My band's debut album

[Kris]

A year and a couple of personel changes... Finally released my band's debut album... feel free to check out all the tunes here:
http://www.cdbaby.com/fullblackout its 'harmonica/guitar driven southern funk'n rock'

[Kris]

Track 3: Mornin' Glory is attached as an mp3... might give you a chuckle...

[Kris]

Glad you like it... this is the one track on the album that we set up to go down live with no overdubs (except for vocal track). We accomplished this on the 2nd take... so we were pretty fired up about it... couple of minor edits to the bass line in the solo section ... I re-cut my vocal part, and bam... it's only rock and roll (with a little mornin' sex )!!!

R84 on the 1964 Super (Les Paul)
R84 on the 1960 Concert (harp)
Bass direct ME-1NV - Distressor
Custom AHA kit- KM184s on overheads
snare - 57 - API312 - 160x
Bass drum d112 - API312 - 160xt
toms - Sen504s
vox - AT4060 - Distressor

Tweaked for that 'ProTools' sound...

[Kris]

K... track 5... The first song we recorded for the album... kept the old drummers part... new Mapex pro series kit, Royer 121s on overheads ... R84 on the horns... I love a nice ribbon!!!

128 kBit/s mp3...

Also, here is a clip from the same tune as it was recorded a few years back for my first solo project... http://www.logcabinmusic.com/audio/getclip.mp3

[GMR]

Rockin' band!

[Kris]

That be me! Thanks, dim... For a streched version, you'll have to come to a show...

[bionicears]

dig it!

[NeoVXR]

absolutely cool!

mastering sounds a little bit aggressive for the genre. (short time constants..)

eg morning glory: the finale (solo..) is somewhat flat by the limiting.
tracks 7,8 sounding softer, I like it this way.
9 has an issue with vocal effects (vintage or not or how much... somewhat sharp..).
10 could sound more open, broad, analog...
12 is a nice vintage sound, but still little bit too "pro tools" digital. no big problem..

OTOH this is a modern sound
anyway it rocks!

for 128kb, mp3 quality is quite ok.

[Kris]

Hey, thanks for the comments and taking the time to check out all the tunes...

I enjoy this comment here :

"but still little bit too "pro tools" digital. no big problem..

OTOH this is a modern sound"

I agree that it is no big problem too... the weakest link in my studio is the digi 882|20 converters that I use... I do have a rosetta that is the master clock and gets used for all overdubs. But I do see an Apogee 8000 in my (hopefully near) future, as the prices keep dropping!

Cheers,

[Vilddyr]

am I the only one that thinks ALL of the tracks needs some highs? Mixes sound extremely moufled...

But cool tunes and nice playing.

[Telecastr]

man...i love a good les paul. and that harp, sounds so trashy. i love it. great stuff.

[Kris]

Maybe not adding more in the highs (I've been pretty happy with that aspect of the overall balance), but I've definately pondered with much distress (and a little heartburn) about decreasing the low end (after return from mastering)...

I had a big debate with myself after the mastering... where the low end was beefed up... I also mixed the tracks heavy in the low end dept... probably why the mastering engineer keyed in on it...

In the end I decided f*ck it (not an easy decision because I was definately way too close to the project)... I made myself believe that it helps to define a different sound for the band...

and if you don't want to blow your car speakers, just notch down the bass knob a touch or 2

Thanks on the guitar licks, but I was mostly guitar player #2 on this album... I played one guitar solo on the entire album... the rest of the lead work was Ben Munroe. My lead instrument is the harp... I mostly play through a 1960 Fender Concert "Center Volume"... after input the first circuit hit is the bass control, then the treble, and then the volume... perfect for a harp player in a LOUD band which needs that extra beef to get any sort of level before feedback... it's a LOUD amp...

[Vilddyr]

if this has been mastered by a proffesional, there must have been some serious flaws in your mix. Bass is very loud. but kick is missing. And the whole mix DO need some more above 8khz and up. It would open up the entire mix, making everything stand much more clear and defined, and some high midrange would do wonders for those guitars.

[Kris]

Hmmm... I hear plenty of kick... do you mean click? Of course it can come down to tastes... thanks for the comments!

[Vilddyr]

No, you can hear the kick, but it could well take up some more space in the sub area. It cuts through fine in the midrange, but doesn't really have any place in the lows. But of course, this can be how you meant it to be.

[Kris]

I'm right in agreement with you... I mixed with fat lows (especially bass guitar) and smooth (not harsh) highs in mind... in mastering I asked for more in this direction and got it..... maybe took it a bit too far... The mastering engineer didn't do anything drastic at all, so all of the responsibility lies with me and my mix... I got what I asked for ...

If it makes it to another pressing, I probably do a slight remix... I think a db or 3 drop on the bass guitar on most tracks is about all I would do... that in itself would help to open up the high mids, and also let through a bit more bass drum... agree?

[Vilddyr]

Yeah. I do agree. The bass could give up some space for the other instruments. You're right on that. But i do also think the guitars could benefit from a little "roughnes". Some of that agressive "Reef" sound would suite the mix very nicely.

Some 2-3 khz would make the guitars stand out more and be more agressive, and add some more of the "drive" it sounds like you want to achieve.

Vocals sound very good though. And the slightly muffled sound is not as bad as I thought it out to be.

[NeoVXR]

BTW
I didn't judge the highs because it is 128kb data rate.

I re-checked "getcha".
it stops at 14 kHz !!! rolling off from 8k on...
this is kind of "radio" sound and as this I considered it ok.

for the original, I can only guess that it is a modern sound/technology, used for "vintage" taste, somehow this sound reminds me of The Cream, The Taste, and a few current bands in the tradition of early 70ies rock.

bass git level perhaps could be tried 1 dB smaller, but in this genre the bass is kind of melody instrument and always very loud.

I like is anyway.

[Kris]

NeoVXR... exactly where I'm coming from...

vlddyr... thanks much for the discussion... that is exactly where I will go... if and when we make it to a second pressing and I decide for a little remix... my bass player may cringe but it will just be a bit of a touch here and there... maybe cheers!

[fross]

I really dig the punchy, tight bass. How did you EQ it in the end?

[PinkHumpy]

Simply bad ass. PM me if you play Philly...

[Kris]

Thanks, and will do... Raleigh, NC will be the farthest north we've gone so far (this weekend) ... Love Philly though!

fross, I'm going to pull my session notes and get back to ya...

[Kris]

fross - the bass had just a slight dip at around 315hz... a db or so with sony eq...

recording chain on the bass was direct to Great River ME-1NV (impedance button in) into Distressor ratio: 10:1 , link button in, dist3 button in, input - 6.3, attack - 9.5, release - 1, output - 5.3 ... a killer bass (fedora??? I think) and some good fingers...