I'd be VERY interested in hearing your thoughts if you get a chance on the Focals. I just use a pair of cheap Mackies.

 

Yeah, I played each instrument except the drums and the piano in the middle bridge (a single loop).
I, like most, start with the drum arrangement first, doing it measure by measure while singing the song in my head.
Next comes the main rhythm instrument, the electric guitar on the left in this case. Then a second instrument if there's one--the acoustic in this case.
Then I played the bass lines because it's extremely hard for me to play bass wo some kind of rhythm instrument to follow--I'm hardly a bassist, I just wing it.
Once those were done, I added the keys and little synth touches for enhancement. Mostly the free U-he stuff. Not a great keyboardist either. I play the parts, but midi quantizing is my friend.
Now I'm forced to write some lyrics so I can add vocals, then I track them.
After that, any verbs (very little, as you pointed out), and delays (mostly what I use for 'space').
Finally, I place the whole thing in a "room" (convolution IR) to try to get a small studio sound.

My vocal chain is the same as all my others:
AO Prebox set to one of the Opts for a little de-sterilization
The CDS free tape.
Acustica's free Ochre eq (yet more limitation because it's only thee bands, but I do use TDRnova if I ever need cutting).
DMG's TComp set to Zener. Followed by a little extra of the Zener's THD.

The simpler I keep it, the better (I think) I make use of what's there.

 

Last edited: Dec 15, 2019

It's specifically about adding some dissonance and shaping the dynamics to add variation between the various sections, so that a 4 minute song sounds fresh throughout the arrangement. Even David Bowie was impressed when he first heard their music

 

Last edited: Dec 15, 2019

Really great track!

I checked the mix on my monitors and secondary desktop speakers+sub, the mix sounds ok to me

 

I've never been a huge fan, but I can listen with a more critical ear. I just might pick up something.

 

Cool to hear! I'm so used to my own environment that I always wonder how things translate 'outside.'

 

Update: Now tested on Focal alpha 50 and Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO (250 Ohm).
Disclaimer: I'm not mixing/audio expert and my room is far from perfect acoustic.

For my ears and taste sounds perfect. Rich and full without any fighting between instruments.

 

Excellent to hear. That's what I aim for, but I'm never quite sure how close I come. This is exactly why I try to keep things mostly down to my four basic plugs. If I add more, things start to sound less natural. And since it's generally the same chain on each track, I think there's more of a cohesiveness to the sound as a whole.
I will swap something out if it's just not working, or even add another plugin if it helps me get the sound I want, but I try to keep it to a minimum.

 

I like it a lot. Harmonically it's interesting, and the bridge is cool. If it were *me*, I'd go way bigger on the 2nd chorus and bridge and then drop it back down (that's kind of the Pixies thing) but that's just me. ;)

 

I could definitely hear that. That could add an extra 'texture.' I plan to practice that more. Thx for the suggestion.

 

Nice song lexeed
Simple but nice
I too recently got back to guitar ..5 hours a day now ..
Havin' a blast ..

 

It's need a bit of polishing her and there (A bit of mastering )
But I like it.
It got It real own style

 

Whoa! I haven't gotten that far, but something to shoot for.

Yep, it is indeed non-mastered. I think I'm fair at mixing, but not so good at home mastering. Any tips for the "here and there" spots?

 

If it's ok I would download it and try some Stuff ?

But at the moment I would say Reverb and Compression

(It sounds a bit too dry that’s why the Reverb
And the compression for the Drums (to even them a bit ))(Specially the first 36 sec)

And Some Eq-ing around 0-85Hz a bit more like 0,5-1 dB more
At 400 - 700HZ a bit less like 1dB
At 4100-10000Hz a bit more like 0,5 dB

 

Last edited by a moderator: Dec 17, 2019

Sure man. I'd love to hear it.

 

I wrote you
Let me know what you think

 

I've borrowed a lot of things from music I don't like. For me composition is separate from arrangement and production. I like the idea of dissonance, cos if you use 100% scale notes from the song Key it can sound a bit predictable, and even playing around with non-chord tones can produce interesting effects. Also the quiet-loud technique adds interest between the various song sections, as opposed to having everything at the same level. By the same token sound design is also important, as you are painting a picture with sound. The difference between a good song and a great song is what you do after you have written it, and it's what makes people listen to the same music over and over again. You have to be hyper-critical, and it's quite a difficult task for one person to manage a song from initial idea to finished product

 

Last edited: Dec 17, 2019

Truer words...
You've only heard this one recent song. I have quite a few past ones with all those elements. Occasionally going too far.
But this was done in 4 days and after quite a hiatus (for me), so I was just outpouring because it felt good to play, record, and mix again.
Now I got the fever again. heh