My band's latest demo ... finally

Thanks DMC. Re: YouTube - due to my confusion with MovieMaker there's a ton of dead space at the end of the vids. We plant to replace the weakest tracks on our website (embedded vids) with the two strongest ones from this session so I'll have to replace them. So your words will be lost when I replace the vids. Thanks for asking, though!

As for BMs - love it! Well suited to my band's middle aged digestive systems :) I just use the abbreviation because they're "unofficial" releases and for some unknown reason one or two of the band care about our "branding". Perhaps to boost our rep in preparation for a possible gala performance at the Small Valley Primary School Fete supporting Koko the Klown's Amazing Disappearing Rabbits or something - yeeha

Thanks Steve. LTNS - how's your band doing? Still together? My practice routine is an undisciplined joke compared with the intelligent approach of most people on this forum. I have a few practice pads and I play along with my iPod's Steely Dan playlist until I feel like doing something else - that's pretty well been it for months :)

I did recently have an epiphany, though (sadly after the session). I didn't realise that I'd been gradually hitting harder and then one rehearsal I played poorly because the band requires much lower hands - tapping rather than "hitting into the drums" as per rock playing. So I turned the iPod way down to force me to tone down and relax more. Feeling much more comfortable playing now.

Let me know when the edited songs are up and I will put some some comments. Good comments are like gold on YouTube - rare, much sought-after and beautiful to have.
 
Let me know when the edited songs are up and I will put some some comments. Good comments are like gold on YouTube - rare, much sought-after and beautiful to have.

Thanks DMC, much appreciated. I finally fixed the video length issue.

I did some Googling, and of course I wasn't the first person to run into this problem with MovieMaker. The answer is to save the MP3 at 320 kbs at a constant bitrate (go figure - no one tells you these things).
 
Larry, if you're reading this, I took your advice here on Man's World:

the climax of the solo could have been much more effective IMO

Since that comment I've been giving it a bit more oomph. A recording from last week (with harp player friend of the keyboardist sitting in) is attached so you can hear how the protegé is going ... I've been watching my tempo in the buildup of First Time EISYF too :)

Very helpful!
 

Attachments

  • man's world 14jul11.mp3
    4.3 MB · Views: 79
Well Pol, it might be a man's world, but the touch of a talented woman here is oh so welcome. Although the recording is bass guitar weighted in places, I love this recording. The harp really helps put layers into the overall sound, but the biggest difference is your playing. Wow, wow, & wow again. What interpretation, what feel, what dynamic, what expression, fabulous! Lovely build & release. Don't change a thing (except buying the keys player a new organ module, lol). Best ever Pol, & by some margin.

P.S. I'm listening through my new reference cans, so now I can be extra picky!
 
Thanks Andy! I didn't get much in the zone when we did the demo - with Glenn being a bit off his game (I play off his energy a lot) and the general weirdness of headphones and mics and "rolling ...". You know how it is ... it all feels so much more uninhibited at practice.

There were a couple of songs where Matt's harp really added and this was one of them. I hadn't played with a harp player for over 30 years so that was fun. Give me time with the keys sound ... he's like a deer and will run the other way if not approached carefully :)

What brand are the cans? I need a new pair - my ones only work on one side now :(
 
Thanks Andy! I didn't get much in the zone when we did the demo - with Glenn being a bit off his game (I play off his energy a lot) and the general weirdness of headphones and mics and "rolling ...". You know how it is ... it all feels so much more uninhibited at practice.

There were a couple of songs where Matt's harp really added and this was one of them. I hadn't played with a harp player for over 30 years so that was fun. Give me time with the keys sound ... he's like a deer and will run the other way if not approached carefully :)

What brand are the cans? I need a new pair - my ones only work on one side now :(
I'm completely with you on the stiff nature of tracking stuff vs, just playing the damn tune. Got that feeling last week myself.

Cans are Beyerdynamic DT880's No good for tracking as they're semi open back, but just superb for mixing & general detailed lstening. They are about as transparent as you can get without paying really stupid cash sums. I don't like closed back cans. The bass is always coloured/scewed. These cans have the most speaker style representitive bottom end I've tried under £500 GBP (these cost me just under £200). Be careful to match the resistance to your listening environment. They (like many pro audiophile cans) come in 32, 300, or 600 Ohm versions. If you're mainly listening at home from digital sources, go for 32 Ohm, otherwise go for 300 or 600 for mainly studio use, but you'll need a chunky headphone amp to use them for typical home sources.

Sorry, got a bit techy there. Amazing cans, really!
 
Oh yeah, I forgot you were due to be recording. Whaddya do? Front up and hope the muse is with you on the day. Howja go? Look forward to hearing the latest ...

Ta for the headphone tip. 30 ohms it is. I'm clueless with that stuff - an archetypal drummer - set up, go blatt blatt blatt, tear down. So this info's useful :)
 
Oh yeah, I forgot you were due to be recording. Whaddya do? Front up and hope the muse is with you on the day. Howja go? Look forward to hearing the latest ...

Ta for the headphone tip. 30 ohms it is. I'm clueless with that stuff - an archetypal drummer - set up, go blatt blatt blatt, tear down. So this info's useful :)
32 Ohms! Those cans are a good few $, but they're sooooo bloody good. Not "impressive" sounding, just damn accurate. I love German cans & mic's because they're so uncoloured. Product of a real "lab standard is best" mentality.

As for recordings, they're all out to be posted next Wednesday (27th). My experimental drum kit recorded "au naturale" C/W video, & two band cover tracks from the same session (2 days). Hope you like them as much as I like your latest stuff.
 
Uh ... yeah ... 32 . I was only 2 ohms off, though. That's not so bad, hey? 8O}

This is way offtopic but what's the difference between "impressive" and "accurate"? Do some phones enhance/reduce certain frequencies as a sweetener? I prefer my sounds with not too much processing anyway, so accurate works for me.

Happy with the sound of the woody kit so far? Looking forward to the next episode :)
 
This is way offtopic but what's the difference between "impressive" and "accurate"? Do some phones enhance/reduce certain frequencies as a sweetener?
Oh yes, especially the cheaper stuff designed for general consumption. By "impressive" I mean typically extended bottom end & highs. Think in terms of "smiley" EQ. Even some of the high priced stuff offers a coloured delivery. I've tested quite a few cans. These DT880's were the cheapest of the bunch, & by far the best for getting a true representation of the quality of mix & recording. If you wanted cans for general listening pleasure, these probably aren't the first choice for many, they're too searching in that context.
 
Oh yes, especially the cheaper stuff designed for general consumption. By "impressive" I mean typically extended bottom end & highs. Think in terms of "smiley" EQ. Even some of the high priced stuff offers a coloured delivery. I've tested quite a few cans. These DT880's were the cheapest of the bunch, & by far the best for getting a true representation of the quality of mix & recording. If you wanted cans for general listening pleasure, these probably aren't the first choice for many, they're too searching in that context.

Good to know - thanks for this info, Andy. If the music sounds good then it's a pleasure, if not, then there's no airbrushing.


http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=42373&d=1310993525
 
Of course, if you know your monitoring system well enough you can produce a decent mix on just about anything. All my recent mixes have been done on my Sennheiser HD200s, which aren't especially high-end headphones, but I've been using them for so long now that I know more or less exactly how a mix will translate to speakers.
 
Of course, if you know your monitoring system well enough you can produce a decent mix on just about anything. All my recent mixes have been done on my Sennheiser HD200s, which aren't especially high-end headphones, but I've been using them for so long now that I know more or less exactly how a mix will translate to speakers.
Yes, great cans for the price. & you're right, once you're used to how things translate from one medium to another, you can use pretty much what you want, to a point. As a side issue, I always find that even the best cans give a false impression of effects, especially reverb. Just when you think you've got enough through the cans, you put it up on speakers, & it's drier than you thought. Just a snippet.
 
I also find it's much easier to mix one element way louder than it should be on headphones. On speakers you get the impression of depth slightly more.
 
Love this sidenote conversation lol

I reckon the killers are pro studio speakers. It NEVER sounds the same anywhere else. The bottom end will sound like glorious thunder through those things and then when you listen on on normal systems it sounds overdone on the bottom end.

Looks like Larry's missed the change I made based on his advice *shrugs*
 
Love this sidenote conversation lol

I reckon the killers are pro studio speakers. It NEVER sounds the same anywhere else. The bottom end will sound like glorious thunder through those things and then when you listen on on normal systems it sounds overdone on the bottom end.

Looks like Larry's missed the change I made based on his advice *shrugs*
Send him a PM. Senility is a mix we all try to cut through eventually.

Yes, the big studio "impress the client" speaker set. Great for checking out conflicting bass tones/frequencies, but not much else. Always mix on the smallest set in the control room, with just the occasional check on the biggies, more for fun than anything else.

BTW, I'll just say again, in case the casual thread visitor thinks this is a cans thread, you're latest recording is just great. LARRY'S advice was right on the money! Nurse, give Larry a nudge please.
 
Maybe Larry is having his Butt Strap seen to by the nurse and that's why he hasn't checked it out?
 
Hey Polly,

This new recording sounds great! I like the changes you made, nice dynamics..and some authoritative fills in there! Nicely done.
 
Sorry Pol, I just go back...I was on vacation...and then my dog ate my computer...plus I just got over being sick where I couldn't hear anything for like a week. Add to that the fact that I couldn't type because while on vacation in Tahiti I contracted Boli-Boli disease and had wild uncontrollable gestures with my hands...I'm all better now though... I broke my wife's nose though, poor thing.... Yea, I had to travel to Bora-Bora to get a witch doctor to get me some root medicine she fresh picked and boiled down from the forest. Yea that's it....I went into a trance for 3 days and my leg fell off but it's growing back nicely and I am almost back to normal. (Luckily I can still play my kick drum with my man parts) Forgiven?

OK so I listened to the new take. I liked it a lot. Then I listened to the old take. I liked that too. Then I re-read my critique on the first take and thought it was too harsh. It was like I over focused on it. I think that most of it was due to the fact that your style of playing and mine have their differences. This time around I listened more from your point of view rather than what I would have done with the song. Too many cooks spoil the broth type thing. The ideas I stated in my first critique were based on all my little tricks I use for slow blues. I've amassed a little armory of things I do in slow blues because I play slow blues quite a bit. They are part and parcel to my particular style and to try and take little bits here and there of my style and say "do this"....it's a little out of context. TBH I thought out of the songs you originally posted, this one wasn't the one I would have redone.

I love your cross stick tone. It sounds like you played the new take with more authority. (I'll show them!) The harp worked very well I thought. I would like to hear some rim with your backbeat just for the tone. I'd say that to just about any backbeat though, I like to hear shell and overtones. The drum part sounded more connected to me this time around, like you were more invested in the vocal, especially at the end.

I liked the music better on the latest take but I prefer the overall recorded sound of the first take. Not your doing but worth mentioning. I also heard some unwanted noise in the front of the new track, what was that? Are you redoing any others?
 
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