Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up!

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DragonLips
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2012/02/09 22:18:28 (permalink)

Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up!

Enclosed is a track that I've been playing around with over the past few days. Years ago I cut an older mix of the track and some of the industry feedback I received at the time was that it needed a key change - with guitars tuned up. So this mix is in response to some of that feedback.  This one is a one man band jam that I wrote and recorded in Sonar X1c
 
Track Details:
Acoustic guitars mic'd with an SM57 direct to the focusrite Saffire Pro 40
Main rhythm guitars are tracked direct through a Pod X3 Live and smashed in Sonar.
Bass- Scarbee Bass from Native Instruments
Drums- Toontrack Superior 2- Metal Machine kit (who knew??) Grooves come from the Toontrack midi groove libraries and some hand editing in piano roll.
Vocals- B-2 Pro Condensor through Saffire Pro
 
Overall I was looking for a loud n cranky anthem vibe on this one, with a splash of Americana in there.  I played around with dozens of drums sounds until finally I settled on this Superior kit. I loved the punch of the kick and the pop of the snare.  I was going for a big mix- with a lot of moving elements out wide. 
 
There are few spots I need to tweak yet, but I think it's getting close.  Constructive criticism is always appreciated. 
 
http://soundcloud.com/irish916/stand-up-america

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    evadianepug
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/10 09:55:08 (permalink)
    Cool tune.  Seems either the guitar could come down a tad or the bass up a tad.  That could just be a matter of taste (or speakers).  I like the mix the more I get into the song.  Overall, this is a good tune and produced nicely!  I like the vocals.  Nice job on the drums.

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    #2
    LanceJ
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/10 11:18:13 (permalink)
    I like this piece and I think you found the Americana feel.  The line "from the Golden Gates to Jersey shore" stayed with me and I found myself saying it with you.  Nice hook.

    I also had difficulty hearing the bass.


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    #3
    Lynn
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/10 11:45:42 (permalink)
    Congratulations, you've written an anthem.  Vocals and lyrics are great.  The only thing I would have done different would be to turn the guitar solo up at least as loud as the rhythm guitar.  Otherwise, well done.

    All the best,
    Lynn

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    #4
    paulo
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/13 17:18:41 (permalink)
    Like this - very hooky ! Bass is missing a bit for me and the rhythm guitar is slightly overpowering. Lead could come up a bit too, but maybe lowering the other guitar will sort that.
    #5
    bapu
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/13 18:51:34 (permalink)
    Work on bring out clarity in the bass. I suppose you need a highpass at 80Hz on the bass guitar and try adding just a tad of boost between 2-2.5Khz (for some slight "clack"). Your kick is carrying the lows perfectly.

    My only other (personal taste) crit is compared to the drums the guitars are too dry (especially in the intro).


    BTW, great song.
    #6
    ChuckC
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/15 07:49:11 (permalink)
    I like the song,  could be the jersey refference but I can't help but feel Jon bon Jovi might be interested in this song.  I agree the guitars seem a bit loud.  Over all nice work though.

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    Rimshot
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/15 08:15:07 (permalink)
    Good comments already.  Great tune!  I would not double the vocal, I like it in the break.  Great drumming too!
    This should be played everywhere!  

    Rimshot

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    #8
    DragonLips
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/15 10:13:52 (permalink)
    Thanks for the feedback and taking the time to listen! Great tips provided to wake up the bass a bit.  If anything, it tells me I probably need to recalibrate my monitors because my sub might be pushing the bass too much in my ears.  I'm going to upload a mix with the bass tweaked a bit later this week. 

    Thanks again!

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    ohgrant
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/15 22:22:26 (permalink)
     Really awesome tune and performances. Pro sounding production to my ears.

    Me
     
    #10
    LpMike75
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/16 00:53:43 (permalink)
    Very cool track, I agree with Chuck, it has some Jovi inflluence.  That is not an insult in any way.
    The mix sounds great to me...including the bass.  Great job all around I enjoyed it.  Thanks for posting this



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    #11
    Guitarpima
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/16 10:45:02 (permalink)
    I agree with everyone. Great song! I also agree with Chuck C. Expect a call from Jon Bon Jovi.

    The snare seems to lack brightness.
    The guitars are a little loud and the lead is buried.
    I don't hear what others are saying about the bass. It could be that the guitars need rolled off at around 180hz or so.

    An excellent bit of writing!

    Well done!

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    drumstixkev
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/17 20:48:43 (permalink)
    Hey Mike
    GREAT tune/hook. Another vote for JOVI when the background harmonies kick in. Your performance and mix sound good on my end. I do have one nit. The room/verb on the snare was little much for my ears compared to the rest of the instruments. I like the mood it plays in the performance but I would back the verb off just a smidge. All in all realy great song/performance/mix. KUDOS!

    Kev
    post edited by drumstixkev - 2012/02/18 12:14:35

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    #13
    Scottytunes
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    Re:Stand Up- Rock-Americana type pick me up! 2012/02/17 22:43:20 (permalink)
    NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I love the song and the lead guitar. John Melancamp might be interested in this one also.

    String Jammer
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