something beautiful. a song i wrote.

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something beautiful. a song i wrote.

Postby collide » Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:57 pm

no, i'm not boasting. it's the name of the song.

http://www.myspace.com/stevefudge

"something beautiful" is my latest recording. much more to come. hope you enjoy.

comments and helpful recording advice greatly appreciated.
So, we need air to live, but we can't hold it in?... We're screwed.

https://www.facebook.com/TheAlleyRehearsals?fref=ts (Jamspace and Recording)
http://www.curbside.bandcamp.com (2 free albums)
http://www.myspace.com/stevefudge (acoustic)
collide
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Location: curbside.bandcamp.com

Re: something beautiful. a song i wrote.

Postby Christian LeBlanc » Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:51 am

I know you asked for "helpful" recording advice, but this is all I got :| Standard caveat applies: any changes I suggest are based on how I would record it, not necessarily the right way to record it. Plus, where this is still a demo, I'm sure most of my suggestions are obvious. And with that self-deprecation out of the way:

Background vocals sound awesome, so I'd like to hear them much much higher in the mix.

Guitar solo: I'd add some modulation effects just to emphasize the screwiness of it and help it stand out; reverb, at the least, but maybe slightly detuned as well. Just enough so that you don't even notice the effects are there, but you could tell if you switched the effects on and off. Or, maybe a tasteful use of wahwah pedal would suit things really nice? Reverse delay? Slapback echo? (most of these suggestions are for single use, not combined) I don't like how the right-hand rhythm guitar drops out for it; makes the song sound smaller, instead of feeling more full.

Are there strings in place on some of the verses? I'm hearing something in my headphones, but I can't tell if it's there on purpose, or if it's just artifacts. Oh wait, I can hear it at the very end, it's like a harmonica or something? Try it higher in the mix, but with some reverb to keep it down and add some depth.

Shaker: I'd like to hear soft drums playing, but the shaker sounds so quiet it sounds like rhythmic static.

I thought the acoustic tracks sounded great together!

And you're not asking about lyrics, but I like the subject matter a lot. Adds so much personality!

And I like the little click at the end; adds a nice warm touch.
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Re: something beautiful. a song i wrote.

Postby collide » Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:37 pm

thanks very much, Christian! some of those, i will be able to try. i don't own any pedals or anything
of the sort, or real drums, but i can add some effects digitally to see how they sound. i'm happy you are mentioning
the names of things you might use, because i haven't played much with effects yet.
i have some more playing around to do.

i'm trying to do a demo of all the songs i have written before i redo them all with
hopefully better knowledge and use of sound before i try to call it an album.

again, thanks very much!
So, we need air to live, but we can't hold it in?... We're screwed.

https://www.facebook.com/TheAlleyRehearsals?fref=ts (Jamspace and Recording)
http://www.curbside.bandcamp.com (2 free albums)
http://www.myspace.com/stevefudge (acoustic)
collide
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Posts: 116
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:46 pm
Location: curbside.bandcamp.com

Re: something beautiful. a song i wrote.

Postby Christian LeBlanc » Tue Oct 11, 2011 10:30 am

Happy to (try and) help. Playing around with effects in a DAW with something already recorded is a great way to try things out; it's like applying filters to a picture in photoshop or something. A cheap multi-fx pedal also works well for experimenting, but honestly, the DAW is usually more flexible and convenient in terms of fiddling around, especially after-the-fact.

As for experimenting with a wah, there's probably an auto-wah effect somewhere in your software that can give you at least a vague idea of how it would sound; enough to know if you'd want to bother borrowing a real one later on or not.

I like it when you put these songs up for comments; not only do I get to blather on as if I know things, but it's a good learning experience for me to listen objectively to other people's songs, so, thanks!

By the way, what are you using to record vocals? I thought you sounded pretty clear and 'present.' I'd also like to know how you recorded your acoustic. Feel free to describe the whole process, actually :)
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Re: something beautiful. a song i wrote.

Postby collide » Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:08 pm

happy to hear opinions. you don't sound like blather to me. you know more technical and effects things
than i do, so i get to learn about them. and i'm happy to share. i have a pretty simple setup.

i recorded everything separately through an apex 435 condenser mic, set to different volumes and EQ
into my mixer. i have a tapco mix100. it's small, orange, and i am in love with it. from there, i send
it to the line in on my computer where i use Reaper to record and mix.
i am at the beauty side of my acoustic recordings as i previously didn't have all the things i needed
to be able to record and play simultaneously. i did it anyway, but that is not a good way to record.
i finally have all the needed cables and two nice pair of monitor headphones. akg 240, and audio technica m20

i did the first guitar track the whole way through, fender "nat" acoustic/electric, not plugged in.
next, guitar 2, a mini guitar set to different volume/eq, little martin, strum slightly different, then switched to playing the bridge, then back to strumming.
harmonica is a suzuki bluesmaster in the key of A, which is not the key of the song, so i drifted it into the background.
after that, i did the vocals, and convinced my ex girlfriend to sing the chorus with me, but she became shy and would only do it once,
so i used one take of the first time she sang it and copy/paste where it needed to be.
i personally think she sounds great, but what can you do? i hate my voice too, but i'm becoming less shy as well as working on improving it through vocal lessons.
i'm not there yet, but i'm showing some improvements.
then i added a homemade shaker i glued together from a kinder surprise.
So, we need air to live, but we can't hold it in?... We're screwed.

https://www.facebook.com/TheAlleyRehearsals?fref=ts (Jamspace and Recording)
http://www.curbside.bandcamp.com (2 free albums)
http://www.myspace.com/stevefudge (acoustic)
collide
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Posts: 116
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:46 pm
Location: curbside.bandcamp.com

Re: something beautiful. a song i wrote.

Postby clinton » Tue Oct 11, 2011 4:05 pm

Great little song man. Home recordings are great and have a certain charm that no studio I've ever been in can capture. Most times I end up preferring the "demo" to the finished product. I know your brother would echo those sentiments as well.

You know I'm only a phone call away and have harmonicas in lots of keys right?
"I came unarmed, they've all got knives, how can this song survive?" - Ron Sexsmith (Blue Boy)
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Re: something beautiful. a song i wrote.

Postby collide » Wed Oct 12, 2011 3:59 am

clinton: i want very much to have you... play on some songs!

for realz, come play guitar/banjo/drums/harmonica and any other instrument!

i will be calling you.
So, we need air to live, but we can't hold it in?... We're screwed.

https://www.facebook.com/TheAlleyRehearsals?fref=ts (Jamspace and Recording)
http://www.curbside.bandcamp.com (2 free albums)
http://www.myspace.com/stevefudge (acoustic)
collide
Bronze Member
 
Posts: 116
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:46 pm
Location: curbside.bandcamp.com


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