Let's try again. Here is the link to Skean's original version: http://www.macjams.com/song/32535

[ Reply to This ]

This is just not my day. Here is the link to Skean's original: http://www.macjams.com/song/30057

[ Reply to This ]

great rocking tonight. you did a real good job on the vocals. you really thew yourself into it. Skean always goes without saying on what he brings to the table.

[ Reply to This ]

I'm having a bad day. I'm too exhausted and frustrated to work on this song anymore. I feel like the end result is crap, but for my own sake I just had to get it done and posted. The smallest positive comment gives me a lot of encouragement, and I am grateful for it, Vic.

[ Reply to This ]

.... with skean's version, though i am a big fan of his.
that said, this is really great, aaron! it is obvious that you really poured yourself into this. kudos for throwing yourself so fully into the mix!
i know you are weary from this, and "just gave in" and posted this.
you, my friend are your own worst critic. i am sure you could "do better"... we all can in hindsight, but rest assured you put up a solid track with skean's music.
i dig this. VERY good job! now, stop kicking your self, and kick some ass! (just not your own!)

[ Reply to This ]

I'm glad to know that I kicked your ass. My dad and brother on the other side of the country from me listened to and loved it; that gave me some encouragement. So I listened to it a few more times, and I'm liking it more and more. I'm espeically proud of the backing vocals - that's something I never did very much of before.

[ Reply to This ]

what it says on the label... storming the gates indeed. Great slabs of guitar and powerful vox, a bit like a young Ian Astbury (The Cult). Great work guys, and a seemless mix of minds.

aaron- I can hear everything in the mix, maybe your ears were just a bit tired ... it sounds fine to me.

Nice work bud. Rock on!!

Steve

[ Reply to This ]

I was just exhausted from trying to finish this song and gave up. Repeat listenings have proven that I inadvertenly found a good stopping point.

Like the death metal backing vocals in the chorus?

[ Reply to This ]

It's killer Aaorn - best vocals you've done ... sounds like you're maturing into your voice. When in doubt, I always have some whiskey and cigarettes the nught before singing ... purely to get the tone right, you understand!

Steve

[ Reply to This ]

a few cigs before this one. I'm not sure how much of the improvement of my sound is because of me and how much is because I upgraded from the pinhole mic to a real condenser. Probably both.

[ Reply to This ]

with every song you do, you will see an improvement as to how you mix, and then you will go and want to re-record everything you had done prior. always, if possible mix through headphones as well as external monitors. i like to go back and forth, cause my headphones sometimes say one thing and my monitors say another...yeah, shit talks to me... i am crazy...this is a straight ahead rocker. there are not many of these going around anymore. good solos, good rhythm section.
if i may, tho, and if i am full of it, just tell me;
try to brighten up the drums. try using doubled or even tripled tracks of drums, squash one, and eq them all differently, to bring out individual sounds in each, and use you pans to fatten the space around the drums.
as far as your vocals go, as a singer who only plays other instruments in order to sing, your chorus and backing tracks were very nice. there were a couple of spots in the mian vox that were a little pitchy.. try doing 2 or 3 alternate takes in different keys and phrasings, then go between them while listening to how they interact with the music..this can give you a good idea as to your timing, general feel, and pitch. sometimes i will throw down 5 or 6 tracks in order to get the sound i want. i also cut and past doubles or sometimes triples of the main lead and pan it around to get a wider vocal sound. this was an enjoyable song!
keep rockin, my brothers!!!

[ Reply to This ]

Are you trying to scare me away from producing completely? I've learned something: I like playing my songs and producing other people's songs, but producing my own songs is too much of a chore. I wish there was someone competent who I could trust with my musical vision who would have all the equipment set up when I get to the studio and says "play the rhythm guitar to the second verse now" and then tells me whether or not I need to redo it. I just want to arrange and perform my songs, and having to work about mic placement, the best takes, and mixing really kills the creative moment for me. But I do like producing other people's songs because that allows me to flex different creative musicles.

"Kick Some Ass" was pretty much unproduced. I re-recorded the vocals several times over the course of a month with different microphones and different takes. Finally i just decided to get it done. I did some instrument panning and adjusting of individual levels, but I didn't touch EQ or the master track. To be honest I really have no freaking idea how to use the master track.

The song that I've been working on for like two months "New Life Grows" is nowhere near completion because I am a production perfectionist on that song, although I don't really know what I'm doing. Every time I buy a new microphone I have to go back and re-record the whole thing. Anyway, you've got some good ideas about doubling/eqing drums and stuff. I'll have to try out some of your ideas, but I find that generally I prefer to do an entire verse of guitar or vocal, for example, in one shot rather than piecing together different measures. I need more experience with making it sound smoother when edited together.

---
"Everything in the universe is made of one element which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations which are extentions of the Big Note. Everything is one note, everything." --Frank Zappa, Lumpy Gravy

[ Reply to This ]

...well you certainly kicked MINE in this one. Yes, Kenta is indeed the loop-meister (one of the best!). Aaron your lyrics and intense vocal delivery are a great contribution to this piece. You have captured the fiery spirit of Kenta's tune! Kudos!

Be well!

[ Reply to This ]

I tried to follow Kenta's vision for the song using some of his imagery in his original description of the song. I wrote the lyrics really quickly, but I find they are meaningful to me on at least three different levels. Thanks for commenting.

I still don't know what Kenta thinks of what I did to his song.

---
"Everything in the universe is made of one element which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations which are extentions of the Big Note. Everything is one note, everything." --Frank Zappa, Lumpy Gravy

[ Reply to This ]

...I think he'll be pleased!

---
"We are put upon this earth a little space that we might learn to bear the beams of love." (William Blake)

[ Reply to This ]

nice collab you 2... energic and ass kicking for shure... this one thus rock

[ Reply to This ]

Glad you like it. It's not hard to rock when you're working with Skean's 2 different drum tracks and 7 guitar tracks. He put this thing together like blocks in a Mayan wall.

---
"Everything in the universe is made of one element which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations which are extentions of the Big Note. Everything is one note, everything." --Frank Zappa, Lumpy Gravy

[ Reply to This ]

So well done, great guitars and very well put together.

Cheers

Dick

[ Reply to This ]

Credit goes to Skean for that. He did all the music a couple of months ago. All loops - he's incredible at that. 7 guitar tracks and 2 drum tracks. The song really is built like a tank. It was a fun track to add my thing to. Thanks for listening.

---
"Everything in the universe is made of one element which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations which are extentions of the Big Note. Everything is one note, everything." --Frank Zappa, Lumpy Gravy

[ Reply to This ]

But it's my pleasure to listen to your piece and comment on it. Awesome sound bed and the vocals remind me of The Offspring somewhat -- not particularly polished but effective. I do think the vocals and the instrumentals don't quite gel together; maybe I'm missing some production on the vocals? I don't know enough about mixing to be more specific.

[ Reply to This ]

You're right about the vocal not quite sounding right in the mix with the music. The music is all loops. The vocals were recorded with a condenser mic. This whole thing is pretty much not produced or mixed at all. I'm not very good at mixing anyway, and in this case I got frustrated and gave up before I was satisfied with it. Thanks for commenting.

---
"Everything in the universe is made of one element which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations which are extentions of the Big Note. Everything is one note, everything." --Frank Zappa, Lumpy Gravy

[ Reply to This ]

AWESOME!! ROLL IT UP!

KICK ASS!



[ Reply to This ]

I think you have done a great job with my tune.... It can't be easy to sing on it BUT you did it.... Ok! I can agree with some here it maybe can be little better... But for me it's okay! like this.... and you get some practice...practice makes perfect.

This was fun and I hope we can do some more in the futures.

Best Regards
___
Kenta

[ Reply to This ]

We're gonna kick some ass...

nough said.

(smile) best savored loud
I enjoyed this collab alot

[ Reply to This ]

I like your vocal stylings.

Aw the best,

---
johnny crawford

[ Reply to This ]

Thanks for everyone's support, and thanks to Skean for providing such a great track to play with. I never considered myself a singer - I was always a guitarist who sang out of pure necessecity. But now I'm really starting to enjoy singing.

[ Reply to This ]

I'm probably the least qualified to critique in this genre, so take it or leave it. I think the mix is just fine: everything separates nicely. The energy is definitely here. The vocal tuning didn't bother me at all -- quite fitting and nice.

Two things jumped out at me:
1. The drums, while EQ'd nicely, are rather static. This high-energy song needs some kick ass drumming solos and change-ups. Transitions between sections.

2. The vocals sound as though they're recorded separately and in a different setting. Stage vs. Studio type thing. Perhaps a tad echo or reverb could make them sound like they're recorded "with the band playing". And only in certain parts did they really feel this way. I tend to effect only certain measures or sections of vocals to give them styling. I.e.: Add reverb to the harmony vox only during the chorus. Also, I'd love to hear the two vox track separated a bit more.

Just opinions, and I hope I haven't rehashed stuff already said. I love the energy in this. Rock on.

[ Reply to This ]

Thanks for commenting. I agree with you about the vocals not sounding quite even with the music. I mean the music is all loops and the vocals were recorded with a condenser mic. It probably could be leveled out more with the master track, but I've never really used that before.

I am a bit surprised that you think the drums are static. Perhaps the production of the drums could use some work, but I find Skean's drum parts themselves to be extremely intense. He's got them layered so it's like two drummers playing fairly simple parts, but it sounds totally insane when they're played together.

---
"Everything in the universe is made of one element which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations which are extentions of the Big Note. Everything is one note, everything." --Frank Zappa, Lumpy Gravy

[ Reply to This ]

this really does kick some ass - Great guitars and drums - Excellent vocals.

Excellent stuff.

Peter

[ Reply to This ]

I would have thought this would be outside of your normal listening interests. I'm glad you liked it.

---
"Everything in the universe is made of one element which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations which are extentions of the Big Note. Everything is one note, everything." --Frank Zappa, Lumpy Gravy

[ Reply to This ]

RAW
Kinetic
Energy
Rock n Roll to me.

I like the separation of the Vocals, stage forward, no FX to speak of, in front of the Backing Instruments.
Yardbirds. Blues Breakers. Cool.

very best,
Coop

[ Reply to This ]

All three vocals are on "Live Performance" setting. Lead vocal in the center, harmony vocal off to the left, death vocal off to the right. That's it. Thanks for the comment.

---
"Everything in the universe is made of one element which is a note, a single note. Atoms are really vibrations which are extentions of the Big Note. Everything is one note, everything." --Frank Zappa, Lumpy Gravy

[ Reply to This ]

*THWACK*
Doofy just got his ass kicked. Dag, yo! :P

[ Reply to This ]

Love it, Dharma! Listened to some work of yours a while ago but haven't heard your voice sound this good before. It sure has that 70s or 80s metal feeling too it. Personally I think it works quite well with the heavy guitar sound which is great as well.

[ Reply to This ]