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The Day I Lost Myself Next Phase 10-30-14


Lee Knight

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OK... this has got keys!!! The youtube of Justin kicking ass on B3 is 80% of what you hear here. That was the take. He doesn't labor he just does it right and with balls. Wow. Plus he's smoking on the Rhodes as well. And singing in the gang-chorus adding a great texture. No bari sax yet on the main riff and it was planned to have the sax trade licks in the center. Currently it's Rhodes and B3 trading. I'm liking it but do want to try bari there to see. Thought? I added an electric guitar playing a timed delay 16th note, one note, palm mute part to bring some funk.

 

The lyric suggestions and changing the length of the chorus... I think I'm very much partial to what's here. Not saying the ideas went superb, but sometimes you just gotta go with your gut. Still... I'm open to being convinced.

 

So, any and all input is welcome. Oh... and that Justin is one cool cat. As a player and as a guy. What a pleasure. Fire away!

 

 

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Hey Lee this is outstanding - what a pro arrangement and mix. Playing, programming, singing, all fantastic. Mix sounds great here, could maybe use a little more bass. But wow.

 

Only comments I have arrangement:

* For me not enough of a lift from v1 to v2, feels like just slightly more riffing. Would love 1 or 2 new things coming here.

* Maybe just me but I get tired of the constant hammond and rhodes. Again would love something new at each section (chank a chank gtr, horns, strings, synth brass?), which would help...now they're filling up all the spaces in the arrangement. Plus it detracts from the solo section too when that comes in. Maybe just mute a little more?

* I could use more BGVs in the verses, at least a harmony (they're so awesome on chorus, give us a taste somewhere, maybe a falsetto an octave up?).

* First part of instrumental lags a bit for me, maybe add some more weirdness / FX to maintain interest.

 

Oh, mix: on the solo the rhodes and organ seem to occupy the exact same frequency range, which emphasizes the same-ness. If possible EQ or effect to differentiate?

 

Hope this helps, just my opinion, sounds amazing.

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Too bright? I did a quick master eq with burnt ears. Better warmer?
Wow. Well first off... it really sounds fantastic. But yes, I did notice that the Rhodes in particular lost some of it's beefy, organic undertones and jumped out at me as too bright. Perhaps an adjustment to just the Rhodes EQ would solve the sameness Martin mentions above.
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Wow. Well first off... it really sounds fantastic. But yes' date=' I did notice that the Rhodes in particular lost some of it's beefy, organic undertones and jumped out at me as too bright. Perhaps an adjustment to just the Rhodes EQ would solve the sameness Martin mentions above.[/quote']

 

Cool! I'm glad you dig it.

 

The Rhodes EQ: A couple of things going on here. I did put a Sans Amp plugin across the Rhodes during the solos. You'd mentioned you'd like the EP to be ballsier in that section. So... Are you hearing the over-brightness just in the solo section or throughout? I think it is throughout and the mastering EQ brings everything right except for the Rhodes which was right... before the master eq. Follow? Not sure I do. :) So where's it bright to you? This info could be very helpful.

 

And, do you like the mild distortion on the solos? More? None? Less? Different?

 

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Cool! I'm glad you dig it.

 

The Rhodes EQ: A couple of things going on here. I did put a San Amp plugin across the Rhodes during the solos. You'd mentioned you'd like the EP to be ballsier in that section. So... Are you hearing the over-brightness just in the solo section or throughout? I think it is throughout and the mastering EQ brings everything right except for the Rhodes which was right... before the master eq. Follow? Not sure I do. :) So where's it bright to you? This info could be very helpful.

 

And, do you like the mild distortion on the solos? More? None? Less? Different?

 

Ha. Crossed signals. I was looking for the Hammond to be beefed up on the solo bit. But to answer your question, I was hearing the over-brightness/lack of beef on the Rhodes solo part only. It sounds less organic.

 

Now... I've listened a few times... and to address Martin's point on too much Rhodes/Hammond throughout... I don't know. I like it. But hey, I'm a Hammond / Rhodes player. I can't get enough. :)

 

Would love to hear others thoughts.

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Hey Lee this is outstanding - what a pro arrangement and mix. Playing' date=' programming, singing, all fantastic. Mix sounds great here, could maybe use a little more bass. But wow. [/quote']

 

Thank you! That's very nice Martin. So... more bass as in mastering EQ or more bass guitar? Or more bassy bass guitar? My mastering EQ curve last night was abundant at 40Hz and 120 maybe, with a scoop between. Might be what you're hearing. In trying to clear the mud I may have leaned it up too much. What are you hearing?

 

* For me not enough of a lift from v1 to v2' date=' feels like just slightly more riffing. Would love 1 or 2 new things coming here. [/quote']

 

This comment ^^^ hits home for me. I love the trading of fills. But... I want/need what you describe. An arrangement build. I've been thinking it but off and on for a while but just revert back to, "Hey! How often do I get cool Rhodes and B3 dueling?" However... I read this before I drove in this morning and I came up with an idea. The bari sax could team up with the existing Rhodes part in the V2. He sings, It's not like I haven't! ...and the Rhodes plays the coolest stab there in answer. So I get the bari to squonk with the Rhodes stab, then he sings. knock ne down, I'll rise again. and the bari plays a simple 1/4 note rising run starting on the tonic on 1/4s.... E, G, A, Bb-B! with an exaggerated slur bending up to the B. Then I repeat it second half but under the vocal and the Rhodes plays its fill out. Essentially backing off on the B3 but not entirely. And... I may be able to use the awesome riffs elsewhere.

 

Anyway... something to try. I'm going to sketch it out a bari sample for ideas. Nice catch Martin. (All subject to Justin approval btw. You've got great ears I trust.)

 

 

* I could use more BGVs in the verses' date=' at least a harmony (they're so awesome on chorus, give us a taste somewhere, maybe a falsetto an octave up?). [/quote']

 

Perhaps the idea above with the V2 bari could use BGVs as surrogate horn parts. Some syllable run along with the bari for starters.... hmmm

 

 

* First part of instrumental lags a bit for me' date=' maybe add some more weirdness / FX to maintain interest. [/quote']

 

There's a pretty cool orchestrated synth and guitar bit going there that probably should be heard better. I think the issue my be to tone down the B3 there and rise that whole intrumental section. It's kind of a Spiders From Mars meets David Essex Rock On thing that might help by turning up.

 

This is all great input Martin. Very, very helpful. Thank you!

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Anyway... something to try. I'm going to sketch it out a bari sample for ideas. Nice catch Martin. (All subject to Justin approval btw. You've got great ears I trust.)

 

 

Fire away Lee.

 

And for the record, I only played through the solo part on the Hammond because... well... I had nothing better to do at that particular moment. smiley-happy

 

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Ha. Crossed signals. I was looking for the Hammond to be beefed up on the solo bit. But to answer your question, I was hearing the over-brightness/lack of beef on the Rhodes solo part only. It sounds less organic.

 

Now... I've listened a few times... and to address Martin's point on too much Rhodes/Hammond throughout... I don't know. I like it. But hey, I'm a Hammond / Rhodes player. I can't get enough. :)

 

Would love to hear others thoughts.

 

OK... so I'll scrap the Sans Amp on the Rhodes. I agree. And...

 

I think there's a way to do some cool arrangement stuff in V2 that'll incorporate all of the Rhodes and most of the B3. Think of the horns on Sledgehammer in the V2 I think it is. Well.. we wrap a little motive I've got in my head through the holes and double up the exsisting Rhodes with the bari. I think this will work. Still with jamming' fills but structured as a V2 build add on as well.

 

There better not be ANY kids coming to my door tonight! I'm going to be busy.

 

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I'm on Halloween duty... taking the kids trick or treating. It's cool though... It'll be a Scotchoween for me.

 

:) As Tyler was growing up we had all our friends over our place every year. All the kids and adults dressed up. Our house haunted-housed to the max. Our neighborhood is a fantastic Halloween destination with full on haunted houses built in yards with lines of people. Fantastic fun. And yes... the strollers, there was always at least one in our group, held beer, wine, tequila. Parents all totally digging on the kids and their costumes. And each others.

 

I miss it. Enjoy!

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The lyric suggestions and changing the length of the chorus... I think I'm very much partial to what's here. Not saying the ideas went superb' date=' but sometimes you just gotta go with your gut. Still... I'm open to being convinced.[/quote']

 

I think it's a fabulous track. The second verse still makes me tune out. It's all "head" stuff, not viscera and meat and bones like the first verse. It's like the bottom falls out of the story or something.

 

Sorry, but that first verse is so "in-the-moment" and so compelling, and I think you've got to grab the listener even harder in the 2nd verse.

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I cant hear anything to nit on this...good vocal...is that you? Background vocals also very tight...who are the players and singers? Organ and piano very good.
Thank you! The keys are none other than Bee3 /Justin DiFebbo, forum regular and valued contributer. He's in Philadelphia and I'm in San Diego and we trade ProTools files back-and-forth via dropbox. Yes, the lead vocal is me. The background vocals are my wife Lisa, Justin and me. Funny... Lisa and Justin have very similar similar vocal timbre. They sound cool together. And finally, that's me playing the rest of the instruments. This is for an upcoming EP for our project/band... Happy Is. Thanks for the kind words.
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By the cold light of day, I would say consider muting the keys in verse one, then just turn them way up in v2. I would again encourage you to be more aggressive with your fader rides on instrumental parts...feels like a lot of interesting stuff is mixed so conservatively it all blends together – have one thing stick out at a time.

 

Nitpick: also, there are a couple of places where Justin goes up to a high organ note where I was expecting a riff but he just holds a note or two, and the whole arrangement just focuses on that for a bar. If he's not going to riff I think it really needs something else there, some fill or riff. Maybe just me.

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By the cold light of day' date=' I would say consider muting the keys in verse one, then just turn them way up in v2. I would again encourage you to be more aggressive with your fader rides on instrumental parts...feels like a lot of interesting stuff is mixed so conservatively it all blends together – have one thing stick out at a time. Nitpick: also, there are a couple of places where Justin goes up to a high organ note where I was expecting a riff but he just holds a note or two, and the whole arrangement just focuses on that for a bar. If he's not going to riff I think it really needs something else there, some fill or riff. Maybe just me.[/quote'] Funny enough, between fixing a Moen shower valve and cleaning up after the storm last night, I'm going back-and-forth into the studio and making exactly those kinds of tweaks that you talk about Martin. I do love those organ bits that hold the high screaming note but I hear exactly what you're talking about too and I completely agree. Except... I'm finding something else to carry on the line. Drums, etc. so once again Martin, you were spot on and pretty much in sync with my thinking on this. There are some organ pull off's that are dynamite but buried so I'm bringing them up and muting other parts so it really stands out. Lots of little things like that. On another note, you mentioned the bass being on the lighter side. I stayed up till 3 AM last night working on an independent output on the kick drum from addictive drums. Then using a spectrum analyzer pulling up the soloed kick, the soloed bass guitar and the soloed synth bass. Then finding each instruments power point fundamental and leaving that untouched but mildly scooping around that for the other two power points. This allowed me to roll on some 40 Hz for the bass guitar, just 2 dB or so to bring it in range with the rest of the bass guitars frequency spectrum. Slam. Solid low-end and uncluttered. But not clinically clean either. Nice.
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Funny enough' date=' between fixing a Moen shower valve and cleaning up after the storm last night, I'm going back-and-forth into the studio and making exactly those kinds of tweaks that you talk about Martin. I do love those organ bits that hold the high screaming note but I hear exactly what you're talking about too and I completely agree. Except... I'm finding something else to carry on the line. Drums, etc. so once again Martin, you were spot on and pretty much in sync with my thinking on this. There are some organ pull off's that are dynamite but buried so I'm bringing them up and muting other parts so it really stands out. Lots of little things like that. On another note, you mentioned the bass being on the lighter side. I stayed up till 3 AM last night working on an independent output on the kick drum from addictive drums. Then using a spectrum analyzer pulling up the soloed kick, the soloed bass guitar and the soloed synth bass. Then finding each instruments power point fundamental and leaving that untouched but mildly scooping around that for the other two power points. This allowed me to roll on some 40 Hz for the bass guitar, just 2 dB or so to bring it in range with the rest of the bass guitars frequency spectrum. Slam. Solid low-end and uncluttered. But not clinically clean either. Nice.[/quote'] Anxiously awaiting another mix. :)
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