When We Get Old

[RexRed]

Hey awesome Cakewalk peeps!

Here is a new song I just made.

I am here for critiques so don't hold back!

😁💝😘

RexRed

[FreeEarCandy]

Here are my thoughts. At the opening you have some synth keys playing in a high octave while you are singing. They are a bit of a distraction. I would loose them until the 1st verse of vocals end. Around 1:00 those high notes go away and it sounds so much better to me because I can fully focus on the vocals and the piano guitar accompaniment, along with the low end backing it all up. That part sounds awesome.  The second verse of vocals sound s okay and the high keys lend to a slow build up, so I'd say they work better as things move along.

[RexRed]

6 hours ago, FreeEarCandy said:

Here are my thoughts. At the opening you have some synth keys playing in a high octave while you are singing. They are a bit of a distraction. I would loose them until the 1st verse of vocals end. Around 1:00 those high notes go away and it sounds so much better to me because I can fully focus on the vocals and the piano guitar accompaniment, along with the low end backing it all up. That part sounds awesome.  The second verse of vocals sound s okay and the high keys lend to a slow build up, so I'd say they work better as things move along.

Hello FreeEarCandy,

Thank you for your critique.

There is not much I can do about the string distraction at the beginning of the song. (I noticed it myself as well.)

I used a music loop as the core of this song and then added more instruments and vocals (wrote lyrics) to the song loop.

I chopped up the loop rearranged sections and made it fit my lyrics. Perhaps I could surgically EQ that string to dull it a bit. 

Sometimes I use loops because it gives me ideas for songs that I might not otherwise have. Sometimes I build songs completely from scratch.

When I do use loops I am often faced with instruments being frozen into a core track.

I am still debating if this song needs more instrumentally. Some pads here and there. maybe a lead instrument in the solo sections. 

I am all up in the air about this. Usually I simply add these other instruments but there is a subtilty to this music that seems to work on its own other than the bass that I added. 

I am also considering drums to come in, in sections as well. Still undecided.

Recommendations are welcome.

[FreeEarCandy]

1 hour ago, RexRed said:

 

I used a music loop as the core of this song and then added more instruments and vocals (wrote lyrics) to the song loop.

 

Trapped in the loop. Yeah, that's a conundrum.  The logical solution is to replicate the individual instruments, but that can be a lot of work. I found this free service that can magically extract instrumental parts, such as drums, guitar, vocals, etc.  I tried it out of curiosity and ran one of my tunes through it. It amazingly works.  The only drawback is you have to open an account, but they do offer a free use option. I don't know if it will help you separate those high strings into a individual track that you can fade in and out, but maybe it will. Just run the loop track through it and see what happens. If it works  you will have better control of the loop. If you try it let me know how it works out. I may need todo the same thing down the road.

Outside of all the above EQ is the only thing I can think of too. Good luck! 

 

https://studio.moises.ai/login/

Edited March 27, 2023 by FreeEarCandy

[RikF]

Hi Rex, nice tune, good vocals, could use an instrumental break imho.

Rik

[RexRed]

On 3/27/2023 at 1:43 PM, RikF said:

Hi Rex, nice tune, good vocals, could use an instrumental break imho.

Rik

Okay I added the instrumental break. a subtle guitar solo in three places.

This song has had some odd things.

For one, my vocal only would work in it if I used no compression at all on it.

When I added even the slightest bit of compression it got flat, breathy, the sibilance was horrible and the transparency was dull and it did not fit in the song.

I could add reverb, and give it width but no compression or vocal riding.

I could edit the words volumes manually but any compression was not good.

I have never really had that happen with a vocal, compression usually does the opposite and makes the vocal work in the song.

So I learned a new thing, not all vocal tracks need compression.

I added drums here also. The snare drum is far away and the bass drum is very close up.

That seemed to be the only thing that sort of worked in this song.

Otherwise the snare drum was too much of a distraction.

I added chorusing, flange, reverb and a very long feedback/delay to the snare.

The organ seems to work well in places.

The vocals got a lot of editing, mostly timing and loudness.

And it got a new remixing and mastering.

Please let me know if you like it peeps!

Thanks for listening!

Rex

 

[Keith Wilby]

You have such a great voice RexRed, and those harmonies are superb. Suited perfectly to this kind of song 👍

[RexRed]

Thank you Keith, your comment is awesome, much appreciated and the best to you! 😊👍

[Lynn Wilson]

I never get tired of your voice and melodies.  As you said, this song is about subtlety.  I like the guitar parts that you added, which remind me of  that guitar opening in Twin Peaks because of the beautiful reverb that you used.  All in all, this song is a classic example of less is more.

[Old Joad]

50 minutes ago, Lynn Wilson said:

that guitar opening in Twin Peaks because of the beautiful reverb that you used.  All in all, this song is a classic example of less is more.

What he said, I would add that although it's a love song it sounds lonely as well.👍🏼

[Kevin Walsh]

Very good song, you have a great voice and you use it very well. Production is first rate, as is the mix. As a nit, I thought I heard a bit of discordance between the notes of the vocal and the organ in some places ("you were shining in the sun"). The reverb is splendid and the harmonies are just killer. Great song!

[Supa Reels]

Bit late but /...... .just found this gem 👊

Fantastic vox and Dting but the vocal meter is f a r too slow for the feeling of this work,  ... it leaves one hanging too long the next line which in turn leaves the listener a bit frustrated ... not to take away your approach to a really lovely piece of work and the words , but for me I wish you had pushed it a bit ... so as to make the message more about what the listener needs to hear and not so much about the song ... 

JMO

Much love

Steve SRM