Welp.... here we go again.. Song #2.

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WATYF

WATYF

...happier than you.
Here's the second song I wrote for the praise and worship CD that my youth band is in the process of making. This one is more my "stlye", I guess, than the first one I posted here. But even still, neither of these songs really reflect the stuff I usually write.

And now on to the disclaimers... :D

O.K.. so there aren't quite as many this time... :) This isn't as much of a scratch recording as the first one, since I spent a little more time on just the mix. The guitars are still a little sloppy, but the vocals aren't as bad as the last one since there aren't any really high notes in this song.

Anyone familiar with praise and worship music, let me know what you think of the song as far as whether or not it's "singalong-able". (you know,.. in a "worship" kind of way... since that's the point of worship music :p ). Otherwise,.. any comments are appreciated... especially tips on how to improve the mix. I know there are some areas (like the BGV's) that I don't like too much, but I wanna see if other people notice them too, or if it's just me being anal... :p

Also... does anyone know of a good vocal compressor plugin I can use?? I know the one I have on there now blows biscuits, so any suggestions would help a lot.

Ironically,.. I was up till 3am last night messing aroond with this and so I was too tired to go to church today... :D I thought that was kinda humorous... :p But anyway,... have at it... :p

WATYF's No Where Radio site...



WATYF

P.S... LOL.. I almost forgot... please excuse the horrible rip-off 80's "solo"... :eek: I still just have that little Pandora's Box effects thingy and every sound in there is just oozing "80's".. so I figured I'd use it to the fullest of it's 80's potential... :D (Sorry Lt. Bob... no seagull swoopy thingy this time. :cool: )
 
Oops... I had "non-user dowloads" disabled...

I hope no one was trying to check it out in the last few minutes.

WATYF
 
nice recording.

the singer has a pretty good voice. I think there was a chorus on the vox that sounds non-traditional but its ok if its an artistic decision.

Also, utilise the wildcard. Its there for you. :D

funk on!
 
I think there was a chorus on the vox that sounds non-traditional but its ok if its an artistic decision.
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no.. actaully.. that's called "I don't know any better" :D That's just some phasing caused by my back ground vocals. I still don't know how to do those right.

P.S. What's the wildcard?

WATYF
 
I like both of your songs...I am not sure if you are the singer, I believe I read another post where you were ripping yourself as a singer, but, I think that the vocal sound is great!!! Very original!! I didnt find the guitar part to sound '80s at all. The problem with units like the Pandora is that their sounds are a bit over effected but, oh well. Keep it up, great stuff!!
http://www.mp3.com/Mike_DiGangi
 
This was recorded pretty good. And your vocals ARE ok... however, I preferred the other tune over this 2nd one. When you said 80's gtr...I JUST HAD to listen. man-o-man-o....there was some good stuff in the 80's imo. So...where is the 80's gtr??;)

as far as sing-along...I would say...medium. If someone was really familiar with the lyrics, song....yeah...but as a first time listener...I would say no. You do have a thick vibrato on your voice, which would make a lot of people sound really silly trying to sing along in that style.


actually, I hear more of a 60's gtr sound with the [buffalo springfield] tremelo guitar.

Waves plugins are hard to beat, imo. I thing the compressor is pretty transparent, and works...and has some settings to make it not as "transparent" if so desired.
 
Thanks Elvis.. yeah.. that is me singing... I dunno... I guess I just don't like my own voice... I know I can usually hit notes and all.. but I just don't think I have much "style".. although.. I remember when Erland posted his first song that he said he hated the sound of his own voice.. (what was he smokin'??? :D ) so maybe it's just natural that you not like your own voice... :p

mix... yeah.. the vocal "style" is just me fartin' around to have fun. When the actual vocalist sings it, there will be a lot less complexity to the melody. And I think by "80's" guitar, I meant that the "solo" part sounds just like a lick from an 80's song,... but I can't think of the name of it for the life of me... :p Also, I agree with you.. I think it has medium singalongability.. (is that a word?? :p ) Not bad,.. not great.. somewhere in between. This was just an "accidental" song... our guitarist, at the time, was playing the chord progression during practice, and I asked what it was, and he said, "I just wrote it", so I took a piece of paper and pen, went into the other room, and wrote the words and melody. Overall, I'm OK with the song... I think that slow part at the end is pretty. So where do you get these "waves" plugins?? I've heard of them before.

WATYF
 
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I guess I had to comment on this one since it's right up my alley :)

I too prefer the first one.

The chorusey guitar on the background is realy anoying IMHO. First I didn't noticed it but once I did it spoiled it for me. I couldn't tune it out. It added to somewhat already "winnie" (sorry couldn't find a beter word :)) mood of the song. Anyway I liked more the places with just the accoustics.

Vocals, well I think you can sing fine. You should defenetly try lower range. I'm not crazy about this style unless that's how you actualy sing. It's fake emotions IMHO.

Note on voice, you mentioned Third Day before. As far as voices go that guy has .... well I think if I heard him not in the context of 3rd day I would say: " this guy is awfull" (and he can't tune his guitar, listen to "your love indures forever" :D ) . Yet in the context it's great and cool and "hip" and works. So don't worry about it too much.

Mixing is pretty good. I would have the vocal a little more upfront.
Acc guitar sound is good but a little too wet. I like more pronounced sound myself, though don't know how to get it yet. I think the guitar needs to be smaller then jumbo or DN body.

As far as "sing-along-abillity" on practical level I would like to understand the words better on emotional/spiritual level it doesn't matter realy it will minister to some and go over the head of the others just direct to where it belongs and in the words of Keith Green : "He'll take care the rest..." :D

cheers

PS. I realy hope there is something constractive in all that rambling... :D
 
The chorusey guitar on the background is realy anoying IMHO. First I didn't noticed it but once I did it spoiled it for me. I couldn't tune it out. It added to somewhat already "winnie" (sorry couldn't find a beter word :)) mood of the song. Anyway I liked more the places with just the accoustics.
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lol.. I agree aboot the "chorusy" guitar. There's actually a funny story behind that. I had finished the tracks and though it sounded a little empty (this was before the electric was added) so I thought to myself.. hey,... why don't I record a bass track using my acoustic, just for a filler... so I laid a simple bass line and put it in the background... but... I couldn't stop there... :D I've got this little inside joke going with my brother. Many moons ago I did some cheesy recordings on a 4-track, and on one of the songs (actually, I think a couple songs) I "overdid" it a little on the effects. (and that's putting it lightly :p ) And one of the effects I used was a flanger...... on my vocals... (???what was I thinking???) :p That was my very first recording, actually.. so I can write-it off as a "youthful indiscretion" :p So anywho.. my brother listened to it and was like, "what the h#ll did you do to your voice???" :p And ever since then it's been an inside joke with us,.. so when I do recordings, sometimes I'll throw a flanger in just to tick him off.. :D Anywhey... after I recorded the bass line, I got bored with it, so I threw a stereo flanger on it just for grins.. :cool: I burned him a CD last night, so I'm hoping he'll notice it when he listens today. :p But I'm just gonna dump that track tonight. Or else I'll just flatten it out more... and sacrifice my beloved flanger... :D

LOL.. wait a second... I think I just realized that you're talking aboot the electric... lol.. oops.. :p all that storytelling for nothing... well yeah... the elec. is just my goofy way of adding stuff to the song. I recon one of these days I'm gonna have to buy an effects unit so I can stop using that awful Pandora's Box.. :p
Vocals, well I think you can sing fine. You should defenetly try lower range. I'm not crazy about this style unless that's how you actualy sing. It's fake emotions IMHO.
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Actually... it is how I sing... but not for the reason that you think... I totally agree aboot the "whiny" sound. I like "emotional" songs, but not those "baby,.. baby... *whine* pleeeeease come baaaaack baaaby *whine*" type songs... which is one of the reasons that I've said that I don't like my voice. See... I've got this allergy/asthma problem. So my lung capacity is... like... ZERO... :p Basically what that means is.. I can't sustain a note to save my life.. so everything I sing has this "I'm gasping for breath and aboot to die" sound to it.. :p That's the main cause of the whininess. I must admit,.. I was putting some "accent" to some of the lyrics, but my decrepit lung capacity prolly had more to do with it than anything.. :p (Notice how on the "awaaaays" I can barely hold it for more than half a second? :p )
Mixing is pretty good. I would have the vocal a little more upfront. Acc guitar sound is good but a little too wet. I like more pronounced sound myself, though don't know how to get it yet. I think the guitar needs to be smaller then jumbo or DN body.
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You and I are in the same boat on that one. I know that the guitars need to be "pronounced" more,.. but I can't figure out for the life of me how to do it... I mentioned that in another thread in the "recording techniques" forum. I'm trying to figure oat how to bring my gits out more.
As far as "sing-along-abillity" on practical level I would like to understand the words better on emotional/spiritual level it doesn't matter realy it will minister to some and go over the head of the others just direct to where it belongs and in the words of Keith Green : "He'll take care the rest..." :D
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I sure hope so... :p I mean,... I didn't think it was that great, but I played a quick acoustic version for the band and they liked it so they're gonna put it on the CD. I think it has this schizophrenic quality to it. :p Cause the lyrics are almost all positive.. "you lift me" "you lead me" blah blah blah.. but the chords are so dark and "minor" that you're like "I'm happy.,.. I'm sad.. I'm happy... I'm sad.. no wait.. I'm happy???" :D Who knows... maybe it'll work out better in final production. :cool:

WATYF
 
Well if it's how you sing then it's ok... lol :D
don't mind me.. :D it's fine.

You hit the notes well enough and for me personaly it's most of the battle. Actual style of singing is personal preference but YOU HAVE TO HIT THE NOTES! lol... :D

I listen to both songs and IMHO you have a better mix on the first as in guitar to voice (or guitar to "noise", LOL :D sorry just poking at you) ratio :D.

Also I know for a fact that you don't need alot of air to sing well so don't let your condition make you think you can't do it. Like evrything in music it's techniq and practice. You need to breath with you stomach and not the loungs anyway when you sing.

Also to add to my and your last point. People constantly asking me to play songs that I my self don't like much.

Ok this is getting long, I guess chessrock was right about chrstians ganging together :), not that there is anything wrong with that for "what fellowship has the light with the darkness...".
But your effort is closer to the things that I do so naturaly I'm interested.

cheers
 
Well.. I reposted it.

Leveled oat the vocals in a few places... took that annoying flange off the bass... ( :D ) Took the tremolo guitar down... etc. etc.

but I still can't get that acoustic to sound right... and it's driving me insaaaaaaaaannnnnneeeeee!!!!

*ack* :eek:

I dunno what to do... I can't figure it oat... it sounds so "plastic" no matter what I do...








I know...









I'll buy new gear. :D


(as if I really needed an excuse... :p )


By the way... my sis (who's a semi-pro vocalist) says that I could prolly sing pretty decent if I would just learn how to breathe "properly"..... (ain't that the story of my life... :p )

WATYF

P.S... so which guitar were you talking aboot? (as far as that "chorusy" thing)
 
Ok it sounds better, againg all IMHO. :)

I like the vocals up more, much better. The chorusy guitar (which you really should loose completely :)) is the one that plays sustained chords I think it realy kicks in at about 1:00 or so.
It almost sounds like some space sound or something.


Anyway about the guitar sound. You should try moving your mic around. I know you only have a sm58 but try closer to the soundhole, but not directly, so it's not boomie, but angled towards it.

Also if you had brand new strings sometimes they have way to much sustain for recording and it makes it "wet" sounding, so you got to wait like couple of days and it sounds tighter. Another thing is try to cut some low freq after you record.

The sad part that it might be just the guitar. Not that it's bad sounding just not the right one for recording.

Did you resing this, I'm listening on better headphones and it sounds like there is less voice crackling thingies.

cheers

PS I hope they sort out the site problems.
 
Well.. the "spacey" guitar is just a little stupid thing I threw in for fun... I don't mind it so much... "IMHO" :p :D (but it sure won't be in the final version)

I tried movin' the mic all over.. tried it over the hole.. to the left of the hole.. under the hole... out my left ear.. etc. etc.. :p still sounds like garbage... :mad: I'm pretty much decided on gettin' me a new mic... maybe the one I asked aboot in this thread...

And what's this aboot the guitar being the problem...??? :eek: :eek: surely not my beautiful Taylor 414CE...?!?!? :eek: no.. surely not... :D (can you tell I like my guitar?? :p ) I'm pretty sure it's that dead-pan dynamic mic I'm using. :p The git sounds sweet in person.

Nope.. didn't re-sing... what do you mean by less crackling? less voice fluctuations? or less vocal distortion in the mix... cause I'm gettin' annoyed at my speakers.. It sounds just fine in my headphones.. and I took it to a pro-audio friend of mine and he played it on his fancy-schmancy near-field monitors and it sounded fine, but on my PC speakers, the vocals distort way too often...

Thanks for the help on the mix... this is all moot anyway... I'll totally disavow any knowledge of these "scratch" recordings once I get some decent gear and start posting my real songs... :D For some reason I can't write P&W tunes for the life of me... I've got, like, 70 songs.. and.. uh... two of em are P&W... :confused: and they represent some of the worst of my songwriting... what's up with that..? :p It's not that I don't like P&W.. some of my favorite tunes are worship tunes,.. but for some reason, I suck big pieces of chicken when it comes to writing anything like that, especially praise tunes...

WATYF
 
In regards to your git recording probs, have you tried double miking the git? Even if you can find any old mic to pair with your sm58, that might help. I've a Taylor 410ce. I use a dynamic mic at about the 12th frett 2 or 3 inches away facing the sound hole. I place a condencer over the saddle, facing the soundhole and tilted slightly up(starting height is about level with the 1st string. Then I usually take most of my overall volume from the dynamic mic but, supliment it with the condensor so it doesn't get too boomy and bassy.

Just some thoughts;)

Theron.
 
"Thanks for the help on the mix... this is all moot anyway... I'll totally disavow any knowledge of these "scratch" recordings once I get some decent gear and start posting my real songs... "

well stop waisting my time then .... :D

the voice crackling is no problem just refered to inflections (hope this is right word) in your voice. If you didn't resing it then the vocal is actualy even better then I thought.

And before you buy any mics see if you can borrow one from your recording budy. And try it on you guitar. Also remember you had the phase thing going that could be adding to. Don't be too quick to blame the mic.

song writing ... eeeh don't know , big mistery, can't help you, need help myself :)
 
In regards to your git recording probs, have you tried double miking the git? Even if you can find any old mic to pair with your sm58, that might help. I've a Taylor 410ce. I use a dynamic mic at about the 12th frett 2 or 3 inches away facing the sound hole. I place a condencer over the saddle, facing the soundhole and tilted slightly up(starting height is about level with the 1st string. Then I usually take most of my overall volume from the dynamic mic but, supliment it with the condensor so it doesn't get too boomy and bassy.
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Actually.. I'll probably do exactly that (or something like it)... I'm really leaning towards getting that Oktava... and... :)

...I just got a 10% off coupon thingy in the mail today from Guitar Center.. :D (gotta love that)... they already have the thing on sale for $150.. so I can go down and try a few out and maybe pick one up for $135. :p I'll want to hand pick it though,.. I've heard that the Oktava's have some quality control issues... but it's not like I can't take it back and switch it out if I notice a problem.

That way I can use the SM58 like you said and supplement it with the Oktava.

I'll be sure to post some results.

WATYF
 
well stop waisting my time then .... :D
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Oh yeah... like you got better things to do... :D :D
song writing ... eeeh don't know , big mistery, can't help you, need help myself :)
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Actually.. that's the one thing I don't need help with... I got songs flowin' oat my arse... :p I just gotta learn how to record em (and play em) right. :p

WATYF
 
P.S... I am sooooooo close to being able to use my custom avatar... :D whoo hooo!! :D

it's aboot time too.. sheesh.. I've been here for umpteen years now and I'm still practically a "newbie" in my post count.

WATYF
 
I totally dug that song. I wasn't able to sign on to the BBS for awhile, but I sent you a PM about this one. I liked the arrangement and the vocals were great!

I wanted to see what you kind of mic you used to record the acoustic?

Again, that was a great tune! I liked it better than the first one!
 
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