Put your hands together for the (All Time Best reviews)

[Pigfarmer Jr]

and give yourselves a round of applause for participating.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

You can see the All Time Best lyric thread here:viewtopic.php?f=5&t=12291

(Please post your lyric if you haven't already.)

[Lunkhead]

Songs posted!

[Leon]

Leon's reviews!

Phlub: I enjoyed the music. The intro kinda tricked me into thinking it's was going to be a fun, chirpy rap or something... it went dark, quick... and stayed there! Almost had a Crash Test Dummies feel to it.

Toby Roktot: ...and the award for the saddest song goes to... especially the last 30 seconds! I really enjoy the mature tone in your voice.

Mandibles: All around great tune. I kinda wanna play Gran Turismo and listen to this through the headphones now!

Pig Farmer: Now that's what I call a "Fightsong!".... Shit bruh! Very energetic... it sometimes felt like the vocals got a little excited and lost the beat.

Robyn Mackenzie: I loved the intro, especially after I heard the first line of the song. Felt very current with a good build up from beginning to end.

Lichen Throat: Enjoyed the build-up in the first few seconds. Good story telling but I would have liked a few more musical intoludes and perhaps some more range on the melody.

The Pannacotta Army: Very bluesy and groovy feeling. I loved the brass and the lyrics too!

Berkeley Social Scene: I really enjoyed how you balanced your vocals. Gave me lots to think about for my own work. Thanks for that. Sounded great in the headphones. Not that this is a critique, as I really did enjoy the song as is, but I could hear some opportunities for some lovely harmonies in the chorus.

Paco Dal Stinko: Fun, bouncy and a little bit cheeky eh!? Loved it all!

Gils Sans: Great track... reminded me of summers in the UK in the 90s for some reason! I've found consistent enjoyment in all of your songs so far!

Wrecked: Love the guitar throughout. Clever editing and well put together track I'm general. Who doesn't love an angry Scottish voice in their song!

Leon Bullock!: I wish I'd have recorded it half an octave lower and took more time on the vocals! It definitely has the BritPop feel that I was going for though, I think?

I think I got everyone! So sorry if I missed anyone out.

Cheers,
Leon

[sleepysilverdoor]

How many times you reckon I've been alphabetically between Pannacotta Army and Pigfarmer Jr?

Halfway through my initial listen now. That Mandibles song does not sound like what I expect from Mandibles.

Also @Leon -- Crash Test Dummies, huh? Well, I did stay in my baritone and I was a bit of a downer so yes I suppose that's a valid comparison though not one I was going for at all lol.

Pigfarmer, this may be one of the only times you've been significantly more aggressive than me in an entry.

Rone, there are some moments in this that sound like a chiptune Sean Paul beat and I was not expecting that. It's the part at 0:46...makes me think of Temperature. Oh oh.

[rone rivendale]

Leon's reviews!

Phlub: I enjoyed the music. The intro kinda tricked me into thinking it's was going to be a fun, chirpy rap or something... it went dark, quick... and stayed there! Almost had a Crash Test Dummies feel to it.

Toby Roktot: ...and the award for the saddest song goes to... especially the last 30 seconds! I really enjoy the mature tone in your voice.

Mandibles: All around great tune. I kinda wanna play Gran Turismo and listen to this through the headphones now!

Pig Farmer: Now that's what I call a "Fightsong!".... Shit bruh! Very energetic... it sometimes felt like the vocals got a little excited and lost the beat.

Robyn Mackenzie: I loved the intro, especially after I heard the first line of the song. Felt very current with a good build up from beginning to end.

Lichen Throat: Enjoyed the build-up in the first few seconds. Good story telling but I would have liked a few more musical intoludes and perhaps some more range on the melody.

The Pannacotta Army: Very bluesy and groovy feeling. I loved the brass and the lyrics too!

Berkeley Social Scene: I really enjoyed how you balanced your vocals. Gave me lots to think about for my own work. Thanks for that. Sounded great in the headphones. Not that this is a critique, as I really did enjoy the song as is, but I could hear some opportunities for some lovely harmonies in the chorus.

Paco Dal Stinko: Fun, bouncy and a little bit cheeky eh!? Loved it all!

Gils Sans: Great track... reminded me of summers in the UK in the 90s for some reason! I've found consistent enjoyment in all of your songs so far!

Wrecked: Love the guitar throughout. Clever editing and well put together track I'm general. Who doesn't love an angry Scottish voice in their song!

Leon Bullock!: I wish I'd have recorded it half an octave lower and took more time on the vocals! It definitely has the BritPop feel that I was going for though, I think?

I think I got everyone! So sorry if I missed anyone out.

Cheers,
Leon

I can think of 1 you may have missed. Me

[Pigfarmer Jr]

I think I got everyone! So sorry if I missed anyone out.

If you click on Review-o-matic on the home screen and then again on the page it brings up you can get a nice little template of all the entries that were put up on the original update. (Meaning, if a late song is added it won't be there, but that doesn't happen most fights.)

[sleepysilverdoor]

Phlub's verbose reviews

Berkeley Social Scene - Are we in a contest to see who can be the most 90s sounding this week? Because I thought my song sounded like the radio in 1997 until I heard yours. Anyway, I really like the vibe of this song. I think the vocals are a little bit buried in reverb and the panning isn’t really doing them any favors – they’d be better if they were centered in the mix and not bouncing around so much. Really I just feel like all of the panning was overdone in the mix here? The verses have cool energy and I like what the vocals are doing but the way the performance is, it sounds like what you have should be a single background vocal track and a stronger, more upfront melody should be there. I almost really like this. All of my complaints have already been stated. Honestly a better mix would fix 90% of my issues with this, which is weird cause it probably sounds fine in mono.

Gil Sans - The recording on this is charmingly lo-fi and noisy which is a delightful thing that makes me happy, like the little squeals of feedback that periodically come through. Of course the thing that’s charming with it is the fact that you almost never hear legit feedback on songfight because we’re all a bunch of “DI the guitar and add VST effects” types. Lyrically, I suspect this is referencing something that I am unfamiliar with. I would like there to be more rhythmic switchups here, but that feels like a dumb thing to complain about given how many songs I’ve submitted that are just a motorik beat and a driving bassline so…yeah, this is fun.

Leon Bullock - Wow, I’m already in the ‘L’ names? Where’s the front half of the alphabet. “The days are long and the nights are longer” is a line that I thought too hard about because it was right after you mentioned moving to Canada, and I was thinking “wait, the days are really long this time of year in Canada, but the nights are like barely existent what” but then I realized you weren’t being literally. I don’t like I-IV-V chord progressions most of the time, they kind of bore me. “but I'm not the kind of guy who give up without a fight.
The beats keep a comin' and the rhythm man, it just don't stop.” is a lyric that implies that you aren’t allowed to leave SongFight until you win a fight. Lyrically this is a good song, and the performance is tight (just not my thing). Knock ‘em down, you’re the best!

Lichen Throat - In July 2009 I was driving through Albequerque on I-40 and got caught in a horrendous rainstorm and was surrounded by big rigs on all sides and was terrified that I was going to hydroplane into one of them and die. That arpeggiated guitar line feels like it needs a whole lot of delay all over it…something about it is giving me The Edge vibes, like I’m listening to a U2 song recorded in MuseScore with a vocalist that sounds nothing like Bono and lyrics that are nothing like what Bono would write. Though he does like being socially conscious in his lyrics, you’re so much less pompous and so much more verbose. The lyrics paint a well executed story of urban blight and decay…which is something that I’m well aware has been present in ABQ for quite awhile now anyway, but it’s a bummer that it’s still ongoing. The times that you abruptly deviate from the rhyme scheme are weirdly charming and give this song lots of character.

Mandibles - This is a catchy chorus, and I like how it doesn’t follow that straight subdivision of endless groupings of 4 measures. Lyrically I follow you most of the way through this, despite a couple lines that I really think should have been scratched out on your notepad. Namely that Queen Anne stanza…what? That doesn’t work at all! Anyway, the solid chug of the rhythm in this and the tone and structure of the guitar solo really remind me of the sort of song that I’d listen to in my truck on the way to the Atlanta Motor Speedway (I lack a truck and I have never been there, despite it being closeby). And so musically, you complement your theme very well! I would have mastered this slightly louder – it’s noticeably quieter than the other songs…which I don’t know if that’s cause everyone else is too loud or what. Also Cybronica is buried in the mix in the chorus, bring her up in the mix a bit!

Paco del Stinko - Drums are well recorded on this song. Your song structures are usually really adventurous and I like that about you. Do you just record a drum track and fill in the rest of the song behind it? It sounds kind of like you do that. Or am I projecting because of the number of times I’ve done that. Lyrically this is one of the most entertaining takes on the title. None of that reflection, none of that “sentimental” nonsense, no clever plays on words or metaphors, this is straight up flexing and I love it. And that weird distorted clip at the beginning and end is great. Best Paco song in awhile.

Pannacotta Army - I hear that first line about juices flowing when your zones are stimulated and it seems like something that would happen at the end of the song AFTER you’ve woo’d her with your steady stream of musical compliments and praise. Heh, maybe I’m interpreting it wrong, but starting off with that makes me expect a much more sexual song than the rest of the song delivers. Or maybe that’s just my subconscious WANTING this it be super inappropriate. Anyway, this is a good, well produced number about pining over some lovely lady and it’s very good at being a good well produced number about pining over a lovely lady. I’d have liked to see a few more specific images of how cool she is in the lyrics though – there’s the bit about the dance floor, but I’m mostly unsure why she’s so cool other than the fact that she’s cool.

Phlub - It’s me. I really like the melody I came up with in the chorus. Actually this is one of very few songs that I wrote the lyrics first and then wrote the rest of the song around it. The lyrics are kind of a bummer — the coolest achievement mankind ever pulled off happened a solid 31 years before I was born, and my entire life has largely consisted of the world getting steadily crappier at an accelerating pace. It’s an ode to life in a declining nation.

Pigfarmer Jr - Good lord this is blistering by your standards, and you wear your swears well. As mentioned earlier, this is one of VERY few times that you’ve submitted a song significantly heavier than me (I guess minus the fights you’ve been in that I haven’t). Rhythmically, this is kind of sloppy with the guitar playing, like that descending guitar riff gets out of sync with the drums towards the end and it bugs me. This would probably be best if you cut it a little bit earlier, like just get through that last verse and like “nope fuck you, song’s over” just cut it off. Would have upped the punk way more! But seriously, I giggled when you threatened to punch me in the mouth. I don’t know if I prefer your over the top aggression or Paco’s over the top arrogance the best. Both amused me thoroughly.

Robyn Mackenzie - Hmmmmmmm, hi-hat trills are surprisingly rare on SongFight given how often I hear them in popular music, so points for sounding the most contemporary here. So your chorus melody is super strong, and could be a big crescendo and release in terms of the overall song structure, yeah? But musically it doesn’t change at all from the verses, which to me strikes me as a huge missed opportunity. Like, change up the synths or the drums or SOMETHING, ratchet up the intensity with something other than the vocals, cause this song is just begging for a big explosion of energy that never comes and it just feels incomplete. I think it bothers me because I feel like this song has REALLY STRONG POTENTIAL to be great, and it’s just not all the way there and it bugs me. And like these lyrics need more attitude in your delivery, like if you’re gonna talk about you’re calling the shots, you need to really sing it like you MEAN IT, LIKE YOU’RE THE BOSSSSSSSSS but instead you’re relatively sedate and there’s not much attitude there, y’know? With a review like this you’d think I don’t like this, but I actually do, which is why I’m frustrated that it feels so incomplete. Re-record this, make the chorus bigger, and remember that you’re SERIOUSLY THE SHIT when you sing it cause deep down you ARE the shit.

Toby Roktot - When I was a kid I had a big teddy bear named Toby, and now my toddler gets to love on Toby. I never really decided what Toby’s voice sounded like in my head, but I want Toby’s voice to sound like your singing voice now, cause I really like your singing voice. And your name is Toby. Production quibble is that there’s a little too much low-end on your guitar. It sounds kind of boomy when you get down to those chords with the A and E strings. Just a little bit of EQ would fix that up just right. Lyrically, this is depressing and kind of vague, but a good vague. Was it your fault that she left? Did you break up with her cause you didn’t think she was into you and you felt insecure about it? Why did you break up? I don’t understand why you broke up, I just know that you miss her. Then again this reads like you don’t know why you broke up and you just know that you miss her. I do wonder if this is based on a real-life heartbreak. Because it captures the vagueness of heartbreak well.

WreckdoM - Groovy! It’s weird hearing a WreckdoM song that’s almost entirely Mel on vocals, like this is WreckdoM but it sounds like a BW+tBW song for a significant portion of the song. The modal bluesy jamming is enjoyable, and I’m feeling these drum fills even though I know it’s a machine. The attitude is dripping off of this one, though I’m having trouble following the narrative. The guitar tone is great, and the pinch harmonics add a lot to it. This is giving me early Butthole Surfers vibes. If you ratcheted up the weirdness a lot it could be an outtake from Locust Abortion Technician. But you are in Austin. There must be something in the water there. To be honest, this is probably my favorite in the fight. I’d criticize your lyrics and tear them apart like I did nearly everyone else but you didn’t post them so I won’t.

[Toby Roktot]

Leon...Thank You !!!

and, sleepysilverdoor........spot on

[WreckdoMelle]

I’d criticize your lyrics and tear them apart like I did nearly everyone else but you didn’t post them so I won’t.

Posted! Tear away Thanks sleepysilverdoor and Leon for the reviews so far, glad you enjoyed.

[AJOwens]

Berkeley Social Scene: This has a vast, urgent sound, driven by open textures, interesting rhythms and patterns, and heavy reverb. The contrasting parts of the song are blurred into an enormous yet compressed sonic space.

Gil Sans: Beatle-esque changes and harmonies delivered in a hammering punk-pop arrangement. Good energy. The guitar work is intense and idiosyncratic.

Leon Bullock: The skipped bar in the verse adds momentum, and the 7th chord adds colour. The lyrics and vocal delivery are engaging. (I helped record and mix this, but ran out of tweaking time. Listening later using Ubuntu-based Audacious, I had to enable "soft clipping" to remove some serious distortion. I don't hear it on other playback systems.)

Lichen Throat: The lively, sparkling, largely modal accompaniment is harmonically complex and intriguing. The melody in the vocal is detectable, but could be brought out more clearly by coupling an instrument with the voice.

Mandibles: The backbeat is solid and punchy, the melody has an edgy pop quality. The lead work feels right for the song. The recording could have more power. . . do you use DI boxes in your setup?

Paco del Stinko: Original and detailed arrangements with sharply punctuated rhythms gives this the characteristic PdS sound, high-energy and fun, the instruments jangling cheerfully against each other.

The Pannacotta Army: This is a solid tune, well-performed and arranged, with a good use of the title. At first I heard some distortion on the bass and I had to tweak my player settings. I'm blaming the player. Musically this entry stays in familiar territory.

Phlub: The discordances and angular arrangements create a novel and consistent musical vision, adorned with a dense brass sound. The vision is obscured a little by the muddy, underpowered recording, which could simply be an impedance-matching issue. The vocals would work better in a higher key, and the singing is pitchy, which could be good or bad, depending on the attitude of the delivery. In this case it feels unfocussed rather than out-there.

Pigfarmer Jr: Unabashedly aggressive. The monster bass, thick distorted guitar, and a frantic pace provide a lush setting for a comparatively thin-sounding vocal. The track brings a smile. It has a very satisfying sound.

Robyn Mackenzie: Tasty minimalist synth-pop backing with intimate vocals, well-designed harmonies and echoes, good contrary motion as the accompaniment builds. Nice melodic hook, solid song structure.

Rone Rivendale: Ominous snaking synths weave across the soundscape in a minor key, joined by dark bass and industrial beats. A nimble keyboard riff keeps it from dragging. The vocals would fit better with thick distortion and heavy compression for a demon-from-hell approach.

toby roktot: The vocal performance calls attention to the bitter lyrics. The chord structure and melodic arc speak to a standard form, but with enough variations and surprises to keep it interesting. The guitar could use some EQ or perhaps a different mic placement to take out the boominess. A sweet, gentle song.

WreckdoM: Riff-driven heavy metal and a snarling vocal, mixed with strange, half-articulated, angst-ridden goings-on in the background, complete with an irascible Scottish soliloquy, make for good fun and an entertaining track.

[sleepysilverdoor]

James Owens is back! Re: your review -- if you listen closely to the guitar track, all of the major thirds are very flat. I am merely following along

[robynmackenzie]

Robyn Mackenzie - Hmmmmmmm, hi-hat trills are surprisingly rare on SongFight given how often I hear them in popular music, so points for sounding the most contemporary here. So your chorus melody is super strong, and could be a big crescendo and release in terms of the overall song structure, yeah? But musically it doesn’t change at all from the verses, which to me strikes me as a huge missed opportunity. Like, change up the synths or the drums or SOMETHING, ratchet up the intensity with something other than the vocals, cause this song is just begging for a big explosion of energy that never comes and it just feels incomplete. I think it bothers me because I feel like this song has REALLY STRONG POTENTIAL to be great, and it’s just not all the way there and it bugs me. And like these lyrics need more attitude in your delivery, like if you’re gonna talk about you’re calling the shots, you need to really sing it like you MEAN IT, LIKE YOU’RE THE BOSSSSSSSSS but instead you’re relatively sedate and there’s not much attitude there, y’know? With a review like this you’d think I don’t like this, but I actually do, which is why I’m frustrated that it feels so incomplete. Re-record this, make the chorus bigger, and remember that you’re SERIOUSLY THE SHIT when you sing it cause deep down you ARE the shit.

Haha, I guess that's what happens when you record and mix in one day and then submit in a sleep-addled haze because you got the idea last minute. I got the same feedback from others so I am reworking it to be much less static.

[robynmackenzie]

The Pannacotta Army: Juicy, yummy blues. Those horns really add some energy. The lyrics are just brilliant. Wonderful stuff.

Leon Bullock: I wasn’t sold on the intro, but that kinetic bass changed my mind. This has an interesting folk-punk vibe with an earnest narrative. “Your all time best is a state of mind” is a great lyric.

Phlub: The dissonance works surprisingly well, although I find the chorus a bit more muddly than the verse. The bass line is really cool. It has a dreamy feel alongside the dark grittiness which is a fun combination.

Rone Rivendale: This has some serious 80’s energy. I think the chiptuney synths are my favorite part. I feel like your vocal could be a lot stronger, it sounds like you were trying to not wake up your neighbors while you recorded at midnight in your apartment. Oh wait, that’s me. Maybe we’re both in that boat. In any case, I think you could go back to this and beef it up a bit vocally, plus make it longer! The ending felt quite abrupt.

Pigfarmer Jr: FUCK YEAH! This is the kind of power pop punk I crank when I’m barreling down the freeway with my windows open. So much rage. Love it.

Paco Del Stinko: Super fun chord progression. The backing vocals are also fun. Also the “sit down/stand up” parts are fun. Did I mention this is fun? Really fun. I like fun. I like this.

Robyn Mackenzie: I wasn’t going to do this fight, but then my wife said she was feeling depressed, and it ended up with me writing this to cheer her up. It sort of evolved into a song to empower the queer community as well as a love song to her, so I’m releasing it as a single for Pride month, with some recommended tweaks (I mixed and submitted it at like 1 am so definitely not my best production work).

WreckdoM: Very cool effects here, like the reversed solo and sound bites from…some Irish movie? I feel like I’m at an event at a Harley-Davidson dealer. Is that ridiculously specific? Yes. Do I ride a Harley? No. Do I like this song? Yes.

Berkeley Social Scene: This is really sweet, from the gently delivered lyrics to the dreamy production. It sounds a little more raw than I’m used to from y’all. I like the chorus a lot.

toby roktot: Nice take on the title without actually using the title in your lyrics. Wistful and nostalgic. The stripped-down arrangement works well for the melancholic delivery.

Mandibles: Yep, I dig this. It has a nice energy to it, and could crank it up even more without losing any nuance. Excellent solo work.

Lichen Throat: Nice instrumentation to draw the listener in, and of course I’m a bit partial to anything that mentions New Mexico. My one critique is that I wanted a bit more of a change-up in rhythm throughout the song. Also now I want to drive to Albuquerque and eat at the May Cafe because it’s delish.

Gil Sans: Nice harmonies! Easy and laid-back, though still with a good driving energy. I don’t have much to say beyond that–this was some yummy ear candy.

[sleepysilverdoor]

Phlub: muddly

Muddly? I s'pose I could have mixed the vocals higher. Wait, what is muddly again?

[robynmackenzie]

Muddly? I s'pose I could have mixed the vocals higher. Wait, what is muddly again?

The vocals could have done it. Don't get me wrong, it's a great song. I just felt like the chorus was easier to follow than the verse musically.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Berkeley Social Scene: Interesting panning vocals to start. It's a cool way to add interest. I also liked the solo/instrumental bit. Ending on that little run was cool. Perhaps not my favorite BSS song, but the more I listen, the more I like.

Gil Sans: There's something charming about this song. The twin guitar bits add a nice bit of dissonance that I like. And they balance with the twin vocals, too.

Leon Bullock: The chorus is pretty catchy. I found myself wanting to sing along. I like the fairly full sounding arrangement but I think I'm missing some percussion. I like the rhythm in the vocal delivery.

Lichen Throat: I found myself enjoying the listening experience but the vocal delivery is pretty static. It definitely needs some dynamic elements. I guess I could say that about the whole song. You tend to have fairly long songs that are very lyrically focused. You tend to be wordy but in a way that tells a story. Here I think your story gets lost (at least to me.)

Mandibles: I like your chorus. I like the guitars. I like your bridge. I like that you've perverted the title lyrically. That's cool. Side note: Your songs tend to be a bit more quiet than most of the other songs. I don't know if that means anything.

Paco del Stinko: Here's that Paco rhythm that brings energy and and immediately has me smiling. Those quick changes in the guitar make me smile, too. This has a throwback feel in the guitar solo. The patented Paco "don't give a fuck" attitude in the vocal delivery that I find charming. That's not exactly right, but hopefully you know what I mean. Maybe more of knowing an inside joke delivery? Regardless, I liked it.

The Pannacotta Army: Cool rhythm. Nice arrangement that adds a sweet dynamic element. I dug the solo, understated and tasty. It's hard not to like this upbeat, positive take.

Phlub: I like the almost strange guitar line. Combined with that... umm lackadaisical vocal delivery, though, kind of gives me an odd feeling. It's interesting. I very much like the guitar bits. And I like the vocal a lot when the guitars drop out. Together, the tension isn't unlikeable but it is off putting a bit, I think. I don't know exactly why that would be. But it's a cool effect, if maybe not the one you were going for.

Pigfarmer Jr: This is supposed to be a WWE style throw down. I was recording the vocals and they were dragging behind the beat a lot. So I re-recorded and was trying to hit just in front of the beat. I think it came out just sounding like it has timing issues. Obviously, I should have spent more time on that bit. The outro bit was semi purposefully chaotic.

Robyn Mackenzie: I like your melody, the repeated instrumental elements. I'm not a fan of the featured hi-hat rhythm, but it fits in with trends in pop songs of late and is more a reflection of my musical taste than your skill or musical choices. I like the layered vocals. I've probably listened to this song more than the others and it easily stands up to repeated listens.

Rone Rivendale: I think both my vocal and yours would benefit from a more confident or stronger delivery. It almost feels like you're trying to sing in a firm manner but you're afraid of waking up the kid down the hall. (And it sounds like there are a few plosive pops.) That being said, I like your musical arrangement, the bass line is cool and I like your melody. This is solid.

toby roktot: There's something enchanting about your guy and guitar performance. It seems stronger on the chorus and took a bit for me to get into it. I think adding some minor elements (hand percussion maybe?) could add a lot without taking away from what you're going for if done tastefully.

WreckdoM: I like the simple but solid bass line. I like the separate guitar lines. This is a cool slow burn.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Some synonyms for stupidity: foolishness, nonsense, idiocy, folly, absurdity, inanity, etc., which is the main reason this post is here.

[sleepysilverdoor]

Phlub: I like the almost strange guitar line. Combined with that... umm lackadaisical vocal delivery, though, kind of gives me an odd feeling. It's interesting. I very much like the guitar bits. And I like the vocal a lot when the guitars drop out. Together, the tension isn't unlikeable but it is off putting a bit, I think. I don't know exactly why that would be. But it's a cool effect, if maybe not the one you were going for.

This is the tuning system I used. Nothing sits quite where you'd expect, but it's just close enough to the "standard" to create sort of an uncanny valley effect.

https://sevish.com/scaleworkshop/?name= ... penv=organ

[Cybronica]

Mandibles: I like your chorus. I like the guitars. I like your bridge. I like that you've perverted the title lyrically. That's cool. Side note: Your songs tend to be a bit more quiet than most of the other songs. I don't know if that means anything.

Hmm yes it means I’m still trying to crack the mixing and mastering nut. Do you have any tips or recommendations there? I don’t usually put anything on the master bus because I’m not sure what best to put in, but definitely it’s something I need to learn.

[Pigfarmer Jr]

Hmm yes it means I’m still trying to crack the mixing and mastering nut. Do you have any tips or recommendations there? I don’t usually put anything on the master bus because I’m not sure what best to put in, but definitely it’s something I need to learn.

I'd get a simple limiter like loudmax and the youlean loudness meter. Limit your track until it's comparable to other tracks or you can render and see what youlean tells you. Then adjust and render again to get close to your goal. (For instance, it's been recommend around -13 LUFS here on songfight.) You have to play the whole track to get an accurate reading. However, if you get a reading on youlean from playing the loudest section of your track then you'll get an idea of the ballpark loudness.

Another option is to get the ozone elements plugin for cheap (there are a bunch of sales going on) and just set the goal (-13 LUFS or whatever you choose) and have it do it for you. The good thing about that plugin (or ones like it) is that you can try lots of different presets to see what sound you like the best and then try to get that sound yourself. Kind of a self tutorial on how to achieve certain sonic characteristics.

And yet another option would be to use reference tracks. Compare your track to a track that is of similar arrangement (and tempo etc., if you can find one) and then try to get yours to sound more like it. Volume, overall EQ, depth (like how much reverb etc.,) It's very helpful but I tend to skip this step for songfight to my own detriment. Well, I guess to all y'all who listen, too.

[Toby Roktot]

Robin wrote:
toby roktot: Nice take on the title without actually using the title in your lyrics. Wistful and nostalgic. The stripped-down arrangement works well for the melancholic delivery.

Actually, the title appears in the last line of the bridge….and, thanks !!!!