Backmask - Arrival (Slate + ENGL e530 + Recabinet)

[Kazrog]

The new BACKMASK demo/single is in fact an instrumental. This is one of about a dozen new songs we've been working on. I remapped this one to Slate Drums 3.0 this past week (from SD 2.0 previously) and the guitars are 100% direct into my ENGL e530 with Recabinet Ghandi impulses (Mesa Oversize.)

Comments are welcome of course. I tracked all the lead guitars today after deciding that I didn't like any of my vocal ideas or lyrics I'd written to go with the song. People had been requesting an instrumental from us anyway - so here it finally is!!

Thanks for listening!

UPDATE: I had the presence of mind to bounce off a drums-only mix with the S2.0 kit for this song before I sold my copy of the software, so here's the totally objective comparison with the same mix (this is the 4th mix I've done so far, incorporating suggestions from most of the comments below):

• BACKMASK - Arrival (Slate Drums 3.0)
• BACKMASK - Arrival (Superior Drummer 2.0)

I am curious to hear what you guys have to say, not going to voice my opinion on the drums until I get some feedback on the Slate vs. Superior issue.

The only mistake is that I forgot to turn off the master fader automation for the fade at the end on the SD 2.0 drum bounce, so the drums fade at the end at twice the rate of the rest of the mix in the SD 2.0 version.

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Sounds cooool.

 

[Jaymz]

Sounds awesome, what did you end up doing to those cymbals so you prefer them over DFHS' then?

 

[pifos_2]

Good good stuff.

Too bad it's clipping a lot when the lead guitars come in.

 

[Kazrog]

Good good stuff.

Too bad it's clipping a lot when the lead guitars come in.

Agreed, I will be updating the mix soon. All tasty simulated analog clipping via UAD-1 precision limiter, but still kind of hokey and n00bish of me. I think I got a bit excited LOL.

This is just a demo, not a final mix FYI. But of course, comments are much appreciated.

 

[_Protoss_]

Great Job Kazrog!!

Recabinet rules!

 

[The-Zeronaut]

id bring up snare and kick (specially Snare)
and bring down cymbals

guitars sound really good
wow that acoustic sounds AWESOME

i really REALLY like the song

 

[Ermz]

Yeah it clips quite a bit during the tom fills and solo sections.

The mix sounds quite solid for a demo, man. I have to say I really don't dig the sound of the guitars though. They sound really static and 'pushed', much as my own experiences with Recabinet have proven to be. That and the clipping aside, this shows a lot of promise. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Machinated]

great riffs as expected man!

 

[_Protoss_]

Did you use Emgs???

 

[Ola Englund]

I really dig the riffs and the mood in the beginning of the song!

 

[Kazrog]

Did you use Emgs???

Schecter Jeff Loomis C-7FR with EMG 707s.

 

[Sacha]

Sounds good and killer tune! The keys added to the vibe and the lead lines were sweet. Like others said the cymbals are maybe a bit loud overall.

 

[Kazrog]

Thanks for all the feedback!

UPDATE: I've reduced the levels in the mix, eliminating any possible soft-clipping. I've also muted a cheesy/fizzy synth in some sections that could be mistaken for clipping and was no longer contributing to the music in a relevant way.

I've overwritten the existing file, just download again from the same place.

 

[Wild Hades]

First of all, deserved: awesome songwriting

About the mix, I'm not a fan of the guitar tone, expecially on the midrange/treble. I used to like the E530 clips you posted here, but they have that peculiar voicing that makes them a bit too "pushed" (like Moonlapse said) and not enough fat for my taste... guess the EMGs and the lack of a mic'd cab are playing a good role here...

The drums are quite nice, I would reduce the "click" on the bass-drum, and bring the snare more upfront (sometimes is buried, probably for the mastering).
The synths fit nice melody-wise, but the sound like something external from the mix... reducing the volume should help.

The whole song needs more work on the automations, there are quite a few too noticeable volume dislevels when synths or lead guitars stop playing and there is still some clipping going on here and there...

Looking forward to hear it again with some fixes to make it perfect.
Really nice work, overall.

 

[Uladyne]

Awesome songwriting, dude!!!

The acoustic part seems to kind of jump out a bit and might sound a bit cooler if they were pushed back a bit, either volume wise or maybe with a bit of extra verb or less high end. I dunno.

 

[AudioPhile777]

I still hear tons of clipping... first "chorus"?... just before and during the solo...

during what sounds like the "verses"...

just... all over...

except the acoustic part... what did you use for that, btw?

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, the guitar tone is pretty nasally IMO, and does feel very "flat" - I LOVE those stacatto synths (that also go into arpeggios), though they're too loud IMO, and ditto for some of the leads (but others feel too soft, though that might only be in comparison). And as mentioned, clip-city, yeooww...music rules though dude, I love those soaring leads!

And yeah, the acoustic is way too loud relative to the rest IMO, it's like KABLAMMO when it comes in! Nice tone on it though, how did you mic it up?

 

[JeffTD]

Loving this musically, Shane! Very cool!

Not a big fan of the guitar tones, but the biggest downfall, IMO, is the drums. They just sound really fake, especially the cymbals. Kick is cool, but snare/toms are a bit dull. I'd honestly like to hear this with S2.0, as I'm sure it would sound a lot better, regardless of your experiences with DFHS/S2.0.

 

[Kazrog]

Thanks for the comments, guys...

A few things:

• There's no actual clipping on this song. I am using UAD-1 Precision Maximizer on the master buss, and it has a tendency to have some internal distortion that sounds like clipping; I may stop using it actually because of this, it's very difficult to avoid with it. It really adds some nice "beef" to the mix but unfortunately it comes with the sacrifice of fidelity a lot of the time.
• I think I may have over-brightened the guitar sound in post EQ. I've always used EMGs, that's definitely not the issue (you guys like EMGs on Andy's stuff...)
• I'm just getting started with Slate 3.0 and this is the first kit I've built with it. It sounds worlds better than SD 2.0 did on this song, but it's not quite "there" yet for me either. All I know is that with very little time I'm already getting results with Slate 3.0 that I'm much happier with than I was with SD 2.0, and it will only get better from here I figure.
• The acoustic guitar is an Alvarez from the 80s, miked with an AT4060 tube condenser, into an outboard URei LA-4 compressor, double tracked. Very little post EQ on this at all, it's just a fantastic sounding guitar and needs no help.

I'll be posting another version soon based on you guys' comments. Thanks!