The Returners - The Beast Within, take a listen!

FattMusiek · 8th June 2007, 02:32 AM

This song is a over a month in the works because our set days for my bandmate and I to get together are limited. Here's a link to it:

http://members.cox.net/fattmusiek/Th...0(192kbps).mp3

can also find it on the myspace page: www.myspace.com/returnersmusic

(The first link is a higher quality mp3)

This is my first song recorded, mixed, and mastered within PT LE and my Digi 003 rack. I'm loving PT already. I'm playing drums, bass, and a few guitar tracks throughout the song. My friend is singing annd playing electric and acoustc guitars. I'd like to hear what you all have to say about it, even though it's pretty much the final mix; I COULD spend (more) weeks "perfecting" it but I don't know...perfection doesn't really exist to me. Instead I chose to marathon mix and get it out.

Here are the quickly typed lyrics:

he's a part of us
forever bound to us
shackled in the attic where it's dusty and dark
silently evaluating every remark
he picks up on my anger I can feel him draw near
baby youre in danger so you better steer clear

sugar please I try so hard
but the beast within is never far
where his shadow looms the flowers never bloom
this is my curse this is our doom

drifting in the wake of what i've said
the biggest of my problems lies in my head
I love you and I need you dont you ever forget
to lose you cause of him would be my biggest regret

sugar please I try so hard
but the beast inside is never far
where his shadow looms the flowers never bloom
this is my curse this is our doom

Dizzy when I hit you in your head

Thanks to those who listen and even more thanks to those who reply!

drakewire · 8th June 2007, 06:34 AM

This track lacks analogue soul.... it just sounds fake... Good song, but the production is terribly cold and it lacks any low end... There is definitely good musicianship going on here, but the production sounds like you are playing in trapped hospital room with padded walls. I would recommend accentuating the low end to give it a more modern sound by perhaps using a real pultec style EQ or even the plug ins to really drive some low end sound. A good starting point would be to cut (filter)everything under 30 raise Boost 75 to 80 till you get some bottom end I think for this track you need about 3 to 4 DB. then Raise the 167-240 range enough with the Q so that you get a good bass sound without rumble on your speakers. I suspect that you dont have the great of monitors because of many peaks in the high ranges.... I personally dont believe in overly compressing a track but that might be a way to get some warmth to it...

.... Over all, I believe you can get good sounds on a Digi set up, but to me all their stuff sounds the same without great outboard gear to feed into it...
Best Wishes,
Devon Drake

FattMusiek · 8th June 2007, 07:56 AM

Thanks for listening. Blunt is your style I guess, which is cool with me. However, I believe our opinions on what sounds good is different. What I hear when I listen to this song, which may not be modern, is what I heard in my head before any of those virtual faders came up. In that regard, it's a complete success for me.

I do feel you on the outboard gear thing. I have none - only default LE plugs and a couple free ones. Also, this is really just a mix. I really just suck ass at mastering, especially my own music. Given my mixing environment (speakers and room), the balance to me is just right. I can only do so much. I feel like your suggestions would benefit a mastering engineer who is mastering my mix. But man...there are all these rules...you have to do everything a certain way...or else it's not modern.

drakewire · 8th June 2007, 08:38 AM

I was just talking to another guy the other day who said a very similar thing... I told him Cold recording is still cold recording. BTW, you are using very modern gear and I didnt say it was bad, I just think that if you go down to your local Circuit City, pop your cd and other commercial releases who have been professionally recorded in the Home Theater Section and listen to it on a multitude of speakers you will hear what I am saying...
And sure, a mastering engineer can add warmth to the mix, but at the expense of sometimes other really cool things going on here in the the track. I am not blunt, I am honest, its what this forum is about. Showcase etc for feedback...

FattMusiek · 8th June 2007, 06:52 PM

I'll try to incorporate your suggestions next time around Drake. I don't know, I stopped trying to make my band's shit sound commercial a long time ago. A commercial album has a huge budget, a great engineer, great gear, great mixing environment. Basically everything is done right from the start. Seems futile to me, personally. That's not to say you can't get very near professional recordings at home, but A) I like miking instruments and B) I was tired of downloading plugins I could not afford.

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8th June 2007, 02:32 AM	#1
FattMusiek Gear Head Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 44	The Returners - The Beast Within, take a listen! This song is a over a month in the works because our set days for my bandmate and I to get together are limited. Here's a link to it: http://members.cox.net/fattmusiek/Th...0(192kbps).mp3 can also find it on the myspace page: www.myspace.com/returnersmusic (The first link is a higher quality mp3) This is my first song recorded, mixed, and mastered within PT LE and my Digi 003 rack. I'm loving PT already. I'm playing drums, bass, and a few guitar tracks throughout the song. My friend is singing annd playing electric and acoustc guitars. I'd like to hear what you all have to say about it, even though it's pretty much the final mix; I COULD spend (more) weeks "perfecting" it but I don't know...perfection doesn't really exist to me. Instead I chose to marathon mix and get it out. Here are the quickly typed lyrics: he's a part of us forever bound to us shackled in the attic where it's dusty and dark silently evaluating every remark he picks up on my anger I can feel him draw near baby youre in danger so you better steer clear sugar please I try so hard but the beast within is never far where his shadow looms the flowers never bloom this is my curse this is our doom drifting in the wake of what i've said the biggest of my problems lies in my head I love you and I need you dont you ever forget to lose you cause of him would be my biggest regret sugar please I try so hard but the beast inside is never far where his shadow looms the flowers never bloom this is my curse this is our doom Dizzy when I hit you in your head Thanks to those who listen and even more thanks to those who reply!

8th June 2007, 06:34 AM	#2
drakewire Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 826	Hey Brother.... This track lacks analogue soul.... it just sounds fake... Good song, but the production is terribly cold and it lacks any low end... There is definitely good musicianship going on here, but the production sounds like you are playing in trapped hospital room with padded walls. I would recommend accentuating the low end to give it a more modern sound by perhaps using a real pultec style EQ or even the plug ins to really drive some low end sound. A good starting point would be to cut (filter)everything under 30 raise Boost 75 to 80 till you get some bottom end I think for this track you need about 3 to 4 DB. then Raise the 167-240 range enough with the Q so that you get a good bass sound without rumble on your speakers. I suspect that you dont have the great of monitors because of many peaks in the high ranges.... I personally dont believe in overly compressing a track but that might be a way to get some warmth to it... .... Over all, I believe you can get good sounds on a Digi set up, but to me all their stuff sounds the same without great outboard gear to feed into it... Best Wishes, Devon Drake __________________

8th June 2007, 08:38 AM	#4
drakewire Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 826	Yeah I was just talking to another guy the other day who said a very similar thing... I told him Cold recording is still cold recording. BTW, you are using very modern gear and I didnt say it was bad, I just think that if you go down to your local Circuit City, pop your cd and other commercial releases who have been professionally recorded in the Home Theater Section and listen to it on a multitude of speakers you will hear what I am saying... And sure, a mastering engineer can add warmth to the mix, but at the expense of sometimes other really cool things going on here in the the track. I am not blunt, I am honest, its what this forum is about. Showcase etc for feedback... __________________

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8th June 2007, 07:56 AM	#3
FattMusiek Gear Head Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 44	Thanks for listening. Blunt is your style I guess, which is cool with me. However, I believe our opinions on what sounds good is different. What I hear when I listen to this song, which may not be modern, is what I heard in my head before any of those virtual faders came up. In that regard, it's a complete success for me. I do feel you on the outboard gear thing. I have none - only default LE plugs and a couple free ones. Also, this is really just a mix. I really just suck ass at mastering, especially my own music. Given my mixing environment (speakers and room), the balance to me is just right. I can only do so much. I feel like your suggestions would benefit a mastering engineer who is mastering my mix. But man...there are all these rules...you have to do everything a certain way...or else it's not modern.

8th June 2007, 06:52 PM	#5
FattMusiek Gear Head Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 44	I'll try to incorporate your suggestions next time around Drake. I don't know, I stopped trying to make my band's shit sound commercial a long time ago. A commercial album has a huge budget, a great engineer, great gear, great mixing environment. Basically everything is done right from the start. Seems futile to me, personally. That's not to say you can't get very near professional recordings at home, but A) I like miking instruments and B) I was tired of downloading plugins I could not afford.