KCWM's Music - Updated 9/7/10
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KCWM's Music - Updated 8/30/10
The current arrangement has the solo starting when the drums come in and building towards the final chorus. That was difficult for me to program effectively, due to both my lack of knowledge in both writing drum lines and programming drums with good dynamics. Hopefully, my friend can assist me with extending that, since he's also a drummer. Perhaps adding some hi-hat and bass drum hits before going into the build up that's in place now. Subbing in ride cymbal pings instead of hi-hats in one or both spots could work as well. Ugh, I wish I was at home to try that out.
For the most recent recording (www.coldthewinter.com/music/zombies140.mp3), I recorded using two mics again (SM57 and MXL 990 condenser) but this time, I set them up so that each mic was similar in volume and has its own track. I then panned the SM57 track 100% to the left and the MXL 990 track 50% to the right. On my speakers at home and craptastic headphones here at work, doing this sonically cleaned the guitar up. I'm looking to do the same thing for the second guitar as well. This should leave the bass and the drums as the sole tracks in the center. Depending on what room I have left, sonically speaking, I might record a couple of guitar parts EQ'd to fill in the frequencies I'm missing.
I recorded a slightly slower version (140 bpm vs the 145 it was before) last night...just rhythm guitar and drums at this point. When redoing the intro and repeating that pattern (I hesitate to call it a riff/lick), I took your idea above into consideration. I kept the first notes stiff, but did pull offs instead of picking each note of the walk down. It will take a little bit of practice to get down, but I do like the change.
I did not reprogram the drums to accommodate a longer solo, but my friend and I are going to get together this weekend to work on his guitar part. I'm not sure how comfortable he is with solos, but considering how easy what I wrote is to play, I assume he can, at the very least, build on it or play something similar.
The current arrangement has the solo starting when the drums come in and building towards the final chorus. That was difficult for me to program effectively, due to both my lack of knowledge in both writing drum lines and programming drums with good dynamics. Hopefully, my friend can assist me with extending that, since he's also a drummer. Perhaps adding some hi-hat and bass drum hits before going into the build up that's in place now. Subbing in ride cymbal pings instead of hi-hats in one or both spots could work as well. Ugh, I wish I was at home to try that out.
For the most recent recording (www.coldthewinter.com/music/zombies140.mp3), I recorded using two mics again (SM57 and MXL 990 condenser) but this time, I set them up so that each mic was similar in volume and has its own track. I then panned the SM57 track 100% to the left and the MXL 990 track 50% to the right. On my speakers at home and craptastic headphones here at work, doing this sonically cleaned the guitar up. I'm looking to do the same thing for the second guitar as well. This should leave the bass and the drums as the sole tracks in the center. Depending on what room I have left, sonically speaking, I might record a couple of guitar parts EQ'd to fill in the frequencies I'm missing.
KCWM's Music - Updated 8/30/10
Just listened to the latest vocal mix (zombie2.mp3). I really liked the changes you made. The new guitar parts are very fun, I think it works really well and keeps the tenor of the song a bit more light-hearted and energetic than before.
I'm beating a dead horse here, but now that I can actually hear your vocals, the thing that still sticks out to me is how restrained it sounds to me. It gets a bit better during the ending chorus, and you let out that little yowl at the end of the bridge (which honestly, sounds a little out of place), but overall I kind of feel like I'm listening to someone's first time at a karaoke bar. I kind of feel bad harping about it, as I know you have volume issues at home where you record, but right now I think it's a real weak point. Also, how do you sing? To me, it sounds like you sing more through your nose. If you try singing more with your diaphragm, I think you'd get a fuller sound without necessarily increasing volume.
Just listened to the latest vocal mix (zombie2.mp3). I really liked the changes you made. The new guitar parts are very fun, I think it works really well and keeps the tenor of the song a bit more light-hearted and energetic than before.
I'm beating a dead horse here, but now that I can actually hear your vocals, the thing that still sticks out to me is how restrained it sounds to me. It gets a bit better during the ending chorus, and you let out that little yowl at the end of the bridge (which honestly, sounds a little out of place), but overall I kind of feel like I'm listening to someone's first time at a karaoke bar. I kind of feel bad harping about it, as I know you have volume issues at home where you record, but right now I think it's a real weak point. Also, how do you sing? To me, it sounds like you sing more through your nose. If you try singing more with your diaphragm, I think you'd get a fuller sound without necessarily increasing volume.
KCWM's Music - Updated 8/30/10
I don't take it as harping at all. You have a very valid point. My singing voice (won't necessarily say the vocals, as I think they are two different things) are my weakest link in my current recording situation. I spoke about singing in the closet but never did. What I'm aiming to do this weekend is hang up some blankets on the outside walls in there (It's a small walk-in), see what I can do about boosting the volume via headphones, and seeing if I can't hit the higher notes.
I'm definitely a throat/nose singer when I sing in my apartment, as I have a slightly nasally voice when I speak (at least I think I do), and more of a diaphram/throat singer when I can let loose in a band situation. Unfortunately, I do not remember how to properly use my diaphragm in a low volume situation, and it certainly wasn't something I ever mastered during the few years I was in choir. On the way home from work today, I did play the song through my car stereo (yay for bluetooth streaming) and sang the second chorus and bridge an octave higher, similar to the end of the latest version with vocals. The bridge is right at the limit of my range without screaming, so I'll have to work on that to see what I can do. I'm also hoping that slowing the song down will allow me to create a stronger vocal performance. As for the verses, I can get a more forceful sound at the current octave, but I realized today just how fragile my control is at a higher volume, which I assume is part of why I defer to the whisper vocal style (that and a band called Starflyer 59 was a big influence on me when I was growing up...the guy sings breathy/whispery and it works)
Worst case scenario? I practice in my car for a couple of weeks and lug my recording setup and mics over to my friend's house to record vocals. That'd be a pain in the ass, but I'd definitely feel a little less inhibited over there.
I really do appreciate your feedback, criticisms included. It gives me something to focus and work on. And if it's something I already realize, your criticism reinforces that realization. So, keep them coming.
edit
new version up under http://www.coldthewinter.com/music/zombies140.mp3 with two guitars, bass, and drums. I need to record a couple of other guitar parts I came up with, but I like how everything sits so far. Drums have been been reverbed yet.
edit 2 - I'm also of the opinion that adding reverb first and THEN normalizing, compressing, and then raising the volume of the vocal track played a part in how the vocal track came out. While I do sing throaty/nasally (and sometimes through gritted teeth), that process seemed to have highlighted all of the bad and made my voice sound even more unnatural. That's a big reason in planning on rerecording this Sunday (the wife will be away). I think I'm going to double the last chorus, with the first half containing vocals resembling the end of the current "completed" track and then the second half having vocals an octave up, effectively continuing the build up at the end of the bridge instead of plateauing out like it does now. I just have to practice hitting those upper octave notes.
I don't take it as harping at all. You have a very valid point. My singing voice (won't necessarily say the vocals, as I think they are two different things) are my weakest link in my current recording situation. I spoke about singing in the closet but never did. What I'm aiming to do this weekend is hang up some blankets on the outside walls in there (It's a small walk-in), see what I can do about boosting the volume via headphones, and seeing if I can't hit the higher notes.
I'm definitely a throat/nose singer when I sing in my apartment, as I have a slightly nasally voice when I speak (at least I think I do), and more of a diaphram/throat singer when I can let loose in a band situation. Unfortunately, I do not remember how to properly use my diaphragm in a low volume situation, and it certainly wasn't something I ever mastered during the few years I was in choir. On the way home from work today, I did play the song through my car stereo (yay for bluetooth streaming) and sang the second chorus and bridge an octave higher, similar to the end of the latest version with vocals. The bridge is right at the limit of my range without screaming, so I'll have to work on that to see what I can do. I'm also hoping that slowing the song down will allow me to create a stronger vocal performance. As for the verses, I can get a more forceful sound at the current octave, but I realized today just how fragile my control is at a higher volume, which I assume is part of why I defer to the whisper vocal style (that and a band called Starflyer 59 was a big influence on me when I was growing up...the guy sings breathy/whispery and it works)
Worst case scenario? I practice in my car for a couple of weeks and lug my recording setup and mics over to my friend's house to record vocals. That'd be a pain in the ass, but I'd definitely feel a little less inhibited over there.
I really do appreciate your feedback, criticisms included. It gives me something to focus and work on. And if it's something I already realize, your criticism reinforces that realization. So, keep them coming.
edit
new version up under http://www.coldthewinter.com/music/zombies140.mp3 with two guitars, bass, and drums. I need to record a couple of other guitar parts I came up with, but I like how everything sits so far. Drums have been been reverbed yet.
edit 2 - I'm also of the opinion that adding reverb first and THEN normalizing, compressing, and then raising the volume of the vocal track played a part in how the vocal track came out. While I do sing throaty/nasally (and sometimes through gritted teeth), that process seemed to have highlighted all of the bad and made my voice sound even more unnatural. That's a big reason in planning on rerecording this Sunday (the wife will be away). I think I'm going to double the last chorus, with the first half containing vocals resembling the end of the current "completed" track and then the second half having vocals an octave up, effectively continuing the build up at the end of the bridge instead of plateauing out like it does now. I just have to practice hitting those upper octave notes.
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