Say Something

Bash This Recording
#1

A nyoo choon by moi called “Say Something”…please have a listen and… er… say something…anything?

New mix with some subtle changes based on suggestions in this thread:

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#2

Really good stuff here Andrew! Excellent composition, great performances, lots of ear candy, and I particularly like how the chorus/hook is slightly unconventionally structured. Seems like you are shifting between a minor and major mode, definitely grabs attention.

The frequency spectrum sounds really good to me, as well as the stereo field. (Bashing on my Sony MD-7506 cans.) About the only suggestion I would make is during the bridge section from about 2:50 to 3:20, to bring the snare out a little more (maybe compress it a bit further?) to get that staccato-ness of the snare rolls to come out more. Because the chorus recapitulation that follows has fairly prominent snare, it would be a good segue/lead-in to that. Currently it feels like the snare kind of drops out during that half-minute bridge bit.

Top job mate! :beerbang:

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#3

Sweet, thanks for sharing:+1:

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#4

Great intro! and really nice mix. Lovely lead playing.

Such a clean, clear mix - it depresses me a little to be honest! I can always learn something from your stuff.

Writing/composition wise, you really have your own distinct style with just exactly the chord/key shifts and jumps that I like. Nothing to add really as far as I’m concerned - it’s a great song, really well mixed.

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#5

Very Cool Andrew!! Love this… it’s one I’d have in my playlist for sure!
Love the contrasts, it’s a sophisticated little number eh with all those twists and turns in the keys, very well crafted. Cool intimate vocals with an engaging edge, great use of silence and lovely clarity to the mix. Great to get a quite distinctive style from you coming through.

In terms of nit pick, I just wondered whether that vocal section following the gorgeous guitar solo bit, sounded just a little thin… probably by contrast to the preceding guitar oomph, it just sounded to me as though the vox had shifted a little too far back in the mix. (“and I’m not trying to make you feel.…”) I found myself reaching to hear a little more vocal detail for that verse…
Fab end chorus, love that build, mmm nice layers… great singing, catches me nicely!!

Love the drums and the spaces between things… and those shifting chord structures are so tasty… very nice indeed!! Wooh, inspired I am … :beerbang:

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#6

Thanks Dave - cool - I’ll take a look into that - I think the snare maybe being masked a little by the “chop” guitar on the right.

Thanks!

Thanks FD - cool, glad you like it. I guess the out-of-the-ordinary things are not really a deliberate attempt to be complex, but I find I usually “paint myself into corners” during the process of composition, and it just happens that extricating myself from those situations seems to contribute to those little twists. I’ve been doing it so long that it actually feels “right” to me now - “comfortably uncomfortable”.

Wow, thanks Emma! I did try thickening up the bridge with some harmonies, but it just didn’t seem to work as well as leaving it alone. Perhaps I might just need to alter the eq there to make it sit a little better - I’ll check it out - Thanks!

2 Likes
#7

Hey Andrew, nice track , sounding great in my studio. I reckon the riff could straighten out in parts (Screaming Jets-ish) just to move it along here and there. And what about some guitar harmony over last chorus :smile:

Nice one.

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#8

Thanks Chris - I really appreciate the listen and the comment! When you say “straighten it out” do you mean lose the chugs in some sections?

#9

Just about nailed it Andrew, great job!

I think I’d like to hear the bass with a bit of cut at about 100Hz, it just has a wee bit too much “boing” to my ears. (The big bonus is that if you make the cut you can boost the ful bass track in the mix).

Also the kit - not sure what, if anything can be done - but it sounds very much like programmed drums to me - as opposed to an imitation of a drummer, which I assume was the goal.

Also some of the definition in the snare and kick is lost during the dense outro. Very tricky things dense outros, you have to make a lot of compromises in order to retain the definition. In my experience.

What happened to the word ‘dealt’ at 3:20? There’s no t on the end of the word, and you sound like someone’s punched you in the throat. Just an observation.

All minor stuff though, it’s very good indeed.

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#10

Very nice work, I like it a lot!

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#11

I am seriously impressed with the melody and the arrangement and the performance. Classic American Rock! Big lead guitar, drums, and driving bass, and I like that Roland organ you sneak in here and there as a bonus.

The song is very tight, very precisely navigating the various parts. Verses are interesting, and chorus are the least exciting to me, though, it is that minor bridge that perks me up in the middle the most. Lyrically it is a little dismal, which is allowed of course, but it isn’t going to be my newest theme song of life I hope! Still, the vocals conveyed authenticity, didn’t sound exactly like anybody else, and again were oh so tight, almost Eagles or Pocoish. For all its drama, alas, I’m not picking up big hook lines to emphasize the emotional situation.

I’m not qualified to critique it for production, but in my ears it is beautiful. You really did a stellar job, and I hope you’re feeling better now about whatever it was that made you so upset, hehe.

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#12

Hi Andrew, yes that’s what i was thinking. Obviously these are creative decisions around the arrangement, just ideas.

all good. cheers

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#13

Overall loving it. verse vocals great. Chorus vocals there is something missing and it is not harmonies. They are coming out a little thin for my liking and feel so much less intimate that it has lost its impact i comparison to the verse vocals (which are spot on as far as i am concerned.). knowing your chops in the mixing field i am guessing it is not a volume issue. I am leaning towards using some delays or maybe it is a too much reverb issue. It is hard for me know with out having the tracks because i am still at the play with it stage of mixing ability. I don’t know if this helps but i thought I would throw it out there just in case it sparks something for you.

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#14

Cool, thanks Adrian - I’ll check that out - always keen to get a bigger bass!

Hmm… well, that’s me playing the drums - I played every beat of the song with my own hands and feet, so I guess it goes to prove that, as a drummer, I make a great guitarist! :wink:

Might be just a matter of a little volume tweak there - thanks!

Just the way I sang it. There were technically better takes available when I comp’d it together, but I felt this one conveyed the feeling the best… after all the song’s about being psychologically “punched in the throat”, so I felt that exposing a little imperfection and vulnerability got the message across best.

Thanks for taking the time to listen and comment - always helpful and insightful - much appreciated!

Merci beaucoup!

Thanks! I’m Australian, though :wink:

Haha! Oh well, I guess life isn’t always the most positive experience… Hope it doesn’t come across as too maudlin. I’m actually a pretty positive person in real life…

Writing a song always makes me feel better - it’s the best therapy ever! Thanks so much for your input - much appreciated!

Ok cool - we’re on the same page then - thanks mate! :+1:

Hey Eric - thanks! The chorus vocals are treated differently to the verse - mainly to help them cut through and be a lttle more aggressive and make space for the backgrounds. I’ll take a look into it and see if it can be improved.
Cheers!

#15

Yep that’s a bit I really liked… just has that catch to it that feels ‘real’ and a bit raw and touches my heart in a cool musical way… different strokes for different folks eh? :sunglasses:

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#16

That is nuts. Just shows how much I know!

So the sounds we are hearing, are they real, or samples?

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#17

Samples - I played a Roland E-kit (I no longer live on acreage, so no chance to record LOUD drums in suburbia). I triggered Superior Drummer’s Music City SDX with the recorded midi.

#18

Ahhh…so what happens wih the overheads? Does it have them?

#19

Yup - It has all the individual mic channels just like a “real” drum recording - you just mix 'em as usual.

#20

Is there a delay between the close mics and the overheads? Is there a time difference between the overheads themselves?