The High (Intro) - Feedback very much appreciated!

[(DC)]

The intro to the album: "The High - A True Hiphop Experience".
The beat was made almost entirely in Reason 3, aside from the congo solo at the end. That was miked live.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/song...songID=4262741
Click "Hi-Fi".


Any feedback would be helpful... I've just been looking for people's general impression of the song.

Thanks!

[kats]

I've heard ALOT worse

[(DC)]

Originally Posted by kats

I've heard ALOT worse

Uhhh... I guess I'll take that as a compliment?

[brian_delizza]

Am I missing something? Where is the track?

[(DC)]

Oh I guess that's what he meant by that comment... fixed it. It's in the link in the first post.

[brian_delizza]

It's chill, the vocals need to be more solid in my opinion, they are kinda light.

[(DC)]

Which vocals? The singing or the rapping?

[brian_delizza]

Rapping. What's your signal chain on it?

[(DC)]

58 > A&H 16:2 MWizard

You think it needs to be louder and more in your face?
I thought the fact that it was lying under the top of the beat fit the laid back style of the whole track...

your thoughts?

[Big 3rd]

First thing comes to mind is boring.

I really didn't FEEL any aspect of the song man...sorry. The vocals had no life in them....the beat didn't fit AT ALL. I couldn't even tell you what the song was about. There was no connection to anything.

The best thing about it was the mix as far as I can tell from my sh*tty computer speakers.

To be COMPLETELY honest with you, I would not go any further into this album if the first song was this song...if I were a potential-consumer.

Sorry but you did ask. I will help you later on though.

[(DC)]

PEOPLE, don't keep that comment from having a listen. This is the ONLY person to ever say it was boring.

That is the first time I got such a negative comment like that... but then again, it's a laid back track, and it's not what people are used to. How could you not tell me what the song was about? You OBVIOUSLY did not listen well. No life in the vocals? Man, this is not hyphy or crunk music... we don't shout bullshit on stage.

Here's the lyrics to the rapping... listen and read.
Are you still sure that they mean nothing to you?

It’s a cold livin, man this game aint given,
To fools who fold quick, my brain keeps slippin,
Into another atmosphere, its been a blasted year,
The path is clear, I puff the blunt n ash it here,
I disappear, play the game with top cops,
Watch stocks drops, smoke till the clock stops,
And its all over, deaths a chaser to leave u sober,
Straight shots, we roll up another dutch clover,
Up n over, I feel blessed yet we all live stressin,
The best is the relaxed vibe style leaves em restless,
So check this, its something u never heard before,
My amor, goes into the herb, I swerve to the door,
Half crashin, my life in school is half passin,
The other half assin out, life lacks action,
That’s some of what im packin, a lot left to see,
The High’s the best of me, Tio Rejes Rest in Peace.



What is the song about? It's an introduction to the concept of The High. I understand that it is only a introduction, so it lacks proper context... but If you would please explain what you mean by vocals having "no life" and that it is "boring" it would make sense. I'm not getting defensive here, it's just that I've played this to for at least 50-60 people I don't know, and until now you are the ONLY PERSON to EVER give me a negative response.

Thank you for the feedback in any case...

PS: Album is going forward full steam, and it's going to be a ****in masterpiece... what EVER it takes.

[blayz2002]

The mix on the track is pretty cool apart from the mic'd bongo ...needs more compression (medium to fast attack, 2-3:1 ratio, and fast release, then adjust threshold just till they sit better) also maybe a high pass filter also might help.

Outside of that I also found it a bit drectionless, the sound itself is cool but it doesn't seem to have a focused direction...I personally would go for more edge.

[abit]

Mix is quite nice.
Overall.. well,
if this is how U see it, than be it.
It does have a vibe in it.
Don't listen to anybody.
Just do your thing, bro.
peace..

[(DC)]

Didn't think of it any other way. But thank you anyway.

I'm just trying to get an understanding out his criticism... that's all.

[deadhorses]

I heard both tracks.

Overall:
TOO much reverb, echo effects on some vocals & instruments. The drums are boring, it very preset number 5 on a drum machine or what have you. The rap artist goes nowhere VERY 1980’s and to be honest you can tell someone just got a keyboards and hit play. No creativity on both side of the production. If anything. Learn to give feel on the drums and play without quantize. You’re still young. You have a plenty of time to learn what we all have gone thru. Pick up the Jb’s LP...to learn about drums… for production, listen to Dr. Dre’s The Chronic CD...and for the rap artist…stop buying rhyming books at Barnes and noble.

My two cents

PS. I said and meant LP…because you will learn that its more then just a beat…The creativeness doesn’t stop with the writer...sound engineers are what gave great productions...people forget that!

Cheers

[(DC)]

Originally Posted by deadhorses

I heard both tracks.

Overall:
TOO much reverb, echo effects on some vocals & instruments. The drums are boring, it very preset number 5 on a drum machine or what have you. The rap artist goes nowhere VERY 1980’s and to be honest you can tell someone just got a keyboards and hit play. No creativity on both side of the production. If anything. Learn to give feel on the drums and play without quantize. You’re still young. You have a plenty of time to learn what we all have gone thru. Pick up the Jb’s LP...to learn about drums… for production, listen to Dr. Dre’s The Chronic CD...and for the rap artist…stop buying rhyming books at Barnes and noble.

My two cents

PS. I said and meant LP…because you will learn that its more then just a beat…The creativeness doesn’t stop with the writer...sound engineers are what gave great productions...people forget that!

Cheers

Just wondering... what kind of "rap" do you listen to?

I don't see the connection between the rapping and the 1980s style of rap... at all!

Jb's LP?
I've listened to the Chronic and 2001 about 10 million times... I will say this was my first rap mix that I got serious about. So I appreciate the comments about the engineering job. I feel that the lyrics are exactly where they are supposed to be... no dumb punchlines, no stupid message ...and NO RHYME BOOK! How the hell can you even say that? This is from Cousin of Death:

You gotta step up, wake and recollect what you got,
It's what you take from life, not what you bought,
if you never found out what you sought,
the Cousin of Death sneaks up, and your caught.

Sure... the rhymes may be simple, Got > Bought > Sought > Caught...
but it is the MESSAGE that is most important. Take a good listen... PLEASE.

Criticisms like "it's oldschool" or "it's not edgy enough" are exactly what I'm expecting. I am a huge fan of oldschool rap and mostly 90's hiphop. There is not one "newschool" artist out there that I believe really deserves any respect or recognition... (but that's just me ).

Anyway, thank you. If you can respond that would be great. Thanks!

[deadhorses]

Oi
I’m a product of old school; rakim, chuck, slick rick, x clan...etc…mid 90s I faded out of the rap world. It got boring, artistry died off. And the music business strictly became about the business. It’s gone full circle. From the basic Yo, Hoe, Blow rhymes to intuitive styles and flavored full lyrical balances to now back with the old; new, crew, blue rhymes. Rap is dead!. The true artistic attack that rap was about from political to witty has been corralled and crushed thru media corporate means. You see what made rap great was the fact those loops were human beings playing, blood sweat and tears. It wasn’t just 1 guy sitting in a studio with a plastic black keyboard in dark lights. It was a full band, great players! And producers, mixers, and sound engineers. All what made the remix pioneer Puffy a bloody billionaire and all those musicians of a 4 bar riff!…no rewards. Always remember its not just ONE who makes it. Look at Dr Dre’s great The chronic cd...the first rap cd that brought the world of rap in terms of respect form all side of production to the masses and yet..one man gets credited and all the people in the studio at that time who helped ... No rewards!





My comments of 80’s rap:
What I meant about the 80; s rap was the ba ba ba pause ba ba ba etc, flow. This was what you heard in the early 80’s very basic, bore fest really. No flow technique. Artists that changes its path were Rakim, Chuck, Slick Rick, Krs and too many to mention.

An Example of your production:
A poor production but still having a sound with flow. I give you 50 cents. Horrid production when he first came out! but the last yr or so you hear a different attack on the overall production. He’s still has the dr. suses lyrics but it’s the attack that makes its flow along with better production. He’s learning to not be afraid and ride the track.

As far as Your Production overall, my advice:

Twist knobs in the studio, literally take a drum beat loop and raise all the buttons and learn what each of it does. Take notes
Learn compression
Learn the difference in vintage vs. the horrid ssl console ( my opinion!)
Analog vs. digital and the compromise your going to indoor in your final mix

Jb’s…was James Brown first band! You can hear the funk. Drum techniques...great stuff. Buy record.

Lastly:




It was never my intention to pay attention to the lyrics. This is music. AUDIO! As a consumer is what I’m after. If they like the tone and flow, they will then listen. Being around long enough you can hear it right off the back. What you need to do is becareful not to fall victim of I love it attitude and listen and judge the mix! Hard thing to do but it can be done. Let the artist be the artist and let you if you are the engineer then be so!

P.S. Download music that you would never listen to. And start to appreciate what behind doors number 2 to then apply what you hear in your own projects!

Cheers,

[(DC)]

I am the artist in this case...

I don't need any help with learning about compression and the buttons on my software... lol...

I started when I was about 13... It's been about 3-4 years. I've been on everything from simple PT systems, to nice big consoles in commercial studios.

The High mix was a Hybrid setup... I used an 002R with Apogee Converters and mixed on an Allen & Heath Mix Wizard and tracked with the e835, Sm58, and AT4040.

Personally, I'm not happy with the intro. The idea was there, but it didn't go through the way I had planned... but that's ok I have twenty other ideas in line. Time will tell.

I appreciate your comments...

"Cousin Of Death" on the other hand has a lot of potential in my eyes... during the empty chorus part, I'm going to add scratching to really add momentum and energy to the track.

I used to listen to a lot of Smif N Wessun (Cocoa Brovaz), Dr. Dre, Biggie, and of course Nas (The Illmatic is a must have... it was my introduction to the world of this music).