Tag: mixing

Two Songs

I mixed two songs last night. Let’s start with the bad news. This song is from April. You’d think it would be bad enough that after finishing the recording I realized that it’s awfully similar to a 2013 RPM song, but I had to go and put together this crap fest of a mix. I expect to be doing this one again.

http://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/its-not-easy.mp3%20

On a slightly better note, I also mixed one from March. This is the first of the RPMarch songs, and one of the Christmas vacation things. All that’s left from the original iPad file is the bass, and even that is using a different sound. I like this one… sort of. The vocals were sung in the car while sitting in a parking lot waiting for the kids to get out of karate. The lyrics are about how weird it is that so many people get so wound up about RPM, and about how dumb the idea of doing a second RPM right away felt.

I’ll probably end up remixing this one too. I have no confidence in any of the mixing I’ve done. I’ve already redone two of these things. I have been using more plug in effects and some how I just get bogged down with the individual tracks and I lose the sense of the complete song. When I go back and listen a few days later, everything is swimming in reverb, or the bass is buried, or the lead is buried, or the drums are too loud. It’s always something. I might end up remixing everything.

http://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/overkill-1.mp3%20

Absent Minded Nitwit

I mentioned yesterday that I was hoping to mix two songs tonight.

Every other Friday I spend the evening hanging out with my mom at my folks’ house while my dad does volunteer work. I get there around quarter to seven and leave about quarter past 10. My mother is usually asleep not long after 8:00, so I usually bring my computer and mess around with music while I wait for Dad to come home. The plan tonight was to try to mix one or both of the two songs that are ready.

This morning before I left I put my computer into my backpack (MacBook Pro, beetches). I had my awesome new blue tooth Bose headphones in their case sitting right next to the computer. I also had my awesome Sennheiser cans, the ones I used to mix last February’s RPM, and last November’s NaSoAlMo, and every thing in between, sitting right there on the desk next to the Bose headphones and the computer.

I forgot to put either pair of headphones into the backpack. I have an old pair of ear buds. Urgh. One of the songs that’s ready to mix is far and away my favorite of this month’s batch (meaning on a scale from 1-10 it’s a 3) so I will mix the other one first. I don’t want to waste the time, and I don’t want to mix a potentially decent song using ear buds.

I am an absent minded nitwit.

RPM Challenge – Day 27

Something happened last night that sort of sums up this year’s challenge for me.  I went to bed after finishing the lead guitars on the last two songs.  While sleeping, I had a dream.  I was digging around in my ear for ear wax.  I found something else though.  I was able to grab it and pull.  What came out?  Dust.  A dust bunny about the size of a quarter.  When I woke up my first thought was, so that’s why everything sounds like crap this year.

I mixed two more songs before work this morning.  There are only two left.  I will finish them both tonight if it kills me.  Then I need to figure out a running order, burn a CD, and mail it off.

Here is one of this morning’s mixes. It’s the 7/8 rocker with the terrible leads.
http://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/bad-guy.mp3%20

The other song is in 6/8. It was an eighth note kinda morning. It was supposed to be the big quiet/loud/quiet thing but the loud parts are kinda pointless.
http://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/that-certain-someone.mp3%20

It is February 27th. The end is upon us.

RPM Challenge – Day 19

Not much today. I mixed one song last night and recorded one vocal this morning. I am off work the next two days, but will not have the house to myself tomorrow. I will try to do some more whispered guide vocals if I can write some damn lyrics. I think I will be using the random wikipedia article trick quite a bit this year.

Here is the song I mixed last night. I am not happy with the mix at all. The vocals are too low. Of course with my singing, too low is infinitely better than too loud. Am I right, or am I right?

http://alonetone.com/robertjames1971/tracks/confidence.mp3%20