No Thought Crime

[rayc]

I've sorted out where I'm going and what I'm doing with m newest track.
I've played around with various different bass tracks.
I tried for a steady chug and could get the timing right but it sounded weak because I was concentrating on timing and not getting into it.
I've settled on something that follows the riff/progression a little too closely but have thrown in the variation during the verses.
The structure is intro chorus verse chorus verse chorus m8 chorus chorus chorus.
Guitar tracks are Mustang into Marshall sometimes with SD1 and sometimes with XP in front of that.
Bass is Vantage into BDI21 with some over drive added in the box.
Drums and organ are BIAB.
The track is only 3 min but I didn't top & tail the file so it appears rather longer.

JAN2020bC.mp3

Brighter? Bassier?

JAN2020bD.mp3

REorganized the organ - (pun?) with correct chords, added a place holder solo and added some top end to the guitars.

JAN2020bE2.mp3

I may retrack some of the guitars but will have to try some different mic placements 1st.
I've re-tracked guitars using some top boost for a pair and some mid boost to another pair, (some honk).

JAN2020bF.mp3

I dumped half of yesterday's retracking and added a new pair of guitar tracks - this time through my tint Kustom Defender H5.
They're a bit brighter but also more distorted by that little amp running at 2.
A left & right honk track from yesterday, the slightly breaking up rhythm tracks from way back & a left n right from the H5...

JAN2020Gb.mp3

Hmm, too many guitars (double/blended mics for most) so I've halve it all by choosing one of the two mics from each take & then one from each pair of double tracks.
Hard panned the Kustom and Honk (use my Ibanez old timey EQ) Marshall selections L & R with older rhythm tracks at about 80% L & R
Organ for solos (yikes) and pulled back some of the presence in the bass as well as the top end of the kit, (the kit's high end was VERY full and masking some of the guitar top end - worlds of difference when the drums were muted).

JAN2020Gc.mp3

Any suggestions?

Yes, needs solos for intro & M8 as well as a voice.

Lyrics thus far...(updated 15-01/20)
No Thought Crime
intro
C1
This is not thought crime.
Don’t you see,
We are out of time?
We’re out of time.
V1
There’s nowhere to hide,
When you and me makes two.
In a private hell and overcoat,
Like wearing dead man's shoes.
Dancing in dystopia
Language as a gaol.
Self-fulfilling bureaucracy,
Hammers the nail
C2
No, this is not pantomime.
‘neath the chestnut tree,
We are out of time.
We’re out of time.
V2
We are the dead, you & me,
That is crystalline
Rewrite our history,
Truth claims our last line.
Walking up stairs again,
Screams behind the grate.
At today’s iteration,
For now, we wait.
C3
Waiting for the bells to chime,
Julia spat,
We are out of time.
We’re out of time.
Solo
C4
This is not thought crime,
See it on the screen,
We are out of time.
We’re out of time
C5
This is not my thought crime,
Two plus two makes five.
We are out of time.
We’re out of time.
OUTRO
No, this is your thought crime,
Can’t you see,
We are out of time?
We’re out of time.

[vomitHatSteve]

FIrst impression is that it's a little dark. I think that may be the guitar tone. Vocals taking up some space in the upper mids to highs may offset that tho.

[rayc]

FIrst impression is that it's a little dark. I think that may be the guitar tone. Vocals taking up some space in the upper mids to highs may offset that tho.

I agree Steve,
They're only power chords on the E & A strings so not much high content.
I'm planning an "accent" guitar to provide the uppers.
Thanks.

[TripleM]

I agree that vocals could really fill out the mix.

The other thing I noticed was that there wasn't much "umph" from the low end. The kick was OK. But the bass wasn't pulsing.

[rayc]

I agree that vocals could really fill out the mix.
The other thing I noticed was that there wasn't much "umph" from the low end. The kick was OK. But the bass wasn't pulsing.

Ta MMM,
I'll address the bass of the bass.

[rayc]

JAN2020bD.mp3

[mention]vomitHatSteve[/mention] & [mention]TripleM[/mention] ,
I THINK I've addressed the issues you raised.
With regard to a lack of top end I've added a single coil guitar track or two and it's a little brighter.
I seem to have inadvertently created a low shelf cut on the bass which has now been removed (don't know how I did that!).
There're a couple of late hits from the accent guitar that I need to address.
THANKS chaps.

[JD01]

OK, time to catch up from the Christmas break!
Listening to the latest mix.
1st thought is that the bass, is really present in the mix - like its all mid and nothing else.
The left guitar is a bit dark, possibly a little quieter than the right, although maybe its just not cutting through at all.

[vomitHatSteve]

Yeah, new version is definitely a touch brighter. Did you bring the organ up too?

[WhiskeyJack]

I want to say there is something or somethings creating a weird bumnote from 0:07-0:09 .It sounds really odd. Like a player hit a wrong note and fumbled around a bit. I want to say it might be that organ track conflicting with the bass perhaps. But i can't be certain?

Anyone else hear that ? I am listening to the latest mix : Jan2020bD

I feel like that organ is sort of all over the place. How does the organ work in BiaB [mention]rayc[/mention] ? IS it like an automatic thing? like does it read ahead the notes you play and just shit something out? Or do you have to program the notes you want it to play and it comes up with something on it's own?

[rayc]

Thats VHS.
[mention]WhiskeyJack[/mention] ,
The organ follows the chords it read in its program. BIAB isn't able to read & play more than two chords in a bar and there're a few bars that have BIAB confused so it chose weird, inappropriate chords. I haven't sat down with the prog to remap the chords to those that best fit as I was waiting to see if they were weird enough to bother someone...now it has so now I will - thanks.

[WhiskeyJack]

Thats VHS.
@WhiskeyJack ,
The organ follows the chords it read in its program. BIAB isn't able to read & play more than two chords in a bar and there're a few bars that have BIAB confused so it chose weird, inappropriate chords. I haven't sat down with the prog to remap the chords to those that best fit as I was waiting to see if they were weird enough to bother someone...now it has so now I will - thanks.

Sorry man. it just sticks out quite a bit in some places. that time stamp i provided is probably the worst of it. Followed closely by the random sporadic nature of the 'playing' in some spots. Just doesn't feel natural or lend it self to your Ray Vibe. I think 100% fur sure the sound and texture you are wanting will work, you just need to hammer out how to get the right notes in the right spot is all.

[rayc]

[mention]WhiskeyJack[/mention] ,
No apologies necessary mate. It's that sort of door knock I'm after...I'm not inclined to keep the organ as it's playing style is at odds - just a fill in to provide ideas - the best idea being to dump it.

[TripleM]

The low end is thumping much better in the second version. Nice.

[rayc]

The low end is thumping much better in the second version. Nice.

Thanks [mention]TripleM[/mention] I need the nudge to go back in and find my mistake.
[mention]WhiskeyJack[/mention] , has the new version - E2 sorted the bum notes?

[rayc]

New version in the OP.

[Greg_L]

Ray I like where this is headed. I think the guitar tones are struggling a little though. They're kind of fizzy and the distortion character is not right for tune IMO. The organ parts seem pretty cool, but whatever that organ "solo" thing is doing is a mess. Can I jump in on this and do some guitars?

[rayc]

Ray I like where this is headed. I think the guitar tones are struggling a little though. They're kind of fizzy and the distortion character is not right for tune IMO. The organ parts seem pretty cool, but whatever that organ "solo" thing is doing is a mess. Can I jump in on this and do some guitars?

Greg,
Yeah - the struggle between not bright & fizzy is awful. The organ solo is just a place holder but the edited bits during the song seem ok.
If you'd like to add guitar - go for it. I'll send you the progression though i doubt you'd need it.

[WhiskeyJack]

Ill give this a listen in the a.m. [mention]rayc[/mention] ive been on the go for two days. Tomorrow is a rest up day. Sorry dude.

[WhiskeyJack]

The low end is thumping much better in the second version. Nice.

Thanks @TripleM I need the nudge to go back in and find my mistake.
@WhiskeyJack , has the new version - E2 sorted the bum notes?

Hmm i can't really tell now that there is a guitar solo kind of blanketing the whole thing that also seems a bit wild and unruly but given the nature of your chord progression i guess it would almost kind to have to be all over the place. I also think that the one you referenced me too is now obsolete.

I am listening to January2020Gc.mp3 and first impressions are the organs don't really seem to hit anything i would call a bum note. If there is a bum note in there now you could file it under jazz structuring and call it a day.

They, the organs, do still seem pretty wild and over the place. Forgive my ignorance here with musical terms but you may well be able to tame that wild and robotic feel to the organs by taking away the organ matching the guitar note for note timing / progressing? Like maybe try to find a organ note that harmonizes or whatever with the first two guitar chords and so and so on. I am sure there is a fancy technical term for that method but it might tame it and make it feel less mechanical and cushion the cool guitar riffing? Just a thought from where i sit.