Surfin'Dude! (Working Title) Instrumental

[Mr Clean]

I started working on this tune over the Summer but after computer crash I lost the original recording. This is the first recording with the new M-Audio Air 192/14 Interface. I'm liking it so far.

A work in progress at the minute. This is a faders ups, quick see how it sounds mix.

Surfin' Dude.mp3

--------------------EDIT--------------------

Here is Mix 2 with a few changes here and there and more reverb. I've possibly gone a bit far with the reverb but it is sounding closer to how I imagine it now. Some fine tuning is required, I think.

Surfin' Dude (Mix 2).mp3

--------------------EDIT--------------------

Here is mix 3 with no room reverb and just a spring reverb. I tried a few different spring vst's and this one was the best sounding. I probably need to notch it up some to honest but I was erring on the side of caution. I know it's easy to go to far with these things.

Surfin' Due (Spring Mix).mp3

[rayc]

Yeah - COOL.. the pick up notes had me thinking Munsters but you went passed that quickly enough.

[WhiskeyJack]

Dude this is cool as hell.

I think your little accent backing guitar bits is sitting way way low in this mix under the main surf guitar. I think i hear maybe two extra layers of guitars under there. Like i find myself struggling to hear it. If it is even there? Maybe i am imagining it. Maybe circle back on getting those levelled out for the 2nd round mix?



Very cool.

[Greg_L]

Pretty nice. The riff melody is definitely in the ballpark. But...where's the reverb? This is pretty good, what will make it amazing is some sweet ass drip.

[Mr Clean]

Yeah - COOL.. the pick up notes had me thinking Munsters but you went passed that quickly enough.

Cheers Ray. Yeah, it is heavily inspired by that "Munsters", 60s Surfin' sound.

Dude this is cool as hell.

I think your little accent backing guitar bits is sitting way way low in this mix under the main surf guitar. I think i hear maybe two extra layers of guitars under there. Like i find myself struggling to hear it. If it is even there? Maybe i am imagining it. Maybe circle back on getting those levelled out for the 2nd round mix?

Very cool.

Thanks WJ. There are 4 guitars tracks in total. The main riff, an octave, stab/accents and a second riff that comes in of the break. I think the effects on the guitars make it sound much busier than it actually is. There is an organ there as well but very buried as I couldn't get the sound I wanted. Something to retry when I have more time. The stab/accent s are very low. I had a bit of ear fatigue by mixing point and I think I heard it louder than it was.

Pretty nice. The riff melody is definitely in the ballpark. But...where's the reverb? This is pretty good, what will make it amazing is some sweet ass drip.

Cheers Greg. I was fighting the reverb last night thinking it was too much, then too little. I should have probably stepped away from it and came back with a fresh ear. Listening to some of the classics from the 60s guys today, I can hear that I was way off on the amount of reverb! I'll try and remedy that in the next mix.

[rayc]

FINALLY - I'm listening with decent headphones...previously it was with built in speakers.
Nice, crisp, clear recording and mix. Yeah...drop is needed but you may have to vary the degree with the change section as it's may be too busy for classic spring drip.
Mono suits it well.

[Mr Clean]

FINALLY - I'm listening with decent headphones...previously it was with built in speakers.
Nice, crisp, clear recording and mix. Yeah...drop is needed but you may have to vary the degree with the change section as it's may be too busy for classic spring drip.
Mono suits it well.

Cheers Ray All suggestions have been noted.

[Mr Clean]

New mix added to the original post.

[Greg_L]

It's a little better. I'm super nit-picky about surf guitar because it's near and dear to me. IMO that's not exactly the right kind of reverb but it's definitely getting there. It's in the ballpark. Messing around with surf reverb myself over the years I've come to find out that it's damn hard to get right without the right equipment. Plates and rooms don't do it - you need a spring.

[Mr Clean]

Cheers @Greg_L I know you know your onions when it comes to this style of tune so I really appreciate your feedback.

I did a lot of reading last night about the surf sound/spring reverb and the general consensus is pretty much that digital imitation spring just doesn't cut the mustard. On this I currently have my usual go to reverb on the guitars and then a spring on a mix bus. I'll try a mix without the room reverb and just use the spring, see if it yields better results.

[Greg_L]

Cheers @Greg_L I know you know your onions when it comes to this style of tune so I really appreciate your feedback.

I did a lot of reading last night about the surf sound/spring reverb and the general consensus is pretty much that digital imitation spring just doesn't cut the mustard. On this I currently have my usual go to reverb on the guitars and then a spring on a mix bus. I'll try a mix without the room reverb and just use the spring, see if it yields better results.

Yeah unfortunately after-the-fact reverb doesn't really get it done if you're going after real surfy drip reverb. The way the guitar signal hits the reverb and then the amp is what makes it happen. But you know, just for fun you can get something reasonable going with plug ins. First off, yeah get rid of the room. Go for a mono spring reverb. I don't know if it will work being added later but try it.

[rayc]

Mix two - COOOL. I look forward to hearing what you do with a spring jobbie.

[Mr Clean]

Mix two - COOOL. I look forward to hearing what you do with a spring jobbie.

Cheers Ray - Mix 3 with the spring reverb up in the top post.

[Greg_L]

Cheers Ray - Mix 3 with the spring reverb up in the top post.

Way way better. Now you're right there.

[rayc]

Yeah, Yeah, Drips there! Very cool - a much more energetic mix too that 2nd guitar is far better placed than in mix 1. COOOL>

[Armistice]

Nice work Mr C.

I have no thoughts on what the correct and correct amount of reverb is, but it all seems to be sitting together nicely now.

[Mr Clean]

Way way better. Now you're right there.

Cheers Greg and thanks for giving me the kick in the right direction. Very much appreciated.

Yeah, Yeah, Drips there! Very cool - a much more energetic mix too that 2nd guitar is far better placed than in mix 1. COOOL>

Cheers Ray. Very happy with this now.

Nice work Mr C.

I have no thoughts on what the correct and correct amount of reverb is, but it all seems to be sitting together nicely now.

Cheers Armi.

[WhiskeyJack]

Got Dang! I skipped mix 2 and went right to mix 3. The addition of a psring reverb was a good tweak. I like that the stabby guitars came up a little bit too. either that or i can hear them better somehow.

this is awesome man! Good job.

[vomitHatSteve]

Coming in on mix 3.

Surf isn't my favorite genre, so I can't pick out real specifics in the mix. But it sounds alright to me.

[Mr Clean]

Got Dang! I skipped mix 2 and went right to mix 3. The addition of a psring reverb was a good tweak. I like that the stabby guitars came up a little bit too. either that or i can hear them better somehow.

this is awesome man! Good job.

Cheers WJ. I think a lot of it was lost in the mix while I was battling the room reverb. Greg put me straight with that and the spring really opened it all up and made the mixing very easy.

Coming in on mix 3.

Surf isn't my favorite genre, so I can't pick out real specifics in the mix. But it sounds alright to me.

Cheers VHS. It's not a genre I know a massive amount about, just something I wanted to have a crack at. A little something out of the comfort zone. It was fun to write and record. All very simple but effective.