First thing I've written in a long time - TDWP/TCM-ish - LOTS of automation!

Backe

Space Cowboy
Mar 7, 2010
573
1
18
Borlänge, Sweden
Hey dudes. Haven't posted in a while. Wrote and recorded this last night, turned out pretty cool. Automated everything by hand for the right feel. The synths are Symphobia and Evolve. Drums, bass and guitar's just the average stuff. I plan on doing some vocals later tonight. Tell me what you think!

EDIT: NEW VERSION WITH VOCALS
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10612702/EYW_vocals_v1.mp3

alright, now that I've recorded the vocals I think it's time to reveal the fact that this is actually a cover, and not just any cover, but the most unlikely cover ever to hit this forum. anyone remember Kele, the guitarist and singer from Bloc Party? anyways.. this is a cover of one of his songs of his solo project entitled 'Everything You Wanted' (hence EYW). "why?" one might ask. because nothing touches me more deeply than a black guy crying, hahah. and I wanted to mess with two lady friends of mine, who both hate this song to death.

 
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Very cool song and mix. I know it will be kickass with your vox! :Spin:

The thing I am interested in is how you write stuff like that. Do you tab it out before, with in a program like guitar pro?
If you write it in your DAW :
  • Do you have a riff in your head, record it and add drums?
  • Do you play in the guitars already perfectly tight?
  • Or do you start off with scratch guitars?

I am just so frustrated that I just can't get a song finished. If I have a nice riff in my head I start to write it down in tuxguitar, but then I just don't know how to go on and I end up with 30sec songs. Also I often fail to tab particullar riffs in tuxguitar, so writing them in my DAW would be easier for me. But I just don't know how to start off there...

Would be nice if you could help me out there! :wave:
 
First thing, I love that piano in the beginning, sounds so amazing.
The way the entire thing is organized is so interesting too, so creative.
And that guitar tone...nom nom nom...
Really excited to hear your vocals on this!! :D
 
I love these drums. Details? Post processing?

SD2.0 TMF with the Avatar Toms, Slate Kick 10 + Snare 10&11 with a shitload of room!

Kick - EQ
Snare - EQ -> comp -> drumagog running some slate rooms -> GClip
Toms (for each) - EQ -> Transient Designer -> GClip
Hi-Hat (like anyone cares, haha) - hi-pass at 4k
OH's - EQ (hi-pass at like ~600) -> L2 (for dynamic control whilst retaining the "life") -> another "warmer" EQ for some high-shelving at 12k
Room - comp (Stillwell's The Rocket at like 20:1)

Used a reverb as an FX channel within cubase, which I also sent to nearly everything for a more consistent feel (like the stuffs in the beginning, leads etc). Waves RVerb running a warm plate verb with like 20 ms pre-delay.
 
Sounds pretty good to me, so far. Right around 1:03, something weird is going on with the drums. I'm also hearing some weird scratchiness around 1:17-on. Also, as Alec16 said, it's pumpy.

those are called production effects, if you've ever heard of them :) yeah, but I love the analog-ish glue it creates. might back down a tad in another mix though.

everything sounds great instrumentally, but the mix is a little pumpy. might try some vocals on here myself.

yeah, i love the pump! haha. feel free man, i'd like that.

Jan [MTW];9904553 said:
Very cool song and mix. I know it will be kickass with your vox! :Spin:

The thing I am interested in is how you write stuff like that. Do you tab it out before, with in a program like guitar pro?
If you write it in your DAW :
  • Do you have a riff in your head, record it and add drums?
  • Do you play in the guitars already perfectly tight?
  • Or do you start off with scratch guitars?

I am just so frustrated that I just can't get a song finished. If I have a nice riff in my head I start to write it down in tuxguitar, but then I just don't know how to go on and I end up with 30sec songs. Also I often fail to tab particullar riffs in tuxguitar, so writing them in my DAW would be easier for me. But I just don't know how to start off there...

Would be nice if you could help me out there! :wave:

it's not rocket science really. music is sort of a language that we speak, knowing I might sound like a total junkie saying that, haha :)

I always go with my gut, the writing of this song started with the first note on the piano and then I just worked my way from there, doing what seemed right and making the ideas and visions in my head come to life one by one. it takes time to get to that point where you can do that. truth be told though, with Evolve's cool cinematic style effects you can just go crazy, find something you like, leave it and move on to the next thing. some things are ideas, some things are random, put your gentle touch onto it, incorporate some feel and glue it all together and you'll have a finished product.

i never tab anything, seriously.. guitar pro gives me headaches and you can't really capture the 'feel' that many of my riffs contain. not to brag, but 'feel' is like a whole other dimension so many people just skip out on.

I normally have an idea in my head, lay down some scratch guitars and then program some drums on there. I usually come up with more stuff, part-wise, while programming the drums so it's best not to waste time recording the guitars perfect right away, and besides, it's alot easier to record to drums rather than just the click. if a take is solid and tight-sounding I'll slip-edit it if I feel like doing so, like if I feel it suits the part, although during this project I left alot of things untouched for "the br00tz" you know.

hope it helps man, thanks for the comment :)

Sounds pretty sick man

thanks alot!
 
I really really like the song, it's wonderful, the main thing I noticed is how much low end is in the kick! Maybe tame that a little? That will decrease the pump considerably though so your master compressor will have to be modified to retain it.
 
I really really like the song, it's wonderful, the main thing I noticed is how much low end is in the kick! Maybe tame that a little? That will decrease the pump considerably though so your master compressor will have to be modified to retain it.

yeah, actually noticed that afterwards while listening on another system. my RP5's only go down to 55hz so it can be a hard time judging how much is enough, but i can totally hear now that that pumping effect (the bad part of it) is located beneath 60-70hz, so I could do some multibanding for the extreme lows only (and some gentle lowmid comping too) or I could just lowshelf the kick. but I really like the way the bass and the kick interact so I'll definately try later one first. and adding vocals might change a thing or two.