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BlazerCaravan said:
Okay, some notes:

  • Your vocals are about 3db too low; crank that shit up a bit!
  • Don't be afraid of mid tones (like 700-1000Hz); the whole mix sounds really scooped, which can sound powerless.
  • On the bass guitar, don't try to focus on the super-low frequencies; focus on 300-500Hz instead... that's where the body of the bass is.
  • You've got some weird phasing issues with your guitars; don't try to use weird plug-ins to "place them" in a mix. Just pan that shit left and right like a grown-up.
  • Record two rhythm tracks and let the lead sit in the center.
  • The drum can be more in front in the mix, but don't compress them too much; their impacts can and should be loud, because they aren't sustained sounds. Kick, snare, and cymbal hits should be about the same loudness. Don't focus on super low kick drum sounds on a rock track; 80-100Hz is where it's at for a classic sound.
I'd love a lossless file of a track to get into the nitty gritty more. PM me?
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Holy crap your so above my level. :) I mean, I get what your talking about, but when I'm EQ'ing the bass, or drums or vox or whatever, I have no clue about dbs, and Hz. I just go by ear. :) It is very frustrating, as I wish I really had more time to study the numbers of it, because I know its all really just math. I was checking out different options to hand my tracks over to a pro early this morning even. HAHA.

I just got done jamming all day with some friends and am beat and need to spend the rest of the evening with he wife or I wont be able to play tomorrow. ;)

Ill send you a pm in the morning with a dropbox account and I can upload the wav files.

FYI., this was recorded through a Presonus studiolive 3288 onto pro tools 9. Mostly everything I left flatlined on the presonus and added all the plugins for EQ, Compressors, Gate, etc., within PT9. Meaning, I can bounce a raw track as well as send my mix, in wav.
That would be awesome and I'd be eternally grateful though if your able to provide a better quality mix. I would obviously offer fair compensation to an extent. I cant pay for hours and hours of work, but I would def. want to offer whatever I could afford at the moment.
I've listened to your recordings, and though the music is much different, you have a superbly clean mix and fully respected when I listened.
 
Orion Bailey said:
Holy crap your so above my level. :) I mean, I get what your talking about, but when I'm EQ'ing the bass, or drums or vox or whatever, I have no clue about dbs, and Hz. I just go by ear. :) It is very frustrating, as I wish I really had more time to study the numbers of it, because I know its all really just math. I was checking out different options to hand my tracks over to a pro early this morning even. HAHA.

I just got done jamming all day with some friends and am beat and need to spend the rest of the evening with he wife or I wont be able to play tomorrow. ;)

Ill send you a pm in the morning with a dropbox account and I can upload the wav files.

FYI., this was recorded through a Presonus studiolive 3288 onto pro tools 9. Mostly everything I left flatlined on the presonus and added all the plugins for EQ, Compressors, Gate, etc., within PT9. Meaning, I can bounce a raw track as well as send my mix, in wav.
That would be awesome and I'd be eternally grateful though if your able to provide a better quality mix. I would obviously offer fair compensation to an extent. I cant pay for hours and hours of work, but I would def. want to offer whatever I could afford at the moment.
I've listened to your recordings, and though the music is much different, you have a superbly clean mix and fully respected when I listened.
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I've been at this probably 25 years, in various capacities, so I can say that it starts out as feel, goes very numbers-oriented, then comes out the other side again as all feel.

I'd love to spend an hour with your mix. I'd do it as a hobby, just to get more experience.

Now, you may or may not know but I am a semi-pro mastering engineer. So if you wanted I could try my hand at that too (though to be honest, you should never have your mixing engineer also be our mastering engineer, because they get too precious with their mix).

I look forward to your PM!
 
VanillaGorilla said:
No, no one that was in the band is still a musician.
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Ok; I thought maybe that's where I'd heard of the band name (I kind of know Kris because our fathers were best friends in HS), but maybe I'm just making up the memory.
 
GriLtCheeZ said:
Only the first song would play for me. I'd love to hear the rest of the songs.
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Are you playing from your phone? I think Reverb has an app for phones and does weird stuff like that.

Im at my pc now and can play all the songs from this link:
...

EDIT:
Nevermind. I sent in a request to them No matter what I did, only the first song will play for me now too... UGH...

Today is the day I set up accounts for Bandcamp, Soundcloud, etc., So I should have other listening options I can post by days end.
 
I used to do commercial midi loops in my studio overseas with Cool Edit Pro and Cakewalk, although I started with the original Apple computer and Mastertracks....the pacman of midi history. Used a Korg M1 for many, many years....that was fine...built in dynamics, swing tempo, eq..etc...but I did studio recording as a sideman for many Taiwanese pop stars and there's nothing like a really expensive tube microphone in a booth with an actual engineer running the board....problem with home recording was pushing play, then trying to instantly get into a part with an analog instrument or voice. The only time I tried hiring pros and working in a real studio in Hawaii, it cost me over 3k to record 7 tracks on one song..mostly paying union scale to a Jamaican guitarist and a Jamaican drummer to get properly in the mood while the rest of the band tapped our feet waiting. Never again. I picked up a Fostex 8 track digital recorder that I've tried some demos on and it's just too thin sounding....guess I'd have to run the master through a lot of outboard gear and learn more about how to use it....thinking of using the built in microphone and miking up actual amps next try.
 
riverman said:
I used to do commercial midi loops in my studio overseas with Cool Edit Pro and Cakewalk, although I started with the original Apple computer and Mastertracks....the pacman of midi history. Used a Korg M1 for many, many years....that was fine...built in dynamics, swing tempo, eq..etc...but I did studio recording as a sideman for many Taiwanese pop stars and there's nothing like a really expensive tube microphone in a booth with an actual engineer running the board....problem with home recording was pushing play, then trying to instantly get into a part with an analog instrument or voice. The only time I tried hiring pros and working in a real studio in Hawaii, it cost me over 3k to record 7 tracks on one song..mostly paying union scale to a Jamaican guitarist and a Jamaican drummer to get properly in the mood while the rest of the band tapped our feet waiting. Never again. I picked up a Fostex 8 track digital recorder that I've tried some demos on and it's just too thin sounding....guess I'd have to run the master through a lot of outboard gear and learn more about how to use it....thinking of using the built in microphone and miking up actual amps next try.
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Once you go digital (I had a fostex digi 8 track at one point myself), its not so much the recording device that helps the warmth of the sound, but the preamps that you are going through prior to the recording devise. I learned this going from the MBoxPro with PT7 to PT9 and getting a presonus preamp. Presonus is mid grade semipro at best, but it was still hands down better. Warmer, fuller and crisper than simply going direct into a tabletop recording device.
I shared a basement next door with the percussionist from Pink Martini for a couple years downtown in our rehearsal space prior to purchasing my house. Martin taught me a ton of stuff about micing and preamps. I have 7 mics on my kit. He had two. His recordins were kicking mine in the ass in all aspects. But the thing was, I had $800 invested in 7 mics. He had $3000 invested in two mics. I had $3500 invested into a 32 channel Presonus studiolive with preamps. He has $7000 invested in a two channel ( f0rgot the brand name) preamp.

The difference was night and day. Wish I had that kinda money to spend on gear, but you piece it together one toy at a time. I bought some monitor speakers and a Yamaha keyboard off him. He game me a screaming deal. Incredibly great person.
 
I always remember that the Beach Boys used a chevy oval car radio speaker to mix Good Vibrations...how they got that bass vocal mix is still a mystery to me without blowing out a small speaker
 
I have shared my music on countless occasions but, since the band is defunct and I an now currently writing for a new project, I decided to make all downloads free for my band's last album. Give it a listen. It isn't the best recording, as we recorded and mixed it ourselves. But I am still proud of what we did, and it was a giant learning experience. I now know what to do and not to do for the future (at least some of it).
I know the drums don't sound dynamic enough, the backup vocals sound awkward in the mix, and my lead vocals are far from perfect (that's what happens when you lay down a couple of takes, and your drummer is mixing the album without your feedback).

Anyways. Here is free music.


Ps. This was mastered by Tony Lash (just about the only thing we got right...hehe).

Pss. I can't wait to improve and create new things in the future.
 
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theprunetang said:
I have shared my music on countless occasions but, since the band is defunct and I an now currently writing for a new project, I decided to make all downloads free for my band's last album. Give it a listen. It isn't the best recording, as we recorded and mixed it ourselves. But I am still proud of what we did, and it was a giant learning experience. I now know what to do and not to do for the future (at least some of it).
I know the drums don't sound dynamic enough, the backup vocals sound awkward in the mix, and my lead vocals are far from perfect (that's what happens when you lay down a couple of takes, and your drummer is mixing the album without your feedback).

Anyways. Here is free music.


Ps. This was mastered by Tony Lashley (just about the only thing we got right...hehe).

Pss. I can't wait to improve and create new things in the future.
Click to expand...

Just click the link to download.
 
theprunetang said:
I have shared my music on countless occasions but, since the band is defunct and I an now currently writing for a new project, I decided to make all downloads free for my band's last album. Give it a listen. It isn't the best recording, as we recorded and mixed it ourselves. But I am still proud of what we did, and it was a giant learning experience. I now know what to do and not to do for the future (at least some of it).
I know the drums don't sound dynamic enough, the backup vocals sound awkward in the mix, and my lead vocals are far from perfect (that's what happens when you lay down a couple of takes, and your drummer is mixing the album without your feedback).

Anyways. Here is free music.


Ps. This was mastered by Tony Lash (just about the only thing we got right...hehe).

Pss. I can't wait to improve and create new things in the future.
Click to expand...


Geez. Ive been around here and there in various projects in town for the last 15 years. The more I think Ive learned the more I realize how little I know.

I speak of all the people in town with skills, in good bands with good recordings like this, etc.
Humbling to listen to this...
 
theprunetang said:
I have shared my music on countless occasions but, since the band is defunct and I an now currently writing for a new project, I decided to make all downloads free for my band's last album. Give it a listen. It isn't the best recording, as we recorded and mixed it ourselves. But I am still proud of what we did, and it was a giant learning experience. I now know what to do and not to do for the future (at least some of it).
I know the drums don't sound dynamic enough, the backup vocals sound awkward in the mix, and my lead vocals are far from perfect (that's what happens when you lay down a couple of takes, and your drummer is mixing the album without your feedback).

Anyways. Here is free music.


Ps. This was mastered by Tony Lash (just about the only thing we got right...hehe).

Pss. I can't wait to improve and create new things in the future.
Click to expand...


I want to buy it, but I don't want to download. I want the disc. Are there any left?
 
Orion Bailey said:
I want to buy it, but I don't want to download. I want the disc. Are there any left?
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Are there any left? Hahahahahahaha. There are a lot left actually. A lot. I wish we would have just done a limited vinyl press and had digital downloads with it. You are free to buy one if you want. Still a valid way to do it. But I would probably just send you one for free.
 
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And by the way @Orion Bailey, everything @riverman and @BlazerCaravan have said has been spot on. I really like your vocals. They should be raised up in the mix. And yeah, the guitar sounds a bit thin without some mid tones in there. Their advice trumps mine honestly. But, this is how we learn. Recording is part science and part art and very tough to master. I hope to get there someday, cause I am not there yet.
 
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BlazerCaravan said:
Dang @theprunetang I'm impressed with your music! I want to buy a copy on disc too!
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Thanks man. I am proud of the band even though we never really broke through. Had fun though and got to tour the country. I can't wait to start some new stuff up when I get back. I am going to join my old drummer from this group to play keys and backup vocals in a group he is fronting, starting a new band to release my personal songs, and also starting a collaborative group trying to bring back Electro (think early Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Mantronix, Zapp and Roger etc.
 
If you like electro, check out Phreek Plus One. Compost Records has a bunch of his records out, and as far as I'm concerned, nobody is doing electro better right now.

ETA: Apparently when I say "right now" I mean like 5-8 years ago because I'm that far behind the times.
 
BlazerCaravan said:
If you like electro, check out Phreek Plus One. Compost Records has a bunch of his records out, and as far as I'm concerned, nobody is doing electro better right now.
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I'll definitely do that. I have just always had a dream of being a part of something like that. Every since I discovered that stuff early on in my life. I think I am going to get a group together where you have 15 people on stage dancing and having a good time, with robot vocoder voices and an old school vibe. I will probably throw some droney shoe gaze elements into it as well. Imagine a good DJ spinning classic electro, but easing some eery My Bloody Valentine instrumentals into the background.
 
theprunetang said:
I'll definitely do that. I have just always had a dream of being a part of something like that. Every since I discovered that stuff early on in my life. I think I am going to get a group together where you have 15 people on stage dancing and having a good time, with robot vocoder voices and an old school vibe. I will probably throw some droney shoe gaze elements into it as well. Imagine a good DJ spinning classic electro, but easing some eery My Bloody Valentine instrumentals into the background.
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Ever listen to STS9? Your description reminds me of that vibe.
 
BlazerCaravan said:
Ever listen to STS9? Your description reminds me of that vibe.
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I just listened to Phreek and STS9 for the first time. I like it. I don't get super into modern electronic stuff, but these are good. If both were combined it reminds me of what Diamond Saints are doing. I'm thinking of a much more classic vibe with 808's, vocoders, syncopated programmed analog keys, and bad ass synth bass, with just a little bit of psychedelic shoe gaze stuff acting as filler, but not the main aesthetic takeaway.
 
theprunetang said:
Are there any left? Hahahahahahaha. There are a lot left actually. A lot. I wish we would have just done a limited vinyl press and had digital downloads with it. You are free to buy one if you want. Still a valid way to do it. But I would probably just send you one for free.
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I would gladly pay, if anything to help support fellow artists. But even if I didn't know you from here and just stumbled across the CD I would buy it based off the first two songs I listened to.

Should I just followed the method on the link? :)
 
Orion Bailey said:
I would gladly pay, if anything to help support fellow artists. But even if I didn't know you from here and just stumbled across the CD I would buy it based off the first two songs I listened to.

Should I just followed the method on the link? :)
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Artists gotta support each other. Very much appreciated. AND yeah, as far as I know, the bandcamp payment method is still valid.
 
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