Dust - New Song

[JD01]

Don't feel quite there with this one yet. What you think. I'm pretty sure I want to re-record the guitar solo, it just sounds a bit shit and is a bit boring.

Dust Mix 1.mp3

Dust - Mix 2.mp3

Dust - Mix 3.mp3

Dust Mix 5.mp3

Dust - Mix 6.mp3

Dust - Mix 7.mp3

The Waste Land.mp3

[WhiskeyJack]

I'll give this a listen in my vehicle when we get going.

[Armistice]

Nice tune, but agree on the solo - cold use a rethink. I'm imagining something that has more of a climax at the end - maybe a couple of bars of simple but effective pulls and hammers up high somewhere... or something like that. Needs a bit of pace to work with the song.

Otherwise, nice work!

[JD01]

Shit... went to listen to this this morning and it wasn't quite sounding right. It appears that I didn't save it after I rendered the version I have above. There's even some vocal tracks that have been recorded for the above mix which aren't in my current version... Any idea how I can find them and get them back into the project?

[Armistice]

Have you looked in the directory to see if the .wavs of the "missing" vocals are there?

When you shut down Reaper without saving I would imagine it only doesn't save the Reaper work file - and that the actual tracks you recorded would still be in the song directory and that you could manually reimport them.

Just a guess, I've never actually done this and always always always Ctrl S after doing a bunch of takes, well before mixing them.

[JD01]

Just a guess, I've never actually done this and always always always Ctrl S after doing a bunch of takes, well before mixing them.

I've never done it before either.

[Greg_L]

I think this is probably one of your better written songs that I've heard. Mix wise it's ok. Not terrible, not great. I think, as usual, your guitars get all the attention and everything else sorts of gets sent to the cheap seats. The drums and bass are really boomy and resonating in the low mids and pretty mucky. The kick is bouncyball-ish and seems to be more forward than the snare. That's kind of weird. I almost wanted to critique the almost spoken-word-esque vocals, but they're on time and pretty on pitch so leave it. I'd like to hear more energy in the vocals but these aint bad. The vocal mix is pretty good though. I can make out your words which is a welcome improvement. There's room to bring them up even more if you want.

The solo...I can tell you what's wrong with the solo - it has no feeling or expression. And I swear to all things holy and unholy that it pains me deeply to use terms like feeling and expression, but that's what it is. All your scales and theory roadmaps don't make up for a lack of energy. And I can say that as someone that knows jack shit about scales and theory but knows everything about energy. That's what it lacks. The notes and phrasing are fine. It just needs to be played with some gusto. Use some vibrato. Use some bends. Be a little imperfect. It's ok. It's rock and roll.

[JD01]

I think this is probably one of your better written songs that I've heard. Mix wise it's ok. Not terrible, not great. I think, as usual, your guitars get all the attention and everything else sorts of gets sent to the cheap seats. The drums and bass are really boomy and resonating in the low mids and pretty mucky. The kick is bouncyball-ish and seems to be more forward than the snare. That's kind of weird. I almost wanted to critique the almost spoken-word-esque vocals, but they're on time and pretty on pitch so leave it. I'd like to hear more energy in the vocals but these aint bad. The vocal mix is pretty good though. I can make out your words which is a welcome improvement. There's room to bring them up even more if you want.

The solo...I can tell you what's wrong with the solo - it has no feeling or expression. And I swear to all things holy and unholy that it pains me deeply to use terms like feeling and expression, but that's what it is. All your scales and theory roadmaps don't make up for a lack of energy. And I can say that as someone that knows jack shit about scales and theory but knows everything about energy. That's what it lacks. The notes and phrasing are fine. It just needs to be played with some gusto. Use some vibrato. Use some bends. Be a little imperfect. It's ok. It's rock and roll.

Cheers Greg - I'm going to have another punt at this mix tomorrow and re-sing some of the vocals. Its hard to get the energy I want into the vocal performance 'cos its pretty low in my register. An octave higher is too high for me... I don't have much range. The higher harmonies which are at a good pitch for me help bring it alive so I might add a few more to the last lines of the verses too.

I actually might re-track the bass on the Mustang - its a really fun bassline to play and it should be easy on the shorter scale. I listened to this in the car earlier and could totally hear what you mean about the snare - I think it just has way too much reverb on it.

I totally agree about the solo lacking energy - its basically under-written and under-played 'cos I was running out of time. To me it sounds like a placeholder that I never went back to. I'm pleased with the other lead guitars, particular the more free-style stuff at the end.

[Armistice]

So did you find all the bits of your song? Or do you have retracking to do?

[JD01]

So did you find all the bits of your song? Or do you have retracking to do?

Re-tracked it - wasn't particularly happy with what I had anyway.

[vomitHatSteve]

Cheers Greg - I'm going to have another punt at this mix tomorrow and re-sing some of the vocals. Its hard to get the energy I want into the vocal performance 'cos its pretty low in my register. An octave higher is too high for me... I don't have much range. The higher harmonies which are at a good pitch for me help bring it alive so I might add a few more to the last lines of the verses too.

Why not tweak the arrangement so the higher harmonies are the melody and the lower parts are the harmony?
Then you can do the energetic delivery of the higher notes, and the lower ones can be the tonal reinforcement.

[JD01]

Cheers Greg - I'm going to have another punt at this mix tomorrow and re-sing some of the vocals. Its hard to get the energy I want into the vocal performance 'cos its pretty low in my register. An octave higher is too high for me... I don't have much range. The higher harmonies which are at a good pitch for me help bring it alive so I might add a few more to the last lines of the verses too.

Why not tweak the arrangement so the higher harmonies are the melody and the lower parts are the harmony?
Then you can do the energetic delivery of the higher notes, and the lower ones can be the tonal reinforcement.

I did that, sounded shite... well I thought so. Whatever, its not how I was imagining it.

Anyway, mix 2. I've bunged it in the original post - made quite a lot of little changes actually, lets see if they actually sound different when I compare it to mix 1. I like the site player for direct comparisons bar for bar.

[musicturtle]

Your vocals are really getting better.

I like this song, it's a bit different than some of yours but still has your flavor to it.

I think the verse parts sound great all around.

My nits would be...

Bring up the little lead guitar part between the verse and chorus. Making it more of a build up.

Maybe try harmonies throughout the chorus. Same basic part, but just harmonies for every line. Would set it apart from the verse and give it more energy.

Guitar solo is lacking excitement and you and the other have mentioned already.

[TripleM]

Overall I think this is a decent mix.

It's not your typical drum sound. The snare sounds "too big" for this style. It's like an arena rock band. The kick has a basketball sound (although it's improved in mix 2).

I think the bass guitar is too heavy for your stuff.

Your singing and vocal recordings are really getting good.

I like the guitar parts - or at least the concept. Agree on re-doing the lead. But conceptually how you've put together the parts is a good start.

[WhiskeyJack]

Coming in on Mix 2 here JD. And I don't really have any nits really. The kick does kind of sound like a basketball actually. I've read that few times on here in the last few weeks and it a good description word. no idea why i have never heard it like that before. not just yours here but elsewhere as well. basketballish. I can't comment too much on your solos. there's a lot of them that's for sure. Your vox are nestled in there pretty nicely and have a nice space around them. something odd about the bass i can't quite put my finger on. It works and is sat in the mix ok just the over all sound kinda takes up a lot of real estate in what i hear. if that makes sense. It's not overly married into the guitars mixwise maybe.

It has a bit of room to blossom.

[JD01]

Cheers Shan.

[JD01]

OK - Mix 3 - I think this is sorted now. Including the proper solo

[Alison]

I have nothing to say about the mix. I've only listened to the latest (sorry, time is my enemy these days) but I have to say, your vocals keep improving with everything I have listened to lately (as you know, I am a vocal person). The guitar break was pretty smooth too. I like it.

[JD01]

OK, quite an extensive reworking on this one, mainly with respect to the drums. But I then had to put the whole mix back together.

Dust Mix 5.mp3

[rayc]

Cool song.
The vocals are pretty good...a little buried but that's your way.
Bass seems good, drums are improved.
Nice one.