike - this is a very good call, actually - I take it you mean when the piano break comes in towards the end of the song? I've never automated panning before in Reaper, but I assume it's as easy as the volume automation envelope? I'll give it a go - I was just going to drag the piano solo off onto its own track and pan it to the centre.

Yeah, it's easy, once you activate the view, the pan shows as a straight line wherever it is left-to-right, top-to-bottom (or vice verse, I can't remember). So just create points. and drag the line to the changed pan.

 

[robgreen]

Update with the keys sounds great Bubba, I think yer man's nailed 'em. Organ and piano sounds great. As does the left leaning synth, though I think it could come down a notch at 2.50 as that frequency really cuts through the mix.

Other than that, I got nowt