My last instrumental

Prior to doing vocal tunes, I wrote instrumentals.  This was the very last instrumental I wrote back in 2009.   Hope you enjoy!
 
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12439002
 
 

Hi Geno, very good playing, liking it. Reminds me of the music that you used to get on those flexable records in Guitar Player magazine in the 80's.
 
 Rik

Geno, Very awesome sound on this and some great shredding on the guitar. Has that Les Paul sound to the guitar, as I have one myself. What amp are you using, sound like a Marshall. Like the bass in this also and a nice job with the drums. Very inspiring, makes me want to get my Les Paul and SG out of the closet and start playing again. Awesome jam my man!! Had to give you five stars on this one.
 
 
Peace and Blessings, John

Incredible writing, performance, recording and mixing. All 10s. And this song does have vocals, it's just that they are performed/sung by the guitars. As it was playing, I could hear it in my head with a vocal like the Scorpions in their hay day off of Virgin Killer, something like Still Loving You.

dude.... Turn the lead down. LOL. 
All the parts are great but that lead is way too loud (and a little thick 250-500 hz).
 
Around 2:17 now and the guit loudness is starting to grow on me.
I still think though the lead needs to sink into a volume pocket.
Like a head on a firm pillow.
 
Geez man, nice playin.
 
4:51..... Don't change a thing............................:)
 
OK, back to the beginning. Yea, that front guit is pretty loud. I think it gets softer as the tune progresses.
 
Nice Geno.

Robby - Thanks a lot!  I'm glad you hear the singing in the guitar.  I tried to do that with all my instrumental tunes.  Interesting you heard Scorpions in that.
 
thalweg - Thank you.  you're right about the rhythm - kind of a funky reggae as the back drop of a rock instrumental.
 
Tim - you're absolutely right!  Thank you.  I just listened quietly and even on headphones I can hear the lead leaping out too much during the beginning.  It is actually the same level the whole way through, but it takes its place in the mix as the arrangement gets denser.  I need to turn it down at the beginning and during the more sparse parts of the mix.  That's the benefit of you listening through your laptop speakers.  I'll try and make the changes tonight.
 
Daryl - thanks.  I agree with you - I can connect with 10x more people with vocal tunes than with instrumentals - so I just stopped altogether with the instrumentals.  My guitar has taken a permanent back seat to vocals.

Yea, sorry Gino. I sort of was focused on the level thing and maybe didn't say the positive stuff that the performances are excellent. Sort of mind boggling actually. did you give Danzi lessons?????? 
 
Anyway, yea, the laptop is like my auratones. Pretty good for levels and basic frequencies and balance. 
 
I was also thinking since you said the guit is all the same level, that maybe there is some overcompression somewhere. Cause when the meat of the song kicks in, things would get squashed to a nominal level but not at the beginning. Maybe a buss compressor that clamps down on everything which pulls the guit down lower.

I didn't really hear the Scops in your melodies, I could just picture vocals like theirs along with the song for some reason as I was humming along in my head (which is high praise)
 
"that lead is way too loud (and a little thick 250-500 hz)." And THAT is how I like my women? And my rock...
 
But yeah, Mr. Timaaaaaaaay has taught me more than a thing or two about the mix. I still don't know **** about it? But he's like Yoda to me (a young padowan) Wise to listen you are...

Robby - I see what you mean about the Scorps vocals.  And yeah, Tim is like Yoda - he knows what he's doing!
 
John - You've got some very cool collectible Gibsons.  I'd love to add a Hollow Body and an SG to my collection some day.
 
Tim - I adjusted some more  - instead of reducing the volume just in the beginning, I reduced it throughout.  Seems to work better that way.  Any time I touch the mix and then listen back I hear more things.  I'll probably go back and forth a couple more times before it's all said and done.  Thanks for your valuable feedback.

Tim - thanks for continuing to evaluate.  I checked - no cloned tracks.  All the leads (main lead, harmonies, and Solo) go through a Lead Buss.   The lead tracks themselves have nothing on them.  Recorded straight out of my PODX3.  And the PODX3 had only a guitar amp - no compression or other effects at all.  The lead buss has EQ and only 2 bands of multiband compression to control the low end.  Sometimes my guitar pumps way too much lows depending on the pickup and where I'm playing on the neck.  So I put the multi-band to control that - it only comes on when necessary.  This Lead buss goes directly to Master - and the only thing on the Master is Ozone with slight multi-band compression and limiting.  The other guitars go through a Rhythm buss.
 
I tried soloing the lead buss a various points in the song and it seems that the levels are the same when soloed - doesn't seem like its being pulled down?  When the arrangement is full there is a lot of sonic competition so I keep the lead up to make sure it cuts through.  But... I pulled down the lead a couple more db in the beginning and took the rest of the lead down .5 db.  Seems to work cut through fine even with all the other tracks.  New mix is posted.  I'm mixing on headphones so that might be part of my problem.

Ohhhh, high praise from a man who plays Eddie Van Halen note for note :-) That's rarer than hen's teeth. 

Ok Geno. Ya know, I don't really "get" why that intro lick is even in there. If it's to attract attention and staying power for the listener, Ok then maybe. But, the intro is close to 1:00 minute. Which is cool I guess, but as far as "The song" goes, I think you want to get to the meat sooner. JMO. 
 
Anyway, I still think the front lick is like 5 db too loud but nobody else has said anything sooooooooo......
 
Mixing in headphones is impossible for me. Just sayin.

Great track Geno! I always like your tracks and this one is fantastic! 
And the intro is very good as well . Keep on going my friend. 

Brilliant work, Geno!  It is evocative of King Crimson in places and many other influences, as well.  To be able to write and play like this, one must have good taste in music to begin with.  You are truly one of the "Iron Chefs" of music.

Great song and Awesome guitar playin!