Tennessee Whiskey

Your Mom loves your mixes, but are they really up to scratch? Post your tracks here and get the community's feedback to help with the spit and polish. Impress us! We don't bite.
Post Reply
User avatar
paulman
Posts: 676
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:53 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

Tennessee Whiskey

Post by paulman »

Okay, I'm officially fucking done with amp plugins. I made the mistake of using Amplitube to record the lead guitar on this instead of my Line 6 unit, and had a hell of a time getting a tone that sounded decent after the fact. I tried demos of their Hendrix stuff because I wanted a molten sound on the main solo, and it sounded like absolute shit. Their free amp models actually sounded better, so that's what I ended up using (along with a Studer tape plugin and a couple of other things to try to soften it up). It doesn't have that smoldering Hendrixy tone I wanted, but I think it's passable. Please PLEASE tell me if you think otherwise. I don't want to retrack, but I will if I have to.

This is the other song I recorded with my friend Kelly last weekend, though on this one she's the harmony and I'm the lead.


NEW MIX WITH NEW VOCAL:


Old mix:
Last edited by paulman on Mon Sep 04, 2017 3:33 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
JD01
Posts: 15816
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:11 pm
Location: Wales, UK

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by JD01 »

Its a little bit hissy - its not even a really problem, but I noticed it immediately.
The acoustic is alright... sounds a bit dull and lifeless compared with everything else though
Bass sounds great.
Vocals performance is great, possibly gets a little harsh in places, but nothing you won't be able to dial out. Particularly when you sing "High....."
Thing the lead guitar sound at the start is pretty good and I like it.
Don't know if its the same tone for the solo, maybe the solo is just too loud but it doesn't sound as good, it does actually sound a bit harsh and grating, might be a bit far forward too.

You've got the right feeling for the tune though, mate and its generally really good.
User avatar
vomitHatSteve
Posts: 6459
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:06 am
Location: Undisclosed
Contact:

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by vomitHatSteve »

Despite living in TN, I'm more of a bourbon guy...

Bass sounds good. Acoustic sounds good. Vocal blend is pretty solid.

JD's right about the word "high" sticking out; it sounds like that's about the limit of your range? You may also be overplaying a bit on the chorus. That third line ("you're as wi-o-o-o-o-oo-o-o-oh as a glass of brandy") was a weird choice.

I wouldn't mind a bit more drums maybe.

I think you got a pretty good bluesy lead tone on the electrics.
User avatar
WhiskeyJack
Site Admin
Posts: 11366
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2014 11:48 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by WhiskeyJack »

vomitHatSteve wrote: Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:10 pm I'm more of a bourbon guy...
let's hang... :coolstorybro:
:happytrees:
User avatar
JD01
Posts: 15816
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:11 pm
Location: Wales, UK

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by JD01 »

Bourbon is one Americanism I totally agree on.
User avatar
WhiskeyJack
Site Admin
Posts: 11366
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2014 11:48 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by WhiskeyJack »

I saw this in the new threads and wanted to jabber about whiskey but it seems that is not what this is about.

You are correct it really isn't smoldering. But it definitely doesn't suck!! I think if that is an amp sim you kind of out did yourself. I do not think retracking is required here. I am listening on ear buds at work though.

I am going to Echo JD that it is hissy, but for me it sort of comes and goes away. I find the hiss less in verses. not sure if that helps. I think it is a pretty good effort my friend. thanks for the share.

And don't give up on amp sims, you seem to have it pretty dialed in to a point that impresses me at the very least.
:happytrees:
User avatar
WhiskeyJack
Site Admin
Posts: 11366
Joined: Sun Jan 12, 2014 11:48 pm
Location: Canada
Contact:

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by WhiskeyJack »

JD01 wrote: Thu Aug 31, 2017 1:51 pm Bourbon is one Americanism I totally agree on.
I tried Wild Turkey 81 last night for the first time. I Liked it enough i will probably go get a bottle for myself. :like:
:happytrees:
User avatar
miroslav
Posts: 1819
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 3:30 pm

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by miroslav »

Bourbon and whiskey are good stuff. One of my buds was a big Jack Daniels drinker, and I couldn't let him drink it alone... :D

...but... (OMG, I'm going to be "contrarian" again :facepalm: ) ...for me, Hennessy Cognac was always the preferred poison, and TBH, I converted a lot of bourbon/whiskey drinkers it once they took the time to really try it.
Not the fancy VSOP shit...just the basic stuff...it has more body, and it's really not that much of a departure from the bourbons/whiskeys.
I just think it has more flavor overall...but that's just my contrarian taste buds. :tongue:

OK...sorry...we're kinda stealing the thread from the OP.
User avatar
paulman
Posts: 676
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:53 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by paulman »

If I have sparked a conversation about bourbon, then I have done my job.
User avatar
JD01
Posts: 15816
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:11 pm
Location: Wales, UK

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by JD01 »

paulman wrote: Thu Aug 31, 2017 6:57 pm If I have sparked a conversation about bourbon, then I have done my job.
Can I send you the bill too?
User avatar
paulman
Posts: 676
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:53 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by paulman »

JD01 wrote: Thu Aug 31, 2017 4:39 am Its a little bit hissy - its not even a really problem, but I noticed it immediately.
The acoustic is alright... sounds a bit dull and lifeless compared with everything else though
Bass sounds great.
Vocals performance is great, possibly gets a little harsh in places, but nothing you won't be able to dial out. Particularly when you sing "High....."
Thing the lead guitar sound at the start is pretty good and I like it.
Don't know if its the same tone for the solo, maybe the solo is just too loud but it doesn't sound as good, it does actually sound a bit harsh and grating, might be a bit far forward too.

You've got the right feeling for the tune though, mate and its generally really good.
Thanks, JD.

The hiss is an easy fix. I noticed it after I mastered, and it turns out I forgot to turn off the noise on the Ampex tape plugin. The Ampex is always my last plugin in any mastering chain, but I always turn the noise off. So that's an easy fix.

I know what you're talking about with the acoustic. I didn't pay it enough attention.

Here's what happened with the "high" part. When I sang this, I may or may not have allegedly just gotten in the mood that that line describes. While it got me REALLY into the part, it made my falsetto really shaky. I went to hit that high note that I've sung just fine plenty of times, and my vocal cords said "Nope. Fuck you." So I dubbed in another one, starting right before that point so that I had plenty of air and my voice wasn't tight from singing the buildup to that note. I guess I overdid it, sang it too loud, and on top of that I think my cut wasn't the greatest. It almost sounds like autotune right on that cut. So I'm about to redo that. I may even give the whole thing another go, just to see what happens.
User avatar
paulman
Posts: 676
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:53 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by paulman »

JD01 wrote: Thu Aug 31, 2017 6:58 pm
paulman wrote: Thu Aug 31, 2017 6:57 pm If I have sparked a conversation about bourbon, then I have done my job.
Can I send you the bill too?
Not if you like bourbon as much as I do.
User avatar
paulman
Posts: 676
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:53 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by paulman »

vomitHatSteve wrote: Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:10 pm Despite living in TN, I'm more of a bourbon guy...

Bass sounds good. Acoustic sounds good. Vocal blend is pretty solid.

JD's right about the word "high" sticking out; it sounds like that's about the limit of your range? You may also be overplaying a bit on the chorus. That third line ("you're as wi-o-o-o-o-oo-o-o-oh as a glass of brandy") was a weird choice.

I wouldn't mind a bit more drums maybe.

I think you got a pretty good bluesy lead tone on the electrics.
Thank you! See above for explanation of the "high" part. I didn't think I needed to specify on this song, but it is a cover. That's how the chorus goes. In my opinion, the "warm as a glass of brandy" line is the best thing in the song. I do sing it a little differently than Chris Stapleton, and his voice is beefier than mine, so maybe it's the way I sing it that bugs you. It is the hardest part of the song, so maybe I need more work on it before closing the case on this recording. I've got my mic warming up now so I can do some more takes.

More drums? Hmm. I'll check that out. The set I used was pretty beefy, so maybe I turned it down a little too much.
User avatar
paulman
Posts: 676
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:53 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by paulman »

WhiskeyJack wrote: Thu Aug 31, 2017 1:58 pm I saw this in the new threads and wanted to jabber about whiskey but it seems that is not what this is about.

You are correct it really isn't smoldering. But it definitely doesn't suck!! I think if that is an amp sim you kind of out did yourself. I do not think retracking is required here. I am listening on ear buds at work though.

I am going to Echo JD that it is hissy, but for me it sort of comes and goes away. I find the hiss less in verses. not sure if that helps. I think it is a pretty good effort my friend. thanks for the share.

And don't give up on amp sims, you seem to have it pretty dialed in to a point that impresses me at the very least.
Thank you so much. I'm still undecided as to whether I'm going to give the leads another go with the Line 6, but I'm glad you like the sound. It took a lot of fiddling around to soften it up, and as JD pointed out I think the main solo is still a little harsh. I just keep thinking about what I REALLY wanted, the smoldering sound, and I'm thinking why settle? It's just that I had a good energy going that night, and I like what I played and would likely duplicate it which I'm afraid will lose some of the luster that it had when it was improvised. I don't know, maybe I should walk down to the liquor store and get some appropriate inspiration for the song.
User avatar
Minerman
Posts: 2022
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 3:51 pm
Location: U.S.A.
Contact:

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by Minerman »

I'm impressed dude, you did a good job on this...This is an old song every bar band has to know, & it sounds like you know it pretty well...Good job...

On the lead guitar tone, it's not smoldering, but it's not terrible either...The intro part sounds very much like Chris Stapelton's version, so take that as a compliment...FWIW, his guitar tone on most of his songs is a bit "honky"/middy-sounding, with a lot of amp reverb, & I think you've done a really good job on that, especially using Amplitube...

The nits I have are:

The drums need to be a little more prominent in the mix, not a lot, just a little...I think that would give the whole song a little more "ooomph"...

The bass guitar needs a hair more low end, this combined with the louder drums would give the whole song more punch IMO...

Sounds like the vocals have been high-passed a bit too far...Not sure if that's the case or not, but a slight low end boost in the vocals would sound a little better to me...I noticed the spot you mentioned about the punch-in, if you're planning on re-tracking the vocals, that doesn't matter...

If you are gonna re-track the vocals, try not to have some of your words/lines too loud/soft, as compression can only do so much (I know this is a fine line to walk, but this song calls for it)...Compression paired with volume automation (syllable by syllable if needed) can do wonders...

There are spots in the vocals that are louder/softer that need some attention, but again, if a re-track is in order, it doesn't matter...Just take your time, you should do fine...


Other than those nit-picky little things you've done a damn good job on this dude, & I'm very impressed...
Image
Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, Jackson
Ceriatone, Marshall, EVH
TC Electronic, MXR, Yamaha

My music @ Reverbnation :minernuggs:
User avatar
paulman
Posts: 676
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:53 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by paulman »

Minerman wrote: Fri Sep 01, 2017 2:59 pm I'm impressed dude, you did a good job on this...This is an old song every bar band has to know, & it sounds like you know it pretty well...Good job...

On the lead guitar tone, it's not smoldering, but it's not terrible either...The intro part sounds very much like Chris Stapelton's version, so take that as a compliment...FWIW, his guitar tone on most of his songs is a bit "honky"/middy-sounding, with a lot of amp reverb, & I think you've done a really good job on that, especially using Amplitube...

The nits I have are:

The drums need to be a little more prominent in the mix, not a lot, just a little...I think that would give the whole song a little more "ooomph"...

The bass guitar needs a hair more low end, this combined with the louder drums would give the whole song more punch IMO...

Sounds like the vocals have been high-passed a bit too far...Not sure if that's the case or not, but a slight low end boost in the vocals would sound a little better to me...I noticed the spot you mentioned about the punch-in, if you're planning on re-tracking the vocals, that doesn't matter...

If you are gonna re-track the vocals, try not to have some of your words/lines too loud/soft, as compression can only do so much (I know this is a fine line to walk, but this song calls for it)...Compression paired with volume automation (syllable by syllable if needed) can do wonders...

There are spots in the vocals that are louder/softer that need some attention, but again, if a re-track is in order, it doesn't matter...Just take your time, you should do fine...


Other than those nit-picky little things you've done a damn good job on this dude, & I'm very impressed...
Awesome, thank you Minerman! Very valuable tips. I did retrack vocals last night, but I was very tired and didn't do anything more after laying them down. I made a conscious effort to accentuate my baritone, be more on point with the "warm as a glass of brandy" line, and keep out that kind of "crying" thing I had going on before, as it had started to annoy me. I think I got it this time. I didn't high pass the vocal, but I'm always straddling the line between warm and crisp. I made an artificial double track and put some saturation on the double to warm things up, but maybe that wasn't enough. In any case, the new vocal is naturally deeper sounding, so that may do the trick. I'll find out when I go back in to mix it a little later. You are the second person to say the drums should be a bit louder, so I'll definitely take a look at that. Thanks again!
User avatar
Minerman
Posts: 2022
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 3:51 pm
Location: U.S.A.
Contact:

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by Minerman »

paulman wrote: Fri Sep 01, 2017 4:39 pm Awesome, thank you Minerman! Very valuable tips. I did retrack vocals last night, but I was very tired and didn't do anything more after laying them down. I made a conscious effort to accentuate my baritone, be more on point with the "warm as a glass of brandy" line, and keep out that kind of "crying" thing I had going on before, as it had started to annoy me. I think I got it this time. I didn't high pass the vocal, but I'm always straddling the line between warm and crisp. I made an artificial double track and put some saturation on the double to warm things up, but maybe that wasn't enough. In any case, the new vocal is naturally deeper sounding, so that may do the trick. I'll find out when I go back in to mix it a little later. You are the second person to say the drums should be a bit louder, so I'll definitely take a look at that. Thanks again!
It's all good dude, just take my suggestions with a grain of salt, I do ok mixing, but there are quite a few folks here that are a lot better at it than I am...

I do know what you're shooting for with the vocals dude & that's a tough row to hoe, but I also gotta say the first version of this is damn good...The guy you're covering here sets the bar pretty damn high, but again, you've done a really good job IMO...

A buddy of mine told me a few years ago never track & mix on the same day, you'll be worried about 'em both, so just concentrate on one at a time...I know it's exciting when you get something recorded & you wanna show your talent (which you have a lot of), but try to contain yourself...lol...

Just curious, what are you using for your drums???

Again, good job dude, looking forward to when you put the next mix/version up... :minernuggs:
Image
Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, Jackson
Ceriatone, Marshall, EVH
TC Electronic, MXR, Yamaha

My music @ Reverbnation :minernuggs:
User avatar
paulman
Posts: 676
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:53 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by paulman »

Minerman wrote: Fri Sep 01, 2017 5:04 pm Just curious, what are you using for your drums???
I used Abbey Road Vintage Drummer on this. I play on an E-kit. The Vintage Drummer sets, while very good, aren't appropriate for most songs I record. They're good when I want something different from the norm. My favorite set to use is the John Bonham set in Reason Drum Kits. I use it on almost everything, but it's a pain because Logic is my DAW. So I have to take tracks from Logic and put them into Reason, play the drum part, then export the drums one by one as audio files into Logic. My plan this time was to just use Vintage Drummer in Logic to play the part, then take that MIDI file and put it in Reason and proceed as usual with the Bonham set. But the Vintage Drummer sound actually worked with this song, so I kept it. I'm hoping one of the other Abbey Road sets, like the 60's or 70's one, has a Bonham-type set. That way I can leave Reason behind completely.
User avatar
Minerman
Posts: 2022
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2017 3:51 pm
Location: U.S.A.
Contact:

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by Minerman »

paulman wrote: Fri Sep 01, 2017 5:33 pm I used Abbey Road Vintage Drummer on this. I play on an E-kit. The Vintage Drummer sets, while very good, aren't appropriate for most songs I record. They're good when I want something different from the norm. My favorite set to use is the John Bonham set in Reason Drum Kits. I use it on almost everything, but it's a pain because Logic is my DAW. So I have to take tracks from Logic and put them into Reason, play the drum part, then export the drums one by one as audio files into Logic. My plan this time was to just use Vintage Drummer in Logic to play the part, then take that MIDI file and put it in Reason and proceed as usual with the Bonham set. But the Vintage Drummer sound actually worked with this song, so I kept it. I'm hoping one of the other Abbey Road sets, like the 60's or 70's one, has a Bonham-type set. That way I can leave Reason behind completely.
Cool man, I'm learning on an e-kit myself...I thought the drums sounded pretty good, so I thought I'd ask...I have all the Abbey Road drum packs, plus a whole lot more...I think all different drum vst's do one thing better than others, so I mix/match to make "my" kit, which consists of BFD3, Superior Drummer & Steven Slate 4...I'm actually pretty stoked about Superior 3, it's been a long time coming & I hope it's an improvement...We'll see in a couple of weeks...

I've never used Logic or Reason, but I feel your pain about importing things...I used Cubase for a while & would have to record a synth there, then export/import into Reaper...I finally gave up on Cubase & use only Reaper now...

I'm a Yamaha e-kit guy, what do you use???

Sorry to hi-jack your thread dude... :biggrin:
Image
Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, Jackson
Ceriatone, Marshall, EVH
TC Electronic, MXR, Yamaha

My music @ Reverbnation :minernuggs:
User avatar
vomitHatSteve
Posts: 6459
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:06 am
Location: Undisclosed
Contact:

Re: Tennessee Whiskey

Post by vomitHatSteve »

paulman wrote: Thu Aug 31, 2017 7:21 pm Thank you! See above for explanation of the "high" part. I didn't think I needed to specify on this song, but it is a cover. That's how the chorus goes. In my opinion, the "warm as a glass of brandy" line is the best thing in the song. I do sing it a little differently than Chris Stapleton, and his voice is beefier than mine, so maybe it's the way I sing it that bugs you. It is the hardest part of the song, so maybe I need more work on it before closing the case on this recording. I've got my mic warming up now so I can do some more takes.

More drums? Hmm. I'll check that out. The set I used was pretty beefy, so maybe I turned it down a little too much.
Ohhhh.. I didn't know it was a cover. Lemme check out the original now.

He's really not doing that word better. That's a Mariah Carey arrangement right there, which doesn't sound good for country/soul male voices.
Post Reply