To Times Lonely Eyes *vocal & ambient versions*

[Larry T.]

Hi All....enjoying a lot of tunes in this place....here's the latest from me....let me know what you think....it's called To Times Lonely Eyes:

This is the vocal version:

https://larryterrano.bandcamp.com/track/to-times-lonely-eyes-vocal

 

 

This is the ambient pop version:

https://larryterrano.bandcamp.com/track/to-times-lonely-eyes-ambient-pop-music

art work:

 

DAW: Cakewalk by Bandlab

 pc: windows 10, i7-4770 CPU @ 3.40 GHz, 8GB ram, acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar, focusrite scarlett solo, arturia minilab mkII, arturia analog lab lite, CbB effects

reference speakers: M-Audio BX3

Special Thanks to Mike at Creative Sauce on You Tube whose incredible videos on how to use CbB made this possible

Edited January 30, 2022 by Larry T.

[jack c.]

a fine job young man.bring up bass guitar or add one.some melody parts need quantizing.jack c.

[Larry T.]

7 hours ago, jack c. said:

a fine job young man.bring up bass guitar or add one.some melody parts need quantizing.jack c.

Thanks jack....the bass is there but the drums and their timing....i spent over 14 hours on the drums to get right and i'm still not satisfied as i feel they are single handedly dragging the song down....moving this to a Work in Progress as i see what my next move will be with it ????

[David Sprouse]

Love how it explodes into stereo at times, it's a cool effect.  Needs lyrics.  I feel it needs some more contrasting material, maybe a breakdown with short b section.  The ending would make a great breakdown.  Just a thought.  It's  a great start.

[jack c.]

34 minutes ago, Larry T. said:

.i spent over 14 hours on the drums to get right and i'm still not satisfied

i mention the following many times.i was first in me musical world a drummer.with that said NO ONE EVER NEEDS TO SEQUENCE DRUMS.

all one needs to do for example.

track 1 record any kick of ones choice.the entire song or just one bar.

track 2play along with kick and record any snare of ones choice.the entire song or just one bar.

etc. very little time is needed and quantize as needed.jack c.

[DeeringAmps]

I wouldn't "double" the melody with the bass, it "stiffens" the song way too much.
The bass line across the "pads" (for want of a better word) are good.
But I would support the melody lines and not double up there.

just my nickel98's worth...

t

17 hours ago, jack c. said:

track 1 record any kick of ones choice.the entire song or just one bar.

track 2play along with kick and record any snare of ones choice.the entire song or just one bar.

And then drop that into the EZDrummer or Superior Drummer's "search" function.
That's the little "cheat" I like to use.

Brian hired Hal, what's the dif?

Edited January 18, 2022 by DeeringAmps

[Larry T.]

22 hours ago, David Sprouse said:

Love how it explodes into stereo at times, it's a cool effect.  Needs lyrics.  I feel it needs some more contrasting material, maybe a breakdown with short b section.  The ending would make a great breakdown.  Just a thought.  It's  a great start.

Hi David....enjoying Scarlatti very much, great work there....Thanks for listening and comments ?

the song has lyrics and i'm going to try to put a vocal on it soon....as i've been playing that song since the early '80's my perspective on it is limited and i do agree it does need a contrasting b section to expand it....that's a great point i became oblivious to over the years....although i think that a vocal might open the song up and give the listener the ability to distinguish the separate parts much easier....cheers ????

Edited January 18, 2022 by Larry T.
clarity

[Larry T.]

21 hours ago, jack c. said:

i mention the following many times.i was first in me musical world a drummer.with that said NO ONE EVER NEEDS TO SEQUENCE DRUMS.

all one needs to do for example.

track 1 record any kick of ones choice.the entire song or just one bar.

track 2play along with kick and record any snare of ones choice.the entire song or just one bar.

etc. very little time is needed and quantize as needed.jack c.

Thanks jack....i'm a drummer too....i tried all you suggested, plus, i literally recorded the kick, snare, hi hats/intro (using CbB SI Drums VST) on separate tracks and went over each kick, each snare hit, each hi hat hit, etcetera one at a time and used either another instruments cue (piano, guitars, bass) on the wave sample or my ears to set the correct places in the piano roll....i dunno, maybe i'm being overally critical but the snare just doesn't seem to settle in, i think the intro, kick, hi hats and cymbals are all ok, just the snare....quantize won't work with that song as it's not a straight 2/4, or, perhaps, i just have a certain idea of how i think the drums should be played and getting that into the DAW is something i must continue to train my brain to do as playing them live is a completely different way of playing music....cheers!!!! ????

[Larry T.]

4 hours ago, DeeringAmps said:

I wouldn't "double" the melody with the bass, it "stiffens" the song way too much.
The bass line across the "pads" (for want of a better word) are good.
But I would support the melody lines and not double up there.

just my nickel98's worth...

t

And then drop that into the EZDrummer or Superior Drummer's "search" function.
That's the little "cheat" I like to use.

Brian hired Hal, what's the dif?

Hi Tom, thanks for your input and suggestions....i know i don't comment on your songs too much only because i'm pretty much stuck in my ambient pop wheelhouse and my rock/prog/blues/rockabilly/you name it if it's not ambient related mindset is just not operating like it used to....that being said.... 

the bass in the song was done live via aScarlett Audio Interface with a CbB aux track created to increase the clarity, impact and options (FX, balance, tones....)....i then switched them over to mono to auto raise their volume and presence  by about 3dB's....i don't see a reason to modify the bass as the melodies also were done on their own tracks and are EQ'ed for their places in the sound spectrum for optimal clarity and also aux tracked for other options....sorry to drag this out for so long....

lastly, if you have a chance, can you riff or throw me a link that explains what "And then drop that into the EZDrummer or Superior Drummer's "search" function.
That's the little "cheat" I like to use" means???? cheers!!!! ????

[DeeringAmps]

43 minutes ago, Larry T. said:

don't comment on your songs too much

If I posted a few more often you'd be able to! ?
(just an aside; I don't care if people review my work, I don't keep score. but those that don't review at all, I don't review...)

47 minutes ago, Larry T. said:

drop that into the EZDrummer

Just so happens I was doing just that!

In the lower right corner is a 2 bar section of a tune I'm working on, I'll pull it off the desk top and put it into the Superior Drummer MIDI Drop Zone.
(HINT for those who, like me, have issues with Drop Zone, I has to be a 2 bar "cut", if you've just "pulled" a midi clip down to 2 bars, you won't get good results...)
Superior, or EZDrummer, will then will bring up a bunch of clips that are similar, but have been played by "real" drummers.

53 minutes ago, Larry T. said:

little "cheat" I like to use" means????

Brain Wilson hired Hal Blaine to play drums on Beach Boys sessions, (the whole Wrecking Crew actually) its not "cheating" to use "tools" like the midi in SD or EZD or EZKeyes.
If you can't play it yourself, hire the best you can afford...
"the little cheat" was tongue in cheek

On 1/16/2022 at 7:10 PM, Larry T. said:

let me know what you think

As to the bass line of your tune. Your tune, your production.  But if I'm producing, the bass player and I are going to have a conversation.
When the melody is playing, I want him to support the tune. The melodic lines, under the pads, are perfect.
I'm a guitarist, I play bass like a guitarist. I know that, I write parts I "think" will work, and then I go back, re-write, and "support the tune".

t
 

[jack c.]

2 hours ago, Larry T. said:

tried all you suggested, plus, i

it's not that difficult.maybe your using the wrong quantize 4/4   1/4    1/8 etc.lots of me songs are in all kind of times and i never have what ya talk about.ya have to change 

each quantize to the beats of each measure and only do 1 drum till its lined up.jack c.

[Larry T.]

53 minutes ago, jack c. said:

it's not that difficult.maybe your using the wrong quantize 4/4   1/4    1/8 etc.lots of me songs are in all kind of times and i never have what ya talk about.ya have to change 

each quantize to the beats of each measure and only do 1 drum till its lined up.jack c.

Hello jack....i haven't tried exactly what you said above but i will....i like to add some syncopation like on the hi hats at 0:17 or 0:47 and especially at 1:55 which can be done in the Piano Roll after quantizing....thanks again ????

[Wookiee]

Interesting piece, to my furry ears it feels s little laboured in places but that may be because it sounds like it repeats a little to much.

As T said.

21 hours ago, DeeringAmps said:

But I would support the melody lines and not double up there.

This may well be just what this needs.  Recording and mix wise you are definitely improving.

[Larry T.]

On 1/18/2022 at 2:02 PM, DeeringAmps said:

If I posted a few more often you'd be able to! ?
(just an aside; I don't care if people review my work, I don't keep score. but those that don't review at all, I don't review...)

Just so happens I was doing just that!

In the lower right corner is a 2 bar section of a tune I'm working on, I'll pull it off the desk top and put it into the Superior Drummer MIDI Drop Zone.
(HINT for those who, like me, have issues with Drop Zone, I has to be a 2 bar "cut", if you've just "pulled" a midi clip down to 2 bars, you won't get good results...)
Superior, or EZDrummer, will then will bring up a bunch of clips that are similar, but have been played by "real" drummers.

Brain Wilson hired Hal Blaine to play drums on Beach Boys sessions, (the whole Wrecking Crew actually) its not "cheating" to use "tools" like the midi in SD or EZD or EZKeyes.
If you can't play it yourself, hire the best you can afford...
"the little cheat" was tongue in cheek

As to the bass line of your tune. Your tune, your production.  But if I'm producing, the bass player and I are going to have a conversation.
When the melody is playing, I want him to support the tune. The melodic lines, under the pads, are perfect.
I'm a guitarist, I play bass like a guitarist. I know that, I write parts I "think" will work, and then I go back, re-write, and "support the tune".

t
 

Hi Tom....Thanks for your detailed reply....i approach the bass parts on my stuff exactly the same way as i'm a guitarist first and everything else second....cheers! ????

[Larry T.]

On 1/19/2022 at 5:27 AM, Wookiee said:

Interesting piece, to my furry ears it feels s little laboured in places but that may be because it sounds like it repeats a little to much.

As T said.

This may well be just what this needs.  Recording and mix wise you are definitely improving.

Thanks Wookiee....i'm working on putting a vocal part to the song to improve it....Thanks for the compliments!!!! ????

[Makke]

Nice instrumental music. I liked the arrangement and sounds.

[Larry T.]

Hi....so, along with the instrumental version (ambient pop music) i made a version with vocals (yes, it's me vocal chords ?)....so, if you want to please post observations, comparison notes, critiques, anything you feel worth noting....all the links are on the Original Post here at the top of page 1 ????