noynekker

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.

Nicely done John . . . cool song that tells a story, and the recording sounds great to my ears. After the instrumental part I really liked how you punched the drums and instruments together to change things up a bit going back to the verse, which actually became an outro or coda. Well written there, for a first time listen, a few surprises. We used to use a Tascam 688 MidiStudio with a midi time code track, 7 channels ! . . . what an upgrade from the 4 trk Portastudio.

KurtS . . . just dropped by to say I really enjoyed this jazzy piece, lots of creative playing . . . and really appreciated the hook (descending instrument shots) that ties it together . . . end guitar work is also very well played !

Another great song here Philip . . . once again, you've got that very smooth acoustic guitar pattern repeating in the tapestry of this one. Interesting choices, very different kick tone really works, and instead of a disturbing snare smack, you've got that subtle click or clap thing panned right through most of the song, I'm thinking a sidestick drum patch with lots of reverb might have worked better, but the way you've done it, it's very subtle, keeps the overall sound very gentle, so maybe you intended that. Super cool song, I will listen to many more times.

Kevin . . . coolness factor way high on this track, super clean mix, enjoyed very much !

Hey Andy . . . well this really is a great song, you've captured it very well here, after too many years in the attic. Mix sounds a bit over reverbed by todays standards, maybe that's what they did in the 70's ? Really enjoyed the listen, and will search online for Neil Lewis . . . it's so cool you brought him back to the present like this !

Tom, this is very tight and clean mix wise, and what a great idea, and super guitar playing ! . . . I could easily have endured another 3 minutes of this, LoL Seriously, I hope you work on this some more.

Here's a new collaboration I'm doing with a former band mate . . . he helped create a lot of the synthesizer work on this one. As usual, trying to get that mix up to par, and any song comments always welcome from all of you ! (We were trying to get a video done for this one, but the budget just ran out . . . in other words my graphics card fried out, having a hard time getting a replacement, so video someday hopefully ?)

Wookiee . . . it has a gentle easy flow to it, perfect for small enclosed places, no one will freak out, just a nice easy ride. Most relaxing thing I heard today, thank you sir.

@AndyB01 Very cool Andy . . . and I love the back story, an interesting read . . . "delusions of capability" made me laugh, as I totally relate. I think you've got a very smooth sounding mix here, and those harmonies so capture the period, well crooned:) Gary mentioned the band Bread, oh yeah they were the slow dance kings from another age, what was her name anyways ? It also brought to mind The Carpenters, or The Lettermen. I always find it interesting to re-visit projects from the past, and so glad you brought this down from the attic for us to hear, I can hear a lot of work went into this . . . really enjoyed the listen ! (Hope you re-activate some more like this)

Some fun to be had here, sounds very lighthearted . . . though, I guess I should feel sorry for the dog. There are some echo sounds that kind of sound like barking. In the opening there's a fun marimba or xylophone thing panned left . . . I wish that could be louder. Yes, a very likeable piece . . . and there's that rah rah arpeggio in the middle that made me chuckle as well, glad you kept that in, reminded me of the theme from mighty mouse.

What folder location do you have set in "Preferences - Folder locations - Export Audio Files" Mine says %PROJECTFOLDER%

Hi John . . . this is a great song, with some well played guitar work . . . it has a very natural feel to it. I think you've played a lot of live music, and it really shows here in your recording. Looking forward to hearing the other ones you're working on !

Wow Lee . . . the way you set it up at top of the thread, mental issues and all . . . well, let me assure you, this is one very together piece you've written and recorded here. The mix sounds great to my ears, and musically, as it evolves towards the ending, there are some surprising change ups that kept me listening and appreciating. It really connects with me, perhaps because it is in a similar vein to one of my favourite Canadian folk rock bands, it's got a very easy laid back feel to it, with some serious undertones. Glad you shared it all here for us.

Hi Mark . . . sounding great, the mix has evolved since I last tuned in. Such an amazing up tempo piece . . . your guitar playing here really shines, as always, acoustics, electrics, slides, groovy bass. If you're inclined to make it a song (with singing and lyrics) there's tons of melodies that come to my mind in the opening and middle sections . . . and right now sounds like the singer would just bow out when the electric guitar solo comes along. There's not really a traditional chorus so far, but it's only 3:20, so possibilities. Oh yeah, the Wookiee thinks the vocals would spoil the magic, but I can't recall him singing anywhere on this site, but I may be wrong ? Anyways, as it is . . . it's a super chillaxing listen, if you go cello instead of vocals, you'll make it work . . . I just think there's always another jazz vocal standard in the making, lurking here, but might just be me.

Paul . . . really like this one ! Those chorus harmonies so excellent, very catchy. Mix sounds balanced on my headphone listen. This one has a great feel to it, tom and drum fills really capture your favourite period . . . lyrics and attitude, all there man . . . keep on ranting in the free world !

hey jack c. , me thinks this is great piece, enjoyed a lot, agreed maybe fade earlier, you got the mixing thing going on now . . .

@Jane Laws I'm likin' this one, your vocal delivery is so smooth . . . it's a very friendly song to hear tonight, thanks for posting something sunny (I'm in the north)