Shutaway ( new mix)

https://soundcloud.com/john-vere/shutaway
 
Jan 15 11AM Note: made a few changes based on comments here, thanks to all. 
 
I originally recorded this in 1994 on a Cassette 4 or 8 track, can't remember. Was always on my redo list so I gave it a go with Sonar. I've been home sick with a bad flu so the vocals are just scratch at this point. Not happy with thelead work, but that's become a problem as my hands are just not the same anymore. ( 64 this week) 
Anyways it started life with a simple drum pattern and vocal guitar in one pass. 
I played drums on my DTX 400. Using Strike2 Motown kit modified. 
I recorded real bass and re did the guitar part. 
I played a piano part and decided on good old Mr Tramp. 
I started out in key of E which was so in 1994, but was struggling with vocal on the chorus. 
So I transposed it down to D. The bass seems fine ( audio) but the guitar got trashed even at the best setting. 
So I had to de tune my Taylor a whole step because the part is using the open 1st and 2nd strings always playing. 
I also added a guitar track using open D tuning. 
I then got brave and using my wonderfully free Xpand2 pack found a nice fat synth to use. 
The lead is my usual rig G&L tribute into my Princeton mike up. No effects going in. I added  a tempo driven delay at both  whole and 1/2 note. 
 
Havn't posted here for a long time but I'm sort of wishing to get work done on my original catalog. 
Thanks for listening all comments good and bad more than welcome,, you don't have to be nice to me, I can take it :) 

Thems some tasty guitar fills! Really cool, wouldn't be out of place on a Lynard Skynard ballad, or something Mark Knopfler. Love it, I'd bring them up in the mix, too.
 
Definitely you could lose the buzzy bass? synth patch - give that one back to the Flock of Seagulls.  :)
 
cool tune!
 
-Tom

Interesting bout the low end buzz. I wonder if it's an artefact from transposing the Audio Bass track down a whole step?  One of the pitfalls of using NMS10's is you don't hear sub sonics. I'll have to turn on my subwoofer and listen. 
 
But it could be the poly synth I used. It's a nice fatty and I played simple chords. I played in the D2 range for the verses and doubled with D3 range for chorus. And then it also could be the Whirly piano line which is also in the low end...<<hey,, as I just typed that I see the problem,,, thanks everyone. I better go play with instrument ranges. 
I think the Guitar, Whirly and synth are all way down there because I transposed that whole step. The version in E had more sparkle. Now it's a bit dark? 
 
The song forum rocks again! 

OK thanks, 
I might have to change that synth. Funny it doesn't show on my NMS 10's in the studio but when I come downstairs and use my office computer which is rigged to my old Tannoy PBM 6.5's I hear what your saying. 
I will try another patch ( lord I have 1,000,000 polysynth patches!!) 
 
I thought it might be the Whirly ( mr tramp). So I bumped the piano track up an octave and changed to the SI piano Rhodes. I might work on that too. Normal piano sound to ,, normal,. I like electric piano's and the Whirly is found on a lot of my stuff. 
I also automated the lead track and pushed the solos a bit. 
 
Anyhow I re posted the updated version to Sound Cloud. The above link is still fine I guess because I didn't change the name. 
https://soundcloud.com/john-vere/shutaway
 
 
 

Hey Johnny - this is really good stuff.  that guitar sound is great - great performance, really great tone.  nice work.
 
I'm not hearing a low end buzz, so probably whatever you did on this change fixed it.  I am listening on cans, tho, but no problems here.
 
great stuff!

Lovely song Johnny. Guitars and vocals very well recorded and it sounds great on my Microsoft Surface Pro 4 speakers. Can't hear the low end problem pointed to earlier in this thread, probably down to the speakers I am listening on

Note : I did fix the low end buzz by replacing the synth with strings. see post #8.
I'm still not happy with that and will keep digging for just the right Pad sound.
I gravitate towards big Fat polysynths over using strings. I'm a Pink Floyd fan.
I'm tempted to drag my Korg DW 8000 out of the closet.
 
Thanks for feedback Lynn. I normally don't overdo Reverb but because of my sore throat I added a bit more than I like too.
I'll be re singing when my throat clears up and I back off a bit on the verb. Had this bug for a  week now,, good part is I get paid sick time and having time at home to work on Sonar!!
 

Was given to me 20 years ago.

You know I keep forgetting these things have ROM batteries. I haven't plugged mine in for over a year I bet. Now I'm going to try it for sure!! I might be PM'ing you for a copy of the tapes :)  
I dumped my Roland 505 to a Wave file a long time ago/ It sounds like a FAX transmission. 
I remember loading up the Max 5 songs it would hold on set breaks and praying it worked.
I don't have many pre sets worth worrying about  on the Korg, mostly my attempts at Organ sounds. 
But I've never backed it up. 

Thanks Lynn
The original version was in E. 
I came up with the song when I was just noodling on the couch. I played an E chord and then keeping the 3 finger shape I moved it up the neck so the hi B and E drone. So I don't know what you'd call those cords.
But it was E-F#-A  
When I wen to re sing it I just couldn't hit the hi notes so I thought I'd see what happens if I took it down a whole step. I had to re tune my Taylor to D_G_C_F_A_D  but it lost a bit of the original jangle. I think it also made for a bit too much overall low end so I've transposed the piano up 12.
It sucks to get old and loss your upper range. I'm finding I'm lowering the key of way to many songs!! 

Thanks Steve very kind of all of you,,  I guess what I hear is how my voice is maybe changing and loosing it's youthful smoothness. As I say I first recorded this over 20 years ago and when I listen to how I sang it back then I just cannot redo that. But then hey, maybe there's something to that well known fact that Analog Cassette tapes were better than digital :)   
 
Thanks to all for helping me proof the mix and whatnot. 
I haven't had time to go back to it but I still would like to mess with that string Pad a bit more. 
And I defiantly need to back off on the reverb on the drums and vocals.