Enchantermon on 6/7/2010 at 13:23
Wow, this is great. I agree with everyone else on the drums, but man. If my iPod weren't full already, this would definitely be going on there (after obtaining your permission, of course).
Oh, and be careful not to bump the microphone. ;)
Sombras on 12/7/2010 at 03:19
Quote Posted by Enchantermon
Oh, and be careful not to bump the microphone. ;)
Ha! Yeah, I switched it off and neglected to mute it during the master. Live and learn!
Schechter on 12/7/2010 at 13:06
What drum machine are you using? One thing you can do to give a sequence a sense of 'feel' is to change the dynamics, so that every rim/snare/cymbal sound isn't at the same volume. Even without fills, it can give a better sense of space. Combining tracks, like you said, is a good way to do this - record each part of the kit on a separate track, get them where you want them, then combine them into one drum track. If you can get a track free, you can also use the guitar itself to do some percussion and/or fills - another way of getting the job done without having to acquire/learn a new instrument.
But the song itself is absolutely top rate! No joke, it's a few cuts above most of the crap on the radio. Spice up the drum track, find a way because this song is totally worth the effort. Also, I think the outro is a bit long for my taste. But if it works for you, I won't argue any further against it.
If you want, I might even be interested in recording a drum track for you on cajon. Let me know, and I'll see what my schedule looks like.
Muzman on 12/7/2010 at 14:12
It's nice in a pretty 'Adult Contemporary' sort of way. Not exactly my cup of tea most of the time really. But I do really like it when you guys just wander off into (overlaid?) guitar(s) solo/duo noodling like at the end. That pedalled slide guitar/zither bit is great and I think should have been part of the whole production.
I didn't have a big problem with the simple drums. It wasn't that sort of piece (sounded like it was built for the machine more than some of the others). You don't want to over do it when you've got only a machine anyway, even a good one. Generally it just makes it more obvious. Even if you're inclined to go the hard producerial yards with it, you could have an ad 'Wanna play drums for this? -link-" in the paper or wherever and be listening to auditions by the time you'd get anywhere with the machine.
I think, for amateur recording, you've managed to not sound amateur but also managed to not make it too neat and over produced, which is really good (which is where amateur productions often go once they get their shit together, I've noticed. Swinging too hard the other way).
Quote Posted by Sombras
Still figuring out how to use my recording gear to best effect and can't help but feel like the compressing into mp3 format "flattens" out the sound--it almost always seems to sound better in wav format.
Yeah that's pretty much what happens. A lot of the dynamics can disappear, depending on the settings and so on, mostly at the extremes of frequency. What bitrates and so on are you using?
Sombras on 13/7/2010 at 01:29
Quote Posted by Schechter
What drum machine are you using? One thing you can do to give a sequence a sense of 'feel' is to change the dynamics, so that every rim/snare/cymbal sound isn't at the same volume. Even without fills, it can give a better sense of space. Combining tracks, like you said, is a good way to do this - record each part of the kit on a separate track, get them where you want them, then combine them into one drum track. If you can get a track free, you can also use the guitar itself to do some percussion and/or fills - another way of getting the job done without having to acquire/learn a new instrument.
I'm using an Alesis SR18--more than I need, but I haven't bothered to figure out how to use it to its best potential with my 8-track recorder/mixer. It was easier with my VERY beginner Tascam DR-1 because I'd just layer any and all percussion until it sounded (sort of) like a real drummer. Now I just need to learn how to combine tracks.
Quote Posted by Schechter
But the song itself is absolutely top rate! No joke, it's a few cuts above most of the crap on the radio. Spice up the drum track, find a way because this song is totally worth the effort. Also, I think the outro is a bit long for my taste. But if it works for you, I won't argue any further against it.
Thanks, man! I know that the outro is a little self-indulgent. I'll confess that I'm a bit of a sucker for lengthy snore-core instrumentals, so that was my wannabe attempt at one.
Quote Posted by Schechter
If you want, I might even be interested in recording a drum track for you on cajon. Let me know, and I'll see what my schedule looks like.
Um, how would we make this happen? I have the original wav file, but I don't have the original
tracks saved. Does this qualify me as an ignorant asshat?
Quote Posted by Muzman
But I do really like it when you guys just wander off into (overlaid?) guitar(s) solo/duo noodling like at the end. That pedalled slide guitar/zither bit is great and I think should have been part of the whole production.
Thanks. I used my Washburn HB35S (semi-hollow) and glass slide for that last part. I originally had a very busy multi-layered guitar solo worked out, but the simpler dreamy slide sounded a lot better, so I went with that. "You guys..."? I wish I had a real bass player!
Quote Posted by Muzman
I think, for amateur recording, you've managed to not sound amateur but also managed to not make it too neat and over produced, which is really good (which is where amateur productions often go once they get their shit together, I've noticed. Swinging too hard the other way).
Man, that's such a thin line to walk. Frankly, I don't think I'm good enough at guitar or vocal to ever sound truly polished, but I'm working for better production and sound quality. That song is the closest I've gotten to being generally happy with the result.
Schechter on 13/7/2010 at 02:38
Quote Posted by Sombras
Thanks, man! I know that the outro is a little self-indulgent. I'll confess that I'm a bit of a sucker for lengthy snore-core instrumentals, so that was my wannabe attempt at one.
It's fine, really. It's just longer than *I* would make it, and that could be a good thing as well. In reviewing some of our live stuff, I've found that I've ended some songs that still had plenty of life in them, so I'm willing to second guess my inclinations.
Quote:
Um, how would we make this happen? I have the original wav file, but I don't have the original
tracks saved. Does this qualify me as an ignorant asshat?
Totally. Record it. Again. Like I said, it is worth it. You can upload/download wav files through Indaba, and they might even have mixing utilities on the site. At any rate, it's always good to export your tracks as wav files before you do anything with them. Unless you use something like Ableton Live (which I do) which does *everything* lossless unless you actually make stuff get lost.
But yeah, my offer still stands - if you want to try to put it together again, I'll put down cajon *and* bass lines for you.
And I agree about the slide guitar bit at the end. Really cool, I wish it would have come in earlier and stayed longer.
