Members TheDarkBrown Posted February 3, 2012 Members Share Posted February 3, 2012 I have tons of riffs and part and bits and pieces here and there that I have been working on for years. I finally got a few together enough for people to hear. I would love to hear any comments or feedback you have. http://www.reverbnation.com/jessecaryl Some quick general info about how I record: I mainly write things starting with guitar. I record a click track using reason then do guitar parts. Then I usually add bass, then drums last. Most parts that I record are "scratch" yet I normally end up liking my very first recordings better than later, even though I just do a quick mic setup and deal with whatever is recorded, if that makes sense. So, the parts I used are mainly scratch parts. I don't sing, so these are instrumentals. Now notes about each individual song. These particular songs are pretty basic in structure and timing. I think they are all 4/4 120bpm. Unresolved - I started this in 2008 or 2009 or so. After listening to the mix many times I've noticed that the timing is a little off towards the end. This is due to my click track running out at the end. I then re-recorded about 10 seconds of click at the end and over dubbed playing. However, the drums were recorded in 2009 or so and I just slid them in. The drums are scratch, most guitars ar scratch, new bass, and a couple of new guitar parts. Since I re-used old scratch parts, the timing got slightly off at the end. Sweetness - I wrote this for my wife sometime in 2010. I had a lot more guitars but decided to scale it back. I like how it turned out for the most part. She says that it ends too abruptly. I think I agree. I also have 3 different bass lines that I played. I kept the original. It's more basic that the later ones. Scratch drums, scratch bass, mostly scratch guitars. Very simple playing, on purpose but I think it needs a little more, especially drums. No Name - I started this 3/3/2003. It's gone through many interations. I like the current version's structure the best. After I recorded the drums a couple of weeks ago my wife suggested that the first part needs to be softer. Instead of re-recording them I just automated them. I also used drumagog on 1 kick and the snare. The sample I used on the snare had no velocity so it's the same sounding sample regardless of how hard the original snare track was hit. This bugs me. I had to re-record a lot of the guitars and the feedback because my computer crashed a while agao and I can't access the previously recorded files. And of course I can't duplicate them. Thank for taking the time to listen and providing any feedback that you may have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rickidoo Posted February 3, 2012 Members Share Posted February 3, 2012 TheDark - I think to make it easy on others, pick one song, post the lyrics to it, let it run its course and then put another one up. You will get a better response that way, and all the feedback in the thread will be about the same song. That really comes in handy when you are trying to sort through things. Also, it's important to give critiques as well, and that will build responses to you, too. If you haven't given any in a while, dive right in and pick some songs to comment on. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheDarkBrown Posted February 3, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 3, 2012 Rick, thanks for the info. I don't sing so there are no lyrics written. When I have time I will try to sit down and provide some input to others and I will separate my posts. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oldgitplayer Posted February 3, 2012 Members Share Posted February 3, 2012 TDB - I listened to all 3 tracks with interest. You have described them as instrumentals, but as there isn't an over-riding melody line in any of them, they may be better described as film theme music, or backing tracks for a vocal.So what is your intention? You could collaborate with someone to write lyrics and a vocal melody. Alternatively you could compose melodies and play them over the top of what you have already done. A lot of musicians put together what should be termed 'backing tracks', as the toughest work in a successful piece still remains to be created in the melody and the lyric.There is nothing wrong using this as a working method, but as I said, it depends on what your aims and intentions are. I like what you have done and can feel songs buried in all of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Matximus Posted February 4, 2012 Members Share Posted February 4, 2012 The most impressive thing about the recordings is the recordings - to my ears you captured the sounds real good & clean. From what little I understand of recording - the way you got all the instruments captured and mixed illustrates an impressive amount of raw technical acumen. Really killer. I'd kill to have your recording skills - that {censored} is harder than songwriting. As far as the songs go- from an artistic standpoint they sound good & serviceable. They need a voice & personality to truly be sold to a listener. I mean, musically they are clean in the same way the recording is clean. But they're in a pop/rock style and pop/rock music, unfortunately, comes down to the singer & melody. What I heard are raw & song drafts in need of someone to put them over the top with personality out front. You got skills though. Mad skills from what I can tell. If you're gonna focus on music that doesn't require singing & want validation from people listening to it - you might consider putting your aptitude in play toward moody electronic, atmospheric or other music not built around the voice of the singer. Good songs don't need singers. Absolutely not. But yours are built in a way that sounds like they're waiting for a singer. Fix that - you're in business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ToneBandit Posted February 4, 2012 Members Share Posted February 4, 2012 Hey Dark, I'm not trying to label your style but are you a fan of the killers? Dont get me wrong, I like the sound of it and when you find the right words you'll definitely have some solid material. On your song "No Name" I was most impressed by the chorus. Very deep sounds. Find a name for it Unless your intention is to leave it nameless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheDarkBrown Posted February 6, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 6, 2012 TDB - I listened to all 3 tracks with interest.You have described them as instrumentals, but as there isn't an over-riding melody line in any of them, they may be better described as film theme music, or backing tracks for a vocal.So what is your intention? You could collaborate with someone to write lyrics and a vocal melody. Alternatively you could compose melodies and play them over the top of what you have already done.A lot of musicians put together what should be termed 'backing tracks', as the toughest work in a successful piece still remains to be created in the melody and the lyric.There is nothing wrong using this as a working method, but as I said, it depends on what your aims and intentions are.I like what you have done and can feel songs buried in all of them. oldgitplayer, that's quite accurate. I write songs with the intent to add vocals at some point, which is why they sound the way they do. I understand and agree that they aren't exactly instrumentals. Also, once I have enough on hand material gathered I would like to start submitting them for films. Thank you for taking the time to listen and provide feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheDarkBrown Posted February 6, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 6, 2012 The most impressive thing about the recordings is the recordings - to my ears you captured the sounds real good & clean. From what little I understand of recording - the way you got all the instruments captured and mixed illustrates an impressive amount of raw technical acumen. Really killer. I'd kill to have your recording skills - that {censored} is harder than songwriting. As far as the songs go- from an artistic standpoint they sound good & serviceable. They need a voice & personality to truly be sold to a listener. I mean, musically they are clean in the same way the recording is clean. But they're in a pop/rock style and pop/rock music, unfortunately, comes down to the singer & melody. What I heard are raw & song drafts in need of someone to put them over the top with personality out front.You got skills though. Mad skills from what I can tell.If you're gonna focus on music that doesn't require singing & want validation from people listening to it - you might consider putting your aptitude in play toward moody electronic, atmospheric or other music not built around the voice of the singer. Good songs don't need singers. Absolutely not. But yours are built in a way that sounds like they're waiting for a singer. Fix that - you're in business. Matximus, thank you. I never really though of them as pop/rock, but I agree with you. I also agree that they need vocals, and/or a vocal melody. Strangely enough I don't believe that the recordings are all that great, particularly because they don't sound like they do in my head and I didn't take much time to record them properly. Kind of just threw mics up and started recording, or just used amplitube 3 settings. I'm not sure that I can create moody electronic music because that isn't where my mind or heart is at the moment. Thank you very much for taking the time to listen and comment. Very much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheDarkBrown Posted February 6, 2012 Author Members Share Posted February 6, 2012 Hey Dark, I'm not trying to label your style but are you a fan of the killers? Dont get me wrong, I like the sound of it and when you find the right words you'll definitely have some solid material. On your song "No Name" I was most impressed by the chorus. Very deep sounds. Find a name for it Unless your intention is to leave it nameless. Actually, I do like The Killers but I wouldn't say that I am influenced by them. I think that is mere coincidence. I like nameless better than no name Thank you for listening and commenting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rickidoo Posted February 6, 2012 Members Share Posted February 6, 2012 I listened to sweetness. You can really play. There is a real natural groove going on. Made for a song with vocals. The mixing is excellent. Thought I heard a 60 cycle hum at the very start but I could be wrong. You make guitars playing together sound easy. Hope you will be moving ahead with song-a-fying- (vocals) your playing. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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