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I thought this would be as good a place as any to collaborate on the NiceStock CD project.

As we filled the G's hard drive and then some (we moved off Gods to the PC early, so more than 20 gig worth), I did a security back up of all NiceStock recordings. I first did a G backup, then did a wave file export of every, single recorded track to CD. From there I took the wave files and put them on two PC drives (one of which is an external USB drive). So I think we're safe to reformat the G and start the process of adding any backing tracks (like my vocals in On a Story Teller's Night).

I've done the mixing of Love Makes Gods of Us All, and I have something that seems to be it, but I'll let you guys get your two cents in before we call it night. That's really a great tune...unbelieveable that it was done right here.

So, all I have to do now is figure out what Robbie did to get the rough posted.

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Honor is a debt you owe to those that see it in you.

Happy 6K, David.

I installed SmartFTP on your machine. It's a dedicated FTP application. I use it at home too, where there's a list of FTP servers that I can access. In your case the "list" has only one and it's probably already there where you can choose servers that it already knows. So probably the only thing you have to do is click "connect" which, after some time, will show you the files in the mp3 map on the server. You can use this window as if it was a local explorer: drag files from your local machine into this area and it'll upload.

"Love Makes Gods" is sounding pretty good right now, and believe me when I say it, our producer is working very hard on this one!

Personally, I think this is a very original, interesting tune and I enjoyed playing every beat on it
Compliments to Sleepless

Can't wait for the CD to be finished!

I hate MP3. It's always destructive...much as like Lys describes JPG.

Anyway, first strawman mix. I'm especially interested in what the creators have to say.

http://mp3.dijonstock.com/player.html Look for GodsST02.

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Honor is a debt you owe to those that see it in you.

If I were you... I'd mute those out-of-tune backing vocals. They're complete pish.

Whoever did those (me, in that case) should be ashamed of himself (and I well am) .

Mic

Hey David, You got a serious workload ahead of you , Really looking forward to TuDaN's tune with your acoustic guitar, My girl Kaz is nipping my head to hear it.

Gods is amazing tune, ill be keeping my ears open for any new material posted up.

Cheers

Ross

just so ya know...
knowing tha amount of effort and care that's gone into this tune makes me a little reluctant to say anythng negative about this mix DC.

tambo seems displaced.
to high-end and thin or something.
some of the drum and percussion towards the end sound like one of the tracks is out of sync. so maybe more space in the mix.

i'm listening with a decent PC speaker system so i don't have all the depth apparent, but they're good for hearing if something isn't sitting right.

is that drum or robbie on bass?
if it were my mix i'd have more....

Yeah, it seems to be behind. This is the first time I've used Cubase to edit and mix, so maybe I didn't place some tracks squarely at zero...better check.

I'm more troubled with the low mids to mids...just seems really cluttered there. I've tried to cut some space, but still is kinda bunchy.

I had the bass up, but at the last minute I brought it down in an effort to clear up that section.

Still, I love this tune...I've got to give it some time now and listen only here and there, then sit down with it again. Besides, someone's on my back to get more music out there!

Suggestions welcomed...

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Honor is a debt you owe to those that see it in you.

Cant listen to it at the moment - but -

from the original please ensure my out of tune (slightly sharp) lead guitar bit is either buried or taken out completely....

The really good bit at the end was where the keyboard part was accenting the driving bass line - would like to hear that - hell you probably already can - as I said cant listen at this point but will do this evening -

I would like another bash at the vox as they aint the best - but I guess they were "of the moment" and should stand as a testimony to summat or other - the essential zeitgiest of the whole Nice enchilada as it were....

I have a rhyme for orange that we could probably slip in there (not really)

Thanks

Sleep

OK, first thought. Obviously improved out of all recognition from the rough

I found the tops a little harsh too (semi-decent PC speakers), especially on the piano and vocal at the start.

I'm not sure about the arrangement generally though. Everything seems to come in pretty early and, though the tune has a natural dynamic through its structure, I feel like the accompanying instruments could be used to better emphasise this. One concrete suggestion, loose the tambourine until *at least* the second chorus. I also hear the strings being much further back, if at all, on the first chorus. I think a bit of judicious cutting and a mix emphasising the core instruments would give the tune back some of the angularity (if that makes sense) which this seems to lack a little.

just my £0.02

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"Saying you're an adult would make you an IM-poster." - Robbie jan 2006

I will use my robot hand for good.

Yeah, the strings were too strong on the first chorus, so I brought them down. Probably too much. However, one of my considerations is to use the strings just in the chorus and bridge. I think that's a lot of the low mid rumble I don't like...though I did put a HPF on it.

We talked about that...bringing things in gradually, but then decided on the punch of everything coming in at once. We can always try an alternate.

Yeah Sleep, had to EQ that baby and bring it under control. It's better now and gives a bit of an edge.

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Honor is a debt you owe to those that see it in you.

the hard part for me would be to edit impartially and forget i know these people...!

Oh...that was Chris on the bass.

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Honor is a debt you owe to those that see it in you.

In my best Chong FM Radio Voice...

Far out, man, like these dudes came over to my house man and just started jammin' an' shit an' it was really cool, man...and like they brought all these women with them but like they weren't like ordinary women man. These were like women who cooked and cleaned stuff for us man! Is that far out or what? Anyways man, these dudes, like wrote songs and this is like one of them I think man...I don't remember man. I know I was there though man and it was really fuckin' cool..here's a tune they like jammed that this Nathan cat wrote...he plays bass on this one too man. I think. I don't remember man. I know that the man Tudan is on this one man...I know because for a fuckin' drummer, he really sucks man. Well not like really sucks, but like he made me like record him man 3 times every time he fuckin' wanted to play man...what drag that was...it was like all hot in here and well, like, he's cool once he gets warmed up or something like, I thought he was gonna start a fire in the live room man...you know? like those dudes that spo...spon...spantany...like those dudes that go up in flames like all of sudden? Like, I was like really worried about that man with Tudan in the room man he was like laying down the hot stuff...

Oh man, I bet like you want to hear this tune, heh? Like put down the joint and click below and look for a song...ah, man, now what is that fuckin' song called man? I don't remember man. Oh, wait, yeah like look for a song called..uh...something west man...oh...far out! It's Goin'West man...I think you'll dig it...

http://mp3.dijonstock.com/player.html

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Honor is a debt you owe to those that see it in you.

Bet it was great just to be recording with a bunch of guys, with different sensibilities, opinions, angles etc...

I personally thought the piano was a bit harsh at the beginning...Maybe Sleeps vocals could be a little dryer, a bit more up front...seemed like the rhythm guitar was slightly muddy, but maybe that was just the effects that the guitar was goin thru...

and maybe a bit more space...overall good stuff!!!

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it's funny, the older you get, the older you wanna be

Re Going West.....

Fantastic production -

abserlutely cool as you like layed back vibe -

Well done Mr Nathan Sir - Multi musician talent bloke


Sleep

When a music file is put in that particular map, David, you can also put up a direct link:

http://mp3.dijonstock.com/mp3/GoinWest.mp3

So, http://mp3.dijonstock.com/mp3/filename.

In this case I removed the ' from the filename, the direct link has trouble with that character.

Great music by the way. Focus-ish. Love it.

{edit: the example link contained an error. corrected it.}

Yeah, Bok, I thought the vocal was a little too wet myself. Not sure if I can get Sleep more up front...he's just shy of clippin' as it is. Maybe I'll offset his track a little to make him appear up front...got 7 vocal lines to deal with.

As for the piano, it sounds clean and crips here, yet you're not the first to mention it. I EQ'd for presence on the high end to cut through the guitar. Maybe I'll back that off some.

As for Sleep's guitar, I had to really restrict that thing. But, it's needed.

Just a little background, this song was all about firsts. Not the least of which is being the first song recorded in my studio, whose wiring was finished a day before--and being trouble shot while we recorded. Not also to mention the first song written at ChâteauNeuf. I feel damn grateful to have anything at all.

And, yeah, it was great working with some of the best and the brightess and getting these great performances from them.

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Honor is a debt you owe to those that see it in you.

re: piano
i think the brightness works once the other instruments are in.
might need fattening or widening and darkening for the intro.

Just had a listen to the new mix of Gods

All of the comments made by everyone are very valid and true, for my own 2 cents here goes

There is a problem between the guitar and the piano - this can happen a lot with Ron and I. We both like to play low down in the registers and try to be interesting at the same time during verses etc. to give more dynamics to the song as it progresses. Unfortunately in this case with the piano and bass being recorded on the same track I don't think you'll ever be able to clear it out properlly. You may wish to back one off completely (piano probably). The chorus effect on the guitar is also not helping. Recording guitar and piano without the players helping you in their own individual arrangements is a bugger!

You're still looking for the 'groove' of the track - once you've found it, you'll know. Sleepy and I both heard the groove as he mentioned earlier in the post when we were listening back to one of the first playbacks.

The arrangement is a little off balance, more due to the nature of the jam than anything else (ie its front loaded with song and back loaded with guitar solo). this is not neccessarilly a bad thing, especially as you explained David (first recording, song only a few hours old, basically a half organised jam etc.). Listen to the 'sound' of the arrangement when mixing, try to pick out what the ear is finding interesting during every second of the track - if there are vocals these should be way out there, inbetween each vocal line there should be some sort of interest (piano, guitar, perc.), during solos there should be a groove pushing and urging everything along (usually bass/bass drum/snare driven).

Also a lot of the tracks were one take experiments. the strings for example were played all through to be picked at rather than appear all the way through - clear them out and use them for accents. They will also be muddying your low mids as I wasn't as clever as I should have been when recording them!

Finally, try the 'less is more' route (ie listen to mcnewsxp and Chris) and be selective about what you include. Listening as I write to Nates 'Going West' song shows how much can be done with only bass, drums, piano and guitar helping each other in the groove - no need for anything else in there, they all have their own space - and I'll bet my 2 cents you hardly had to touch this mix compared to 'Gods'!!

OOOPs...I think a little more than 2 cents has been had.

Last word then - David your work has been splendid but try not to spend too much more time on it. As an initial idea for a track it is really good, first class infact, but to make it sound top notch I think it would need re-recorded properlly with each part thought out thoroughly.

Jolly good, TTFN

Roberto

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The art of conversation is not talking, but listening...

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