MacJams.com - Song: Heroes by apb

caroline	caroline said 674 days ago (January 19th, 2008)
	awww - lovely sentiments, your usual talent for production and no bongos!! phew!! lol - a great song alan - thank you for sharing and for letting me criticize you too xoxox Check out my latest song called clink that link mjrf

Roxylee	Roxylee said 674 days ago (January 19th, 2008)
	Ever hopeful... I really like the sounds in this, and the creativity. i agree with Caro, the production is excellent. Check out my latest song called Sweet Grace

haribo

haribo said 674 days ago (January 19th, 2008)

standard goodness
i feel a strong vibe... an ever-green youthful vibe! supercharged with evocative riffs and grooves! the bass has such an uplifting effect.. bold and very hopeful at the same time! that portamento wash is so playful and cute.. it really compliments the arrangement and your voice. string part had somehow jazzy and funky feeling and the ending was super hip too.. it left me in a very excited state! i'd call it an 'alan-glazed style'!

Check out my latest song called Fragment

craft	craft said 674 days ago (January 19th, 2008)
	cool Nice song... Love the sitar's sound and the guitar solo... Nicelly done my friend... Strong song Check out my latest song called Blue Lights (feat. Spleenveil)

echoroom	echoroom said 673 days ago (January 19th, 2008)
	we can be heroes jeez but the production on this is fantastic. Great jaunty little tune, the guitars sound lovely and warm. Dunno if i'd heard you sing before - but you should do it more - this is ace! s Check out my latest song called Deeper (w/t Racerat)

davisamerica

davisamerica said 673 days ago (January 19th, 2008)

right then alan
a bittersweet on here..personally.kinda know where this one came from...none the less from such comes inspired work and this is... excellent from the ground up.... all of it!! no "nits"..lol playing again and d/l.... man u r something else... hang tight to those little "heros" bro... all the best and peace....4 hats off!!!

Check out my latest song called No Son(egobandit band)

	said 673 days ago (January 19th, 2008)
	clean crisp Super clean sound you have. I played this on the laptop speakers, too - sounds even great that way as well, sure sign of a great mix! I must admit I kept thinkin jonny law was about, then I realised (Brit thang) it was background in your song LOL . - Harold

evolvweb	evolvweb said 673 days ago (January 19th, 2008)
	Great tune Love the story behind this. Strong production. I'd let your vocals stand on their own more and would only use the reverb/echo for chorus only maybe...? Great job! Tobin Check out my latest song called Growing Pains

bud	bud said 673 days ago (January 19th, 2008)
	Excellent tune - I hear bits of Sting your production and playing are really top notch and the vocals sit really well in the mix. Good set of lyrics too. Check out my latest song called eye for you (w/particledots and michael2)

Dj French Toast	Dj French Toast said 673 days ago (January 19th, 2008)
	Cool song man ....sweet production ! Check out my latest song called Its The French Toast(Colab W/WillBill808)

Feter	Feter said 673 days ago (January 19th, 2008)
	Heroes Harrison spirit is all around this great song love it man ..you singin and the beat gives great feelin to the lyrics and story behind best wishes for you my friend and thnx for sharin !! Check out my latest song called A Night With Feter feat'(Roxylee sloparts crissew johnwhitehead and Yamin AL Yamani )

jiguma	jiguma said 673 days ago (January 19th, 2008)
	Clean and full Great production Alan. Really like the chorus feel in particular. This really is a classy little tune - wouldn't be at all surprised to hear it on radio. This really is more than a little impressive. Congratulations! LOVE that chorus! Neil Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)

	said 673 days ago (January 19th, 2008)
	Love it Very clean production here bro...... If I only had that BROADBAND...Grrrrr Every song I be listen on take about half an hour to load. Really love this song I hope I get the message right. Take care --- Kenta

dajama

dajama said 673 days ago (January 19th, 2008)

I love it!
This is great, man. The sentiment is beautiful, the music sounds great, and the production is outstanding. Love the intro and outro. What really knocks it out of the park, though, is the vocal. You have a great voice, brother, and you get the spirit of this song across perfectly. This is radio-ready. Very nice work. Kudos. Peace.

Check out my latest song called Across the Wire (MJRF)

	said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	really not my cup o tea but i have to comment on the production. Fanbloodytastik! the acoustic sounds great. Reminded of the days of midnight oil, pet shop boys and tears for fears. fine job on the vocal...you can sing!

apb

apb said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)

Thank you- just missed you above *doh*
.. honest response my friend. Music is very subjective .. and will not be everyone's cup of T .. this is like you say, of a 'mold' that isn't particularly innovative IMO .. and kinda commercial style of days gone by... slightly modernised.

Glad you liked the production all the same- I recommend Ozone 3 from izotope at this time ;o)

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

apb

apb said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)

Thanks you all .. blimey! :o)
caroline: one of my favourite critics! Not many give it to me straight .. and I do seem to have a strange urge to put bongos in all over the place .. lol... good catch. Better with bass? Re-convene the Cheltenham jury .. ;o)
Roxylee: thanks very much, I'm just trying to combine some of my own favorite sounds .. handy I have made some of my own presets for some things by now.
Haribo: thanks very much for the lovely detailed expressive.. and educational comment... you got me curious as to what 'portamento' meant .. lol... looked it up now :o)
Craft: or should I say "dualtone"? heheh (sorry about that btw) - thanks my friend.. I just applied a GB preset of Chorus to the sitar. The solo I played with the pick-up selector in the middle position .. not something I usually do.
echoroom: thanks Steve .. yup, the Bowie song of the same name .. I think we're singing about quite different things.. so I left the title as non-unique. Not heard me singing before? lol. There's about 4 at least before this you've commented on that I'm singing on dude... some backing vox. and collabs ... I've done vocals (and occasionally some production) on some of musichead's posts at MJs too, but I'm far from a confident lead singer. Still need to work on production of my vocals ... I get better from doing others- would be quicker if someone else produced my vocals.. then I could learn from what they did.
davisamerica: thanks very much Jack et al .. glad it wasn't 'lousy' (little "nit" joke) .. particularly glad the message struck home. First thing I have written from scratch in many years - all done in 2x5hr sessions approx. (Fri pm/Sat am) - did feel inspired.
Rocha Malhada: thanks my friend... I do like clean and crisp .. I'm so pleased it's possible to achieve such production with not so much tools really... I was keen to learn these things from when I joined MJs and picked up lots of tips from being here. Ah yes, the continuous sin wave .. a strange filter effect .. really, I should bounce that out as .aif and then cut it to use it where I want .. I forgot .. it remains to
keep you awake and looking over your shoulder - what do you expect from 'apb' lol ;o)
evolvweb: thanks Tobin! Actually I really thought about this .. and I wanted the echo on the verses to trail the last words .. and no echo on the chorus .. but to be honest, I'm not happy with the reverb (just GB) - to improve this, I would take it into Logic Pro and use "Space designer" for vocal reverb instead and de-ess a little.
bud: Sting surprised me .. I stopped listening to him after "russians" .. I like more "Police" tracks ... not surprising for 'apb' lol Glad you liked the lyrics too, a touch of lyrical red herring (tried to keep it open - as if it was about the tv series and 'super-heroes', which I did have in the back of my mind).. thanks bud.
DJ French Toast: cheers Benny- thanks for stopping in.
Feter: ah the 'Harrison comparison' lol .. ;o) .. hard not to get that if you even touch a sitar .. what about Ravi Shankar? ;o) Cheers my friend- glad you enjoyed this.
jiguma: thanks very much Neil .. praise indeed .. radio? pfft .. ever hopeful as Roxanne said .. and as a fellow Ozone user, you know the benefits of that little AU plug-in :o) .. and a big thanks again for your bass on Would it be different ..as I re-cycled the entire sound I used on your Fender P bass for when I played this... without you, this wouldn't have been possible... so thanks again.
Kenta: sorry to hear your back on the old dial-up .. but flattered you took the extra time to download this to listen, that means alot to me .. and I'm sure you have the message right. Your one of the nice omni-present people at MJs, whose production/mixing has always inspired me to do better.
dajama: thanks Dave - still a little to do on the vocals lol .. then .. I'll be happy :o) I really have trouble singing, enjoying singing lead .. thanks for the confidence boost. I usually put my executive head on and relegate myself to backing vox. Been working with trying to improve on that, with collabing with musichead.

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

	said 670 days ago (January 22nd, 2008)
	eh? 't'least ya w'erin't long wind'd 'bout'it, maite LOL - You rock, man

apb	apb said 669 days ago (January 24th, 2008)
	:o) Chas n' Dave - Rabbit Check out my latest song called Misplaced

DWL

DWL said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)

Splendid sound!
Really nice to hear acoustics so well recorded.

If I was to offer any crit at all it would be to suggest recording the word 'heroes' separately as it sounds like you're falling over yourself to get all the words out.

It's a small nit though as this is ace stuff!

Cheers

Dick

Check out my latest song called A Good Night's Sleep with Macferret, Sir Dennis Crowther and Pete Young

apb	apb said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	Thanks DWL ...a fair point .. I might just try that suggestion .. it's squeezing in that "ma little" that does it, eh? .. it was important to the song .. otherwise I wouldn't have hesitated to drop it. Glad you enjoyed this. Check out my latest song called Misplaced

musichead	musichead said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	ohhh!!! I like it right off!!!! Needs bass EQ!! Great writing!! nice melody...you've out done yourself Al !!!! Check out my latest song called Lets Take a Holiday

apb	apb said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	:o) Thanks Steve - I'll see if I can bring out the bass a bit more with adjusting the EQ or multiband compression when I revisit and brush up the vocals a little too. Check out my latest song called Misplaced

FEEL	FEEL said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	This has got to be the best mix I've heard from you yet. The intro chord construction at the beginning of this composition is extraordinary. Really Clean, Really Nice and very Euro! Check out my latest song called Pigs Fly

apb

apb said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)

Thanks very much John
.. the intro/outro was just an experimental result of jamming along with the "Lotus" jingle in the GBv3 loop libary .. I liked it's 'free and floaty' quality .. and later I realised I musta been subliminally thinking of the Japanese character Hiro from Heroes series :o)

Since this is the first song I have written entirely from scratch in many years, it's interesting you detect a Euro glean to it .. inevitable from being here.. ooh, what .. 8 years now.

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

Montgomery California

Montgomery California said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)

production
is often a big thing around here, and for some, it is not as important as feeling, writing, melody, etc...
but, bottom line, to get someone to buy your stuff, either for thier ipods, or for that next cadillac commercial, it has to sound good. this one sounds really good. it harkens back to an earlier time, gave me an ELO flashback. and, while perhaps not my genre, perhaps a walk back in time is what pop music needs. new music produced today has no soul. it is mass produced, and mass marketed by the hype of a multi-media blitz. the great thing about this site, we dont have that constraint. and while on one hand, not every song here may be radio-ready, they are all listener friendly..
you mix is very clean.
vocals are good, my only nit might be a backing two of three part behind the HEROES line. the asian influenced intro is great at grabbing mood.
personally, i am a fan of the nice big bassline, and your bass tone might be a little lost on this one.
all in all, i can tell alot of time and effort went into this one. thanks for posting, and allowing us all in your head..
Allen

Check out my latest song called Montgomery California--Master

apb

apb said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)

I hear ya bro .. :o)
.. very true .. and I also figure if I can do it .. so can anyone .. I think we're obliged to try to make as best demo's as we can .. and learning is fun - why not? you never know when inspiration will strike for a song .. you can't sit and learn something to increase that happening.

Production is production and a good song is a good song regardless of production... and most can spot a good/great song under a host of recording/mixing issues etc. My goal though is when even the production gurus listen .. and it's so 'there' .. you forget about that .. and just enjoy the song. It's like when you first became a musician .. you never really listened to music the same way afterwards ..
kinda the same way for after you have dabbled with home recording.

Hmm.. I might be able to re-cycle the only backing I opted to use at the repeated end bit, in the chorus .. I opted to do that by choice, trying to not use harmonies like I do usually to try and boost my voice .. instead I really endeavoured to get just a better single vocal with FX (the verse is just 1 track, chorus 2: copy panned)

On the bass I was quite happy to be able to plonk away .. and get that nice 'phut phut' thang .. :o) perhaps a little
EQ tweaking to bring what I play (which isn't startling) out a little more. I was worried I'd kill it with bass .. it was added last, after the bass arrived.

It was done in 10 hrs, from nothing to what you hear.. 2x 5hr shifts (Fri pm/Sat am) .. gave myself a headache working that intensely .. lol .. not recommended... so not that long .. I was scared I'd forget it... lol.

Now 'oot ma heid' ..it's cramped in there .. and cells are shouting "abandon ship!!" to each other :o)

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

apb	apb said 672 days ago (January 21st, 2008)
	Bass bloop .. .. tarnation, I noticed a little bass bloop at 3:24 ..not surpising as I did the bass part very quickly, one recording take.. I thought I got away with it, but if I bring out the bass more .. it'll probably be more noticeable...shoot.. ah well, gives me an excuse to hang on to the bass a little longer... :o) Check out my latest song called Misplaced

thoddi	thoddi said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	right on the spot This song touched me on a special frequency... I've been down that road, and recognize the things you sing about in this song. God have I tought about how that episode must have felt like for the children. You've made a good piece of music to follow your words. Great production. Fab guitars! Check out my latest song called Don't tell me what I can't w/KTB and Ingve

apb	apb said 672 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	Appreciate it Thor .. I had hoped many could and would relate to the lyrics- I'm sure yours are heroes too, in your eyes and heart. Check out my latest song called Misplaced

damiengh	damiengh said 673 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	terrific Great production and catchy tune. Kerstin and Rebecca will carry this tune with them forever, and you'll definitely be their hero. What a great gift to give them. Lots of nice flavors in this one and your voice sounds super, maybe bring it out a little more. This song is a keeper. Check out my latest song called Tea and Scones

apb

apb said 672 days ago (January 20th, 2008)

Thanks Damien ..kind words..
.. I'm pleased I made it to song length :o) 'My little heroines' will hear it next weekend .. I'll play it in the car on the way to school as well the following week... and I'll sneak it into their .mp3 players when they're asleep. They're current common favorite of mine is "carnival knowledge" ... which doesn't bode well for the future ... lol .. oh, and Becky often requests the "milky boulevard" collab I did guitars for, by moorlandt and with Wildcat as well... and sings along... bit higher register mind. :o)

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

lengold	lengold said 672 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	This is without a doubt the best I've heard from you Alan. I love it - heartfelt lyrics and very powerful music. The production is perfection. (I have bought a copy of Ozone 3 and whatever I do seems to make the sound worse - I just can't get to grips with it.) Great song. Cheers Len Check out my latest song called Dodgy Doughnut

apb

apb said 672 days ago (January 20th, 2008)

Thanks very much Len
..praise indeed. Your tunes don't lack on creative ideas that's for sure.

Ok you Ozoner .. lol .. first thing, be patient .. start with (say) trying some different presets on a master track of a song you have .. then try one function at a time ..familiarising yourself with what it does .. (I myself only know 4 of the 6 .. 2 I don't fiddle with as yet) .. then use some of the presets as applicable on individual tracks eg. in this I used one of their presets for acoustic .. (that simple .. the 'slap back' one I think it was called) .. I also used a preset on the vocals .. then I think it was a modified "CD master with Exciter and Widening" I used (but modified the mastering reverb, the harmonic thing and the stereo thing a fair bit to taste). I have yet to read up on it .. I have just learnt from twiddling and listening...

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

J.A.Stewart	J.A.Stewart said 672 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	Give More Voice to Your Voice Terrific-sounding tune on a number of fronts, Alan, but the vocal is a wee bit buried during the verses. If the vocals were bad, I'd say... Good Work... but they're not, so give 'em a more prominent place in the mix. I'm sure if we asked Kerstin and Rebecca, they'd say "Daddy's OUR Hero." ;) --- Joe Check out my latest song called A Night @ Neverland

apb

apb said 672 days ago (January 20th, 2008)

Thanks Joe
.. and fair points as expected ..
.. on headphones I don't find it very noticeable ..hmm just the very last repeated line of the chorus gets buried, I can agree.. but I can bring up some of the quieter/smoochier bits of the verses (might lose some feel) and that last line of the chorus with some automation points ..none used so far on the vocal... I might consider spreading the verse track a little .. but I liked the way doing that just for chorus created a little jump ..

It's about as loud as I dare put my vocals overall lol.. would need someone else to take over and tweak it without my consent now I think ..

Thanks for the tips and suggestions, always welcome and given consideration here.

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

apb	apb said 672 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	Oh I forgot .. .. if I give them a more prominent place in the mix .. you might say "good work" ... lol :o) Check out my latest song called Misplaced

	said 672 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	I thought I left a comment. Well This is a great example of your technical ability . Its so slear and mixed perfect. A great drivin rythm and a even better ending realy great I enjoyed this alot!

apb	apb said 672 days ago (January 21st, 2008)
	:o) .. not to worry, you did now. Thanks .. yup, I'm a bit of a sound-techy nerd .. or wannabe sound techy nerd is perhaps more correct .. it all helps to display your wares in a positive light .. sounds like I'm flashing .. hehehe lol. Glad you enjoyed this Tim, thanks for checking it out. Check out my latest song called Misplaced

racerat	racerat said 672 days ago (January 20th, 2008)
	huge Really huge production. Clean crisp. Amazing guitar work. Really tight and punchy. This sounds totally pro. I could learn a lot from this song in how it is EQ'd, mixed, recorded,... f*ck--even written. Color me rocked and impressed. Check out my latest song called Frank's Song

apb

apb said 672 days ago (January 21st, 2008)

Thanks Philip ..
praise indeed.. I get the feeling I'm just lucky ..

.. actually you might be surprised to hear .. apart from the standard GB preset I use for my Les Paul these days (just stuck it in middle pick-up position and didn't touch anything)... I never personally touched one EQ setting on any track .. didn't touch the parametric in Ozone 3 either... lol .. don't know what lesson that gives really .. :o) everything is quite 'natural' EQ...
the acoustic tracks did get the preset I mentioned above from Ozone (that probably has some EQing with that right enough) as
does the preset I used from Ozone 3 for the vocals I expect.

The modified 'CD master with Exciter and Widening', I used on the master track .. is were I fiddled most... in 4/6 of the functions... and I do that just by ear rather than any sound engineeing rules.

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

said 672 days ago (January 20th, 2008)

making it right now and forever
Is that a sort of Radiohead vibe I hear? Pretty nice layout. Full bodied instrumentation. The singing is good in the verses but you are not spot on in the refrain "Heroes...Will you be gone tomorrow?" That needs to have machine gun, punctuated precision. You could nudge the vox track a smidge to the left in the refrain and that might fix it. I think a descant harmony on the refrain would lift it up and give it a little extra sparkle and shine. Taht would make it ready for prime time. I don't like the sitar. It doesn't gel with the rest. I'd rather hear just the lonesome guitar in the intro. Pretty cool guitar break. I like that.

An' now that's gone
To another
It won't be long
You must recover

A little bit obscure in that verse. What has gone to another? The power? Your kids?

apb

apb said 672 days ago (January 21st, 2008)

Thanks alot Richard
glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate the useful comments:
I agree with the timing .. particularily in the first refrain on that line .. an effect of reading my crib sheet I think :o) .. 2nd refrain, that line is a bit better .. I can copy from that perhaps or re-align a little as you suggest .. maybe a touch of the dreaded timing adjust might even be enough ;o)

Beefing up the chorus "heroes" words has been suggested .. I'll see how some harmony sits with it... then decide.

Sitar: I still like it in the intro .. but might try re-voicing it's part during the verses, as I'm not convinced myself about how well it works.

Lyrical question: I'll send you a note.

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

gail60	gail60 said 672 days ago (January 21st, 2008)
	great song Really enjoyed this Alan. It has a cool and catchy rhythm to it and honestly, your voice fits very well. Nice job. All of it is very good to me! Thanks for sharing it with us! I am sure your little heroes will love it. Check out my latest song called Sweet September

HipHopMoses

HipHopMoses said 672 days ago (January 21st, 2008)

Cool song
I like the series and I like this song. Well played and put together... I would like to offer one suggestion on the chorus. If this has already been mention sorry, but I think the vocal part on the chorus should be bigger not louder but more layers, pans, and effects to give the effect of larger then average life "hero" and there may be a timing issue with the actual word hero. But I reall enjoyed the listen thanks for sharing.
Moses

Check out my latest song called Thank you

blaky smith	blaky smith said 672 days ago (January 21st, 2008)
	the kids... Very well done Alan, a pleasure to my ears... Nice vocals and guitar playing, all with a great production. Very pro ! Thanks for this good music, your little heroines can be proud of you ! Marc Check out my latest song called Sur le sable (w Jiguma)

Einarus

Einarus said 671 days ago (January 21st, 2008)

Fun
A very enjoyable listen.
The main guitar part is very cool and your recording is exceptionally clean and crisp.
The only thing I didn't really like was the drums. Of course, I should mention beforehand (if you didn't know already) that I tend to get *really* picky and anal about how the drumming sounds, so pay too much attention to what I say. I just thought the drum kit sounded a bit to 'big' for the sound of the rest of the band. It sounded to me like it belonged to a more gritty and distorted rock song instead of this tight little pop number.
But like I said - anal.

Very nicely done, though!

-Einar S.

Check out my latest song called Good Things Come in Fours

Vic Holman	Vic Holman said 671 days ago (January 21st, 2008)
	very clean sound really nice Alan. the whole song comes off so tight. good energy eminating through this headphones. really got a kick out of this! Check out my latest song called November

apb

apb said 671 days ago (January 22nd, 2008)

Thank you all
gail60: thanks, I hope so.
HipHopMoses: thanks- I'll sway to consensus and try some chorus beefing up ideas in next version... although I actually don't want to over-do the 'super-hero' side too much, since that's not what the song is really about... but kept vague deliberately to have that interpretation as well... part of the idea.
blaky smith: good to see youagain Marc .. I'll be checking out your latest later this evening.
Einarus: you mean there is other kinds of drums?? hehehe thanks Einar for your honest critique .. I was wondering if someone would remark: where's the cymbals .. or toms??
Vic Holman: glad the vibe is coming across Vic, I could feel it myself and just rode the wave ...

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

lavalamp	lavalamp said 670 days ago (January 22nd, 2008)
	Radio Like your stuff. Like the song a lot. Think your a very good writer. Uplifting tune. I'll have to check some more. Steve Miller type of solos. Well-done Dave P.S. Thanks for the help the other day. Check out my latest song called Googolplex Times Zero

thetiler	thetiler said 670 days ago (January 22nd, 2008)
	Nice beat of the guitars Like the oriental feel as well. Like the Police-sting feel in there, seems like he could be a hero of yours, which is terrific to put a pro feel like that in the tune. Not that you are copying but it is great that your care to be influenced by a top artist. Thanks for sharing. Check out my latest song called The Bluebird Cafe (with two other guest)

apb

apb said 670 days ago (January 22nd, 2008)

Thanks Bill
..I don't mind admitting I'm influenced quite likely by every artist I've ever listened to in some way or other..and quite accidental ... and these often end up in the same
melting pot together :o)

I've never actually been a big fan of Sting solo truth be told lol.. The Police I did like better, a handful of hit tunes .. my favorite of theirs is without doubt "synchronicity II" which isn't one of their best known. I really like Andy S. guitar playing.

Previous commenters have mentioned: midnight oil, pet shop boys, tears for fears, ELO and sting .. and solo style Steve Miller-ish ..

Reflecting on these 'I hear' comments, I think it's the verses are something akin to "every breath you take" perhaps (?) with a "beds are burning" (Midnight Oil) upbeat muted strum twist to it. The heavily compressed fat 'phut phut' bass sound I went for (bit buried) also reminiscent of Sting's playing at times in the Police and more so in 'beds are burning' too. The other mentioned potential influences escape me as yet ..

I just go for improving my production skills each and every time I do a new tune... just working from each tracks sound first and then upwards.

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

apb	apb said 670 days ago (January 23rd, 2008)
	oh .. I forgot: Richard mentioned 'Radiohead' ... and Pickquick mentioned Supertramp in a note .. I think I here one in vibe a little and one in the refrain... and here was me thinking I was pretty shallow lol .. :o) Check out my latest song called Misplaced

michael2	michael2 said 670 days ago (January 22nd, 2008)
	wow this sounds so good. i may need to get drums on demand. the lyrics are great, and your vox sound really good too. the accoustic is recorded so nicely. did you master this? Ozone 3; obviously. very nice. is Ozone a CPU hog? one last thing, great idea going from the solo into the strings. Check out my latest song called Behind Enemy Lines (w/Bud and Particle Dots)

timothy devine

timothy devine said 670 days ago (January 22nd, 2008)

Nice
Really crisp guitar. Sounds like it's in the room when it comes in.
Great songand recording.
Your tune really moved me to a place i have not been for a while.
I have a hero who lives mostly at Rutgers U these days.
She is still my strength.
Man your lyric says so much in so few words. 'The power' is such a cool way to sum up the feelings that come when they are with you.
Such power!
I have three little ones now and sometimes i think I'm the hero! LOL
Hold tight and there love will be strength&power forever!
Man this hit home.
tim
extra peace

Check out my latest song called Mankind Needs a Change/WoodstockII

illuminati	illuminati said 670 days ago (January 23rd, 2008)
	Love the song My only quibble (and others may have said this) is that the chorus seems rushed. I like that it picks up the pace, but I hear the "Heroes" part being drawn out a bit more and the next lines multitracked underneath it. Just me. Wouldn't say anything 'cept I really like the tune. Check out my latest song called Vainglorious

guitapick	guitapick said 670 days ago (January 23rd, 2008)
	Nice tune... ...really nice. I love the return at the end. Enjoyed this...thanks for posting. Check out my latest song called Outside the Corral

The Orbiting

The Orbiting said 669 days ago (January 23rd, 2008)

Ten Hour Wonder!
Wow, ten hours from start to finish? Really? You're incredible, Alan. It would have taken me five just to record and comp the vocals, probably, which probably explains why you're so prolific. I'm also incredibly impressed with the sound you managed to get out of GB, but know that Ozone helped a bit with that. Even so, Ozone is a tricky tool to use at times and takes quite a bit of skill, so I'm still really amazed. I think the sound is really just beautiful and clean.

I agree, you should just sing all the time. I definitely hear a bit of Sting, especially on "who'll be left to save my day?"

Really great work, Alan in every aspect, especially the performances, you'd never know you didn't have access to a ton of great sessions musicians to back you and that says a ton about your musicianship.

I'm confused though. Does this have a relationship to the television show because of the song art?

Lisa

Check out my latest song called Mayday

The Orbiting	The Orbiting said 669 days ago (January 23rd, 2008)
	P.S. I have no idea how a song this catchy can have 41 fans and just 9 downloads. I think that's crazy. Check out my latest song called Mayday

apb

apb said 669 days ago (January 24th, 2008)

Bulk thanks!
lavalamp: thanks very much Dave, kind words. I might try this for some internet radio play after I've addressed mainly the vocal issues mentioned.
michael2: thanks Michael. I like DoD .. it's quick and easy .. I really saved time in this .. I just used 2 loops: straight verse, straight chorus. Acoustic is capo'ed 2nd fret and recorded via the Rode NT1-A, 2 tracks (played twice, panned L/R) then an Ozone preset was used locally on each track. Ozone is a bit of a CPU hog .. but
I used it on the vocal and acoustic tracks locally and then again on the master track... bit of locking (GB term for freezing) and no problems with my Intel Mac mini.
timothy devine: thanks very much, glad you liked that analogy/metaphor... in song I'm forced to express myself in less words (even then I try and squeeze in some ..lol) .. but I can be pretty verbose otherwise .. lol .. as Rocha reminds me above :o)
illuminati: thanks very much. I will take the approach for the chorus as you suggest .. never struck me I was 'cramming' a little. I'll also boost the "heroes" with some backing (as others have suggested) and be able to let the two be more precise in time (hopefully) and overlap a little if needed. Good suggestion, thanks.
guitapick: thanks Bob, glad you liked the intro/outro song circle arrangement.
The Orbiting: Thanks very much Lisa, too kind. Yup, 10hrs approx ... 5 Friday pm, 5 Sat am .. that included re-doing a vocal guide I had done on Friday :o). The wonders of making base presets .. plug and pray .. er .. play. Ah, you use Ozone too .. still learning to use it. Ah it's the vocals people hear Sting .. lol .. now you tell me hahaha. Rawwwks-zann! *cough* *cough* *splutter* .. remind me not to do that again .. ;o) I wondered who you were agreeing with that said I should sing all the time? ..lol .. the song art: apart from the title, the only relationships I guess are the lyrical idea of being (to an extent) deliberately ambiguous .. ie. without the dedication, people might have thought of this just as a song about 'super-heroes' .. even drawing influence from the characters/events in the show... japanese intro/outro etc... but the 'ma little' would have confused 'em. 43/10 (now).. hmm..no idea really but if I was pressed for conjecture ;o)... perhaps it's reflective of the general imbalance or lack of 'pure' listeners here (we can tell can we? no stats on this).. ie. not fellow musicians/home recording peeps .. I think many enjoyed the production more than the song itself.. which is fair enough .. I'm grateful for so much feedback .. daunted at the amount of return listens I feel obliged to attempt :o) Also of course, I am known here...on other sites I posted this .. it went down like a lead balloon lol. Ah well ..:o) .. perhaps here they know I'm going to do version 2 in due course ??
pfft .. I dunno...an interesting phenominominominom .. er .. observation.
steck/leon: thanks for the faving/download.

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

The Fritters	The Fritters said 668 days ago (January 25th, 2008)
	wow! incredible song! Just catching up with my listening today. everybody else seems to have covered it. Thanks for all the recording details. Check out my latest song called Down to the Core

ktb	ktb said 668 days ago (January 25th, 2008)
	heroes all the elements just gel to perfect effect. esp the way the guitar, bass and drums start the precedent setting vibe right from the beginning. it just screams tight! the string interlude after the guitar was production brilliance. sweet Check out my latest song called off the deck (w/Z293)

Muse Ritual	Muse Ritual said 668 days ago (January 25th, 2008)
	Ohhhhh So sweet a song for an even sweeter reason. Cant add a thing to whats been said.... my cockles be warmed. Such a good composer you are! Check out my latest song called Rage3 Lih Re-Mix

Livingstone	Livingstone said 667 days ago (January 25th, 2008)
	acoustic was in my room I dont know what you did to sample the guitar but it came through my speakers like you were in the room.. great work, on both the lead and the singing dave mathews ish!! loved it thanx Check out my latest song called Satisfied eric sardinas/harry manx mishmash

Joe Brady	Joe Brady said 667 days ago (January 26th, 2008)
	Great sound! Real pleasure listening to this. Well performed (loved the guitars). The vocal is brilliant. Nice tune. Joe Check out my latest song called The Refugee Blues by Feter with Jiguma

markoo	markoo said 667 days ago (January 26th, 2008)
	Heros Love the sonG. Nice accoustic, great production. Did you master this in GB? Keep at it Mark Check out my latest song called Secret

apb

apb said 666 days ago (January 26th, 2008)

Thank you all very much ..

.. I'm amazed this little ditty was received so well here and I am very grateful for all your time and appreciate the feedback and encouraging words.

The Fritters: thanks very much, no qualms about sharing recording info when inquisitive minds er .. inquire :o)
Karmatoburn: thanks John .. I had a blind notion to try 'some' strings following the solo in the arrangement ... and twiddled out that part .. I was quite proud of that touch myself.
Muse Ritual: :o) kind words AND the status of your cockles .. well what more could I ask for? lol .. thanks my friend.
Livingstone: I WAS in your room hehehe .. nice carpet btw ...;o) must remind myself of the Dave Mathews sound .. thanks!
Joe Brady: thank you very much, really glad you enjoyed this .. vocals do need a little tweaking .. I'll get that er .. tweaked. :o)
markoo: cheers Mark .. always a pleasure to receive a new listener and fan too ..
I mastered it in GBv3 using an AU plug-in from Izotope called Ozone (v3) you can
read about it and download a demo (that puts in blank dead-spots after a certain number of seconds .. but it otherwise fully functioning) from here: Ozone 3

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

apb	apb said 666 days ago (January 26th, 2008)
	Lest I forget ... thanks also to 'estellie', 'rosita', 'faelin', 'outtaorbit', 'chipan', 'easytbird', 'announcer' too for your faving, your support is noticed and appreciated too. Check out my latest song called Misplaced

ajnorth	ajnorth said 666 days ago (January 26th, 2008)
	wow this is so good! Really like it, and the production is fantastic. Also really like the double tracked guitar solo. Nice one! Adam Check out my latest song called All your games (v2)

apb	apb said 665 days ago (January 27th, 2008)
	Thanks Adam .. I do my try my best .. glad you liked the guitar solo .. I was trying some accidental harmony with the two tracks .. just noodling casually with very little planning.. see what came out .. I'd have to work it out to play it again .. sometimes I enjoy that kinda reckless abandon. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Misplaced

ajnorth	ajnorth said 665 days ago (January 27th, 2008)
	To be honest thats how I do most of my soloing! They seem to work better that way. If I sit a plan something for hours it tends to lose emotion. Check out my latest song called All your games (v2)

Leon

Leon said 662 days ago (January 30th, 2008)

heroic effort
This song catches my interest from the first strum of those oriental strings... what an intriguing opening, like the song is about to kick into kung fu gear :-) Not sure if you based this song on the TV series "Heroes" which has lots of Chinese elements in it.. but anyway, i digress... The body of the song of course is unadulterated pop-rock, my kind of song, simple and catchy yet not of the bubblegum variety. I listened to this a few times and it gets interesting every time. Surprising how a lyrically simple song can carry much weight in it!

Check out my latest song called The Nightingale (music and lyrics by Oceans)

apb

apb said 662 days ago (January 31st, 2008)

Thanks very much Leon
.. it's fair to say I drew some inspiration from the series at some level (the oriental intro/outro idea and the attempts at open interpetable lyrics, serving both series context and 'true' meaning as indicated by the dedication)... more so that than the Bowie song of the same name.

The sine wave/filter ending, I think I heard egobandit do something like that in one of his posts and liked it so much I tried to do something similar myself :o)

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

drakonis	drakonis said 662 days ago (January 30th, 2008)
	Dad's the hero Excellent song, production, fun zig (sitar opening) zag (rock on..) Enjoy them, teach them to be strong, happy, and teach them how to choose good people to be with. Dads are also unsung heroes. So nice of you to sing of them. Great lyrics and singing and playing as usual. ttfn, Drakonis Check out my latest song called Lullaby for the Inner Child

apb	apb said 662 days ago (January 31st, 2008)
	Thank you Eduard ..I'm glad you enjoyed this too. Check out my latest song called Misplaced

Doug Somers	Doug Somers said 662 days ago (January 31st, 2008)
	Wow, this one hits right to the heart! Probably because that's where it originated. Great production, a melody that grabs from the start, and those powerful lyrics - a killer combination! Thanks for sharing, Doug Check out my latest song called Desiree (MJ Space Race 2009)

apb	apb said 657 days ago (February 5th, 2008)
	Thanks Doug ..too kind and thanks for kind notes and including this post in your "Heroes Journey Project" - HJP. (I opted to add it to the song keywords). Check out my latest song called Misplaced

Barretok	Barretok said 657 days ago (February 4th, 2008)
	Nice style! I like the style of the song. Very well played. Clean production. B Check out my latest song called ANOTHER STORY

apb	apb said 657 days ago (February 5th, 2008)
	Thanks Bernardo.. .. good to see and hear you 'over here' as well :o) Your latest at this time Hotel Room #13 is very good, I recommend if you read this you go check that out. Check out my latest song called Misplaced

	said 653 days ago (February 9th, 2008)
	Great! Really a great tune. Great bass and guitar tone. Congrats APB! maccoco.

that80sboy	that80sboy said 653 days ago (February 9th, 2008)
	wow.... ....i think i hurt myself falling down this list of comments...haha....smooooth tune apb...im a fan! Check out my latest song called please save me

apb	apb said 653 days ago (February 9th, 2008)
	Thanks .. I noticed I haven't de-essed the vocals on this one myself .. hahah...doh will come back to finer adjustments like that later. Cheers. Check out my latest song called Misplaced

	said 651 days ago (February 10th, 2008)
	A happy sound... I really like the light-sound on this song... And the melody is also good....

Heightened	Heightened said 650 days ago (February 11th, 2008)
	THis has so many great things happening throughout the course of the song. Both subtle and not so subtle. Lyrics were ultra cool and vocals professional. If not number one, top 3 easy! Check out my latest song called A Journey Through Starburst Galaxy M82

baki	baki said 646 days ago (February 16th, 2008)
	love it yeah baby, heroes. listen, really good one. the only thing i would say is to go stronger little bit at the low end, just louder bass maybe... 10s dude, 10s Check out my latest song called On the Other Side

saymme

saymme said 645 days ago (February 16th, 2008)

( 8 GREAT SONG
Love to hear You singing again...!!! 8 ) : ) missed alot of People here & their/your Music...As I told Richard many times long ago -MJ 'carried me' last winter & spring . . You know I'm a middleaged woman & I can say "Love Ya" to almost anyone lol! who makes me laugh / cry . . & thats what Music does...: ) You have MANY GREAT SONGS...(never forget being here in the beginning not reflected about my namebeing online..I was just listening - after awhile I discovered APB ALWAYS was where I went L O L (did ya think I was a "fildelare" ? ursakta det h�r kanske jag sagt forut? Sorglig description...Hoppas det ar battre nu . . :) Ta hand om dig ! Lena

dlb	dlb said 645 days ago (February 17th, 2008)
	i like this! Real cool pop song. Well sung, and produced. Love the synth effects in the background real cool! Check out my latest song called All About You (ft. Linda Courtien)

	said 644 days ago (February 18th, 2008)
	Loved it. Hi this was really great to listen to I also loved the video where you show where you create your really good sounds too. I found that very fascinating thank you for sharing- I will indeed be back to listen to more of your great sounds too. lol Peace Dee.

magnatone

magnatone said 643 days ago (February 18th, 2008)

This is great
I'm kinda late to the party here - don't know if you'll ever see this comment, but I really loved this. For what it's worth, I like the drumming and it doesn't seem like too much to me. I love the lyrics and your voice shines here. I'm new to MJ, just discovering the artists, and just found you. I'm off to listen to more of your work - thanks!

Check out my latest song called Symphonic Smackdown

apb

apb said 642 days ago (February 19th, 2008)

Luvvies and dahlings ... ;o) thx ...
MacCoco: thanks very much, always a pleasure to get new listeners from around the world.
Lightman: thanks very much Jakob and welcome to MJs. I hop around genres and vary in light to heavier too. Glad you enjoyed this one too.
Heightened: thanks very much, way too kind.. was amazed this was so well received. It was the first completely new song I've written in about 8 years... so it means alot to me... now it will be hard to beat this level of popularity! lol :o)
baki: thanks very much Baki... I'll need to get used to getting the amount of bass just right with my set-up .. seems a common complaint. I'll nudge it a bit when revisiting as per the suggestions.
saymme: Tack Lena - too kind. Yup, I'm guilty of being omni-present ..like God .. hahahah ;o) A "file-sharer"? Nej, aldrig t�nkte s�. Jag skilde f�r tv� �r sen .. s� n�stan allt �r b�ttre nu :) .. men det �r k�nslor n�r barnen m�ste �ka fram och tillbaka att en del av l�ten handla om.
dlb: thanks Dave... still needs a little work. It's a GB AU Filter that produces that sound .. I should really mix out the track and then insert it again (so it's not played in real-time ..) and cut it so it just comes exactly where & when I want it ..
it's currently in permanently from when it appears .. a side-effect of such wild settings for it :o)
Dee1962z: lol .. someone watched my little 'video'!! Woot! .. and admitted it
too !!! hahahah... I did that in response to this 'old' thread: Show us your studio!. Thanks for the continued listens .. appreciate it.
magnatone: oh yes - I see all ...er .. eventually :o) Thank you .. I like big realistic drum sounds .. but a little more variety wouldn't go amiss for this ..nothing
major .. just the small fill. Thanks for the vocal encouragement .. I need that... I warn you now .. I do all sorts of music .. ranging from very poor to mediocre ... and
the good 'uns are quite unintentional happy accidents and I typically had lots of help with them :o)

Check out my latest song called Misplaced

	said 637 days ago (February 24th, 2008)
	Sirens Great production. The sirens were freakin' me out. kept muting the sound to see if it was outside or coming out of the speakers. Great and heroic effort!

dirigent	dirigent said 636 days ago (February 25th, 2008)
	superb full of creativity :-) A wonderful song, very well delivered. Amazing!! Check out my latest song called Autumn

	said 627 days ago (March 6th, 2008)
	Great! Man, I love the sound of this song very much. Great playing, singing, composing and the most important thing for me is how clear recording is this. KUDOS for the work. Enjoyed it very much friend! Take Care - Yeman A. Al-Rawi

LunaTrick	LunaTrick said 582 days ago (April 19th, 2008)
	I'll be honest I listened to this because I'm a big Bowie fan - and I thought this might be a cover. But I like the production on this song - crisp drums and some cool guitar work. Simple structure but effective. I like your voice too - particularly on the verses. Check out my latest song called Luna Gypsy Heart II (Eternal Firelight)

EEFliess	EEFliess said 548 days ago (May 23rd, 2008)
	Heroes I am hearing Van Morrison, Warren Zevon and Lou Reed here! very good job, Alan! Check out my latest song called Rock and a Hard Place (With Adam Clarke) (extended, new drums)

12parsecs	12parsecs said 516 days ago (June 25th, 2008)
	great tune i love the verse chords/progression. i want to steal it (did i say that out loud?) but alas, i'm too honest for that - plus it really belongs in this song. also really dig the (almost inaudible) glockenspiel in the verses. ok, so i really like the verses... and the rest of the song. Check out my latest song called Through

davisamerica	davisamerica said 372 days ago (November 15th, 2008)
	alan .... why do i keep coming back ... i have this d/l'd ... just the perfect tune man Check out my latest song called No Son(egobandit band)