"Summer Soul/Winter Mind" complete

Bash This Recording
#1

Tied up some loose ends as far as the arrangement and overall composition goes to the point where I’m fairly happy to call the writing done.
Cheers to @ColdRoomStudio for some really helpful advice along the way.
It’s just a matter of dialing in a reasonable mix now I guess. Give it a good bashing.

Final mix?

Stay back, when the beast’s upon your door
Stay back, never leave my side
Lay back, I’ve been waiting here so long
Lay back, never leave my sight

This sweet thing dies, and walked out with my summer soul
You’ll never know you’ll never see
My empty winter mind

Stay back, now the beast is through the door
Be still, he’s right by your side
Lay back, now the beast is inside you
Don’t worry. he’s only here for evermore

This sweet thing dies, and walked out with my summer soul
You’ll never know you’ll never see
My empty winter mind

Truth
Lies
Deception

Fills me with dread contemplating existence

Misery
Ruination
Extinction

Keeps me running away

Stay back, while it beats upon your door
Stay back, never leave my side
Lay back, I’ve been waiting here so long
Lay back, never leave my sight

This sweet thing dies, and walked out with my summer soul
You’ll never know you’ll never see
My empty winter mind

These sweet things die

#2

Pretty cool - Sounds maybe like you’re going for a bit of a “Them Crooked Vultures” vibe. Bass sound is nice.

Maybe just watch a little bit of a buildup around 100hz and around 250hz - just a very gentle dip centred in those areas seemed to ease the sense of thickness & woolliness that is tricky to get right when you’re going for a fat, dark sound like this.

Cool groove - looking forward to the finished product!

#3

Sounds maybe like you’re going for a bit of a “Them Crooked Vultures” vibe.

Yeah, have always been a big Josh Homme fan, dating right back to the Kyuss days so it’s probably no surprise a bit of that style rubs off in the songwriting I guess, and yeah I’ll take it. It wouldn’t worry me to write an entire album in this style…at all.

Maybe just watch a little bit of a buildup around 100hz and around 250hz - just a very gentle dip centred in those areas seemed to ease the sense of thickness & woolliness that is tricky to get right when you’re going for a fat, dark sound like this.

In regards to 100hz-250hz, do you mean the bass guitar in particular, or just be mindful of those areas overall as a complete mix?

Also bro, just wondering if you’ve got any little tips for getting a third, centered guitar to sit out on top of the mix harmoniously. I mean the first thing I’d be inclined to do is give a boost around 2.5k or something like that but, it never really seems to stick out in a positive way, and is more intrusive rather than balanced. I can see this guitar being problematic once vocals go down too, with even more competition around the centre.
Thanks for the tips Andrew.

#4

Yeah, it’s great stuff… I’m kind of a new-ish convert… For a few years now I’ve been in a “get together once in a blue moon” band with a few guys who are about 10-12 years my junior, so they’re all into 90’s stuff… QOTSA, Weezer, Fooey’s, TLE - stuff I didn’t really grow up with, but I’ve grown to really appreciate.

I just meant overall in the mix - it’s not a big deal, but with a lot of the elements having energy there it can build up, so it’s worth just reffing some stuff once you get the mix happening, just to get a fresh perspective.

Wow, now that’s tricky… a lot of it will come down to the arrangement… I suppose it depends on the vocal tone - even the vocal register to a degree. A few ideas:

  • you could try a really contrasting tone - like maybe a lo-fi thing
  • a “complimentary” tone where you pull out around 1-2k, and push around 800hz and maybe higher at say 3-4k
  • try the ol’ trick of side-chaining it to be ducked out of the way of the vocal.
  • sometimes it’s a matter of finding a vocal tone that really cuts through, with not to many lows or highs - the TCV songs are a good example of that pretty lo-fi vocal tone. It means you can keep the middle guitar fatter and darker without losing it in the mix.

…just a few random thoughts…

#5

Yeah, it’s great stuff… I’m kind of a new-ish convert… For a few years now I’ve been in a “get together once in a blue moon” band with a few guys who are about 10-12 years my junior, so they’re all into 90’s stuff… QOTSA, Weezer, Fooey’s, TLE - stuff I didn’t really grow up with, but I’ve grown to really appreciate.

Sounds like a blast, I don’t play enough covers these days.

It’s kind of a tricky question I know, speculating on an element that doesn’t even exist yet. Even in this early stage I felt that guitar seemed a little buried, but again, could just be me.

he TCV songs are a good example of that pretty lo-fi vocal tone. It means you can keep the middle guitar fatter and darker without losing it in the mix

I’ll have to go and revisit that album, haven’t listened in ages, but just thinking about it you’re absolutely right, it’s got a real lo-fi, almost megaphone-ish flavour that might work well in this case, thanks man, appreciate it.

#6

I like it. The only thing I really noticed was some slight issues in the very low end. It just has a bit of a one note rumble on it.

#7

I like it. The only thing I really noticed was some slight issues in the very low end. It just has a bit of a one note rumble on it.

Yeah I reckon you’re probably right on the money, I don’t think i even high passed the bass yet so there’s more than likely some subby shit pushing through. Thanks man.

#8

Have just been playing round with a few vocal melodies/lyrics and thought I’d try a bit of treatment.
I’ll be honest, I haven’t had much experience lo-fi ing a vocal, so I just made some pretty extreme high and low cuts with a fairly big carve out at 3k. Other than a bit of comp to even out the performance and a touch of saturation there’s nothing else going on effect-wise.
It sounds okay, and everything seems to still be fairly audible but admittedly, I’m only winging it.

Vocal%20EQ%20cap

1 Like
#9

Just listened on cruddy work speakers, but it sounds pretty cool so far!

#10

Great starting riff. Oh crap, I thought there would be some singing. Like it for sure.

Paul

#11

Sounds great. I think you need to add the vox and any backing vox now, the melodies, before you start mixing the frequencies in detail…
Really keen to hear where this ends up…

S

#12

Had another listen on my studio speakers - sounds really good!:+1:

#13

Sounds great. I think you need to add the vox and any backing vox now, the melodies, before you start mixing the frequencies in detail…
Really keen to hear where this ends up…

Sorry lads, just working on vocals now. I’ve got a few melodies fleshed out but hopefully a complete rough draft in a few days, thanks heaps for the feedback guys.

Had another listen on my studio speakers - sounds really good!:+1:

I tell you what Andrew, it really goes to show you how much real estate a treated vocal with all the bells and whistles takes up within a rock number. I was actually quite blown away with how decent that vocal came out, and how much detail is still present, despite having all those frequencies chopped off. Am I on the right path as far as eq, what would you have done differently in regards to achieving a lo-fi sound?

#14

So managed to get some vocals laid down. Once again I haven’t really referenced against anything so the mix is probably choc full of problems, but it’d be great to get some fresh ears on the situation and let me know what I’ve screwed up so I can work towards a semi decent mix, cheers.
EDIT:
A couple of mixes later and a bit more progress. Only 348 more revisions to go :^)

#15

Hi Terry, sorry I took so long to get back to you here. This is sounding great. The vocals sit nicely. Overall I got the sense that the guitars are a bit too harsh in the high mids - around the 3-4k range, so it could do with a little smoothing there.

Yeah, I think referencing might reveal that harshness.

I usually add some kind of distortion along with the eq… that’s about all.

#16

No worries mate, I’ll definitely look into that, cheers.
Just in the process of re-writing a decent outro. I felt repeating the chorus another 4 bars note for note was a little lazy, and felt like the song was dragging by the end. Hopefully this redo will be a little more engaging.

#17

Finally put in a bit of effort and came up with a mix that’s halfway decent (I think). I reckon the vocals could do with more work, but I dunno if that’s just my shitty singing letting the team down, but I suspect someone a bit more clued up could make them sound better.
It’s about as good as I can come up with for now anyway.

#18

Really nice stuff !

I’ll check it, but sounds good thru my laptop

Josh Homme, yes definetly a fan too.

Cool groove/arrangement.

1 Like
#19

Hey thanks Dave. This has really been kicking my ass trying to get things to sit right in the mix, mainly the snare but I think this one here is miles better than the last…until tomorrow anyway :wink:

#20

Hey this sounds really great Terry! Loving the harmonies and some of the latest little mix additions. It sounds pretty much done to me. Nice work!