One Day (w/ Scott Paige)

Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2002 10:30 pm

Everything

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Track: <a href='http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album?aid=1658&alid=-1#6254'>ONE DAY (w/ Scott Paige)</a>
Artist: <a href='http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/?aid=1658'>Stephen Paul</a>
<em>4.1MB - 4:27</em>
Available in hi-fi or lo-fi streaming
<a href='http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album?aid=1658&alid=-1#6254'>The track is available here</a>

<em>Critique submission system compliments of <a href='http://www.nowhereradio.com'>NoWhereRadio.com</a></em>

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2002 3:01 pm

Woooo I can't wait!!

I went to NWR but since I don't have broadband, the low fi is no fair. I got Sneaky!! I found it on MP3.com so I am d loading right now..be back real soon.

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2002 3:48 pm

Ok Stephen, don't kill me.

The song is really nice. Arrangement...everything but here are some points to ponder.

...and remember, I am listening to the version from MP3.com

The sonics of the song are top heavy in places and other places I hear good blend.

Vocal capturing is supurb but my critisism has to do with the instumental.

Here goes...

from 00:00 to 00:20

The hat is about 6dB hotter than the shaker. this could be retifyed by putting the shaker far right. It would sit good over there and complement the rhythum right guitar. The hat.. is fairly brittle up there at that level. It lacks low level resolution (decay of hat). Shaker is being covered by it. The crash at 00:19 could have had more body for being that big. The guitar, on the left....would be nice if their was more 300hZ info there. Give it a "real sound" or larger sound..not louder. Right guitar is fine for this mix. Snare is nice. Kick could use a shade more 40hZ area so it does not get buried during the chorus. The vocal is right where I like it. Hammond is nice. At 01:42 the kick is not up to speed with the bottom end. It could punch harder and have a shade more of that 40hZ area I was speaking of earlier. Also from 01:42, for as powerful as those crashes are, the stick work on the cymbels here are lacking. Look at them at 01:45-48

The double egde sword we all have an issue with is finding the correct bass balance so it is very clear during the loudest passages of the tune without being boomy and overbearing during the soft parts. I hear the Split of the difference in this.

The sax is great...but a bit dry. Some fine delay or chamber on the sax would be a tasty asset. Not much..but to make it sing and not so pitzaccato. Just some cush for it would be sweet.

I would like the overall mix to have a shade less 7.5K and more 35hZ. The vocal would get changed by this some so very fine tuning in places would be of order. Harmonics, phrasing and intonation is dead on. The background vocals could have been a shade larger. Like a Choir.

Their is a lot that is well done in the engineering of this tune and most of what I mention can be dealt with in mastering. This system is a microscope. A 1 dB difference at the mix station can equate to a large difference here. I also listened to many of my productions and others before making these statements and I did not want to pull any punches. I love the dynamics. I did not get down to really analyzing certain things..this is the general vibe I feel for the song. I will remaster the first 30 seconds and send it to you in email. See what you think Stephen.

Overall...it grooves!! Remastering now..the phase shift I am getting on the snare is cool..I bumped up the dynamics of the kick, took down the highs micrscopically on the left channel in places. I introduces some different dynamics per channel to work the imaging some but for it not to wander. I also noticed more mid bass (after mastering) on the vox..but it is an artifact we must deal with...more chamber on the vox right as well. Usually on inportant mastering like this, I like a separate instrumental and separate 2 buss for all voices. That way I can fool with the dynamics of either independently and not screw with one if the other needs correcting. A SMPTE or 4 clicks on all 4 tracks make sinc-ing a breeze. SMPTE on tk5, analog works for me. The track is a monster.

Realize I have been in this room for only 8 months. I still have an issue or two to iron out in the bottom frquencies but since I have some rock solid masters here to compare to..that is what I am referencing to..no just this room..but the other rooms I have used.

Man..if you ever need anything...please Holler!!

you have some things I need, that is for sure. I did take your advice on the cardas mic cable. Supurb!!!! I even timed my solder joints with 10 mins between them for heat purity. I also am using some Kimber Cable on the speakers. Nice stuff. It helped the translation.
Don't kill me for typos..I am a terrible typist. Many years I had this done for me..

I just type what I think..and don't spell check.

Cool Man...keep them coming!!

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2002 4:51 pm

Ok a x fered it to wave file..did some tricks. Compare what I sent you...

Now..don't be too hard on me!!!

It is either "better" or not..

Let us know Stephen!!

Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2002 11:49 pm

Interesting comments Bill..

I have no problem at all with your 'take' on the track.

It should however be noted that to judge things like room sound and or echo of any kind off an mp3 is inadvisable.

The sax though is dead dry as is the rest of the entire track for a definite reason, and that is a choice I made as a prodcer that I think is best judged at least off a CD.

The rest is really a matter of taste.

These tracks were gone over by me under a microscope in my mastering job, but I am after a certain effect with the tone, and of course this is a highly personal area.

The part I am least happy with on this particular track is really the bridge harms. They just never did it for me all the way.

Also, the reason I force download from the mp3 page is because I track them that way.

At any rate, glad you enjoyed it, also remember that this was all cut in a living room in separate pieces to a click starting with an acoustic git.

So I had to use some tricks to make the track sound as much as possible as though it were being recorded in a single space simultaneously. There are compromises I'd never make with a budget where I could track the bed all at once.

Considering the need I had to have everyone float together, without this caliber of musicians it would have been impossible.

I would tend to blame the PBass, which I played, rather than any fault of Henry's in locking up!

But I traded strict quantized 'feel' for a looser more natural human sounding track. And this also was a deliberate chice of mine as a producer and arranger.

Anyway, as far as the rest is concerned, I definitely think there are some things I'd do differently... but not being able to play guitar or bass anymore... well, I guess this is it.

Did you get 'Wishes'?

And thanks!

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