Really unusual band in this weekend

trackmixstudio · 31-10-2009 9:54pm #1

Crazy robotic almost instrumental rock stuff.
Great musicians but strange music.
I really enjoyed it and they are doing an album so I am really looking forward to it.
This is an "almost mix"

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/2133088/COC/03%20Track%2003.mp3

I can't categorize it.You will just have to listen.
Any suggestions for the final mix?

kfoltman · 31-10-2009 10:28pm

Is the timing "as played" by the band?

Please tell me it isn't! ;-)

trackmixstudio · 31-10-2009 10:56pm

kfoltman wrote: »

Is the timing "as played" by the band?

Please tell me it isn't! ;-)

As played.

bedbugs · 01-11-2009 12:13am

kfoltman wrote: »

Is the timing "as played" by the band?

Please tell me it isn't! ;-)

I don't get it. What's wrong with it?

i57dwun4yb1pt8 · 01-11-2009 12:15am

like that , but the real kit sounds slighlty out of time , at least the snare does anyway - its a hair out

and the low note bass vamp gets a bit tiresome after a bit ,

i think the real snare should get more upfront and roomy , maybe some plate .

and the vocal louder and dryer

think the cymbals are a bit bright too and im deaf so they must be very bright .

interesting stuff though , nice to hear it

Rockshamrover · 01-11-2009 12:16am

trackmixstudio wrote: »

Crazy robotic almost instrumental rock stuff.
Great musicians but strange music.
I really enjoyed it and they are doing an album so I am really looking forward to it.
This is an "almost mix"

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/2133088/COC/03%20Track%2003.mp3

I can't categorize it.You will just have to listen.
Any suggestions for the final mix?

Disco:D

I like it.

kfoltman · 01-11-2009 12:16am

bedbugs wrote: »

I don't get it. What's wrong with it?

Nothing wrong. It's just... too perfect

krd · 01-11-2009 1:00am

bedbugs wrote: »

I don't get it. What's wrong with it?

I really like it. I think you have a great song there

but. I don't think it needs that many parts. But I do really like the parts.

The effect on the singers voice is 'too clever'. that backwards reverb should just really be used once. He should also come in sooner and have a bit more of a catchy vocal and lyric - But I don't think you're off very much - if you had a vocal and lyric as good as some of those guitar riffs you've got a really good song.

It's like cooking - you shouldn't throw the kitchen herb rack in the pot just because you can.

That's my opinion - think nearly all the parts are there.

The drums sound like drums being played by a person - If you want to be in perfect time - programme a drum machine. I think a little drift is good - This is not architecture - it's rock'n'roll

eoin5 · 01-11-2009 2:36am

Thats deadly, side scrolling shooters come to mind. Those panned guitar climbs seem to loose focus a bit, other than that sounds awesome.

i57dwun4yb1pt8 · 01-11-2009 12:57pm

The drums sound like drums being played by a person - If you want to be in perfect time - programme a drum machine. I think a little drift is good - This is not architecture - it's rock'n'roll[/QUOTE]

havt disagree, in this case - see new thread

Quiggers · 01-11-2009 1:34pm

so what's the band called, and bring the vocals up a bit, they're a bit hidden. and they could do with more vocals, 2 phrase over three nminutes is too sparse for my liking,
the singer has a good energetic voice, so why not use that,
it reminds me slightly of the automatic but with out the microkorg presets, and no i'm not saying to get them a microkorg.

Aridstarling · 01-11-2009 3:01pm

Just like Foals, but not quite as good. Not as interesting rhythm-wise. The singer sounds familiar though, what's the band called? I get the feeling I've heard them somewhere before.

I'd leave the vocals where they are, maybe push them a very small bit. The drums sound fine to me, I didn't notice the timing on a casual listen so I reckon they're fine.

Could be an interesting album though, I'll be very interested in hearing the results.

studiorat · 01-11-2009 3:38pm

sounds like Redneck Manifesto...

rcaz · 01-11-2009 4:21pm

Is that Adebisi Shank?

madtheory · 01-11-2009 4:29pm

It's pretty cool. There's nothing of any importance "wrong" with it. Rather excellent for an "almost" mix! Nice job

PaulBrewer · 01-11-2009 5:46pm

Sounds great on my Laptop !

punk_one82 · 01-11-2009 5:53pm

I'd definitely pick that album up. The song sounds awesome. Name of the band? I'd be well interested in going to see them.

trackmixstudio · 02-11-2009 1:50pm

Thanks for the comments so far.
The band are new. Called "the cast of cheers".
Ex members of ABAM, IODW, September Sun.

The drums on this are amazingly well played. There are a few kick/snare flams but it is what he played.
It is live kit only with no loops or overdubs. Mixed with triggered Slate samples on kick and snare.
It could be quantized but if you were to do that you may as well just program it.
The root bass note really works for me and it worked for Frankie's Relax and Daft Punk's Da Funk:p
The cymbals may be a bit bright. I will have a look at that. It was mixed at the end of 2 days of tracking so my ears may have been a bit shot. He was also using Z Custom hats that are very bright anyway. All the songs are very percussive so the heavy transients made it hard on the ears over the course of the session.
The structure of the songs are the way the band wants them ie. mainly instrumental.
I can certainly see the Foals reference and well spotted on the computer game reference. The songs seem to be very "console" inspired.

We tracked 6 songs and I am totally hooked on them. Can't stop listening to them!
I am particularly happy with the guitar sound which is that very hard to get almost clean/ almost driven sound. The hardest guitar sound to get right IMO.
We tried lots of guitars/amps and ended up using a Gibson LP Sapphire with a P90 neck pickup into a Marshall DSL clean channel with master cranked to saturate the power valves into Orange 412 to SM57 into API A2D pre with input gain cranked. Bass is Fender US P Bass into Warwick Tubepath 5 into Warwick 410 cab miced with Studio Projects valve mic (cheap but great http://www.studioprojectsusa.com/t3.html ) into Phoenix DRS-Q4 with a bit of low boost and high mid boost and a bit of low mid cut on the way in then mixed with BSS di. Drum kit is my beautiful Sonor S Class with the heavily compressed mono room mic delayed to where the kit really punched. Vocal is audix i5 to DRS-Q4 lined to isa20 for a bit of compression on the way in. I am always singing the praises of the i5 but it is a MUST HAVE mic. Works well on everything but really shines on vocal. It has a frequency response that sits the vocal perfectly in the mix.

There are lots of building delay loops on this stuff so the single guitarist can do all the layers live with a loop pedal. He did a great job on the double tracking too.
This is the only finished song with vocals. The band will be putting more on their myspace when it is all finished.

henessjon · 03-11-2009 6:31am

i would say theres not enough vocal going on

kfoltman · 03-11-2009 9:26am

henessjon wrote: »

i would say theres not enough vocal going on

I'd say there's too much

studiorat · 03-11-2009 9:39am

Vocals, yesssss...
it just so happens I've been working on some lyrics. Ever since the "accident" I've been writing furiously in my many note books.

I just think the music may be a little short at the moment. Especially for my 27 verse magnum opus in the key of Dm.

Maybe track mix could hook me up with the lads if they have a few months to spare.

artvandulet · 03-11-2009 10:32am

Sounds great! What's their myspace address?

120_Minutes · 04-11-2009 1:46am

I like it a lot. its kinda biffy manifesto-esque. september sun were good back in the day.

i57dwun4yb1pt8 · 04-11-2009 1:26pm

maybe its just me - but I just find any mixes you put up very bright , particularly snare transients , kick transients and cymbals .

and im pretty deaf - so - is this normal - should stuff be that bright ?

i also think he must have overdubbed some toms hats at some stage , the start has a part where both are playing patterns that may not be possible for one man. at 0.34-35

trackmixstudio · 04-11-2009 2:36pm

DaDumTish wrote: »

maybe its just me - but I just find any mixes you put up very bright , particularly snare transients , kick transients and cymbals .

and im pretty deaf - so - is this normal - should stuff be that bright ?

i also think he must have overdubbed some toms hats at some stage , the start has a part where both are playing patterns that may not be possible for one man. at 0.34-35

I rarely boost with high eq so I don't add brightness. I sometimes cut a bit of 200-500 because I find these frequencies dull out a mix very easily so that could be why you are hearing my stuff as bright. I never get complaints from clients that the mixes are too bright. They are generally very happy and the mixes usually stand up to their reference CDs very well.

There is no overdubbing on that track. Just listened to the part you referenced.
It's just a pedal hat. No sticks hitting the hat there.

i57dwun4yb1pt8 · 04-11-2009 2:44pm

my 'hats' off to him for that part - its well played.

I wonder why I find stuff bright - I must think about this .

ZV Yoda · 04-11-2009 2:53pm

DaDumTish wrote: »

my 'hats' off to him for that part - its well played.

I wonder why I find stuff bright - I must think about this .

Funny you say that.. I was very surprised when people thought the rough mix I posted was dull... it sounded really bright in my room (especially the hats/cymbals)

Could be our rooms making the mixes sound very bright

fitz · 04-11-2009 4:17pm

Or your monitors.

booooonzo · 11-11-2009 4:06pm

sounds deadly, anymore from these, reminds me of Battles.
do they have a myspace? cant find one.

love that guitar sound!!

trackmixstudio · 11-11-2009 9:41pm

http://www.myspace.com/thecastofcheers
They have a really nice album preview video up with studio footage.
Can't wait to get back to work on it.

trackmixstudio · 11-11-2009 11:03pm

ZV Yoda wrote: »

Funny you say that.. I was very surprised when people thought the rough mix I posted was dull... it sounded really bright in my room (especially the hats/cymbals)

Could be our rooms making the mixes sound very bright

2 drummers with the same problem.
My theory is you are used to hearing the cymbals from the side since they are in front of you at head height when you play.
When you mic the kit the mics are getting the full projection of the cymbals from above so you hear the cymbals as too bright through the mics. Cymbals shimmer creating a sound wave that projects from the surface of the cymbal, not the side. Try standing over a cymbal and hit it and see how bright it sounds compared to when you are sitting at the kit. (I am not responsible for any further hearing loss incurred:D)

PaulBrewer · 12-11-2009 4:54pm

trackmixstudio wrote: »

2 drummers with the same problem.
)

Says all I need to hear

ZV Yoda · 12-11-2009 5:02pm

trackmixstudio wrote: »

2 drummers with the same problem.
My theory is you are used to hearing the cymbals from the side since they are in front of you at head height when you play.
When you mic the kit the mics are getting the full projection of the cymbals from above so you hear the cymbals as too bright through the mics. Cymbals shimmer creating a sound wave that projects from the surface of the cymbal, not the side. Try standing over a cymbal and hit it and see how bright it sounds compared to when you are sitting at the kit. (I am not responsible for any further hearing loss incurred:D)

Interesting theory... I dunno, could be any number of things really... speakers, room, cymbal position, deaf drummers...

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Says all I need to hear

Maybe myself & DaDumTish should just stand over Brewer, drop a cymbal on his head & see how bright he sounds afterwards....

Really unusual band in this weekend

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