Song of the Month Club - July

Marcel · July 2015

@BvsMV and @LostBoy85 I appreciate both your honesty. A pity you prefer the first version. It makes me doubt again about the volume of the voice. Perhaps it is a tiny bit too loud...hmm...hard to make up my mind about this. That doubt is part of the horror of the mixing process.

If you both mean the same by 'noise' , there is hardly any noise, here is a little piece of the voice track without effects, I hear hardly noise.
https://app.box.com/s/olq9fsxn8ronnwnchbp58us008raf8gw

What you hear might be the effects I put on it. What is the noise you don't like? Or is it just too loud? But you mention the noise as an important factor for liking it less. So would you please say something about what you perceive as 'noise'?

BvsMV · July 2015

@AndyX, I loved this song. Pretty cool that you did it all in MMS. The one thing I thought was really good was the mix of the vocals in the song. It was really good, I was questioning whether or not those were samples or not.

BvsMV · July 2015

@Marcel I definitely hear it. I guess it's not noise, but like a tape hiss sound. Where did you record the vocals and how? I recorded some acoustic guitar in my kitchen and you could hear a ton of hiss noise, it was probably just the refrigerator running in the background. You can use a noise gate to try and take it down. With that being said if it doesn't bother you, then don't worry about it. It adds warmth but it just distracts me from the great vocals a little.

AndyX · July 2015

@Marcel @LostBoy85
Yes, you are both right in that there is some distortion at the higher volumes. I wanted to add an old vinyl vibe to the track, so I put the final mix through Master Record’s vinyl effect. What ended up happening is that the lower volume parts of the track have a definite vinyl clicking, but the higher volume parts became a little distorted (that is how Master Record’s vinyl effect seems to work).

At the time it sounded ok and I felt that it added to the 60's feel that I wanted, but in retrospect I probably should have used a little less of this effect!

@BvsMV
Thanks! The vocals are all samples from Digital Sound Factory’s Vocal Expressions soundfont. I’m a big fan of those soundfonts! Almost all the other instruments used in the track are from different DSF soundfonts.

By the way, you had a very nice track there - very evolving, in a nicely surprising way! I really liked it.

LostBoy85 · July 2015

@marcel, Hey man,the noise that I hear in the track is the same that I hear in your little sample.(it's that slight hiss before & while u sing) Listen though buddy it's really not a big deal.A month ago I would not have noticed it but like I said I've been struggling with this myself & I'm trying to get better at my vocal mixing.I use vocalive & a week ago I sang for an hour,take after take etc,my voice was on better form that day but when I listened back later I realised I had forgot to go into settings and hit the noise reduction button in vocalive! Aaaaaaaaaarrrgh! And as anyone who sings knows some days are diamonds,some days are stone!:) and I've struggled to recreate that session...sigh.Anyway Its certainly not a game changer though mate.Im just trying to offer some useful feedback instead of my usual tell everyone they're brilliant technique:)

Marcel · July 2015

@LostBoy85 and @BvsMV thx for reply very much. I guess I am making a bigger issue of it than is necesarry, I can get quite obsessed with these things. My worry is not the noise (which I don't hear in the mix) but the amount of volume, but that was not the heart of your feedback, which was the noise (as a consequence of more volume).

@Lostboy85 About your great session without noise filter: terrible story indeed. But you must have the recordings. Are you shure they are worthless now? You are not too perfectionistic about this?

You try to get better at your vocal mixing???? What I heard from you so far is already great.

LostBoy85 · July 2015

Ha ha! Thanks very much @Marcel.I must admit I put a lot of time & effort into it like yourself.And it's hugely rewarding when I get it right but Supanova (my last song) must have been sung over and over no lie about 30 times! Various settings & Like you I get obsessed with stuff and I have to get the effects just right bla bla bla.And I honestly had 3 different masters of that track with varying vocal volumes on them.So I feel your pain buddy:) what mic do u use for your vocals man?

JohnnyGoodyear · July 2015

Gentlemen, it feels good to hear of your struggles with vocals. I mean that without malice, it's just that some days are stone and at those times one loses a little heart. To hear that others do exactly the same encourages me no end. I know, a little twisted, but take my sentiment in brotherhood etc

Marcel · July 2015

@LostBoy85 - now I use the 2 mics that are in my Tascam DP-008EX , this is a recording device (and an expensive waste of money cause I hardly used it). I also have a Samson C01 but I have to connect that to the Tascam to get it connected to my ipad (via Sonic Port). Just to use the Tascam (which I connect to iPad via Sonic Port) is a faster setup, and the sound is good (I thought, until I heard some people whine about hiss in my recordings ) lol. I shall use the noise filter in VocalLive the next time (If I remember it, and have figured out how to record with it).

BvsMV · July 2015

@Marcel Yeah, I am the worst!

LostBoy85 · July 2015

@JohnnyGoodyear You're welcome mate!:D actually that's kind of what I was going for with that post.People were very kind about the vocals on my last track but it took a lot of work (still not perfect I realise) & that's exactly why I'm struggling a bit now because I know I CAN do it so I just don't want to sell myself short.Ah well,I'm off to Spain for a couple of weeks so I can tweak away to til my hearts content!:D

LostBoy85 · July 2015

.

JohnnyGoodyear · July 2015

A couple of months ago (it seems like another lifetime) I wrote a country song because I said I would and it's been on my mind as regards what I would have written if I hadn't written that. The unknown thing of what might have happened if you'd turned left not right. This is that alternate. Not my 'official' entry for the month, but a piece of me all the same.

1nsomniak · July 2015

@marcel I like your track, really nice guitar, have to say I preferred the instrumental version though. The vocals were okay but it seemed more mysterious and polished without them.

1nsomniak · July 2015

@johnnygoodyear very cool and not what I was expecting when you said 'country song'...or maybe I misunderstood and this wasn't supposed to be. I liked that vocal effect and the filtered drums.

richardyot · July 2015

@johnnygoodyear Interesting variation, it's a lot more subdued than the original, but I prefer the first version - there is much more energy in the music and the vocals (even if the timing of the singing is a little loose in that older version).

Also I think there is something that I like better in the quality of your voice in the original, maybe you just sing it better with more energy?

Still it is interesting to hear how changing the production decisions really changes the feel of the song.

JohnnyGoodyear · July 2015

@1nsomniak Thanks for the note. The original or first version which was posted at SOTMC a few months ago was a country song (or my take on that style/genre)....this is more a little slice on the same chorus...

JohnnyGoodyear · July 2015

@richardyot said:
Still it is interesting to hear how changing the production decisions really changes the feel of the song.

Ah, this is def. more of a 'coda' or reprise of the song itself. Maybe in the movie this will play as the main character is riding away from her for the last time and is wondering where all his earlier hubris went to....

richardyot · July 2015

I see, so it's a more humble performance, to reflect all that lost hubris. I'm getting it now

Marcel · July 2015

@JohnnyGoodyear: I like it. Good structure, nice build up of the instruments, nice double voice (double singing or delay). Liked the incoming percussions a lot. Compositionally: it feels like an intro of something.

Edit:( just read your reaction) or indeed as an outro in a movie

BvsMV · July 2015

@AndyX

So you used MTS to load the midi files you made and you ran the sound fonts through that? It sounds really nice. Also, I liked the vinyl noise, that was one of the first things I noticed that gave it a really authentic Bossa Nova feel.

Thanks for the kind words by the way!

@richardyot I like the preview you have! It sounds different to me than a lot of the other stuff you have done. What apps did you use?

AndyX · July 2015

@BvsMV
Yes, I opened the MIDI file from Yamaha MMS into MultitrackStudio and reworked the tracks using soundfonts. I'm really enjoying YMMS but some of the built-in sounds are a little flat / cheesy to my taste!

By the way, I've just remastered the entire track, in order to minimize the distortion that was present. The vinyl noise should still be noticeable hopefully!

richardyot · July 2015

@BvsMV said:
richardyot I like the preview you have! It sounds different to me than a lot of the other stuff you have done. What apps did you use?

Thanks, I'm putting shoegaze to one side for now and dabbling with electronica, would really like to come up with an original sound or blend between genres. I used Gadget for the the little preview.

AndyX · July 2015

@JohnnyGoodyear said:

Johnny, I always sit down and prepare myself before watching stuff from you - it usually stirs some mixed emotions, some mix of dark and anguish with a bit of hopefulness (probably not the best descriptions but keep in mind English is not my first language).

Very nice.

The beat that begins at 1:25, where was it made? Really liked it too, and fits nicely with the progression.

BvsMV · July 2015

@richardyot said:

Cool, I look forward to hearing it. Ambient, shoe gaze, electronic, post- rock, is what I have been trying to do as well.

BvsMV · July 2015

@AndyX said:

I'm really enjoying YMMS but some of the built-in sounds are a little flat / cheesy to my taste!

Yes, I totally agree with that as well!

JohnnyGoodyear · July 2015

@AndyX said:

Thanks Andy for your feedback/comments.

First off: What's your native language? You do v. well in English, don't sell yourself short

As far as the beat from 1.25 on, it's a mixture of two beats. The first is something I made in Beathawk (where 98% of the music was done also). I am not a drummer (from a technique point of view), but know what I like . Beathawk forces me to 'play' as there is no piano roll and I find this frustrating BUT I have found I often end up with beats I prefer through the trial and error of my ears than I do (say) in Gadget where my engineer over rules my artist and 'corrects' everything .

I also like Beathawk because it is SUPER EASY to bring in and adjust other sounds to add into any song's kit. I know this is true -in theory- of many apps, but I find BH the easiest, most fluid, intuitive app for this. I keep coming back to it and there can be no more true proof than that (for me)....

The second part of the beat was something I made entirely separately in Kaos about six months ago. I have begun making/stockpiling beats to combine from different sources. It often doesn't quite work, but when it does, there is a little 1+1 makes 3 moment and the damn engineer has to sit down and shut up for a while....

AndyX · July 2015

@JohnnyGoodyear said:

Brazilian Portuguese is my native language. I live in Sao Paulo, and part of my family in Rio, hence my childhood vacations there...

Thanks for the comments on Beathawk - this one is on my very short list of apps for near-term purchase!

AlterEgo_UK · July 2015

@JohnnyGoodyear said:
A couple of months ago (it seems like another lifetime) I wrote a country song because I said I would and it's been on my mind as regards what I would have written if I hadn't written that. The unknown thing of what might have happened if you'd turned left not right. This is that alternate. Not my 'official' entry for the month, but a piece of me all the same.

Interesting collage of images and, once again, music that keeps you watching

AlterEgo_UK · July 2015

Since it seems that vocal tracks are encouraged here (and most of my tracks are instrumental) I though I would post this one because it has a lot of words and a message (which is why it is a bit longer than my usual tracks).

My original plan was to do it as a slow Pink Floyd style song but it turned into what could be termed ambient country, I guess!

A reflection on the state of the world (see below for lyrics)

Apps used: Jamup Pro, Bismark bs16i, SynthMaster, Galileo, SampleTank. Thumbjam, Cubasis, AUFX: Space, Audiobus, Audio Mastering.