Just finished a new song - take a listen

[Splat88]

I just finished the song that I started and posted last night. No vocals yet of course, but don't worry, I've have the vocals done within the next 10 years. Anyway, all guitars are an Ibanez S with Duncan JB into my new POD HD. Default Rectifier, no boost. There's a bunch of other amp models I used for all the ambient background stuff. Bass is a Soundgear into a PODX3. I'm completely in love with the bass tone. The guitars are not bad either but I'll probably replace them with my Krank once I get a chance to mic it back up.

At any rate, any feedback is appreciated. Thanks gentlemen!
http://youtu.be/LV10XjBb4wA

I've added a video tutorial as well for those interested.
http://youtu.be/zdo-WU2Le8U

Here's a 320 kBit mp3
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/868701/March Hare - 072612.mp3

 

[Manicompression]

This song is way more pissed sounding than what i expected, really cool chord choices at the end. The bass sound is pretty freaking awesome, do feel free to explain what you did here, post the patch or any eq settings if at all possible or convenient. I think the guitars sound cool too, people shit on the new pod hd but most of the clips Ive heard have been pretty tight, just as cool sounding as the axe fx stuff ive heard. Can you disable the cabs or just use the effects without the amp sims with the floorboard? Ive been debating selling off some of my effects pedals and simplifying. How do the sims take eq, better than the x3?

 

[Nuno Filipe]

Awesome as usual. Hey matt, dont take me wrong but I have to ask why you dont finish your album instead of creating new music? New music is always welcome but you already have a quite good songs that I believe that could be in a album or even a EP with 4/5 songs. I say this because I love your work, I would like to see some of your work seeing the daylight. Still playing quite often, Lost At Sea and Strange songs.

 

[Splat88]

This song is way more pissed sounding than what i expected, really cool chord choices at the end. The bass sound is pretty freaking awesome, do feel free to explain what you did here, post the patch or any eq settings if at all possible or convenient. I think the guitars sound cool too, people shit on the new pod hd but most of the clips Ive heard have been pretty tight, just as cool sounding as the axe fx stuff ive heard. Can you disable the cabs or just use the effects without the amp sims with the floorboard? Ive been debating selling off some of my effects pedals and simplifying. How do the sims take eq, better than the x3?

Thanks dude! I have no problem sharing any of the settings if you want them. I did just wake up though, so you'll have to give me a while to get my shit together.

On the POD HD 500 you can disable cabs and even run it as just an effects board. I do that with my Krank in 4 cable mode. That way you you use all the effects pre or post amp, like using a TS sim before the Krank and a delay after the Krank. It rules, especially for the price. As far as the sims taking EQ, all I can say is that the HD is a huge improvement from the X3. I know a lot of guys disagree, but with all due respect, the PODX3 is as dead as dead for me distorted guitars. Obviously I still use it for bass.

 

[Splat88]

Awesome as usual. Hey matt, dont take me wrong but I have to ask why you dont finish your album instead of creating new music? New music is always welcome but you already have a quite good songs that I believe that could be in a album or even a EP with 4/5 songs. I say this because I love your work, I would like to see some of your work seeing the daylight. Still playing quite often, Lost At Sea and Strange songs.

Thanks for commenting! Yeah I should be finishing the album especially after all these years, but I had a free night last night which is rare and writing new stuff is infinitely more fun. I have a hard time motivating myself to get the old shit done, but I'll get around to it before the new millennium.

 

[Manicompression]

Thanks for the info on the board, I actually tried finding the answers to those questions a while back via extensive google searching and checking out other forums but couldnt come up with any straight answers. I would be stoked to see what you did with the bass processing whenever you get to it, stuff like the eq boosts/ cuts, amp models/blends, and GR/attack release of the compressor. Also since you did ask for a critique and not just a litany of questions, I think the overheads or cymbals sound kind of funny on this. Its not distracting but if im paying attention to them they sound pretty unnatural, the rest of the mix is as tight as they get imo.

 

[Splat88]

Thanks for the info on the board, I actually tried finding the answers to those questions a while back via extensive google searching and checking out other forums but couldnt come up with any straight answers. I would be stoked to see what you did with the bass processing whenever you get to it, stuff like the eq boosts/ cuts, amp models/blends, and GR/attack release of the compressor. Also since you did ask for a critique and not just a litany of questions, I think the overheads or cymbals sound kind of funny on this. Its not distracting but if im paying attention to them they sound pretty unnatural, the rest of the mix is as tight as they get imo.

See above ^. I just loaded a video of the mixing process in Cubase where you can see everything I did. Both Guitar and Bass patches are stock, the only exception being the PODX3 Bass track stock preset "Pawn Shop Punk" that was slightly modified. I simply cranked the low mid eq to 100% and that was the only change.

As far as the overheads, I think they might sound a little clangy perhaps. The only EQ I used on them was the internal Superior high pass filter and that was it. Maybe I'll try scooping some 2.5k or something. Thoughts?

 

[Ermz]

Getting good vibes from this! You're one of the few dudes who understands the bass needs to be like a 3rd guitar right up the middle, adding the dirt.

No idea about the OHs from how much YT has annihilated your mix, but usually they need broad cuts at 3 to 4kHz to give vocals a fighting chance.

PS. If I could add a small criticism... that 'dun dun dun dundun dunnnnn' riff right at the end feels a bit rhythmically predictable. If there's anything you can throw in there to shake things up it'd do wonders!

 

[Splat88]

Getting good vibes from this! You're one of the few dudes who understands the bass needs to be like a 3rd guitar right up the middle, adding the dirt.

No idea about the OHs from how much YT has annihilated your mix, but usually they need broad cuts at 3 to 4kHz to give vocals a fighting chance.

PS. If I could add a small criticism... that 'dun dun dun dundun dunnnnn' riff right at the end feels a bit rhythmically predictable. If there's anything you can throw in there to shake things up it'd do wonders!

Thanks Ermz! Oh how I love the bass guitar. Its far too ofter overlooked. When Matty gets around to doing vocals for this 2 years from now, I think you'll be right about getting those cuts in the overheads. And about the last comment about the riff at the end, damn I love you Ermz. It was like 1:00AM by the time I got writing the very end of the song and I was so tired I basically said fuck it and just threw some generic bullshit down. Thanks for putting me back in check!

 

[Keregioz]

I really like the song, it has a great atmosphere. As far as the mix goes the youtube compression is pretty bad... 240p??... so I can't really comment. I do think that the guitars are a bit muddier than usual compared to your other mixes.

 

[FIXXXER]

cool track, i'd love to listen to a hi-q version, the youtube quality is kinda meh...

 

[Ermz]

Thanks Ermz! Oh how I love the bass guitar. Its far too ofter overlooked. When Matty gets around to doing vocals for this 2 years from now, I think you'll be right about getting those cuts in the overheads. And about the last comment about the riff at the end, damn I love you Ermz. It was like 1:00AM by the time I got writing the very end of the song and I was so tired I basically said fuck it and just threw some generic bullshit down. Thanks for putting me back in check!

No worries!

If you lived down here, we'd work some magic on that CD...

 

[Manicompression]

the mix video is awesome, really cool of you to do that. It could just be the youtube compression thats making the cymbals sound weird, sadly I didnt consider that before commenting.

 

[Keregioz]

Any chance you could post the bass track soloed?

 

[Splat88]

Any chance you could post the bass track soloed?

Done. First part with post FX and 2nd part bypassed.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/868701/Pawn Shop Punk.mp3

 

[Keregioz]

Thanks man!

 

[Splat88]

No worries!

If you lived down here, we'd work some magic on that CD...

That would be pure awesomeness to the nth degree. In a perfect world, right?

 

[dcb]

holy shit, this is really really good. man everything here sounds perfect. even at 240p... what the hell?
and bass is sooo epic.!!!

what snare sample are you using ? is all the ringiness only from the superior hash snare ?

 

[Splat88]

holy shit, this is really really good. man everything here sounds perfect. even at 240p... what the hell?
and bass is sooo epic.!!!

what snare sample are you using ? is all the ringiness only from the superior hash snare ?

Thanks dude! The ringiness of the snare is totally coming from the Hasche Maple Superior Snare and I've got a Slate snare running under that slightly and a Paramore sampled snare running at 16%.

 

[XxSicRokerxX]

I really like the song but as far as quality goes I can definitely tell its youtube quality. Sound isn't defined; as if theres a blanket over my speakers. But it definitely sounds like theres a beauty under there.