Critique Request II

[HectorRContreras]

Impressive work that you are doing, dear Siraj.

And I love the way you talk !

[sirajx]

Hey Hector.....should i refer to you & wife as 'Team Hector'??
It appears she write in blue & you in white........no matter,you're like family so all is appreciated!

Hey Cass...long time!
Yea....damned if you do & damned if you don't! That is the 2nd final & still be within copyright sound limits & is what was delivered to my distributor.I think the prob is that you can't always win on mp3's as the wav master is very sharp.Here's the equip i use:
-MAGIX Music Studio(Samplitude little bro)
-Alesis SR18 Drum(Digital)
-Fender Squire M80(rosewood)
-Fender Squire Telecaster(maplewood)
-Alvarez Bass(rosewood)
-Avid M-box(usb i/o)
My first 2 releases didn't have this much airyness to them due to the cheapo Avid Pro Mobile program i used(major track bouncing & duplicating).....this MAGIX program is VERY good withiout dipping into the $500 range & is what i used in 2003(2002 version) for the LIFE ALL ALONE single(which is unchanged completely).

So far,from the fans responses,they love the quality of these releases over the first 2,so i hope i got a good thing at least started for the new batches(these are the first ones made,mixed, & mastered using MAGIX instead of cheapo Avid Pro),but i still have slight limitations because the full Samplitude is $400-$600,but still kicks butt over anything i have ever had.

Also,it is much more raw than originally planned as a critique suggested pulling off so much effects,which i did......as for 'boxiness',actually my style is predominately this(i am finding that BIG difference between todays super fluidness and the 'retro' loose,but stiff styles.Overall, i guess to a pro's ear(genre,experience,tastes,etc) it might be a bit sloppy but the good news is at least all of you (pro's here/fans & listeners elsewhere) have never said it totally sucks,which is REALLY good!

It is no prob to re-done/re-released later(which TRAITOR & FUNKYSTUFF88 are going to be next year) and the good news overall is despite oopps here and there,it is getting the attention of 'retro/classic rock' fans.....majority of feedback is usually 'haven't heard those styles in a long time','sound takes me back to 19XX' or 'brings back alot of memories'.......soooooooo,i guess it has achieved more than ever predicted,BUT still have a long way to go.....but i am just relieved that it didn't TOTALLY stink & i was advised by another pro that when 90% of musicians are heading north & i am heading SW & trying to re-open a rusted shut market door that begging to be unleashed......yea.....Sith CAN happen sometimes!

almost forgot: had a bunch of Paul Revere fans join up/support my sites,so that REALLY surprised me and was an unexpected event......they thought my stuff was 'fun' so i ain't complaining!

(damn.....so much for trying to keep my posts down to 3-4 sentences! )

[sirajx]

hey team hector....almost live here(your post came on as i was posting).....thanks!

SPOILER: next single is called Live Or Die Tonight and is about a true situation that happened to me in 2011(mugged behind house in alley,left in total unconsciousness for 15 min,neighbors did nothing but watched,my belief in a guardian angel & why i am still alive).....worked up the rough draft tracks today(and played Paul Revere's Just Like Me/Hungry enough times to make me feel like jumpin on a stage! ).......they are a cool camp and i am STILL dazed that a bunch of them found ME!

Pray for Paul as he is a bit ill/off concerts right now.

[HectorRContreras]

Dear Siraj,

Team Hector is saying : do not ever want to reduce your Posts to 5 to 6 sentences only. You are just too good to read. And you are very seriously informative as well. It is lovely.

We shall pray for your Friend Paul.

[LittleRedChurch]

I think it needs a bit of work... I'd say listen to who you like and try your hardest to sound like them. I'm not speaking in terms of writing, so much as getting a grasp on arranging, mixing, instrumentation, playing, etc. I guess I'm saying, get the chops a little more down first.

Good attempt though. You're here!!!

Graham

[eddied]

Hi there:

Cool song. Lots of good advice previously in the thread. My only contribution would be to dirty up your vocal a bit for this style. It sounds too clean to me. Maybe a little bit of distortion (just slight!) or more audible reverb, or a slap-back delay. Maybe also try a bit of mid-range equalization on the lead vocal, it sounds slightly thin and could use some more body.

Best of luck!!

EddieD

[sirajx]

Hey LRC,good to hear from you again!(just dying to ask:has the inbox stopped smokin from overload yet?? )

EddieD: i have came across you somewhere pre-TAXI but can't remember where........anyway,you scored a direct hit on your post about the vox;i was advised in 88 & 90 that i have a good range but 'crisp & clean isn't me' & to try old school rock/pop muddier & roomier,which i did originally for Surrender,but i will admit that the Romantics/others crisp examples habits have been hard to break & did it anyway.....not sure if i can slapback on MAGIX or not & was afraid of ending up with TOO much reverb/delay(could you define slap back the way you see it or give refs to look up ie youtube....would like to nail this down tight).

Q for all: monitors are preferred for mixdown but i don't have that luxury......so,if you were stuck with headphones for all phases and the top price end is $0-$200,what would YOU use to get the best in a crunch(currently using Skullcandy that is in the mid upper quality range,$140).......

To all: so far,the response levels to all releases has been very good & everything is still ramping up WAY beyond expectations,but it seems i am running into what i call a '2 worlds crunch'.......despite small things here and there,no negative has come from general listeners except wanting more and 'it's fun/retro/etc';BUT, for the listings purposes(would mainly be good for rock/reto/etc....unless you see another area i should try for), i am not even going to waste the time or money yet.......SO.....am i trending ahead & no ones caught on to retro love yet,have a created a niche(new but familiar), or what?
I DO believe what an unnamed artist told me my greatest strength is: Transposing....trying to imitate what you love but ending up doing similar but different....so with a bit of humor, i can't copy/play covers for crap(which 90 % of gen population can do,but can't transpose very well)......and a bit of humor on self: my personality is rated INTX(very rare) so yes,y'all are right,i AM an odd duck!

This forum is the most open i have been in 30 years of making my own music,so i will try to be humor and serious the best i can....and try to have fun while doing it!

I love this quote from my metal guitarist friend Mark in the studio from '88:"if you haven't p___d someone off,irritated someone because you won't surrender/give up, or get enemies without even trying, then you haven't done enough,pushed the envelope hard enough,or gone the distance enough".......when you do meet me someday, you'll be shocked to see that i blab more in writing and on the phone(poor TAXI staff than i do in person(may not make it to first rally due to unchangeable commitments/last minute priorities),but i hope that if there was some stagnant in the forum,i can be like Vader & 'find ways to motivate people'

Till the next bat-post!

[HectorRContreras]

Are you going to the Road Rally, dear Siraj ?

[andygabrys]

Q for all: monitors are preferred for mixdown but i don't have that luxury......so,if you were stuck with headphones for all phases and the top price end is $0-$200,what would YOU use to get the best in a crunch(currently using Skullcandy that is in the mid upper quality range,$140).......

its pretty hard to mix only on headphones, although some people do pretty well.

my advice would be to save up cash and get a pair of monitors. there's no substitute really.

In the mean time, get a set of reference songs together. these are ones that fit your style of music in some way, and are relatively contemporary. The idea is to cleanse the Palate of your ears every half an hour by listening to these refs, so that most of your production and mixing decisions relate to real world successful commercial examples.

Stuff that can be hard to judge well on phones: panning, ambience (delay and verb) and bass sound / levels.

like say you are trying to find the right volume relationship between the vocal and the drums. you listen to a couple of your ref tunes and try to zero in on that point. then go to your mix, solo vocal and drums. and turn the vocal down all the way. Then raise it until it approximates what you heard. work with it a bit and then ref the commercial mix. try to keep calibrating your ears to that commercial mix. This can help take the headphone disadvantages out of the equation, and should lead you to a better mix. but you have to reference a lot, otherwise you will just go for what sounds good in phones. That might not be what sounds good on monitor speakers.

its not about copying or plagiarizing the music, its just about making your song work on a production / mix level like a good commercial production.

Good luck!

[HectorRContreras]

I did not know what Monitors were, and I found this :

http://muzichunters.blogspot.co.uk/2011 ... ks-on.html

Home Monitors

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