New recording by my big band - your thoughts?

**bassybill** · #1 02-23-2013, 11:12 AM

A new recording by the big band that I play with. It's a (slightly) original tune called "Sweet Home Wolverhampton". Still needs a bit of mixing work, but it's getting there. Tell us what you think!

http://www.billygreen.pwp.blueyonder...mpton_mix1.mp3

JAUQO III-X · #2 02-23-2013, 11:32 AM

Bill that track is nice, it doesn't come off as being over done especially with the guitar playing and the horns, what was kool about the horns is that they are there but not in an abrasive way. The horns also had a combined warmth that was nice and they don't sound like some Chicago horn section wannabe's, they were doing their own thing and it showed. The guitar has a nice amount of dirt and from what I could hear there was no hey I need to throw in a bunch of notes for wankery sake. The bass and drums were definitely the glue holding things together but one could hear that all the musicians on this track were indeed team players.

Bill what kind of bass were you using?

**bassybill** · #3 02-23-2013, 11:48 AM

Jauqo, this was my Fender Jazz with EMGs. It's a nice bass for recording as it gets a really solid tone but with a lot of clarity. It sounds as if the guy who did this initial mix has scooped it a bit more than I would like, though. He always goes straight for the "American Scoop" preset in Logic. I don't like using presets when mixing, they're always a bit of a one size fits all and never work out as well as using your own damned ears.

I will get the stem files off him and try doing a mix of my own next week.

I'm really glad you like it, thanks for taking the time to write the comments.

**bassybill** · #4 03-02-2013, 02:03 PM

Doing some more stuff with this line up very soon - really looking forward to it.

Exxcell · #5 03-02-2013, 02:16 PM

Wow. Very very. I've listened to this like 4 or 5 times in a row..

**bassybill** · #6 03-02-2013, 02:38 PM

Great stuff, thanks. Any feedback on the track very welcome.

Tituscrow · #7 03-02-2013, 03:22 PM

I notice that us footie lads got a sneak preview

tbirdsp · #8 03-03-2013, 07:35 AM

Really nice, especially the horns!
If I had to pick nits - I don't care for the guitar tone on the the intro part. To me, it sounds kind of - well, like the clean chorus tone on a Tom Sholtz Rockman from the 80's. To use US slang, I'd say "cheesy". Just sounds amateur (tone-wise) compared to the rest of the recording. Needs to be fattened up and not so much chorus, IMHO.

Again - that's looking hard for something to criticize, and just my opinion

**bassybill** · #9 03-03-2013, 09:50 AM

I agree about the guitar tone - definitely could be a bit chunkier. I'm going to get the stems off my pal and have a go at a remix at some point. The bass really needs to come up in the middle section.

knumbskull · #10 03-03-2013, 09:54 AM

great tune, nice recording!

couple of points:

i'm afraid i agree about the chorus guitar tone - it sounds a bit our of place with the overall vibe to my ears. but i guess that's nitpicky and not a mix issue as such... it's really up to the individual player

The bass sounds nice, if slightly "soft" or scooped - if it was me I'd like to hear some more midrange in there.

Overall, though, great. Horns sound lovely in particular.

Proraptor · #11 03-03-2013, 10:02 AM

I also dont like the chorus guitar but I liked the track nice job

**bassybill** · #12 03-03-2013, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knumbskull

The bass sounds nice, if slightly "soft" or scooped - if it was me I'd like to hear some more midrange in there.

Absolutely! See post #3.

It's bugging me as the tone I laid down was much more "acceptable".

**bassybill** · #13 03-16-2013, 09:05 AM

And another new instrumental recording - this one featuring our percussionist on vibes, also synth, guitar and trumpet solos. I was even allowed to slap a bit for some of this one!

http://www.billygreen.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/yams.mp3

BboogieXVII · #14 03-16-2013, 01:15 PM

Wow, that's a really great band you have/are in! Besides the aforementioned things about guitar and bass, I'd really like to nitpick and say the horn sound has been too compressed or otherwise altered, so much so that the horn ensemble playing sounds rather like a synth at times, horns gotta be horns not so sterile sounding, just my opinion though.

Really great players and arrangements are super good, what a nice band.

**bassybill** · #15 03-16-2013, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BboogieXVII

Wow, that's a really great band you have/are in! Besides the aforementioned things about guitar and bass, I'd really like to nitpick and say the horn sound has been too compressed or otherwise altered, so much so that the horn ensemble playing sounds rather like a synth at times, horns gotta be horns not so sterile sounding, just my opinion though.

Really great players and arrangements are super good, what a nice band.

I agree, and you're not the first person to say that about the horn sound. I think they may have been too close miked, but in the room they were recorded in there may not have been too many other options. They definitely need more ambience, and sometimes it's really hard to add that in with reverb or whatever.

Thanks very much for the compliments!

**bassybill** · #16 03-16-2013, 01:44 PM

For comparison purposes, here's a live recording (that I've shared before) of the band. Obviously the technical quality and the performance isn't the same as a studio recording, but I still think this captures the actual vibe of the band much better.

http://www.billygreen.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/DYWBAT.mp3

BboogieXVII · #17 03-16-2013, 01:51 PM

Yeah Bill, the live recording sound actually seems better and more real, I can hear the horn textures and individual tones much better on the last example, bass sound is also better.

Band is great, you certainly must enjoy working with this group.