Tagged: drum replacement, fusion, kick sample, melodyne, mix feedback, sample replacement, Slate Trigger
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This Cloud
Posted by Jeremy Roye on at 9:00 amGreetings everyone and happy New Years!
I could use your golden ears and keen advice on my next planned release.
It’s not yet mastered. Levels feeling good? Anything taking you out of the song flow?
Many thanks!!
Jeremy
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This discussion was modified 2 weeks, 3 days ago by
Dana Nielsen. Reason: Attaching mp3 instead of Dropbox link per forum guidelines (this way future visitors will get to enjoy this music and ensuing discussion without risk of dead links and 404 errors 😘)
Jeremy Roye replied 1 week, 2 days ago 4 Members · 18 Replies -
This discussion was modified 2 weeks, 3 days ago by
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18 Replies
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Jeremy,
This is good stuff! I’m digging this “crooner-like” vibe on this song. Compared to other offerings you’ve served up that had some good banging, this one has a softer, more reserved milieu. It’s another flavor tasted in your musical world. I like it.
You asked the very question I was thinking after listening the first (of three)time…Does anything take me out of the song? Yes, the intro. The ambients feel a little jagged/crooked/ noisy and distinctly opposed to the soothing nature of the rest of the song. I almost think your vocal could be the first thing heard.
I didn’t analyze the words to see if there’s a purposeful intent on your part that would make me understand it differently. I’m going strictly on feel. Will try an intro edit and see if it works to my ear and share it back here.
C’mon listeners. Hop in with your thoughts.
PT
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Thanks again Paul! Glad to softer crooner vibe is working for you! I appreciate that. Definitely looking forward to hearing that intro swap.
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Jeremy,
I took the liberty of editing the intro of THIS CLOUD and pretty much accomplished what I was aiming for. The intro is softer and more intriguing to my ear now. Kinda gets to the point more quickly. How’s it hit you?
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Very cool intro idea, Paul! I didn’t mind @shimmerisland‘s abstract intro as it was, but I dig your version mucho as well! Curious what Jeremy thinks of your AI/RX wizardry… 🪄🦄
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Hey Paul! Could finally hear your mp3 intro. I love it honestly. I’m sold! Thank you very much, I like the fade in on the bells and slower fade in on the vocal.
Might use the pre-intro for the album. (Who makes pre-intros anymore?! haha).
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Jeremy,
Cool. I am always happy when suggestions I conjure up get adopted. It’s good training to figure out what the writer’s intent seems to be and then support it with something fitting. Thanks for letting me in the sandbox.
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Hey Paul, I thought you might try the shorter intro and you did! haha. Ya know, I was thinking the same thing. When I made these songs I was very into intros but my newer pop brain wants to just get to it!
For some reason I can’t play your version. 🙁 And I get an error when I try to download it too. I’d love to hear it though! Could you send via email? [email protected]
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Jeremy,
Of course I had to try the shorter intro …. I have free time at this point in life to pursue more interests so you benefit. If I could just hybridize my curioslty about recording and the aliens 👽… we could make some damn history around here.
You’re not the only one apparently being unable to playback some of the posted music in the Spotlight forum. @dana video replays playback fine on MP, some of the older Spotlight member mp3s play just fine but many don’t. Even logging on has been a little whack lately.
I’m wondering if others are also experiencing similar issues.PT
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@-PT I see what you mean, and thanks for alerting me to this (you too, @jlew)! And sorry, @shimmerisland for making your mp3 disappear! I’m looking into what caused this and a few other mp3s to have gone missing from the server — most likely cause is that when restoring the site from a backup there may have been a short window of days (and files) that hadn’t been backed up yet … but we’ll get to the bottom of it! Sorry for the inconvenience.
I built a quick “Report an Issue” form, which I’ll add to the website footer soon. Meantime, you can find it here: https://mixprotege.com/report-an-issue. Feel free to test it out if/when any of yall find a lil gremlin lurking in our midst! 🧟 ⚡️
Also! … @shimmerisland, I just realized that I have a copy of your “This Cloud” mp3! I’ll edit your original post, above, and re-upload it there so at least this particular gremlin will be fixed.
mixprotege.com
Use this form to report a technical issue with the website such as broken links or missing audio or video.
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Yeah dude! Always pumped to peep a new Shimmer Island jam and this does not disappoint! I gotta listen on my real speakers before offering any mix/level feedback, but for a late-night laptop listen it’s sounding bumpin and beautiful. Love that 90s-esque shuffle beat!
Will circle back soon once I’ve listened in my studio, homey. Great stuff, as always! 🤘
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Thank you, Dana! Bumping on the laptop is a good sign! Yeah, love me a 90’s shuffle. Looking forward to hear any other juicy bits you might have!
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Hey brother!
I LOVE it man! Another Shimmer Island hit! You can’t miss!
I liked the ambient intro a lot (although I did notice when looking at my TC clarity M that the phase correlation dipped negative quite a few times so you might want to make sure that you don’t lose any of that sweet ambience if it ever gets listened to in mono!). Paul’s AI wizardry was also very cool! I think both options could definitely work and if it needed to be shorter, then Paul’s intro might be a cool option! But, you know that I’m always a sucker for an ambient intro haha!
To my ears, the sounds and tonal balance were really nice – and your voice and the sweet melodies took me to my happy place! It’s a great song!
There were a few things that did jump out at me as being a bit distracting and taking me out of the mood that you were creating, which I’ll share with you. Of course, these are just my opinions – but maybe something for you to see if you agree with.
There were two main things that jumped out at me. The first is the kick drum, especially in the earlier part of the song — it feels too “on top of the beat”, like it’s not relaxed enough for the vibe of the song. I’m not sure if you are on some kind of a grid, but if so, you might want to experiment with laying some of those kick drums back by a slight bit to produce a little bit more of a laid-back Beat. I felt the same way with your snare drum, the little marching band drum roll part, some of those hits felt a little bit too on top for me, also. Granted, I spent almost a decade (much of it w/ Dana) living in New Orleans so I’m a sucker for that laid-back greasy drum feel, but I do think in this case experimenting with laying it back just a bit might make the listener feel more in the clouds with you!
Additionally, there is a section between 2:08-2:17 where a few things also took me out of the moment. There seems to be some kind of interruption to the groove at 2:11. I’m not sure if the drums get off or a bass note or something else, but something feels off right at that moment.
In that section between 2:08-2:17 the vocal performance doesn’t feel as strong to me as the rest of the song, I wonder if it might benefit from a bit of melodyne? or maybe its in the groove of the way you phrased the vocal in that spot? But something is happening there that I think could use a bit of attention as well!
Again, all of these comments are just very, very small details that jumped out at me, but I thought I’d mention them in case they’re helpful.
Either way – every song you make is always a hit! I was excited to see you post another one!
Best,
Jesse
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Thanks Jesse for all the kinds words and deep listen for notes. Much appreciated. I’m glad it brings you to a happy place. That makes me very happy!
I will check those out and see what I can finesse. I felt the kick was perhaps a bit hot in the verse as well.
Intro – I think we used some weird phasy fx thing on the intro. Phasing isn’t something I typically check for, how would you bring it back into positive?
I’m thinking maybe I do a short intro version for Spotify and long intro for album. Let’s see!
Thank you again!
J
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Hey Jeremy,
It’s such a great song man!
re: phase stuff — you’re in ableton, right? on the utility tool there is an option for widening the stereo field (it’s labeled “width”) If you turn that knob to the left all the way to 0% it will become fully mono and all the way to the right is 400% (crazy width). You could probably put that utility on the offending track and dial it to the left just slightly so the phase correlation goes back into the positive.
Isotope makes a plugin (ozone 11 Imager) where you can check your phase correlation and also make these adjustments on specific frequency bands (my understanding is that the lower frequencies will typically put you out of phase much quicker than the higher frequencies, but @dana or @-PT could answer that better) I’m pretty sure that plugin is free!!!
If not, that SPAN plugin i mentioned in a different thread it definitely free and shows you the same info, and plenty more too….)
Best,
JLew
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Jesse,
Good ear! That little rhythmic hiccup at 2:11 appears to be friction between the bass guitar and the marching snare drum playing parts that compete with each other.
Too many peeps vying to fill that little space??
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Holmes!
OK, sorry so late to the party with actual feedback. I’ve been traveling tons and working my arse off lately. Currently in headphones in my hotel lobby in NYC catching up on all I’ve missed here on MP!! K … here are my headphone listen notes:
This Cloud
- Kick could hit a bit louder (layer in something on top of what u have going on already? Perhaps something round and punchy without too much top end, something that can punch thru the mix not too sub-y, that will punch you in the chest)
- 1:12 – love those “cloud” bgvs, nice touch!
- 1:28 – maybe something new for this chorus like a tambourine, to up the ante on the previous chorus
- 2:13 – there’s a momentary weird vocal “ooh” note that sounds out of key, right before or during “mouth is shaking”
- 2:30 – there’s the shaker I was looking for on the previous chorus! Maybe use the shaker for ch 2 and add an additional texture for the last choruses (cymbal crashes on downbeats maybe, and/or additional swing/breakbeat/90s-style perc loop texture). U could also add more movement or fills in the bass during the last dbl chorus for even more “final chorus is bigger than all the rest” type thing.
Everything else feels real nice, man!!! Great song, great production, great work!!
And those suggestions are just that … suggestions, ideas, brainstorms … my ears looking for just a little more subtle “structural” ear candy to keep things ever-building. 🤘
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Thanks so much, Dana!
You’ve shared a few times with me now to think through the structural building so I’m definitely committing that to heart (adding new elements each chorus, etc.). Actually, I’m making a Vib3 Machine-esque cheat sheet with this note!
Giving everything else a go as well!
I finally bought the full Melodyne and it’s crazy that I can tune a few vocal parts within a vocal stack group stem. Sounds pretty great!
As for kicks, I’ve attached a version with a supplemental kick for more punch. Did I get it right? I guess by punch you were feeling something round and 100kish?
I looked back at your Greater Hands kick doubling video (so helpful!) and realized I’m not ready to afford all the crazy plugins you used. haha. Too ninja level for me! 🥷
No Slate so I lined up the kick manually. #beastmode.
And I got a trial of Fusion from Master the Mix to help with phasing and such.
I’d love to know if it’s working before I endeavor to line up the other 400 kicks waves! 😅 (I wish Ableton’s audio to midi and groove were more accurate with my kick wav. timing.)
Thanks again!
j
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This reply was modified 6 days, 3 hours ago by
Dana Nielsen. Reason: Downloaded dropbox .wav, converted to mp3, uploaded as attachment per forum guidelines to avoid potential "dead links" or 404 errors for future visitors. Also added link to referenced Drum Replacement video
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This reply was modified 6 days, 3 hours ago by
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