noynekker

Hey Bjorn . . . this one is absolutely beautiful, musically and visually . . . really enjoyed it from beginning to end, there is some incredible subtlety in the pulsating synth rhythms along the way that really stood out to my ears . . . such artistry, really well done !

All I can offer is sympathy for the OP Bad Mac . . . as I have had an issue for many years with FabFilter ProQ3 VST3, a very mainstream + widely used VST Effect . . . load it up, instant Cakewalk crash out, yep workaround VST2 version works just fine . . . no one has been able to offer help or explain why ? Yes, FabFilter ProQ3 VST3 loads up nicely in my other DAW, which actually BTW sucks in so many ways compared to my Cakewalk. As Bad Mac says . . . Not everything works, reasons unknown. Tech support just says re-install, that's all they got.

Bjorn . . . this is large and beautiful ! . . . can't ever imagine why you would give up on it, but I see now why you completed it, excellent piece, just excellence.

Well, this thread is certainly keeping it real . . . I like Tezza's comment about wearing too many hats, who has all these talents, no matter how much you learn over the years ? . . . let's face it, professional marketing is the furthest away from most musician's expertise, because it has little to do with actually playing and creating music. Hence the failure to procreate the species of your own particular brand of music, hoping someone else will notice you're amazing. As for Mr. Torture . . . just create some things in a totally different way than you've ever created things, collaborate, learn a new instrument, buy new software etc . . . your muse will lead the way from there, if you still have that muse. If you don't have that initial spark any more, YIKES !

Mark . . . always excellent stuff, really found the mandolin interesting, the way you fit that in, so well played. And then cowbell ! . . . was that from 40 years ago, but you left it in ? Nice how you take a breath along the way in this one, right after the cowbell solos. Those drums are right on the money, very tightly wound snare, does it have the snares turned off in places ? I can't imagine what you might do for a mix #2 . . . it already sounds very polished to my ears . . . but, I'll surely stay tuned as you work it.

Wookiee . . . it does change a lot, and the transitions between sections are very well composed . . . fitting that this would be the last music I listened to before bedtime Sunday evening, really enjoyed this, and know I will have pleasant dreams.

Steve . . . very excellent work on a classic pop tune. As I was listening along I was appreciating just what you accomplished here ! Recreating a Steely Dan tune, wow, nothing they did was predictable, you did an amazing job, and obviously have a very finely tuned ear to make this work.

Thanks Bjorn, glad it resonated with you . . . I still hear some great new songs on the radio, though, many have borrowed from the past somehow, with a modern take on technology of today. I hope we never lose the ability to swing.

@Larry T. it does have a very relaxing air about it . . . great Sunday afternoon listen, perhaps reminding me of very early Genesis guitar work. thanks for sharing it here !

Thank you @freddy j for having a listen, and for your compliments !

Well done ! . . . well recorded (and performed), the lead vocal has a very close up sound, really enjoyed it.

Lee . . . always great to see someone still rockin' and creating songs at 60, I've always thought making music helps turn back the dial a little bit . . . unless of course you got famous and made lots of money, well, many of those folks didn't last to 60. I really liked the lyrics and the guitar solos, and as always you've got great balance in your mix. The vocals are very catchy, and the attitude you have singing them makes it a great listen.

Coolness factor way high on this one Freddy ! . . . the wah wah is used very effectively in this one. Those background harmonies really add some fun and extra character to your arrangement. Had fun listening along to it all !

@Old Joad . . . thanks for having a listen, yes, the synth work and overall rhythm really place this in that pop music era, right where Duran Duran were starting out, and there surely was a lot of great pop synth music from the 80’s + 90’s . . . retro was what we were going for here

Hi Jane . . . such a gentle easy flow as this song moves along . . . your vocal and the chord progression on the guitar are so in sync here . . . it's very well written and performed, I also really enjoyed the way you presented it in the video, super authentic, wise old soul that you are, I was moved, as it reminded me of someone I used to know.

treesha . . . I can't think of anything this reminds me of, so it's you . . . a unique sound, lots of different melodies intertwining with the vocal, never heard your earlier version, this one sounds great to my ears.

whoisp . . . thank you so much for the listen.

Thank you Paul for having a listen, glad you enjoyed !

A very long and very well deserved thread here Nigel . . . the vocal and lyric really jump off the page for me when I listen to it, so many interesting and changing effects you add and take away, really adds some depth to the artistry, and that vocal performance you have to work with is so very strong. This one also has some great edgy guitar parts that generate interest and power, totally transporting one inside the listening experience of you mix. Excellent and very high art folks !

Wookiee . . . relaxing piece you've captured here. The bell sounds with thick textured background throughout reminded me of that famous Roland "Fantasia" patch, that I used a lot in another era . . . so, maybe that added some melancholy to my enjoyable and laid back listening here.

Okay . . . I'm a bit confused, it sounds like your personality doing the vocals, recognized from other projects here, but somehow it comes across as a teenage version of your self . . . is this a new vocal plugin I can get from the Deals Forum ? Maybe an old analog tape speed up trick, emulating a time before your voice changed ? Either way, so much fun poked around here in this one . . . kind of like stand up comedy songwriting . . . I totally love it, all of it !

LOL . . . I only remember Howard Jones as the songs that cleared the dance floor, when I was a stage performing lad . . . What is Love ? No One is to Blame . . . no one got it . . . they just wanted Stones and CCR, wrong clubs perhaps . . . just like my excuse for not making it as a pro golfer either ? Hey, why are you here and not watching the Grammys ?

Hi Tom . . . yeah, most of the VSTi tracks are already frozen . . . it's Adaptive Limiter on the drums, Ozone 9 on Master Bus, and all the FabFilter Dynamic EQ with Linear Phase settings that demand the attention of my CPU . . . go big or go home they always say ?

Thanks Ed . . . for listening and + comments, glad you liked it.

Hey thanks everyone for the great feedback ! . . . looks like there are a few things to help the recording get better. @Lee Shapiro Thanks for the listen, yes, I notice the sustained synth notes in the chorus, are mostly enjoyed on headphones, on my speakers they seem too subtle, it's a delicate balance to not overtake the vocal. @David Sprouse David, very kind . . . thank you for having a listen. @KurtS don't know of "Oingo Boingo" perhaps I lead a musically sheltered life . . . thanks, I'll check it out @AndyB01 Andy, the Genesis reference is great . . . I listened and followed them very closely for many years, my friend who did the keyboards on this project talks about Tony Banks all the time, "what would Tony do ?" no doubt a major inspiration. @Paul Bush thanks so much for your positive comments, I know you like those eighties tributes . . . this may be more of a nineties tribute ? @mark skinner Mark, you do have a keen ear . . . I'm certainly going to try and boost the instrumental section, now that you pointed it out ! Also, you mentioned de-essing the lead vocal a bit, and it does already have a de-esser on it, which I rolled off before final mix here, because I wanted the more speech recognition range in the high end . . . but, I'm thinking I rolled back too much . . . great and invaluable tips ! @DeeringAmps Hi Tom . . . as always, thanks for your mix help ! The Sidechain trick you've mentioned is something I've never tried, I just have the vocals on their own bus with all the effects there . . . but I will try it, thank you also for your positive vibe. Well, as I mentioned, my desktop graphics card has an issue (such as not working at all) . . . when I try to run this project on my laptop, not enough oomph for this song and all the plugins I have going . . . but I will find a way, thanks again for all your input.