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here's a new version of my "Away in a Manger" arrangement... wondering if this is starting to sound more acceptable in terms of production?http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... m=trueThks, peeps

Vikki,This is the first version I have heard of this recording. I took two listens. It sounds pretty good to me, but it doesn't bowl me over. Maybe if you can find a way to give it a little more emotion .. somehow. Could be wrong. Just my opinion.Dean

hey, honey.This is much better than the first time I heard this one. The balance of the vocals is much clearer, lead to backing...My biggest comment is about the harmonies. they are LOVELY, don't get me wrong; but they're not tightened up, really, and I found that a bit distracting. But you're getting there.Isn't it odd working on Xmas music so many months ahead of time. (I'm doing the same thing ... working up a guitar and vox version of "O holy Night").You've got the basics of something VERY placeable here. Don't give up.XOXOX

I'm with the gentlemen. The backups would make more impact if they came in on emotional phrases but it's missing emotion so it's hard to know where to add the backup stresses. It's sweet, it definitely has that, but it lacks something deep. I know it's hard......that song has been done to death and it's difficult to find something new in terms of mood. I've always heard a certain hush to it, almost like a lullaby but for adults. Like snow falling, that sort of hush. Perhaps it's just needing the vox lines to be tightened up a bit. Maybe drop the backing vox until the second verse and add something.....I don't know. I wish Dave or mazz could hear it, I think they'd be able to tell you.

thanks for those comments. Dean, Ted & Squid. I tweaked everything and uploaded a new mix. No one mentioned production issues... so... don't know if that means it's getting closer to 'broadcast quality'...?

I don't understand what the problem is with the backing vocals. Can anyone explain your comments about them? Ted? Thx. Vik - I think its a really nice and not your typical arrangement!

Quote:thanks for those comments. Dean, Ted & Squid. I tweaked everything and uploaded a new mix. No one mentioned production issues... so... don't know if that means it's getting closer to 'broadcast quality'...?Hi Vikki,I think the solo voice sounds great. None of the "artificial" sounding reverb or anything. Just a natural sound and natural sounding reverb.To my ears (the first time hearing it) the points at which the background vocals come in seem too random (other than "asleep on the hay"). For example, "the poor baby wakes", the background vocals aren't coming right in with definition.I think it's the arrangement. In the next line, on the words "he makes", although the background ladies are coming in on the word "he" three are singing but two are singing the same note, then "makes" is actually a chord. It kind of makes it sound as if everybody isn't all coming in at the same time but it's the arrangement that seems to be tricking the ear into thinking that.I like what Squids is saying about "stressing". If the background vocals only slowly develop into chords over the span of a couple of words rather than an immediate three-part harmony, then something is lost regarding the stress that you want to put on those words.Hopefully that all makes some sense. Dave

Quote:I don't understand what the problem is with the backing vocals. Can anyone explain your comments about them? Ted? Thx. Vik - I think its a really nice and not your typical arrangement!Anne, you might not understand Ted's comments because I worked on the piece to line things up after he posted. Thanks for the listen & the compliments!

Dave - thanks for the listen and those thoughts. I can fix that! And I am *very* pleased that I need to work on the arrangement, and not the production!!!! That's a huge milestone for me!!!

....based on everyone's feedback, I decided to solve the issues by starting again. Hopefully it has more feeling and more cohesiveness. I don't think it is pristine enough for film/tv... but hopefully it has a little more appeal...http://www.taximusic.com/song.php?song_ ... tream=true