New song, quick demo: "Second Hand Joke"

[the captain]

Wrote really quickly this (early) afternoon when I realized my lazy ass is, well, a lazy ass.

Before you bother commenting on performance-related weaknesses, I'm well aware--this was to get the song done, nothing else. Yes, the falsetto is lacking! But I hope you like the song. I think I do. I'll record it properly eventually. Maybe.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/pvm92b

[matt-zeus]

Lovely song Luther, and most especially love your piano, i'm aching to move so I can get my own.
A full production would really benefit this song too I think, it could be a big sounding ballad if you like that sort of thing (I do!)

[DSamore]

Luther! Sorry this took so long. I have been working a lot and I'd rather be listening to music made by good people such as yourself!

First things first, I like the major ending. Very nice, subtle surprise. I enjoy the high timbre of your voice as well. Do you double your leads? Sounds like it may be. A nice sound, regardless. I think that the ideas here are really nice and I agree with Matt that a full orchestration is called for! around 1:08 I enjoy that piano lead. Could be fleshed out into a tuba/ flute interplay if you felt like it hahahaha. I also enjoy the chromatic notes down that the piano does. Overall very cool!

What do you record with?

[the captain]

What do you record with?

Macbook Pro, Digital Performer, a Motu 8Pre and some pretty cheap-to-average ASM MK319 mics. When you're as lazy as I am about these things, you just do what it takes to get things documented. I'm far too half-assed a performer to justify spending much money or time.

As for the lead vocal, yeah, it is doubled here. I often, but not always, do. Lately I've also been playing around with double mic'ing my voice, two tracks but one take. I bought a house recently, and the basement is a great Sun-studio sounding place, tile floors and all. So down there, one mic close and another a few feet away has a cool sound both on vocals and guitars. Not on this tune though.

[Chris Brown]

I like this one a lot...great piano (I agree with Dylan about the neat chromatic left-hand parts).  It would sound really great with some fuller orchestration (as Matt and Dylan already said), so definitely keep us posted if and (hopefully) when you finish.

Bit of an aside, but how do you like recording on your Mac?  I'm looking to switch to one at some point in the near future, and I've never done computer-based recording before, so I'm curious as to how you like it.  Have you used Garage Band at all?

[the captain]

I love the Mac and have previously recorded on PCs as well (as well as 4- and 8-track cassette, minidisc and a little ADAT in my younger years). I've never used Garage Band, so I can't speak to that. (I think my Mac came loaded with it, though, but since I got D. Performer right away I went straight to that.)

However, I don't use the fullest capabilities of the computer or software. So I might not be the best guy to ask about pushing the envelope. But the digital realm beats the hell out of punching in and out or bouncing tracks on tape, I can tell you that.

[variable2]

I love the Mac and have previously recorded on PCs as well (as well as 4- and 8-track cassette, minidisc and a little ADAT in my younger years). I've never used Garage Band, so I can't speak to that. (I think my Mac came loaded with it, though, but since I got D. Performer right away I went straight to that.)

However, I don't use the fullest capabilities of the computer or software. So I might not be the best guy to ask about pushing the envelope. But the digital realm beats the hell out of punching in and out or bouncing tracks on tape, I can tell you that.

unless you have a good buddy that has a studor 24-track 2" tape machine

[the captain]

From an editing perspective, I'd stick with the digital realm. Tape is tape.

[variable2]

From an editing perspective, I'd stick with the digital realm. Tape is tape.

great sound is great sound

[the captain]

Yeah. I don't much care though. Song > sound by a mile for me. And especially since I'm recording for no reason whatsoever, it is pretty much irrelevant. So I'd rather have the option to edit easily and cleanly than something that would please an audiophile (in that few to none would hear what I"m doing anyway).

[Chris Brown]

I love the Mac and have previously recorded on PCs as well (as well as 4- and 8-track cassette, minidisc and a little ADAT in my younger years). I've never used Garage Band, so I can't speak to that. (I think my Mac came loaded with it, though, but since I got D. Performer right away I went straight to that.)

However, I don't use the fullest capabilities of the computer or software. So I might not be the best guy to ask about pushing the envelope. But the digital realm beats the hell out of punching in and out or bouncing tracks on tape, I can tell you that.

I appreciate the info Luther...any input I can get is helpful.  Editing capability is definitely important, and I have used computer-based programs for that in the past.  For whatever reason though, I still feel most comfortable with a stand-alone recording deck.  I care a bit more about the sound than you do, but I'm sure achieving a great sound via computer recording is probably easier than what I'm doing now.  I'll get there eventually I suppose.

[the captain]

Anybody remember this? (That's ok, didn't think so!) Well, I am recording it now. A real recording, that is, not just the halfass demos of my typical postings. (This will be AT LEAST three-quarter ass instead. MUCH better, eh?)

[the captain]

OK, this is the current incarnation of the tune. Everything here was recorded between the previous post and now. The mix is really rough and there is likely more recording to be done, too. But I've been fleshing it out some. http://www.sendspace.com/file/qafrqo

[the captain]

btw, as I am pretty sure this is not completed, I'd be interested in anyone's suggestions for improving it. (I already am pretty sure I'm going to remove some of the background/harmony vocals in the middle section. I may add others, but probably not. The higher harmony of the "answer" line is on the chopping block.) Now, I don't promise I'd take any suggestions ...    ... but I would like to hear them.

[the captain]

Wasn't lying. Cut out some vocals and had drums start into the first verse (as opposed to the introductory instrumental part). Still don't like it. Going to redo the high vocal in the refrain, at least.

[Mr. Cohen]

I think the main vocal needs more echo or to be double tracked. A bass harmonica would sound great during the beginning, if you're capable of achieving that sound somehow. Just have it drone in a few spots on a note. If you did that you would probably want to add bass harmonica in other parts for congruity's sake. I also think that it would be cool if the piano stopped playing, if there was a little bit of silence, right before you started singing in the beginning. It would add more impact. Also, if you could mix the left hand/bass playing to be higher up in the mix it would add to the song, too. Hell, mix the acoustic guitar in the chorus up higher, too. Double track more vocals on the chorus. You could get a bigger sound that way. I want to really feel the sorrow in the words. I'd like a little more echo on the guitar during the chorale section, and for the vocals to be mixed higher (again, congruity would probably mandate echo on all of the guitar parts0. The piano should feel as if it's more in the background during that section, I think. And during the verse when you were talking about cigarettes, you need to enunciate those words harder. You're delivering the words too softly.

(looks up at all of those suggestions)

  It's a good song. I'm not trying to insult it or anything. I'm just giving you a stream of conscious feeds of what things I would think to do if I was trying to work on the song. Keep in mind that this doesn't mean I think my ideas are good. I'm just throwing them out there.

[the captain]

Hey, no offense taken! (Funny note, a friend of mine when he heard this second version complained that it's already too overdone, saying he liked the initial demo far better!) I just don't know what I want to hear. I don't really want to f*** around just to f*** around, but I know I don't really like it as-is (the recording that is ... I do like the song), and I don't have a goal for it. Bass harmonica isn't likely in that I'd have to use the Alesis, which I'm avoiding these days for natural instruments. Layering / echo on vocals is something I've increasingly gotten away from recently, again on the tastes of some of my friends (who complained at my wall-o-luther). But I'm not opposed to it, as the intro proves. So I may think about that. But I do think I want it minimal, at least in the verses, because I think it brings out the sadness or desperation of the subject matter better--the guy is alone. What I might do, after re-recording some of the vocals that I think need it (the high notes in the refrain), is just put it away for a while. Thanks for the thoughtful comments.

[Mr. Cohen]

Hey, don't listen to your friends in regards to the Wall of Luther. I can't tell you many times when I've tried recording songs I wished I could add a Wall of Luther to it. I'll think, 'sure, it sounds OK, but if I could just add a Wall of Luther to harmonize with it, it would really pop out!' You have a gift. Use it.