Feat. GREG: GOM vs The World

[rayc]

Greg threw some rhythm guitars and lead onto this which lifted it an huge amount - thanks Greg.

MST 2 TREX.mp3

For those who may have wondered at the more trad progressions:

GOM sheet.png

I'm trying to get shorter with longer pedalling sections.
Reduced (& slightly expanded).
28/05/2023
This has a place holder "solo"

190523 mix
I've stripped out a few things.


11 05 23 Tuned & Flavoured
I've used Spectrum matcher after some quite light tuning, (trying to be so anyway), the results required manual de-essing but that's about all.
NO SOLO in this mix.


10th May Tuned, a little bit...


9th May Vocal Options
I wrote the lyrics last night and tracked a few times through this morning. No comping done yet.
Two mixes. Both set sof vocals have had compression added as well as volume automation & some manual de-essing. NO TUNING YET.
Vox1 is as described
Vox2 is as described PLUS I applied the JS Spectrum matcher and used a famous voice to help address the EQ issues of my own.
a) Is the Spec Matcher better?
b) Should I comp the vocals?
&
c) Do I need to tune the vocals?



8th May arrangement sorted V1
I've switched around some of the thinner guitars with the fatter ones in places...the track with my Sheraton II was a bit too meatywith overtones in the 1st part of the chorus and I've dropped the meaty ones for the 1st verse as well.
AWFUL stand in lead part - sorry.

ORIGINAL SKETCH
This is an Amp In A Box (Behringer GDI21 - "British" for bass & guitar)- with a Sheraton II & Knockhoffner -sketch work with BIAB drums & organ.

TREXSnr.mp3

While waiting for a loud noise opportunity I consolidated the bass part. Still the Knockhoffner & GDI21 but I rather like the aggression though I may have to removed the cab impulse as it seems to make it a little distant.

Ah, a couple of hours later I listened and realized I needed to add a couple of bits the the 2nd chord bass line in the chorus...I did that and tidied the timing a little.

I dragged out my tiny Kustom Defender 5H amp & played it through the speaker in an old, dead, Peavey BLAZER 185.

peavey-blazer-158-made-in-usa-83476-3335536175.jpg

I'm trying to be a little ragged on this one. I've spent way too much time tidying and tweaking the last couple of years so I hope this one won't have the life sucked out of it.
Same guitar - tiny tube amp, (57s super close mic'd with a doona cover over the top of it all because it's id afternoon and despite protestations that I should do what I want I know, from the headphones beside the TV, that me using an amp isn't going down to well these last couple of months). Fewer guitar tracks this time around too - one left, one right with a couple more coming in for the extended Em. There' a BIAB organ and a simple guitar track balancing each other at about 30% L&R.

Here's a slight update. I've removed the guitar I had balancing the organ...it sounded fizzy and didn't really do the job anyway - just me fixation with stereo balancing I suspect.

AND here're the very simple chords n progressions:

Based on the comments I've replaced the bass with a straight DI one that has then had a send set up to add some overdrive without removing the bottom end.
I've not touched the guitars, as yet, but I think they sound fuller with out competing with the previous bass. I've also muted the organ - at least for the moment.
I'm still willing and able to retrack them but am also conscious of things becoming more careful, tidy and thought through as I redo parts - I'm trying to not edit his to death.

[Armistice]

I have a little game called, "What chord will ray play next?" - I'm doing better on this tune than recent efforts.

You could do a pretty killer shouty chorus to this one. But you'll need to learn to shout, methinks.

[rayc]

I have a little game called, "What chord will ray play next?" - I'm doing better on this tune than recent efforts.

You could do a pretty killer shouty chorus to this one. But you'll need to learn to shout, methinks.

Ah, yes. For this I actually used some well established progression, but didn't start at the beginning of them.
I'm making an effort at making a song lead player friendly! It's almost completely in A and I haven't opted for my favourite things like Em, Am, C#m etc. I don't know if I've revolved around a "tonal centre" because I can't think in lead player terms - I always end up working from chord tones.
Here's a Q...which part do you hear as the chorus?

[TripleM]

I thought the rhythm guitars had too much gain. They lacked any definition.

I was not liking the bass sound. Had that "listening through a paper towel tube" sound.

I listened to all the versions, but had these comments on all of them. Although the guitars in the last one started to sound better.

[Armistice]

I have a little game called, "What chord will ray play next?" - I'm doing better on this tune than recent efforts.

You could do a pretty killer shouty chorus to this one. But you'll need to learn to shout, methinks.

Ah, yes. For this I actually used some well established progression, but didn't start at the beginning of them.
I'm making an effort at making a song lead player friendly! It's almost completely in A and I haven't opted for my favourite things like Em, Am, C#m etc. I don't know if I've revolved around a "tonal centre" because I can't think in lead player terms - I always end up working from chord tones.
Here's a Q...which part do you hear as the chorus?

The one that sort of appeared round about the time I thought the song was ready for a chorus, allowing for intro and verse...

[JD01]

I haven't listened to this one yet, will do at some point later. But I just wanted to say that I like Ray's random chord songs, they're quirky, cool and interesting to listen to. They're also more fun as a lead player 'cos you actually have to listen and consider what you're playing over rather that just noodling in a single key.

[JD01]

Nice song,
I've listened on two sets of headphones, as I thought it sounded thin as hell on my reference headphones, but they're always bright and clear.
But even on my Sony headphones which have way more bottom end in them it still sounds thin. The guitars are a bit thin/scratchy, this song would suit Greg's wall of Marshall sound. The bass is also very middy/nasal.

Don't think the Hammond is adding much here.

[rayc]

Nice song,
I've listened on two sets of headphones, as I thought it sounded thin as hell on my reference headphones, but they're always bright and clear.
But even on my Sony headphones which have way more bottom end in them it still sounds thin. The guitars are a bit thin/scratchy, this song would suit Greg's wall of Marshall sound. The bass is also very middy/nasal.
Don't think the Hammond is adding much here.

The guitars are through the speaker of a Peavey Blazer (I had the model wrong in the OP) - little 3.2 Ohm 10" so they're def thin.I know that 5w Kustom amp sounds much bigger through a 4 x 12.
The bass is through a Marshall amp in a box thing - I like the grind but it def has no audible thump though the EQ tells a different story.
I'll retrack the bass 1st to suss out whether that makes a difference to the overall tone.

[Alison]

Finally getting to this!! I really like where it is going! What I really love about your songs is that they are not predictable. Just when you think you know where the progression is going, it takes off in a new direction. Even this song with simple chords keeps my ear going. Having played cello on some of your tunes, it musically keeps me on my toes!

I agree with JD that the sound could use some beefing up but other than that, great job as always!

[rayc]

Vocals started - recommendations base on the two examples sought.

[CrowsofFritz]

Okay, that intro is my favorite intro of yours so far. Very cool. I could imagine RHCP playing this funnily enough except the vocals are quite different, of course.

[rayc]

New mix in O.P.
Stripped the organ, removed the reinforcing guitars from last part of the chorus, consolidated the bass, froze the drums and it's all down to to just nine tracks.

[CrowsofFritz]

This might the first time I’m hearing raw vocals from you in a while. I like it.

[vomitHatSteve]

New mix in O.P.
Stripped the organ, removed the reinforcing guitars from last part of the chorus, consolidated the bass, froze the drums and it's all down to to just nine tracks.

Is it the top-most mp3? I'm not following your naming convention at this point.

[rayc]

New mix in O.P.
Stripped the organ, removed the reinforcing guitars from last part of the chorus, consolidated the bass, froze the drums and it's all down to to just nine tracks.

Is it the top-most mp3? I'm not following your naming convention at this point.

It's date 190523 at the top.
I've been trying to be more conventional...doesn't work.

[CrowsofFritz]

Is it the top-most mp3? I'm not following your naming convention at this point.

It's date 190523 at the top.
I've been trying to be more conventional...doesn't work.

It’s because we freedoms eagle worshippers do the date in between the month and year for some strange reason.

[TripleM]

I listened to the 190523 version.

The amount of gain in the guitars is not bothering me now. It definitely sounds better than the original mix.

The bass is sounding pretty good now.

The snare is pretty loud. It could probably be backed off.

The vocal edit at :40 is pretty obvious.

[rayc]

I listened to the 190523 version.
The amount of gain in the guitars is not bothering me now. It definitely sounds better than the original mix.
The bass is sounding pretty good now.
The snare is pretty loud. It could probably be backed off.
The vocal edit at :40 is pretty obvious.

That's not actually an edit at 0.40. I didn't sing the last word of the verse (kill) - I decided to leave the last word implied by the rhymes as I couldn't fit it in before the early chorus start.
Originally I had the chorus vocal starting a little later but the early seems to work with the push from the drums.
I'll work on the snare - easy enough as it has it's own reverb and that's making it pop up.
THANKS!

[rayc]

I listened to the 190523 version.
The amount of gain in the guitars is not bothering me now. It definitely sounds better than the original mix.
The bass is sounding pretty good now.
The snare is pretty loud. It could probably be backed off.
The vocal edit at :40 is pretty obvious.

For all my certainty I was wrong. I'd left an earlier attempt edited & unmuted - it was only a couple of seconds worth so WELL SPOTTED.
As a result I dug back, found that track in a way back version and copied the KILL into the project. I decided, after you noticing that, perhaps the word should be there even if behind the chorus - so I've hit it with a single repeat and spun it off L & R.
THANKS for making me listen closer and look back.
New mix including edit based on this at the top of the page.

[vomitHatSteve]

Is it the top-most mp3? I'm not following your naming convention at this point.

It's date 190523 at the top.
I've been trying to be more conventional...doesn't work.

It’s because we freedoms eagle worshippers do the date in between the month and year for some strange reason.

As a programmer, I think everyone is wrong, and the correct format is YYYYMMDD
(Also, we should all be on GMT. Time zones are the devil)

Listening to the 28/05 recording. I like the idea of the compressed, low-passed (band passed?) vocals, but something about it isn't gelling for me. Maybe it's because the rest of the instrumentation isn't changing with them? Maybe it just needs some distortion?