New Song - Wiggle & Twitch
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olddogMember
Since: Jul 02, 2003
Nov 10, 2003 01:20 am that's an interesting one Tincan. 2nd half kind of reminds me of Steely Dan (lead break especially). :) Several flavors of music in there, jazz, reggae mix nice easy free flowing tune. Mix sounds fine, might bring up the distorted rythm guitar just a bit in the section before the lead starts up, but thats just too my ear, but since it sounds like a lead in for whats to come, that's what I'd do ;).
I like it!
Dan
TheTincanbugsloppy dice, drinks twiceMember
Since: Aug 05, 2003
Nov 10, 2003 09:23 am "Several flavors of music in there, jazz, reggae"
I find that comment interesting... I didn't consciously put the reggae flair in. I'm curious which part of the song made you think that. :) When I was writing/recording this, it seemed to me like a cross between Bela Fleck and Primus.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Nov 10, 2003 04:33 pm I get an early Phish vibe from this, especially the 1st "free" part. I can definitely hear the Bela Fleck too now that you mention it.
I'm curious as to how you're micing the hand percussion. Are you applying any effects/dynamics processing/EQ to them?
I'm thinking of ditching my attempts at using software drums and using solely hand percussion because the programming is slowing me way down, and putting a serious dent in my motivation for recording.
TheTincanbugsloppy dice, drinks twiceMember
Since: Aug 05, 2003
Nov 10, 2003 07:45 pm "I'm thinking of ditching my attempts at using software drums and using solely hand percussion because the programming is slowing me way down, and putting a serious dent in my motivation for recording."
I know exactly what you mean. I spent 20 hours, roughly, programming my old drum machine with this complex rythymn track, only to have it die on me AS I was dumping onto the recorder. While I waited an eternity for my SR16 to arrive, I finally got fed up and said why the hell not try recording with just hand drums? So I did - and I liked it a lot better than programming boring tracks into a machine. I don't honestly know if I'll go back to punching buttons as long as I can record good music by slapping skins. I get so fed up with whittling away at each precise little beat and highhat strike... what's the point? So it's hand drums for me.
"I'm curious as to how you're micing the hand percussion. Are you applying any effects/dynamics processing/EQ to them?"
Yes. They are miked with an SM57 6 inches above, a vtech cheapo mic 6 inches below, miked up between my knees. I run the signal through my nanocompressor and from there into the computer. Once tracked, later I go back in Cool Edit Pro and use the dynamics processor and then the hard limiter to raise the valleys and level the mountains in my signal. The drums are at such varying volumes with each hit that they take pretty well to this process without losing intended dynamics. I eq to taste, usually adding highs and some mids, maybe bass for the djembe.
olddogMember
Since: Jul 02, 2003
Nov 10, 2003 09:39 pm Well I think it's primarily the rythm that reminds me of reggae a bit. It kind of alternates between a reggae style rythm and a mild Steely Dan type jazz feel to me.
I don't know who the artist's you mention are so thats probably why I didn't mention them <g>
I think its real catchy, I've probably listened to it about 10 times so far and I'm still not tired of it so you must of done something right, even if it does have a reggae feel to it. :)
Dan
TheTincanbugsloppy dice, drinks twiceMember
Since: Aug 05, 2003
Nov 11, 2003 07:31 am "....even if it does have a reggae feel to it."
hahahahaha!! :)
Glad you like it, man.
TheTincanbugsloppy dice, drinks twiceMember
Since: Aug 05, 2003
Nov 11, 2003 01:08 pm This has been posted to Member's Music - Intrumental, Pro Member's section. Just an fyi...
I welcome any and all comments about this. If you don't like it, I'd love to know why. I'm pretty thick-skinned and appreciate a good critique.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Nov 11, 2003 08:26 pm I agree with Tadpui on the ealry Phish thing. I do hear a bit of Flektones in there as well. I dont think I can make the Primus connection though, sorry on my part I guess.
Ok so now the critique part. The first 50 seconds are a bit frenzied. By that I mean there is bit to much overlapping of tone and timbres. I would suggest maybe trying a to give all the instruments there own place in that first part of the mix. Maybe by some judicial use of panning, EQ and some subtle reverb on some of the instruments. It just seems the percusion is getting obscured. That may be the mp3 though that is causing it to sound like that. Or that may be the sound you are going for.
Now, form 52 seconds and on. Fabulous, splendid and groovy come to mind. Very Phish like I might say, early Phish that is. Other then maybe a tweak here or there it sounds pretty well mixxed. I like the fusion feel of it. And yes as olddog said, there is a bit of Reggae flavor and just a hint of early Steely Dan as well in there, even if you didnt intend it that way. And trust me the Steely Dan comparison is a compliment.
This will be on my relaxing bedtime listening MiniDisk mix.
Keep em coming,
Noize 2 U
TheTincanbugsloppy dice, drinks twiceMember
Since: Aug 05, 2003
Nov 12, 2003 06:56 am Noize2u, I appreciate the time you've given in critiquing this piece. I found your comments very insightful.
"The first 50 seconds are a bit frenzied. By that I mean there is bit to much overlapping of tone and timbres."
That's similar to a comment my wife made. Are you referring to the heavy change right after the melodic first bit? (I don't have the recording here at the moment, can't tell where 50 seconds ends) That's my guess. I have to admit that I did purposely set a lot of things in motion at that point. I debated on whether or not to put the vocal rythymn part in there, I may play with that option later, who knows. At the time, I liked the sound of "wah, wah" actually through a wah pedal adding to the mix, but the same beats are already accented by a bass w/ wah doing the same thing, so maybe that will change.
Immediately before the heavy bit at one point there's a horribly out of tune bass hitting root and octave notes in unison (on second thought it's not actually the root, but it's playing on octave of something or other... don't recall what note, doesn't really matter :) - that's pretty sharp to the ear but it feels good to me... The weird tremolo effect and the sourness were actually what I going after there. :) I figured not everyone would get into that, but... (shrugs) The high bass w/ wah in there, doing that descending whole tone lick right after that was intended to transition the bass sound from a lead to a rythymn track. Once in the heavy bit, things do get busy, but I wanted a lot of beats filled and not a lot of negative space because of the fast rythymn guitar in the very first part. The feel of the piece just after that, heavier though it may be, is slower, so keeping those beats filled gives the illusion of speed, or at least eases the transition.
So anyway, I appricate your comments. I like the weirdness of it myself, but I can agree with your point that there's a lot going on in there. hahaha Too much? Maybe... like they say, there's no accounting for taste. :)
TheTincanbugsloppy dice, drinks twiceMember
Since: Aug 05, 2003
Nov 12, 2003 08:58 am Ok, I'm listening to it now... Yeah, I should do some panning work - I actually didn't pan anything at all before posting this. I see that by the first 50 seconds you actually meant the first bit... It may need some more clarity, at that. When I get my computer fully functional again I'll mess with the mix some more.
Thanks again for all your comments.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Nov 12, 2003 08:57 pm Ya, that is it. The first 50 seconds was what I was refering to. Like I said, it may be the mp3 as well that clouds the audio a bit when listening. I usually run the signal of mp3s through my BBE but didnt last night. Clarity is a better word yes indeed. And you are spot on as well. I think just spreading the sounds out a bit, giving them a bit more individuallity wiil make it a bit more controlled mayhem. I to like very busy intros, but then again I seem to go with very soft intros and then build to the big bang.
But as you say, it is all a matter of taste. I do like the whole thing though, as I said. Very moving, it does make me feel a good vibe when listening. And to tell the truth, I must have listened about 10 times non-sto last night. And have allready got it in rotation in 2 playlists. My 14 year old son also thought it had a familier sound as well, he is into Phish and several other undergrond bands of the like. So youve allready got an audiance going out here.
TheTincanbugsloppy dice, drinks twiceMember
Since: Aug 05, 2003
Nov 13, 2003 07:48 am Hey, thanks for the compliment! :) I'll tinker with the mix this weekend.
I've been playing that one a lot too, my wife is really sick of it. hahahhaha
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Nov 13, 2003 09:40 pm Ya I get that here as well sometimes. But the wife has no input and truly doesnt even care about what I write anyway.
Sometimes I do it just to irritate the boyz. The older one will usually come in and tell me to give it up if I cant get it going the way I want. Then other times he will make a comment on something he hears that I dont, do its all good.
