The Wagtunes Corner

[wagtunes]

Listened to Gates of Eternity....
Very nice!

Thanks. I figured somebody would like it since there's no vocals.

Ok then. I had listen one with vocals. The vocals remind me of baby metal from Japan!
Music is cool...
Well done!

Baby metal? That must have been "Resisting The Temptation." I get a lot of "baby metal" comments for that one. Some like it. Some hate it. Actually most hate it.

Anyway, thanks for listening.

[wagtunes]

From my current project "Pop Madness" just finished this one last night.

The title is a tribute to my first garage band that I formed.

Rubber Water

Sunday night
Just the same as any Sunday night
It's not right
What you do to me it just ain't right

So low (Like drinking rubber water)
No go (It's time for a change)
Bad taste (Like drinking rubber water)
Such waste (You know that it's strange)

Better times
Girl you know we had much better times
All your crimes
Girl I'm really sick of all your crimes

Repeat Chorus

Instrumental Break

Repeat Chorus

Fade Out

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... -on-vocals

[wagtunes]

Another track from my WIP project "Pop Madness"

Give It To Me Straight

All night you keep hemming and hawing
You won't cut to the chase
All right had enough of your dancing
Sick of running this race
Won't you just tell me what's on your mind
Cause all this mystery sure is unkind

Give it to me straight
I can take it or leave it
Give it to me straight
I can choose to believe it
Give it to me straight
Cause it's better this way
I can handle anything you can say

This life is uncertain and lonely
You won't give me a clue
I can't go on wishing and hoping
Just don't know what to do
Won't you just tell me just how you feel
And let us seal this pact with this one deal

Repeat Chorus

Can't go on like this
Can't be fixed with a kiss
Look me straight in the eyes
Please now no more lies

Repeat Chorus

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... ead-vocals

[Harry_HH]

Pros:
- harmonies, piano chord voicing
- structure of the piece

Cons:
- the extensive use of Eq needed, both for each instrument/vocal and at the mixing/mastering stage (general tonal picture: muddy)
- the separation is low: too much happens in the centerfield, use the idea of 3D space when you mix thins (both sides and front/back)

[wagtunes]

Pros:
- harmonies, piano chord voicing
- structure of the piece

Cons:
- the extensive use of Eq needed, both for each instrument/vocal and at the mixing/mastering stage (general tonal picture: muddy)
- the separation is low: too much happens in the centerfield, use the idea of 3D space when you mix thins (both sides and front/back)

Thanks for the feedback. The piece was a bitch to mix as I was going for a really big sound on this one.

I'm assuming what you mean by extensive use of EQ needed was that I used a lot of it. I did. I had to EQ this thing to death because of all that's going on in it.

As for the separation on this one, that was a conscientious decision. I didn't want super crazy stereo on this one. That's why I purposely put the lead guitar in the center of the mix instead of doing what I usually do and panning it left or right. Same with organ. A lot of 60s records were in mono so there was no separation of anything. That's pretty much what I was going for.

The only thing I think I probably could have done was brought the piano down just a bit. It's really front and center on this track and almost up there with the vocals.

Maybe I'll do an alternate mix with everything spread out and a totally different feel, just to see which I like better. But I still think it's going to be this version. It's how I heard it. It's how I wanted it. Everything you mentioned was everything I was already aware of and purposely did that way.

You would have probably hated 90% of the stuff that I loved 50 years ago.

[Harry_HH]

Pros:
- harmonies, piano chord voicing
- structure of the piece

Cons:
- the extensive use of Eq needed, both for each instrument/vocal and at the mixing/mastering stage (general tonal picture: muddy)
- the separation is low: too much happens in the centerfield, use the idea of 3D space when you mix thins (both sides and front/back)

Thanks for the feedback. The piece was a bitch to mix as I was going for a really big sound on this one.

I'm assuming what you mean by extensive use of EQ needed was that I used a lot of it. I did. I had to EQ this thing to death because of all that's going on in it.

As for the separation on this one, that was a conscientious decision. I didn't want super crazy stereo on this one. That's why I purposely put the lead guitar in the center of the mix instead of doing what I usually do and panning it left or right. Same with organ. A lot of 60s records were in mono so there was no separation of anything. That's pretty much what I was going for.

The only thing I think I probably could have done was brought the piano down just a bit. It's really front and center on this track and almost up there with the vocals.

Maybe I'll do an alternate mix with everything spread out and a totally different feel, just to see which I like better. But I still think it's going to be this version. It's how I heard it. It's how I wanted it. Everything you mentioned was everything I was already aware of and purposely did that way.

You would have probably hated 90% of the stuff that I loved 50 years ago.

By extensive Eq needed, I mean that the tonal balance of both instruments and vocal, as well as in the total mix/master, are wrong (to my ears). If you have used a lot of Eq already, I dunno, but I would make the separation cliearer, try to diminish the muddynes. The source (individual inst./voc.) frequencies overlap too much.
In 3D mixing you can use both the volume/pan, and the Eq (plus, in some cases reverb and delay), to create 3D space, increase the separation of each source, and make the mix more interesting. Phasing issues is, of course, an aspect, to be taking into account all the time.

[wagtunes]

Pros:
- harmonies, piano chord voicing
- structure of the piece

Cons:
- the extensive use of Eq needed, both for each instrument/vocal and at the mixing/mastering stage (general tonal picture: muddy)
- the separation is low: too much happens in the centerfield, use the idea of 3D space when you mix thins (both sides and front/back)

Thanks for the feedback. The piece was a bitch to mix as I was going for a really big sound on this one.

I'm assuming what you mean by extensive use of EQ needed was that I used a lot of it. I did. I had to EQ this thing to death because of all that's going on in it.

As for the separation on this one, that was a conscientious decision. I didn't want super crazy stereo on this one. That's why I purposely put the lead guitar in the center of the mix instead of doing what I usually do and panning it left or right. Same with organ. A lot of 60s records were in mono so there was no separation of anything. That's pretty much what I was going for.

The only thing I think I probably could have done was brought the piano down just a bit. It's really front and center on this track and almost up there with the vocals.

Maybe I'll do an alternate mix with everything spread out and a totally different feel, just to see which I like better. But I still think it's going to be this version. It's how I heard it. It's how I wanted it. Everything you mentioned was everything I was already aware of and purposely did that way.

You would have probably hated 90% of the stuff that I loved 50 years ago.

By extensive Eq needed, I mean that the tonal balance of both instruments and vocal, as well as in the total mix/master, are wrong (to my ears). If you have used a lot of Eq already, I dunno, but I would make the separation cliearer, try to diminish the muddynes. The source (individual inst./voc.) frequencies overlap too much.
In 3D mixing you can use both the volume/pan, and the Eq (plus, in some cases reverb and delay), to create 3D space, increase the separation of each source, and make the mix more interesting. Phasing issues is, of course, an aspect, to be taking into account all the time.

Not going to argue with your ears. You obviously hear what you hear. But I assure you, I cut off everything below 100 and carved the hell out of everything between 200 and 500 and also made sure everything above 5K was killed because I don't hear high frequencies anymore.

I know all about 3D mixing. Listen to some of my other tracks. I know how to separate things. Again, this mix was a conscientious decision to have everything centered, emulating old 60s mono recordings.

Again, I'll consider an alternate mix but this is pretty much the way I wanted this track to sound, warts and all.

[Harry_HH]

I have listened many of your tracks. Mainly very well mixed - that´s why I commented this one, which may benefit some tweaking.
You (pure) synth tracks sound best to me (in all indicators, both as compositions and productions).

[wagtunes]

I have listened many of your tracks. Mainly very well mixed - that´s why I commented this one, which may benefit some tweaking.
You (pure) synth tracks sound best to me (in all indicators, both as compositions and productions).

Thanks. Well, like I said, I like this mix style. I get that it's not conventional but it was what I was going for.

I will consider an alternate mix but that will have to wait until I have some free time.

[aaron aardvark]

wagtunes,
Thank you for the review! Now your tune ("Give It to Me Straight"): vocals remind me of the Buggles. Is that the artificial vocal producer thing? If so, it sounds pretty real. I like the melodies. Lots of mid-frequencies happening. I like the song overall. Perhaps I've asked this before: which Roselle are you in, in the USA? A few states have that city.

[wagtunes]

wagtunes,
Thank you for the review! Now your tune ("Give It to Me Straight"): vocals remind me of the Buggles. Is that the artificial vocal producer thing? If so, it sounds pretty real. I like the melodies. Lots of mid-frequencies happening. I like the song overall. Perhaps I've asked this before: which Roselle are you in, in the USA? A few states have that city.

The vocals are done with Yamaha's Vocaloid. I live in Roselle, NJ. Where all the garbage is.

[wagtunes]

Another from my WIP project "Pop Madness"

Mad March

All things old and all things new
The trouble that we get into
Nothing works and then we cry
The truth concealed because we lie

But we go on moving forward
moving forward
moving forward

March
March
March
March

Day to day we work and play
We go through motions anyway
Boredom sinks into our souls
The warmth we felt is now stone cold

Repeat Pre Chorus and Chorus

Instrumental Break

Repeat Chorus

Fade Out

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... ead-vocals

[wagtunes]

Another track from my WIP CD "Pop Madness"

I had an absolute blast doing this one.

Let Me Go

Oh oh oh
Why won't you let me go
Just for show
Why won't you let me go

You know you don't love me
But you hang on
Though love is gone
You know you don't need me
But you insist
On wedded bliss

I can't take anymore
What's this craziness for
I only want to be free

Repeat Refrain

The end of the rainbow
You'll never find
You're so unkind
There's no happy ending
Time to move on
Cause love is gone

Can't you see that we're through
There's no love here for you
I only want to be free

So stop this madness
Nothing but sadness here
You cannot fool me
Won't let you rule me dear
Cause it's time to get out of my life

Repeat Refrain

Fade Out

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... ead-vocals

[LickBasil]

Another track from my WIP CD "Pop Madness"

I had an absolute blast doing this one.

Let Me Go

Oh oh oh
Why won't you let me go
Just for show
Why won't you let me go

You know you don't love me
But you hang on
Though love is gone
You know you don't need me
But you insist
On wedded bliss

I can't take anymore
What's this craziness for
I only want to be free

Repeat Refrain

The end of the rainbow
You'll never find
You're so unkind
There's no happy ending
Time to move on
Cause love is gone

Can't you see that we're through
There's no love here for you
I only want to be free

So stop this madness
Nothing but sadness here
You cannot fool me
Won't let you rule me dear
Cause it's time to get out of my life

Repeat Refrain

Fade Out

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... ead-vocals

This is really cool music. It has this retro 80s vibe that I'm really digging. The only criticism I can find in this is that the instruments and vocals sound dry, and the mix is a bit raspy, but I think it gives the song character, as if it was being heard from a cassette tape.

[wagtunes]

Another track from my WIP CD "Pop Madness"

I had an absolute blast doing this one.

Let Me Go

Oh oh oh
Why won't you let me go
Just for show
Why won't you let me go

You know you don't love me
But you hang on
Though love is gone
You know you don't need me
But you insist
On wedded bliss

I can't take anymore
What's this craziness for
I only want to be free

Repeat Refrain

The end of the rainbow
You'll never find
You're so unkind
There's no happy ending
Time to move on
Cause love is gone

Can't you see that we're through
There's no love here for you
I only want to be free

So stop this madness
Nothing but sadness here
You cannot fool me
Won't let you rule me dear
Cause it's time to get out of my life

Repeat Refrain

Fade Out

https://soundcloud.com/steven-wagenheim ... ead-vocals

This is really cool music. It has this retro 80s vibe that I'm really digging. The only criticism I can find in this is that the instruments and vocals sound dry, and the mix is a bit raspy, but I think it gives the song character, as if it was being heard from a cassette tape.

Thanks. All done intentionally, I assure you. I slaved over the processing on this one to get it just like I wanted it.