Revive, Reject or Reguritate?

[fret17]

JR...Wow...That's great news!....see I told ya!..LOL....seriously, I'm glad I took your original post incorrectly and that your spirits are high!....You've got a unique sound...disiplined for the right projects, I'm sure, will not only stand out among the rest...but put you in demand...
all the best!!....BTW...I love Debbie Downer!...Rachel Dretch is the best!

[feaker66]

HI JR

I live in the UP of Michigan.

Listened to a few of your songs and really enjoyed your style.

Production wise, they only need a little clarity enhancement, but that is easily fixed.

If you ask for specifics, there are folks here who enjoy helping.

Nice meeting you

sincerely

Paul

[JR Loman]

Paul,
I stopped what I was doing to listen through your songs. In the middle of something I thought I would just give them a quick bounce through but you had my attention! I Loved everything I heard, even the munchkins. You have some sweet pipes and nice guitar playing if you don’t mind me saying. The female vocal on Abandon 3 blew me away also. I will be back!
I hear what your saying about the clean up and the helping hands, there definitely are some pro production people here. My new computer is being built right now. When the time comes, if and when I need, I will ask. I’m thinking the songs I have will sit on the shelf for now. I have to apply some of the new things I’ve been picking up lately on some new songs.
Check this guy out- http://www.reyniersaudio.com
my new computer

PSU: Antec EA 500W
Case: Antec Sonata III -
CPU: Core i7 950 -
Cooling: Noctua NH-U9B
RAM: 6GB Corsair XMS3
Project HDD: 1TB Seagate
System HDD: 750GB Seagate -
Sample HDD: None
Mobile HDD Tray: None
ODD: LITE-ON DVD/RW
VGA: Gigabyte 512MB 8400GS
VGA 2: None
Motherboard: Gigabyte X58 USB3 Chipset
Addon FireWire Card: None
KBD/MS: MS Optical 1000
LCD: None
LCD 2: None
DAW Hosts: Reaper 3 - Evaluation Version
Software: True Image and Nero
OS: 7 Home Prem 64-Bit

He’s loading my Cubase 5 and Superior drummer and disabling all the stuff I don’t need in Windows.
Don’t ask me about the 32 -64 bit conundrum, he said it will be set up with a bridge and will be ready to go out of the box. Wish me luck with that.
I only had a single core & had it bumped up to 2 GB RAM. Off to the races, I’m getting itchy!
Anyway I will be heading to the U.P. Thanksgiving. I still have Family there. Keweenaw Bay area. A couple brothers, one with a service station and one that teaches at Michigan Tech.
You’ll have to let me know where you’re at der hey.
Talk to you soon,
JR Loman
http://www.taxi.com/jrloman

[howlindog]

Hi JR,

I like your music. Is it marketable? I don't know; I think it could be. I haven't had the chance to listen to all of it yet, but in the spirit of we all are trying to become better writers and selling some music along the way would be great, here's a few ideas:
- I like "Answers to Why". I love the title; I like the intro; I like the verse; you lost me at the hook. Maybe because of the title I had great expectations for this powerful hook / chorus / payoff and I just didn't feel it.
- I think "Burning Man" has great potential, but to me it sounds like there's a Latin tune in there trying to get out.
- I also think "I Know You're Out There" is a pretty strong tune, but this song sounds like it wants to be a blues tune to me.
All of the songs I listened to seem to have the same general feel and sound (someone said Steely Dan, sounds like King Crimson to me), and I'm pretty sure that's what you were going for. Maybe you could experiment a little with a couple of tunes just to see what happens. Add a little Ricky Martin to "Burning Man" or a little BB King to "I Know You're Out There". You wouldn't have far to go for either tune and it might open up some listings for you to respond to. Just a thought. I certainly understand you write what you know and feel. Anyway, that's my two cents; I hope it helps.

Don

[feaker66]

JR

Wow, that looks like some fancy puter. I have only a cheap dell

Sounds like you are excited about your next music phase going forward.

You surely have the talent to go places.

Thanks for the compliments on my music. The gal singing Abandonded is my 18 year old niece Samantha. She was 16 when she sung that.

BTW, if you want any of my songs to have as your own, I will send them to you.

I really don't do anything with them. Just enjoy making them.

Sincerely

Paul

[JR Loman]

Paul,
I may possibly want to collaborate with you and possibly your niece some time in the future, if you would be up for that. Maybe I can figure out how to do that online..
As far as any of your tunes, maybe! I was up all night with new lyrics going in my head, so it's time to make hay.
Most likley you are within maybe 400 miles of me.
Where are you?

JR Loman

http://www.taxi.com/jrloman

[JR Loman]

[Don, Thanks for stopping in, Answers to Why one of my very first songs needs work as they all do, but your right all of a sudden we have the answer, It better be big. Burning man is about a specific event, google it. I know you're out there is more recent for me , intention there I may have my son play slide on it. the idea was to have a gospel choir in the background (that was the best I could do on that note at the time) When I had that song screened, the screener told me I was trying to go to big, like trying to solve all the world problems in one fail swoop. I felt the same way when I first wrote it but there's a twist here. I think it would be safe to say most everyone feels that there is a power out there greater than we are. I know there is, but sometimes and I think I can speak for most everyone, where we may wonder, Where were you for this one! Maybe a little edgey but I'm testing the waters, as long as I'm not struck down for it.
Let me know if you venture in again, they are in aphabetical order so you my be suprised what you run into.
Talk to youLater-JR Lomanquote="howlindog"]Hi JR,

I like your music. Is it marketable? I don't know; I think it could be. I haven't had the chance to listen to all of it yet, but in the spirit of we all are trying to become better writers and selling some music along the way would be great, here's a few ideas:
- I like "Answers to Why". I love the title; I like the intro; I like the verse; you lost me at the hook. Maybe because of the title I had great expectations for this powerful hook / chorus / payoff and I just didn't feel it.
- I think "Burning Man" has great potential, but to me it sounds like there's a Latin tune in there trying to get out.
- I also think "I Know You're Out There" is a pretty strong tune, but this song sounds like it wants to be a blues tune to me.
All of the songs I listened to seem to have the same general feel and sound (someone said Steely Dan, sounds like King Crimson to me), and I'm pretty sure that's what you were going for. Maybe you could experiment a little with a couple of tunes just to see what happens. Add a little Ricky Martin to "Burning Man" or a little BB King to "I Know You're Out There". You wouldn't have far to go for either tune and it might open up some listings for you to respond to. Just a thought. I certainly understand you write what you know and feel. Anyway, that's my two cents; I hope it helps.

Don[/quote]

[Casey H]

Writing and recording on my first DAW computer with a "just dive in approach" has resulted in a parasitic cesspool of insert effects, bad eq, confused dynamics, misplaced files and any distinction between individual tracks has taken on a life form of it's own, morphed into what I can only describe as a mutation that would baffle even the likes of Doctor Moreau. That said, as I wait for my new computer, do I scrub all the lipstick off the pig, throw it back on life support and hope with some reconstructive surgey and rehibilatation it survives on it's own, or do I throw it in a giant box, put it out in the garage with all the other crap that I think some day I will need...................................or what?
As you may have noticed, I have come to the realization with the help of some Taxi screeners, Road Rally "one on one" mentorship with Don Grierson and Fett, sessions with Robin Fredrick, Jason Blume, Paul Zollo, Steven Memel, the wisdom of the Grand Ballroom Heavy Hitter Panels, the incredable Taxi Members I met at the Rally and the "Beloved Father of Taxi", Michael Laskow.
My question is to anyone who dare enter my hosting page, Is there anything that stands out as something that SHOULD be salvaged?
Thanks for you time.
Respectfully, JR Loman

http://www.taxi.com/jrloman

One thing I've been meaning to talk about here is how sometimes there can be gold in old works that don't cut it as actual songs and/or have interesting no-vocal backing tracks. That doesn't mean the actual recordings will work- they may have not been performed or recorded well to start with.

My suggestion would be to first start with no vocal versions of these songs. Can you mix a few of them down with no vocals? Maybe "If It's So Bad" for example... We could listen to the no vocal version and see what you have composition and recording-wise for a possible film/TV instrumental. If the composition is there but not the raw recording and performance, you may have to re-record. If the raw tracks are OK, maybe only a re-mix. I can't say at this point.

I've been writing and having songs with vocals recorded for years. I've had a number of successes with no-vocal backing tracks and/or re-doing shorter instrumental versions. Reality is it is hundreds of times easier to get instrumentals placed than songs with vocals.

HTH
Best,
Casey

[JR Loman]

Casey, I was wondering if you were stopping by. You're in a different league. I checked you out already, WOW.
I sent my software and stienberg dongle to Reyniers audio, was supposed to be ten days to two weeks, but I haven't gotten confirmation that he's even recieved the software yet. So I can't do anothing right now. A lot of the tracks had effects printed, I'm not sure how much, because i laid more on after that. My intension was to strip out all the automation pull everything back and start fresh it wouldn't be that big a deal to rerecord some tracks. I also got Superior drummer that I haven't used yet, but there's a lot more flexability with like tuning the kick to the bass and adjusting room mikes and all kinds of nice features. I have a feeling I'm going to be on a little bit of a learning curve, but if I can jump on it as soon as it comes, I should have the support of steinberg, sweetwater, reyniersaudio, and of course Taxi. You probablyknow already who"s using Cubase 5 and Superior drummer.

That's where I'm at, but I would definitly be game for doing something like that as soon as i can.

Thanks,

JR Loman

[Casey H]

JR
I'm really not that much in a different league. I'm a non-performer who only records extremely crude demos at home and sends them to pro demo folks for the final products. I've been blessed with finding some excellent demo producers and having had the resources to invest in the demos. It still all starts with a guitar and a song.

One thing that's especially great about film/TV music is you really are never too old to rock 'n roll.

Best,
Casey