1st Recording

ubw newbie Joined: Sep 10, 2008 Posts: 11

Alright, my name's Jimmy Etheridge, I've put a couple of tracks on here, recorded for the first time a couple of weeks ago, would appreciate any feedback

http://www.unsignedbandweb.com/music/bands/11924/

The rest of them are at www.myspace.com/jimmyetheridge

Cheers

Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:58 pm

nice job for a first recording. interesting voice. one thing i noticed right away is that your levels on your guitar are clipping on the attack. you hear that pop/click sort of sound that seems to coincide with the attack of your strum? that's it. not sure how you recorded your guitar track, but you'll need to record it again, since this is something that can't really be edited out too well. recording acoustics and getting a good level and a good sound isn't easy since the range of volume and dynamics is so great. but with that said, you're really not doing anything with a lot of finesse on this track. the dynamic is pretty loud and this holds consistent through the piece, so it should be a relatively easy problem to correct when recording it again.

since this is what it is, a rought draft of a tune, you'll want to experiment with getting some different tones out of your guitar by (a) playing with mike placement, if you're using a mike, (b) play with the levels and eq once you get the new take down to beef up the track so it down't sound as tinny, and/or (c) play with the adjustments and levels on whatever you're using as a preamp. using a condenser mike is a good way to go if you have the gear. multiple mikes are even better. when using one mike, i've often found that i have to make some sort of compromise between volume and tone. i often place the mike either where the neck meets the body - to get better volume, or i place it a few inches off the bottom-right corner, towards the tail, for better tone. some ways i've worked to improve my tone while miking for volume have been to switch to a heavier gauge of string and pay close attention to my picking technique. it makes a difference.

also be prepared to spend a lot of time on the performance side of recording your instrument tracks. it's every bit as important as a solid vocal track since the sound of the one has an impact on the other.

ok, i think i've written enough for now. again, nice work on your first recordings. you've got some good ideas to work with. good luck, welcome to the site, and keep us posted as the track progresses! Cool

Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:41 pm

I liked the tunes man, I really did. Definitely my style of music, liked the rhythm in "Dreams of Hope," it's a nice title. The song wasn't as catchy as I'd like though...Keep on jaming

jesse hoff
www.myspace.com/jessekhoff

ubw newbie Joined: Jun 29, 2008 Posts: 26

Hi Jimmy,

Re: 'Flower In Her Hair'

This is a beautiful song - it has guts and strong emotion. Your voice is great and reminds me of Roger Chapman from Family (a long time ago! - I think you're too young to have been influenced!) and you deliver the song with passion. The 'bottle of Becks' line creates the whole scene by itself.

At 4 minutes 16 secs the song seems too long to me - not because of the quality - which is great - but because I felt that it had done its job by about the three minute mark - you had conveyed the drama and given it all by then. The intro of 30 seconds simply delayed the start of the 'action' and I felt that it could have been done in 10 seconds (a simple repeat of the two main verse chords).

With the song at about 3 minute 30secs - I think you'd leave your listeners wanting that chorus again just a bit more - rather than giving it all in one dose.

I listened to your MySpace collection too and enjoyed the whole tone and approach of your material.

Some of the things that you sing about are hard to say in songs and you make a good job of bringing them into the light.

Thanks

Paul

ubw newbie Joined: Sep 10, 2008 Posts: 11

I really appreciate you all taking time out and listening and will contact you all personally soon.

All the comments have been taken on board and will hopefully be going back into the studio next month.

Cheers

Jimmy

moderator Joined: Jun 30, 2007 Posts: 567

"flower ..."

bit gypsy side to me or i don't really know the good word, very tonic track, guitar presence is a bit too high...harmonics are too wet to me it cover the vocals...very good work anyway !!!

ubw newbie Joined: Sep 10, 2008 Posts: 11

Cheers PPB, thanks for listening, to be fair we're not really into the same kind of sounds though!!!

Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:00 pm

it's true that the two of you may be into different styles, but i recommend that you pay attention to the technical bits he's talking about. he's got a pretty good ear for mixing, plus, that's mainly what he's giving you feedback on. since we have so many people on here doing so many different styles, many of us try to concentrate our comments on the mechanics of the recording rather than how well we truly do or don't like a song with regard to personal tastes. helps not only keep things civil, but also helps us all accomplish our goal of becoming better at the recording arts. some people will give you songwriting tips, but those are usually people that are into the genre of music you're making. i'm mainly writing all this just so you know that when some of us might comment about not liking a particular feature of a track that is unrelated to recording, we're just being honest and trying to keep the post as objective as we can. you'll find people that sometimes don't adhere to the 'objective approach' but they are usually jerks! Laughing

so yeah, you and PPB are definitely into different music, as are you and i, but that doesn't mean that listening to his critiques on your recording won't help you achieve a better overall finished product. Wink

i also should have mentioned this before since you're new to the site and new to recording, but this thread is one that i started a few months back that just deals with recording, mixing, and mastering. some other members have posted some tips and it's also there for people to ask technical questions. this site was made by another member and has some good tips for people just getting started. you might find some interesting stuff there, too. i'll have a listen to the new track you posted now. take it easy and good luck. Cool

ubw newbie Joined: Sep 10, 2008 Posts: 11

Fair enough mate, it wasn't meant as a dig just a quick response, I'm still getting used to all the technical terms and the technical side of recording but I appreciate any comments from anyone.

moderator Joined: Jun 30, 2007 Posts: 567

yes sure, but by the way i'm listening to lots of differents genres but each listener have his/her ideas about what is good, you are doing good music but you probably make best one with time, we are here to learn from each others.I often take care of what very uncult about music peoples say to me cause not a veteran producer in 2008 buy a lot of music in the stores even online...

Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:59 pm

didn't take it as a dig. just throwing the thought out there. it's all good. Cool

1st Recording

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