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Old 10-09-2021, 12:52 PM   #1
41TWIN
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Default Newer member sharing music, 1 song for now...

Just some background. Me and a dude are about 50 years old. We used to play in a band in the 90's. Then I had a wild idea to start recording songs again. We're not playing out as a band. Might not have enough time for that. I play bass in a country band and was playing at my last church. Or songs aren't country though.

It's more like alternative rock. Indy rock / pop.

Our first 10 songs we did with audacity. Then a few months ago we both went to reaper. We are having issues with the sound quality degrading going from my phone to youtube so this next one we put on bandcamp.

Here is out latest song.

I'm almost afraid to ask for mix advice cuz I've heard a lot of stuff on here that sounds really great. I'm really impressed with the work on here. Hopefully I can learn something from everyone and keep getting better at it.

So feedback is welcomed. On the mix, song etc etc. Whatever you want to say. Just go easy. I was born in 1972 and I'm not a very good tech person. LOL. I'm trying but I find myself stymied by it a lot. PLus half the time I try to learn from Kenny's vids I fall asleep. LOL. He's got such a soothing voice. Gotta pours some coffee on my leg or something when watching the vids. Or stop watching them in bed. LOL.

https://41twin.bandcamp.com/releases


If you are interested in any of our older stuff, it is here:

If you go back and listen to the first one you can maybe hear some progress from that usb mic and audacity recording to where we have a few better mics and such. Well my drummer has a lot more good mics. More than I do. Right now I'm using a Beta58 for all my stuff. OR direct for keyboards.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkU...3vrOL_o4_Z310Q
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Old 10-10-2021, 04:54 PM   #2
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I like the sound of this. It's raw and authentic, yet clean and clear. Everything has its own space. Good job I reckon.
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Old 10-11-2021, 01:52 PM   #3
41TWIN
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Well thank you very much!!!!!

Can I ask what you listened to it through? I was very undecided about if the guitar was too loud or not..... That was my big dilemma on that one. Plus a few spots my vocals clipped in the loud part. I sometimes just leave it if it's quick cuz I have a very difficult with higher volumed parts. It's like if you move away too far from the mic it tends to die. There's a fine line. But it's hard to always know exactly where to have the levels on for a part that I sing loud. Cuz it's not like I know how to dial in such and such volume for my voice. For loud parts it feels like 11 on the dial. LOL.

And I'm still learning how to use compression. I don't really like it with my unexperienced dialing.

And in case swingset sees my comments about the vocals, I did turn them down and use your technique on adjusting levels by splitting tracks up and giving parts their own volume. I had tweaked that one for sure. But I'm still working on getting good at it.


I really appreciate the feedback. I'm not sure I've listened to any of your stuff yet but I will keep my eyes posted.
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Old 10-14-2021, 06:52 PM   #4
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I listened through reasonably good quality headphones, the pair I use for mixing.

I note your comment regarding swingset's suggestions. I also tend to just go through the whole track and edit the item volume envelope, rather than use compression on vocals. It's tedious and takes some time, but you can deal with sibilance and the volume of individual consonants in one go. The results are usually better than using a compressor.

To help with distance from the mic, you can use a pop filter as a guide to maintain your distance (I should do that ).
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Old 10-15-2021, 06:19 AM   #5
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I like the raw element of this one, which makes it rock.
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Old 10-18-2021, 02:08 PM   #6
41TWIN
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Thank you Glennbo!!!!

Timewaster..

I keep going back and forth about compression. Sometimes I think it's a good idea, sometimes I don't. It seems like an overwhelmingly amount of people use it. I haven't got the touch of it yet but someone else I know was trying to teach me. I feel like it sucks the life out of it sometimes. But one thing I didn't know about is when you compress it's good to turn back up the gain to compensate.... That might help.

Either way I like some dynamics as long as it's not messing with people speakers I guess.

I think swingset says a little goes a long way and I've heard that before too.
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Old 10-18-2021, 03:46 PM   #7
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Quote:
I keep going back and forth about compression. Sometimes I think it's a good idea, sometimes I don't. It seems like an overwhelmingly amount of people use it.
A quick tip... Compression, except when being used as an effect, and even then much of the time is about making something consistently audible. One of the quickest ways to understand this is to listen to a mix where there are instruments that need it, but don't have it.

Then go for ride in your car with plenty of road noise, and you'll find that some parts you can't hear, you turn the volume up to compensate, then other stuff is too dang loud, you turn it back down, soft parts get lost again and there seems to be no middle ground.

And that's what compression fixes, it brings the loud sections closer to the soft sections and evens things out by 'compressing' the volume range. One could go on and on about other compression related stuff, but this is the place to start.

I thought a quick listen of one of the tracks sounded fine. I'd just keep working on it and not worry too awful much.
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Old 10-22-2021, 01:46 PM   #8
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"imissmyzoo": Great song performance! Very groovy - and a fantastic
growl bass. It all has a rawness, directness, liveliness and urgency!

You combined this rawness with correspondingly strong, carefree and
direct singing, so that a great song that is very worth listening to
has emerged.

Very good, I enjoyed it!
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Old 10-23-2021, 04:10 AM   #9
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I love the raw quality of this!

I Listen to this and think to myself: "well, my mixes are way too polished.. Maybe I should conentrate on making food grooves instead?" lol

mix wise, I think everything is quite well mixed, honestly.
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Old 10-23-2021, 01:32 PM   #10
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I like I Miss My Zoo. Every element very clear & distinct - bass, lead guitar, drums, & vocals - reminds me of what soul music became when funk entered the picture (although James Brown had been doing that style many years before, but he was way ahead of his time).

Gotta say, BV guy/girl had the easiest role here.

Great story too - yeah, I remember those Pirate hats....they were goofy, weren't they....
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Old 10-23-2021, 01:38 PM   #11
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Stinger;2490981]I like I Miss My Zoo. Every element very clear & distinct - bass, lead guitar, drums, & vocals - reminds me of what soul music became when funk entered the picture (although James Brown had been doing that style many years before, but he was way ahead of his time).

Gotta say, BV guy/girl had the easiest role here.

Great story too - yeah, I remember those Pirate hats....they were goofy, weren't they....

https://soundcloud.com/bruceavery
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Old 11-11-2021, 10:49 AM   #12
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@karbomusic Yeah, I finally learned how to burn to a CD and when I listened in the car some of them seemed like they could use compression..... I am working on a song now where I put it on the drums. I just hope I don't suck the life out of the drum track... I also feel like I could use it on bass and my vocals a lot. I'm not quite sure I need it on guitars cuz it seems like I hear a bit from the amps..... Thank you for your feedback!!!!

@enroe THANK YOU!!!!
@g4greg THANK YOU!!!!!

@Stinger My drummer sang that one and I did the drums. I was trying to see how good or bad I could do drums with my 2 track scarlett focusrite and beta58 and sm57. I did the back up vocals with his wife. But I also do the guitars and bass. So.... I guess I had the easy job. LOL. I mean, to me it's all fun so....

I gotta catch up on everyone elses music. It's been a while since I've been in here. But I have been watching videos on compression. I did watch Kenny's. But I think there was another one or two of his. I watched the most recent one.
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Old 11-11-2021, 11:24 AM   #13
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Yeah it's pretty cool!
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Old 11-12-2021, 10:34 PM   #14
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I just clicked on the link in your original post and ended up listening to Sawdust.

It's wonderful!

I like music that makes me chuckle.

You made me chuckle.

Thank you.
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Old 11-12-2021, 10:38 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Socket View Post
I just clicked on the link in your original post and ended up listening to Sawdust.

It's wonderful!

I like music that makes me chuckle.

You made me chuckle.

Thank you.
Blimey, I Miss My Zoo is awesome too!

Has somebody been listening to Pixies/B52s perchance?
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Old 11-13-2021, 12:24 PM   #16
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@orbitfold Thank you!!!!

@Socket Thank you very much. Yes, I grew up a Pixies fan in a large way. I will say they were definitely a big influence. I don't really listen to them much any more. A bit here and there. It doesn't do for me now what it did when I was a young man. But I totally respect it. I met him once (Black Francis) and it wasn't a good experience. LOL. Oh well. They say don't meet your hero. It was true for me.

I'm not really a B-52's fan but I mean, who doesn't love Rock Lobster. After I did this song I was like oh crap... It sounds a lot like Rock Lobster. Oh well. LOL. It's hard to not have those things come out sometimes.

Last Rock Lobster reference. My and a friend from high school were hired by his cousin to drive him and his friend in a box rental van across the state to go gamble on the river boats on the Mississippi. It was his Cousin's bachelor party. So that night we weren't with the bachelor party, my and my friend went out. Well we did go on the boat for a bit but I lost 60 bucks in about 10 minutes and the black jack table and I'm like lets get out of here. So we hit this one club that was totally hopping and busy. And we danced a bunch and that was one of the songs they played that night. Everybody loved it and it was a hopping time. Ah... memories.
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