"Say You're Sorry" - new VHS original

[vomitHatSteve]

Most recent mix (flac)

Final mix: With video!
[BBvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhVcwx5pwUM[/BBvideo]

Hi folks! I mentioned that I'm working on a new song with a bunch of mode changes, and here it is!

My biggest concerns with the mix are:
a) How do the drums sound? I got some new VSTis and expansions for EZD. Is this one sounding decent?
b) How's the lead? I've got two versions of the song one with and one without leads. I don't know how I feel about the part. If I should scrap it or edit down or what.

SayYoureSorry no lead.mp3

*edit* Here's that missing version with lead.

SayYoureSorry with lead.mp3

Mix 2

SayYoureSorry.mp3

Mix 3

SayYoureSorry.mp3

[rayc]

The intro sounds more like clanking chains than highhat cymbals.
The pattern in the intro also reminds me of something from Dark Side of the Moon.
The snare sounds like a VHS nare but the high hats through out seem wrong to me.
Everything else sounds like it's happening.

[JD01]

Steve, not sure what you've done to the cymbals in the intro, but I don't think its quite working... I know you'll want to do something weird with these, why not a stereo delay or something.

Like the change at 30s, wasn't expecting that.
I was expecting you to make a change at 50s, but what you did wasn't what I expected!
Can barely hear the kick when the heavy bit comes in.
Your hats still sound weird - a bit of a more conventional sound hear might help.
Maybe turn your guitars down a touch and bring your weird noises up a touch. You might be able to get away with just bringing the weird noises up but I think you'll looose the vocal then.

[vomitHatSteve]

Thanks folks.

Oh. The "hats" at the beginning aren't the hats. I believe those are a sound effect from Warcraft I. I could see the "Money" comparison there, yeah. Prior to the pickup at 0:48, the actual hats are only doing a soft clamp on the quarter notes. The actual hats are most audible in the choruses (e.g. 1:17) where they're doing the disco beat.

More kick, you're probably right. I'll check that guitar level too.

Oh shoot! it didn't post the version with lead for whatever reason. Lemme re-upload that.

[SweetDan]

b) How's the lead? I've got two versions of the song one with and one without leads. I don't know how I feel about the part. If I should scrap it or edit down or what.

I think you should keep the lead; I like the tune better with it. However, I think arrangement-wise, you'd do well to strip it down a bit; for example, leave it in the intro, but cut it from the first part (or maybe the entirety) of the first verse.

[vomitHatSteve]

Thanks, all.
New mix is up.

More bass. A ton of automation on the leads. Some automation on vox in the beginning. Fixed an editing mistake where the kick drum was deleted until after the bridge (friggen' Reaper!) Less snare.

[JD01]

LOL - you left the kick out? No wonder I couldn't hear it!

Steve, I've just listened to Mix 2... I think you're there.
Typical VHS madness but I can hear all the bits and they're doing exactly what you want them to I reckon!

Took me ages to get your music, but I'm there now.

[rayc]

New Mix.
Now I know the cymbals aren't cymbals I can move on from that.
The kick drum is getting lost in the busy parts.
maybe pan the cymbals a bit more as it all sounds a abit narrow.
Doesn't sound as near to "normal" as parts of the last album but it certainly works well within the VHS genre envelope.

[Alison]

Love this! Damn, I am learning a lot from all of you. Whatever you did with the cymbals is great, very unique. I agree with another comment about the kick drum, would love to hear a bit more "body" to it. My music is SO different. . . not too sure I fit in, but, I'm learning a lot!

[vomitHatSteve]

Mix 3
Way more kick (probably too much now)
Updated panning on crashes (averaging 40-60% pan instead of either 0 or 75%)
EQ tweaks on vox: -2.5db at 350Hz on lead and -5db at 350Hz on bgvox.

JD: thank you!
Ray: Yeah, this song is a little goofier than the album was. Since it's a stand-alone song, it doesn't need to mesh with the rest of the story as well. (Plus, I haven't had Massive give it a once-over)
Alison: Everything fits in! The more variety of music we have, the more we all grow in our listening and production skills.

[rayc]

Alison: Everything fits in! The more variety of music we have, the more we all grow in our listening and production skills.

I like the extra ooomph of the kick - it's a better match for the growling bass now.
I like this song.

[musicturtle]

Last mix is really good I think.

Background vox on "you're the best around" on the intro - great touch there

Are those some bent circuits I hear in there?

[vomitHatSteve]

Last mix is really good I think.

Background vox on "you're the best around" on the intro - great touch there

Are those some bent circuits I hear in there?

I'm glad you caught that reference!

All the glitchiness in this one was software this time. (Other than that I use a CB drum toy for sequencing the midi)

[einstein magoo]

Great work! Only thing I am lacking is my own ability to hear the first 3-6 words of each verse. You may be using dynamics for affect but I have to really lean in to make out those first couple words on the verses. I really like the bridge! Listened to mix 3. Nice!

[vomitHatSteve]

Thanks, Einstein. (That phrase will never not be funny to me!)

The final mix (found in the flac link at the very top), has a little less kick than 3, but I'm happy overall. Volume of the first lines is probably about my deliver more than mixing. I should probably work on keeping my mic distance appropriate.

[rayc]

FLAC MIX...
I hadn't noticed the vocals at the beginning of sections being quieter - probably because I usually listen on headphones but EM is correct - it varies from almost mumbled to clear.
Not an issue on headphones though.
This mix is the fix for everything else.

[JD01]

Steve, I've been waking up the last couple of nights with this stuck in my head. Its driving me fucking mental. A right ear-worm.

[vomitHatSteve]

Steve, I've been waking up the last couple of nights with this stuck in my head. Its driving me fucking mental. A right ear-worm.

Ehhhhxcellent!

[JD01]

Steve, I've been waking up the last couple of nights with this stuck in my head. Its driving me fucking mental. A right ear-worm.

Ehhhhxcellent!

I've been really ill with man-flu the last couple of days so been a bit feverish. This song has been the soundtrack to my nightmares.

[musicturtle]

Maybe it's the footage of the old video game, but this main riff really has a video game sound track feel to it. Catchy as hell.