First submission. How's this?

Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 8:08 pm

This is only my second recording. It took a day to make and I thought of it on the fly. I don't have a bass so I pitch shifted my guitar. I think the "solo" at 1:30 really needs the most help...it almost fits but not quite. I cut most of the recordings up into 1 or 2-measure-sized loops. I haven't bought a mic yet so no vocals. My guitar plugs directly into my mixer.

http://www.mrbriscoe.com/Steve_Briscoe_Sweet_Destiny_Orig.mp3

Ibanez GAX70 guitar
Alesis SR-16 electronic drumset -> EZ Drummer -> Drumkit from Hell
Berhinger Xenyx 802 mixer
M-Audio Audiophile 192 sound card
M-Audio Studiophile BX5a monitors
ACID Pro 6

Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 11:46 pm

I'll offer a few points.

Your guitar is a bit out of tune, or maybe you play too 'hard'?
I'm not quite sure what you're going for stylistically; kinda metal, then kinda southern rock/trippy, the solo is a little 80's electro to me. It seems like you're trying to mesh too many different styles/approaches into one tune. I do think it's catchy and there are some decent hooks about it, but it needs more continuity about it.

I don't like the swirly/panning of the guitar though. It would probably be in just the beginning of the song.

Certainly respectable for your 2nd go in a pretty much an all digital realm.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:52 am

Thanks for the critique. Can't get enough of it.

I think the out-of-tune thing might be because I'm using 9 gauge strings. They're so light, I'm probably bending them without knowing. I just bought the guitar and haven't swapped strings yet. It might also be one of the plugins. My plugins are PSP VintageWarmer2, Soundfonts.it VB3 (vb3fx), and SuperPhaser. The swirly/panning sound is the SuperPhaser.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 9:09 am

"The swirly/panning sound is the SuperPhaser."
Yeah, ditch it.
I listened to your song. I admire your creativity.
I noticed how irritating that was very quickly.
Play a tune. Make that tune as phat as you can/need for the part of the song. Cut a drum track emphasizing the phatness of the guitars but do not be boring about this. Make two versions, your long winded I'm an artist version and the radio edit. Compare phatness as a whole.
This takes many many takes of the one track, this is good practice (you need it like I need it) and yeah. Produce produce produce.

Lexicon addition: Phatness: Example; Pantera, Domination. Example; The Animals, House of the Rising Sun. Both phat.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:51 am

I made a cut with the SuperPhaser turned off. I liked the sound the SuperPhaser adds, but I don't like the panning. Anyway, here's the cut without phaser:

http://www.mrbriscoe.com/Steve_Briscoe_Sweet_Destiny_No_Phaser.mp3

Edit* Put the SuperPhaser plugin back in but turned off the panning sound

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:12 am

I paused James Brown for that.
Yeah, now without phaser you can hear what you play.
Not so good you say?
Tighten up.
You have the right idea in mind, just keep playing till you bleed.
Your drums are kinda boring to me. They just follow the guitar around rather than laying a beat down, and the kind of broken hip-hop thing is toooo tight for it to have any feel. I hear it and think my computer skipped.

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 3:44 pm

Alright, I have one last cut. Somebody recommended using Aradaz Amp 2 White as a virtual amp for a cleaner guitar sound. Which version sounds better...my last post or this one?

http://www.mrbriscoe.com/Steve_Briscoe_Sweet_Destiny_Aradaz_Amp.mp3

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 6:47 pm

the3kgt2 wrote:

Alright, I have one last cut. Somebody recommended using Aradaz Amp 2 White as a virtual amp ...

Somebody here? In this thread? Or in the world? Because the world is not ready for this. Neither was I. What is timing and pitch anyway...just a couple of words people throw at each other in a heated moment when the takes are getting shorter between breaks and the tracks are piling up higher then the cans.

Those clean drum tracks! Now that everybody can get that same clean drum track sound how do you stand out? Timing and pitch come to mind. A few other things I have been told for the past few days, finish the song! Hey, PLAY a song, heard that one too :0

Give yerself a break boss. No one is going to bother, hang on, most likely no one of any consequence is going to bother going the distance with ya on this type of erector set song development.

I could not pick which is better than what, all I heard was the last one and could not get my finger to move the mouse back up the page.

Everybody and his Mother can plug in parts. So if you really want some help, do some recording, something flattering that takes talent. Let the song live beyond the elements of knob twisting and effects stacking.

Bring something to life, for your sake.

And if that isn't enough, do it for me :)

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