All

[lykwydchykyn]

The latest recording from my little studio, and the first one I've finished on my rebuilt AV Linux system and Ardour 6.3. Got a little more power on this system, so I was able to spend more time and DSP on the sounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZsybecDzvk

Thanks for listening.

[spamatica]

Hey Alan, cool song!

All in all I like it but there is something about the drums that I can't quite place (Probably not drums, cajon?).

First, they are just a bit too loud, but there seems to be something about the timing also. Is it delayed or too early by a tiny bit (can't decide which)?

[lykwydchykyn]

Ah yes, drums are my achilles heel. It's a stack of cajon, darbuka, and talking drum. I try not to over-edit them, but they are a little loose at points. I also obsess over making the kick aspect of the cajon really thump, often to the detriment of the snare aspect.

Still working out a usable arrangement for my drum sounds. Some might say I should just program the drums, but I can't stand programming drums anymore.

[spamatica]

Ah yes, drums are my achilles heel. It's a stack of cajon, darbuka, and talking drum. I try not to over-edit them, but they are a little loose at points. I also obsess over making the kick aspect of the cajon really thump, often to the detriment of the snare aspect.

Still working out a usable arrangement for my drum sounds. Some might say I should just program the drums, but I can't stand programming drums anymore.

Hehe, yeah, each to their own
It's hard to get a good sound out of a recorded cajon, I have tried.

Still, if it's possible, I think you should try adjusting the drumtracks just a tiny bit earlier (or later, can't quite decide), it could be all that is needed to make it glue better.
It has happened to me more than once that a track sounded better after a tiny adjustment, usually they are too late but not always. A guitarist I play with is often a tiny bit early so on a record it sounds better to delay his guitar.

[pdechery]

Great song here!

Definitely will hear this more times, so enjoyable.

Maybe I'll edit this later to add other impressions but right now I'd just like to say that this is very good!

[jonetsu]

Pretty good song. Sometimes the vocal has a somewhat slight Bruce Cockburn vocal tone. What would prevent me from buying an album with this quality of audio ? Not much really. I only glanced at the comments, I'd say that the percussion/drums could be just a bit more 'integrated' into the audio scape. They currently sound a tad out of the mix.

It would be extra nice to have the rest of the song instead of a fade out. I see this as a piece that could last twice the time it currently does. Think Phish or some other band that includes lengthy musical/improv parts. And then after an uplifting musical section it goes back to a verse and perhaps two choruses.

[GMaq]

Hi!

I like it a lot, yes the drums are a bit quirky but they really pull you in and once the song gets going with the quasi-reggae vibe of the hammond (ooooh sounds so nice!) I think the drums really add a unique texture. A great vocal once again! If I were to mix this I think I'd pull those chorus harmonies down a bit... or perhaps spacially separate them from the lead vocal a bit more but that's a minor point. Great lyrics too, they wash by the first time but on subsequent listens you really come to appreciate the wordcraft!

[lykwydchykyn]

Thanks all! I need a break from tweaking this song, but maybe it's that the drums are considerably wetter than the rest of the tracks. Could also be some latency from some of the processing. Or...maybe I'm rushing on bass.

I went back and forth on the backup vocals for a long time. They fill up a lot of space, but I didn't want them lost. This is kind of the downside of mixing your own stuff; each part is your baby, you want it heard in all its glory. I gotta be more ruthless about cutting out the fat!

[jonetsu]

I went back and forth on the backup vocals for a long time. They fill up a lot of space, but I didn't want them lost. This is kind of the downside of mixing your own stuff; each part is your baby, you want it heard in all its glory. I gotta be more ruthless about cutting out the fat!

Makes me think about something. Mixing/mastering engineer Michael White (Whitney Houston, Jagger, Bowie, David Byrne, etc.), in one of his free 2-hour youtube Wednesday evening mixing sessions has mentioned that it can very well end up that a track could sound awful by itself and extraordinary good in the mix. I used to consider each track like some kind of a beautiful thing on their own, then I took a step back following his advice and stopped trying to fit 'perfect' tracks together and rather consider what the mix actually needs.

[jeanette_c]

Ah, something out of the 4/4 norm. It's real fun to listen to. I enjoyed that composition a lot. It's effortless happiness, always pushed - or skipped - by the 5/4 (or 10/8) rhythm and all held together by the way the instruments and vocals interact. Thanks for sharing and spreading a proggy attitude.
Best wishes, Jeanette

[Basslint]

Great song!!! I don't think the drums were bad at all! I think you raised the bar for all of us

[lykwydchykyn]

Thanks!

[lykwydchykyn]

Ah, something out of the 4/4 norm. It's real fun to listen to. I enjoyed that composition a lot. It's effortless happiness, always pushed - or skipped - by the 5/4 (or 10/8) rhythm and all held together by the way the instruments and vocals interact. Thanks for sharing and spreading a proggy attitude.
Best wishes, Jeanette

Thanks! One of my goals as a musician is to develop a natural feel for odd meters and make use of them in ways that compliments a song. It's gratifying when you sit down to start recording a groove that's in your head, only to realize that it's not 4/4 and you didn't force it to be something odd.

[Rainmak3r]

Ah, something out of the 4/4 norm. It's real fun to listen to. I enjoyed that composition a lot. It's effortless happiness, always pushed - or skipped - by the 5/4 (or 10/8) rhythm and all held together by the way the instruments and vocals interact. Thanks for sharing and spreading a proggy attitude.
Best wishes, Jeanette

Thanks! One of my goals as a musician is to develop a natural feel for odd meters and make use of them in ways that compliments a song. It's gratifying when you sit down to start recording a groove that's in your head, only to realize that it's not 4/4 and you didn't force it to be something odd.

I agree that the out-of-norm tempo is really cool and feels quite natural, catchy song!

[Tenaba]

I just checked this out, I really like the vocals. Not sure if I noticed anything odd on the latency or processing of the drums as you mentioned earlier. The only change I might think of would be to pull the volume down just a little bit.

Ah, something out of the 4/4 norm. It's real fun to listen to. I enjoyed that composition a lot. It's effortless happiness, always pushed - or skipped - by the 5/4 (or 10/8) rhythm and all held together by the way the instruments and vocals interact. Thanks for sharing and spreading a proggy attitude.
Best wishes, Jeanette

Thanks! One of my goals as a musician is to develop a natural feel for odd meters and make use of them in ways that compliments a song. It's gratifying when you sit down to start recording a groove that's in your head, only to realize that it's not 4/4 and you didn't force it to be something odd.

I'd definitely say you succeeded, the 5/8 sounds very appropriate here. This was nice to listen to!