The Wagtunes Corner

[StudioDave]

re: Hold On - Very cool ! Excellent job, it caught me right away and held me for the duration.

Really enjoyable song, loved the singer. Double-plus good.

Best,

dp

[wagtunes]

re: Hold On - Very cool ! Excellent job, it caught me right away and held me for the duration.

Really enjoyable song, loved the singer. Double-plus good.

Best,

dp

Thanks Dave. My friend will be pleased to hear the kind words.

[jancivil]

good job on that

[wagtunes]

good job on that

Thanks Jan. We've actually done 2 different remixes of it. We're not sure which one we like best or if we're even going to do another one.

Yes, I've gone down the rabbit hole.

[Frantz]

Quite an impressive arrangement on "Hold On."

I don't like the treatment on her voice. It sounds like she is singing through a megaphone.

When it starts it seems slow with big spaces in between the notes. It may be intentional but I would fill in the spaces with some tambourine or shaker.

The vocals from 2:09-2:33 sound odd. Were they pitch shifted?

[wagtunes]

Quite an impressive arrangement on "Hold On."

I don't like the treatment on her voice. It sounds like she is singing through a megaphone.

When it starts it seems slow with big spaces in between the notes. It may be intentional but I would fill in the spaces with some tambourine or shaker.

The vocals from 2:09-2:33 sound odd. Were they pitch shifted?

I had no control over the singing. That's the way the tracks were sent to me, with big spaces in between the notes. I had nothing to work with BUT the vocals. I had to create everything else from scratch.

As to the vocal treatment, yeah, that's because of all the FX and compression. I compressed the crap out of it. The other mix I did her voice sounds better but the mix is boring as hell. There is no life to it. I can't seem to find a balance.

Ultimately, I've scrapped the project. I just don't have the time or desire to put anymore work into it.

Oh, the vocals on the bridge I put Decapitator on one track and the other track she was singing low to begin with. It's an odd sound but I like it. Of course I can understand others not.

Personally, I like the mix and the song because it's basically how I mix all my stuff, over the top.

Anyway, I'm putting this one in the rear view mirror and moving onto my next song. I think I'm done collaborating with others. It just never ends well.

[jancivil]

I kind of like the sort of dirty and canned vocal effect. Indie rock people do stuff like that.

You could see about making it as though it's on an old telephone, with the restricted freq range.

[wagtunes]

I kind of like the sort of dirty and canned vocal effect. Indie rock people do stuff like that.

You could see about making it as though it's on an old telephone, with the restricted freq range.

My friend over at another forum loves this mix. He said it had energy and movement. I played him the remix and he didn't like it at all.

In fact, here is the remix that he said was boring.

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... mix-master

[sfd]

Hi guys !

I'm the one to blame for the vocals

This is a song I never got anywhere with after I made my first rough basic sketches (see below). So I asked wags if he wanted to have a go with it.

I think he made a good job.

I think it's fair to say it's not, yet, a finished track.
But I think it can serve as a good foundation for further work. And so, again, I think wags made a great job here.


As for the vocals. Yes, there's to much processing and a bit wrong type of compression in wag's mix. But on the later attempt it's better.

I know wags is busy with his own stuff (it was very nice of him to set aside some time for this track) and it's understandable he want's to move on with that.

But what he did with this song was a good start and I think he perhaps should....Hold On..to it


Anyway, below you can listen to the original initial drafts / sketches of my song:

http://spiritualmachinery.eu/1.mp3

http://spiritualmachinery.eu/2.mp3

[wagtunes]

Hi guys !

I'm the one to blame for the vocals

This is a song I never got anywhere with after I made my first rough basic sketches (see below). So I asked wags if he wanted to have a go with it.

I think he made a good job.

I think it's fair to say it's not, yet, a finished track.
But I think it can serve as a good foundation for further work. And so, again, I think wags made a great job here.


As for the vocals. Yes, there's to much processing and a bit wrong type of compression in wag's mix. But on the later attempt it's better.

I know wags is busy with his own stuff (it was very nice of him to set aside some time for this track) and it's understandable he want's to move on with that.

But what he did with this song was a good start and I think he perhaps should....Hold On..to it


Anyway, below you can listen to the original initial drafts / sketches of my song:

http://spiritualmachinery.eu/1.mp3

http://spiritualmachinery.eu/2.mp3

I think it's fair to say (professionally speaking) that I've never made a finished track, nor do I care to. When music starts to become a job, where it takes me a month just to get s snare drum right, that's when I stop making music.

I write the song
I arrange the song
I record the song
I mix the song
I master the song
I'm done with the song.

If I'm happy enough with the way it sounds, that's good enough for me. I'm not looking to win a grammy or even get a job as a professional mixer.

My ultimate goal (if I even have one) is for maybe somebody in the business to hear one of my songs (songs, not productions) and go "Hmmm, this has some potential. Maybe we'll take a shot on it and have it professionally done." And they sign me to a writers contract and I collect my 2% mechanical royalties on any units sold.

That's all I've ever wanted out of my music. I'm a writer. I don't want to be a performer. I don't want to be a mixer. I don't want to be an engineer. I don't want to be a producer. All I ever wanted to do was have somebody hear one of my "songs" and think maybe it had a chance to be a hit.

All this other stuff I do (arranging, mixing, mastering, producing) is just a means to an end.

All I ever wanted to be was a songwriter.

You guys can have the rest of this nonsense.

[wagtunes]

Okay, I just listened to all 4 versions in this order.

First demo - Backing track is almost inaudible it's so low in volume. Pretty much all you hear is the vocals.

Second demo - Like the piano. Also like some of the chords you used. There is a prettiness in this version that the others don't have. Not very exciting but pretty.

My Remix - I think it's an improvement but it's missing something.

My First Version - Favorite of them all by a mile. It has an energy and excitement that is missing from all the other versions. It is bordering on over the top as far as arrangement and sound. I love how the vocals sound. They have a grit to them lacking in the other versions. Yes, I like that grit, distortion, compression, whatever it is that's causing it. I think it gives the vocals character lacking in the other versions.

And this is why we'll never agree on this. You essentially want a clean vocal and I want a dirty vocal. Forget about everything else that we have conflicting opinions on (horns, drums, etc.) because the vocals alone are the stumbling block for us. We'll never agree on them.

And that's why I have to put this aside. I'll only end up compromising to please you and in the process, I'll hate what I'm doing. I can't work that way.

The song has potential and I'm sure there is a producer out there who is capable of doing it the way you want it done and can do a job a million times better than I could ever possibly do. My suggestion is to save up a few bucks and hire him. Because nobody that good is going to do this for free.

And with that, I'm moving onto my next song "Pig On The Dash."

[wagtunes]

14th track from my upcoming CD "Untitled Masterpiece"

I'm laughing so hard I'm in tears. Might be the funniest thing I've ever done. Really enjoyed doing this one.

Pig On The Dash

Driving in my car I'm getting a yen
Not for a goat not for a hen
Don't want a nut and don't want a fig
What I want's a pig

Pig on the dash (Where are you pig)
Pig on the dash
Pig on the dash (I want pig)
Pig on the dash (Fat pig)

I want a ham sandwich
I don't want a Manwich
Gimme gimme bacon
No I'm not a fakin

Oink, oink
Oink, oink (I see you pig)
Oink, oink (Come here you little fat thing you)
Oink, oink

Repeat Chorus

I want a nice pork roll
Put it in a big bowl
Wash it down with Taylor ham
Either one don't give a damn

Repeat Pre Chorus and Chorus

I should not be ridiculed
I will not be overruled
You will listen to me whine
What I want's a big fat swine

Instrumental Break

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
Baste well
Oh, we're going to eat good enough
(Laughter)
Come here pig

Repeat Pre Chorus and Chorus

I want pig
Give me pig
I love pig
Yeah pig

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim/pig-on-the-dash

[layzer]

hold on:

imho, i think a mix of clean AND dirty voc processing worked best...

[wagtunes]

hold on:

imho, i think a mix of clean AND dirty voc processing worked best...

So the second one. Got it. Thanks.

[vurt]

you are weird!

pig lover!

the speech interjections are funny
pervert.