Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Brad- great work, man. These songs are really good

Krone- like the song. drums sound good. Song needs a major EQ overhall, no top end.

Tony Rey- great voice; songs.

XeetStreet- Oh yeah, I'm diggin' it. This stuff it getting dowloaded to my HD.

fhgwhgads- This song isn't THAT bad. It's actually pretty good. good start.

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Hot off the presses... This is an instrumental I've just finished. I'll have to listen with fresh ears tomorrow to see how I did. Opinions welcome.

We Three Geets

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

That you singing Roy?? I think the only tune I have of yours that you sing on is the old 8 track recording you resurrected.
Sounds excellent as I would expect from you!!! I felt the vocals were a tad under the mix in the 1st chorus, but thats probably the mp3 effect. I like the doubled vocals/whisper and the way they are panned. Ear candy!
So - are you into biting necks and stuff? lol - I always knew there was something unusual about you. Can you see yourself in the mirror? How about some garlic with your dinner??

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Kev... ...well, I sure don't consider myself a singer, and I'll probably ask another vampire to resing this for me. I just wanted to get a mix down. Now you hear what good singers like Paul Curtiz have to listen to when we write together...
I think the track itself is turning out good though.

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Hi all, I have a new cover just finished. I did Blue Moon in a slyghtly (sic) country version, for my mom, who runs a farm called blue moon lavender.

You can listen to it in downloadable goodness here:

http://www.olafsdaydream.com/

Let me know what you think, this is my first time singing or making music like this.
-Olaf
(Oh, and singing with the twang is fun as hell.)

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

lol - Roy you're doing a great job! You should step up to mic more often.

I'd be happy to sing for you if you ever have anything requiring a strange, unorthodox and abrasive voice... that would be me

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Roy-nice tune, very poppy. I like the organ at around 3:00. It's cool to hear you singing, pretty good you should do it more often. You seem to put out a lot of music, may I ask what you do for a living? Seeing as you're from Nashville I'm guessing you're involved in the industry in some capacity.


Olaf- very entertaining as usual. the mice rehearsal is hilarious

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fhqwhgads - Man, good job! Good song, decent mix, great start. I would maybe EQ the kick to make it stand out a bit and add some room verb to the whole kit. Then of course, master, but for a mix, I think its great.

Roy - Vampire is completely interesting! Where do you come up with all of this stuff?

Micah777 - I like that alot. Very well done. Are those real horns?

Olaf - I'm still laughing about the mice...

I'm uploading a new piece now, I'll post it in a few.

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This is one that I have been working on for awhile.

The Way

It was originally recorded circa 1998 when I was playing with a Christian
Rock band called Walk the Earth. I was also working part-time in a friends
DA-88 studio, and getting paid in studio time. We did 3 songs there. (well
actually 3 1/2) Of course, I've learned alot since then...

These tracks were originally recorded on the DA-88 machines. I transferred
them into ProTools digitally and I'm working on re-mixing them one by one.
I've replaced drum hits, tuned vocals, EQed, and noise reduced a few
tracks. The only track that was re-recorded in ProTools is the "He
said" vocal track. Without getting into too much history about the song,
that line was requested after we had finished recording, and we played it
live that way after the requests.


For comparison, you can hear the original version HERE.

Thanks.

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Hi spkguitar,

The new mix was definitely more present and lively. One my el cheapo speakers it sounded a little bass guitar heavy though, other than that great job.

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Thanks, Keith. Our bass player was really young and timid, and I couldn't get a good level on the original mix. I think I may have overcompensated this time!

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Hi Roy, wow man great arrangement (Like A Vampire) with all the instruments. I like it. If it is not a none deal the producer in me has to agree with Graveleye on bringing up the vox a little, say 1 db in verses and 2 db in choruses. Also, on the guitar that comes in at 2:39- 2:43, how about a delay on the very last note so that it repeats as it fades away? That's what I am hearing, but who am I? Your music is great.

Re: Mac Mixes!!!!!!!!
 

Check it out, see what you like or don't like. I'm open to criticism. This is a friends band that I have been recording since last summer. If this link works there should be a song called "Hand Over Fist"........... yes I think it's a Rush title, but the band doesn't care. For some weird reason the link works correctly with internet explorer, but not safari........... just a heads up.

http://www.upsideright.com/songs.html

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spkguitar- great song, love the vocal harmonies. I like the bass where it is... maybe bring it down just a little but I don't think it overpowers the mix. Great voice/vocal performance. The mix is much better than the orginal. Its amazing how much difference a great mix can have on someone's perspective of a song. Great job! On occasion, a song on this thread catches me in a way that makes me listen more than once (i.e. I really like it). This song caught me.

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Micah, Thank you. Much appreciated. More to come soon.

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Hey, thanks guys! I had a lot of fun with the mice. Shame about the cat I rented. 8oD
My mom got the CD today, I called her at 6:30 and asked what she thought about the songs... She said she hadn't put it in yet, because Garrison was on! I guess Garrison Keillor is more important than me... (it's OK, I was listening too) :-)

Anyway, she called me a little while later and told me she absolutely loved it! She asked who I got to sing the vocals, and when I told her it was me, she made me do the voice-cracking thing over and over again. Wouldn't stop laughing! So I guess it went over well. I actually did a lot of silly versions of the song, because the main one took so long to mix (and fix) and I got so sick of that chorus! Maybe I'll throw an ep together....
-Olaf

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spkgtr- I like your song, the hook is very hooky, and the opening guitar is very hip-hop... it doesn't sound like typical Christian Radio production, which imho is a very good thing. I like the flow of the song, and the way the instruments erupt into the Choruses. Can I offer some thoughts on the production? If you have an uneffected version of the first guitar, you may try adding a little bit of the original back under the effected version, you may like how it evens out the sound. I like the hook, but I think I'd like it more with some variety. If there was a chorused voice on it, it could feel more natural. If you really want to make it anthemic, make that a crowd effect and make your audience want to sing along...

I'd just do a hard cut on the bass, just cut the bottom off completely, that way the bass can fit better in the mix, and I bet the kick drum shows up a lot better. Right now it's kinda MIA because of the bass. And if you push the guitar up at 250Hz or so it might pop out of the mix a little more...

Oh, and no offense, but that tinkly chime thing at the end is cheesy, and kinda musak-y. (well some offense, but in good humor.) I'd pull it out altogether, but definitely lighten up on the panning if you keep it. Normals freak out when they hear that kind of thing, it hurts brains. Listen to the ending without that, it has a great fake build-release thing going, and the drumming's great.. just fade it away.
Hope that's more constructive than the other thing...
-Olaf

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spkgtr- I just listened to the original version for the first time, and that really is a great remix. Really changes the dynamic of the song - makes it memorable. Good remix, man.
-Olaf

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Good ideas, Keith. Thanks...I'll do that when I remix it. I think I need to have it resung though (not by me), so I won't be so shy with the vocal level for the final mix. I did a quick bounce without vocals, and I think the tracks-only mix is pretty good. Here's that mix if you care to listen.
thanks, Roy

Like a Vampire-music only


spkguitar/Shawn,
Great song...I like everything about it. The mix, the vocals, everything feels good. Good job.
-Roy


Micah,
I write both jingles and songs for a living...the jingles are the steadiest income. There's also a good chance some of my music will be on one or two film projects this year, one of which has been accepted by the producer. So we'll see what happens.
How about you? How are you involved in music?
thanks, Roy



Rabidium/Olaf,
Cool rendition of 'Blue Moon'...and I don't think I've ever hear a mouse burp before...

Re: Mac Mixes!!!!!!!!
 

wow, what a cool thread!

I've just joined the forum, and technically I dont have a Pro Tools LE system (yet!). I actually just bought a Digi001 off ebay Friday night, or at least I won the auction for it, haven't heard from the seller yet....(nervous laughter). I can't wait 'til it arrives. I've worked with my friend's 001 quite a bit and used Pro Tools Free extensively for about a year now. When I saw that the 001 was going pretty cheap on ebay, I decided to quit waiting until I could afford the 002 and just get it.

Anyway, I love this thread, I've really enjoyed hearing all the different kinds of music being made by you folks. I've only been able to listen to some of it so far, since there's so much of it! But I'm going to make my way through all of it as I have the time.

I have some songs I can share too, they've been recorded in many different combinations, recorded chiefly with my mac's sound card (and Pro Tools Free) and/or a Tascam Portastudio. They were mixed on my friend's LE system though, (except for the tracks from "Redoubled") so they qualify for this thread, I think.

I also just bought a funky old Tascam Series 70 1/2" 8 track and I'm hoping I can sync it to my 001 somehow using a MTC or SMPTE box or something, but that's a whole 'nother topic.. (although if you happen to know the easiest/cheapest way to go about this ie: what kind of sync box I should get, whether it's even practical/possible with the 001, etc. I sure would apprecialte it if you messaged me )

Anyway, as you may have guessed, I'm dirt poor and everything I do is about getting as good sound as possible for as cheap as possible. I don't even want the nicest, most expensive gear really, I just wanna make records. I think too much expense and gear gets in the way of having fun and making music. I love hearing people say things like "wow, you did this on a 4 track?". If you want, you can check out some pics of our ever-so-humble little recording setup (we call it Minivan Studios because it's so small) on my photo page. It's actually a pretty productive little spot, mostly used for my own projects, but I also record lots of friends' bands and do various similar little jobs. I think I do pretty well for the little amount of stuff I have. I'm upgrading bit by bit, but only when I can find a bargain.

here's my link:

Minivan Studios: Music

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Actually Roy I like the singing very much. And the level is fine where its at, I was just having to strain my ears a bit to catch the words, but not much. As far as the guitar part, the abrupt stop of the last notes caught my attention, and I was hearing either a delay fadeout or a slide down.
But truthfully there is nothing wrong with your vocals. They fit the song perfectly.

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First thing I'd say fh.....s (what the hell kind of handle is that? )is that I've heard no fewer than a thousand songs that are much worse than "Worst Song Ever." I rather like this one and it sounds radoiable (<<new word here. Someone call Webster.).

I'm no mixing expert but from what I heard I think guitars and bass sound great the way they are.
Drums are a little too upfront, though, especially hi-hat and toms. Try compressing all the drum tracks for starters and just make sure they're loud enough to propel the song without really standing out.
Vocals are well sung but suffer in this mix. They sound a bit muffled and not upfront enough. You definitely need to brighten them a bit with EQ and since you say you're new to this mixing racket allow me to suggest bussing at least the lead vocal to an Auxiliary track where you can put Verbs and/or delays. (Sure, you can put those on the vocal track itself but a STEREO aux track will give you a wider vocal image, plus it's easier to adust the dry-to-wet ratio.) If you want info/advice on how to set up and use an aux track just ask (I'm trying not to drag out this post).

Great job fh.......s!

-----------------------
tonyreymusic.com

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Micah – cool instrumental. Rhythm section doesn’t quite match the guitars in volume or tone, e.g. guitars are very bright and loud, drums are very dark and sort of in the background, (as per my comment to fh—h—ds) not loud enough to propel the song.

Olaf – if you could only hear me laughing right now. Your “Blue Moon" and mouse rehearsal take me straight back (or make me flash back?) to my teenage psychadelic days sitting in a garage at 6 am coming off an intense peak and being really absurd.

Try to get some more listening in later.

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

spkguitar, thanks for listening. The horns are real... real samples that is. lol I'd tell people not on this forum they're real if they'd ask. Technically, its not a lie b/c someone really played the sample, right? In fact, on my website I give a shout out to two fictious people for laying down those trumpet tracks for me, very naughty, I know.

Tony- thanks for listening. I appreciate your comments. I had the snare up but I felt it took away from the muted guitar riff at the beginning so I brought it down a little. My feeling is that the drums and bass are basically playing the same pattern through the whole song so I don't want them taking up too much "ear space". I do however, agree with you on the EQ I may go back and bring up some high end on the snare. You may be absolutely right though (if there is such a thing in mixing) I don't have near as much experience recording and mixing drums as I do other instruments.

Do you guys agree with Tony? We Three Geets

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fhqwhgads,
I had to copy and paste your name, because I couldn't remember to retype it...

I was expecting 'Worst Song Ever' to be less than it is, because of the title, I guess. But this is a really good song and arrangement, and so are your vocals. You mentioned being new with PT, so the production is understandably not as good as it can and will be. I think your stuff will be just great once you get going more with PT. Mix-wise, I would focus on the timbre of your fine voice for one thing. Right now, it has an overall 'muffle' to it, and it can be so much better.
You're obviously a fine songwriter and singer...play us some more stuff when you can.
-Roy



Also Micah...I'm in Memphis, not Nashville...and what do you do for a living?
thanks, Roy

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Sorry Roy, I was writing from memory... I guess it failed me. I make the real bucks as the Systems Administrator for an environmental firm. As far as my involvement in music goes, I get a little scratch as the worship leader at my church. I'm also looking to start a "secular" performance oriented rock band.

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Micah, I just took another listen to We Three Geets again (what a great word...what the hell's a geet?) This time louder - my previous listen occured at 12:30 am so I was respecting the sleeping habits of all the dayjobbers around me. Anyway, it made a difference in my perception of the relative volumes I was hearing and I think you're right, volume's good, just a tad more highs in the snare. And one other nit-picky thing I forgot to mention (that's why we post, right?), the cymbal crashes in the middle of the tune sound a bit jarring to me. I would suggest taking out some of the highs in those. But that's just me and who da f!@# am I!?

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

First of all, thanks to everyone for the kind words and encouragement. Second, WRT the name of the song, I had a dream once that I was a rock star on the Simpsons, and that the comic book store guy called my song the "worst song ever." And third, to explain my screen name, it's from a very funny (IMO) website called homestarrunner.com.

spkguitar - You're absolutely right about the drums. I'm still struggling to find the right places to tweak the kick drum EQ so that it stands out more. As for reverb, part of the problem is that I'm mixing in my basement, which is kind of a live room. So I think I'm hearing the room's natural reverb when monitoring. In applying reverb to drums, there seem to be a number of options...room verbs, drum plates, etc. I assume it's simply a matter of making a selection using your ears?

groovilator - Thanks for the tips. I tried using the "New York compression trick" I read about here - bussing a copy of the drum track to a stereo Aux track and applying heavy compression. Might have overdone it a bit.

Roy (and groovilator) - I'm having a lot of trouble dealing with the vocals. In listening to the vocals, I feel like they sound as though they were recorded at a higher speed, then slowed down. Maybe that's my natural voice, I don't know. Any ideas on how to "un-muffle" the vocals?

Thanks again, you guys are great.

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Great tune. I like the mix. Listened to it twice. The crash cymbals in the middle might come down a little bit but I like them. The guitar playing the melody, first part and near the end, I'd put a touch of highs on it. It seems a bit too mellow. It is not a matter of volume but it sometimes gets buried in the mix.



John

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

just catching up on some listening...


Brad, I thought your stuff was cool. Nice background vox on 'never left alone.' How did you get your guitar sound?

Krone, I like the singing on 'fadeaway.' Nice soundgarden vibe. I like the intro, with the low key vox. Very cool sounding.

Roy, I agree on the vox. As a 'vocally challenged' singer myself, I relate. The sequencing and drum programming sounds great, as usual. Do you have a triton studio? I want one of those someday.
me too
fhqwhgads, I liked your song. Did you use a limiter on the master fader? Maybe to bring it up a bit. the vox sound a little buried, but a good song.

rabidium, very nice sound. I like the guitars a lot. Very cool concept for the song, drifting and dreaming with a little toungue and cheek sound. very cool.

'the way' is very cool, especially the intro. Just my two cents, but I would have had that vibrato at a slower rate, but that's just me. It's a great groove, and paints a very nice texture.

thanks all.

bp

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Micah777,
A late response, but I thought it worth it: We Three Geets is way nice.
Dig the acoustic in each ear.
What kind of guitars are those?

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Cool, Micah...that sounds like a great idea. I really like your newest song too.
-Roy

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Regarding: http://www.nbtmusic.com/mp3/worstsongever_roughmix.mp3


worstsongever_roughmix,

I like the song, like the vibe and title. Only a few tad touches here and there are keeping you from the top 10 alt. charts. From a mastering engineer's point of view, I would get the low tom under control a bit more... was the mic. too close to the drum head getting hit? No biggie, but it clips through here and there. The cymbals in the crashy parts could come down in volume a tad, again no biggie. The overall volume could be maxed more, might just be me, but I had to turn the monitor knob all the way up to get any volume at all. The kick needs more low end in the 100hz area or so, in the feel it spot and bring it up about 7% or so. The stereo guitars split 100% wide R/L, would sound bigger if you panned them in around 5% or so. I wouldn't touch the wacky chunky reggae guitar at all, I like the tone and feel where its placed. I like the over all drum sounds, especially the snare and the close room feel on them. I would put some of that close room on the whole mix, but just a tiny bit, like 1% to 3% bussed through an aux. track and returned to the mix, to tie the whole tonal balance together, so everything sounds like its coming from the same environment. A professional mastering would really help it be all it can be! I think the vocals are good and fit the song perfectly.

This is just what I would touch up to make it album ready, although, it sounds excellent thus far and is a way cool tune. I am never 100% satisfied with anything I do or hear ...and you can take or leave my suggestions as its very well done as is and communicates the original idea really well.


Regards

e

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Hi bp,
The only keyboard in 'Vampire' is organ. The other parts are samples I create with guitars or mandolins, which tend to sound like keyboards at times.
I use a Korg 01/rw sometimes, but I wouldn't mind trying a Triton myself.
Be sure and post what you do next...
thanks, Roy

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Hello everyone in DUCland...quack, quack!!

Just added a secret page to my website that's got stuff fer ya'll's ears only. Er som'n like that. Just not stuff I'm trying to advertise or whatever.

So here's the link for all who are interested >>> tonyreymusic.com/secret_page...ssshhh.htm

Oh, and one more (stupid) thing. Could someone please enlighten me on the proper procedure for adding a URL link to your signature? You know, down there
|
|
| with our funny stuff.
I must be the dummest duc in ducland, QUAAAACK!!! |
|
|

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

groovilator i just listened to moneky and i must say i liked it. your voice is awsome it reminds me of someone from the 80s. you should try tracking some acoustic drums other then that i think your stuff is great.

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Roy, glad you liked the tune I appreciate the listen.

Tony- thanks for taking the time to relisten.

jjhuntfox- glad you liked it. I'll try some EQ on the lead guitar to see what difference it makes, but like Tony said earlier the guitars are already pretty bright and in your face. Won't hurt to try though, thanks for the suggestion.

neonpool- glad you liked it. The guitar I used was a Martin DC-1 recorded with a middle-side technique. The straight on mic was a rode NTK and the sides were done with a shure KSM44 set on bidirectional pattern. I find I get great results with this technique. Now I just need to get a higher end guitar.

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Hey thanks for the good feedback! I really appreciate that. I'm the only one in the band; me on ukulele, sax, bass, keys, triangle, etc. My main idea for this 'band' was to focus on the ukulele. I don't know if I accomplished at making it a jazz instrument, but I am trying to find a sonic niche for it in my arrangements.


You know I was afraid that the song was going to be too sparse to keep the feeling I was going for, but it turned out alright. (I would appreciate your suggestions.) Thanks a lot for the compliments! Oh and by the way, I was interviewed on the local classic rock station! Go here to listen to it... Xeet Street Band Web Site.

- Drew

Re: Let\'s hear your latest stuff....right here
 

Thanks! The band is made up of a ukulele, sax, bass, piano/keys, guitar, drums, and misc. percussion.

This done all in my home studio (see: bedroom... hahah).

I am actually living in Central Missouri. (Osage Beach, MO)

- Drew

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xeetstreet,

Glad you posted your website...I'd been looking for it.

Nice jazz vibe ya got there. I think the drums/cymbals might be a tad hot in a couple of the songs. Good stuff overall tho.

Does that "Homegrown" show do any genre of music?