Nur Ein IV Round Seven "Source of the Light"

[JonPorobil]

My personal bias has been pretty obvious this whole competition, and I'd love to see Frankie take it, but Reist took it to an even higher level than before.

Both songs really feel like songs that know they're the last of something. Last song in a live set, last song of the album, the end of the competition. They both have that air of finality to them.

I'm trying so very hard to distance my personal feelings from this. What's the voting deadline? I'll probably wind up waiting until five minutes before.

Reist, if I don't vote for you, it'll be because your lyrics are pretty standard, and because you haven't done a song in MONTHS that didn't use that blasted falsetto.

Frankie, if I don't vote for you, it'll be because the production in the first half feels on the verge of coming unhinged, and because the fadeout at the end cuts off before it gets quiet enough.

To put it another way, if we adjust both songs to exactly 3:00...



Still, both songs are very strong, and I can't help but feel like this is what a Final Round ("Bring Your A-Game") should sound like. Great job to both of you. I'm sweating a little bit about the impending vote, and you should both be very proud of that.

[JonPorobil]

Hey, Lunkhead, you've been keeping up with this and you didn't tell anyone? Great chart.

[Lunkhead]

Thanks, Jon. I have been trying to keep updating it. FYI, people who haven't been eliminated yet are ordered by their performance in the latest round for which the results have been published, so Reist is on top since he won the last round. Once the final results are up he'll either stay there if he wins, or if Frankie wins Frankie will be moved up to the top row.

I like both these songs, too, and I agree that they do have a sort of conclusive feeling to them, which is nice. I'd also like to know what the voting deadline is, and if the eliminated contestants will get any kind of reminder to vote to try to make sure we get a high participation level.

[frankie big face]

...and because the fadeout at the end cuts off before it gets quiet enough.

That's pretty funny because my Faderport wasn't working for some reason and I had to use the mouse for the fadeout, which is not desirable obviously. Still, that seems like a pretty weak reason to lose a vote...

[swilington]

I'd also like to know what the voting deadline is, and if the eliminated contestants will get any kind of reminder to vote to try to make sure we get a high participation level.

yeah, when is the deadline? this is harder than i thought it would be. i need to think...

[JonPorobil]

...and because the fadeout at the end cuts off before it gets quiet enough.

That's pretty funny because my Faderport wasn't working for some reason and I had to use the mouse for the fadeout, which is not desirable obviously. Still, that seems like a pretty weak reason to lose a vote...

Endings are important.


Hey Niveous: there was a rule against the jury doing public reviews before the results were announced. Does the same hold true for us, now that we're the jury?

[Lunkhead]

... I had to use the mouse for the fadeout, which is not desirable obviously

What do you mean "had to use the mouse"? Did you do the fadeout live when you were exporting or something, rather than using automation?

[Niveous]

Deadline: Wednesday at 12:01 AM EDT.

Send them to nurein.sidefight@gmail.com

Review away.

[bambamoozle]

I just want to say that it's been a great enjoyment to be part of the Nur Ein competition! I performed my "Sleep Tight" at an event on Saturday, the Tonawanda Folk Festival, and I could tell that the kids in the audience liked it alot. It helped that I had a bass player friend of mine playing along, and I whistled solos three times which was a funny and silly thing to do, and in the spirit of Nur Ein, at least for me.

I've listened to both Final Round songs, and while I know which I'll be voting for I just want to congratulate both Frankie and Reist for making it all the way through. Both met the challenge of bringing their "A Game" to the Final Round, well done!

Nur Ein!

[roymond]

Hey, Lunkhead, you've been keeping up with this and you didn't tell anyone? Great chart.

That is cool. Would be neat if the songs were linked there as well

[frankie big face]

... I had to use the mouse for the fadeout, which is not desirable obviously

What do you mean "had to use the mouse"? Did you do the fadeout live when you were exporting or something, rather than using automation?

Well, I guess I've kind of gotten in the habit of using my FaderPort for such things and when it wasn't functioning correctly, I just used the mouse to bring down the master volume while using the "Latch" function of Logic. The fade is then stored and played back during performance. I realize now that I could have used other methods, but I honestly didn't think it would matter all that much. I think it's the kind of thing you notice when you listen on headphones (which I rarely do during final mixing) but I didn't notice it being a problem or a distraction. I certainly never thought it would be something that could affect someone's vote. I spent a lot more time on things like lyrics, music, performance, mixing, etc. The fadeout wasn't even a consideration (except in terms of how long the final section should run).

[Billy's Little Trip]

Reist - Nur Ein has worked it's magic yet again and forced you to branch out in new directions that you'd probably never try. In this, you have added new dimensions to your sound and style.

What I liked: This song has fast intro with nice vocal doubling. It builds gradually. You use my favorite addition of major and minor root notes in your guitar lead and bridge. Your outro is huge and full of power.

What I didn't like: Not much. But your guitar "sounds" like it's in the red the whole time, while the other tracks aren't. This is a bit distracting to me. Distortion is one thing, but blasting the meters is another.

Frankie Fig Bace: When I hear your Nur Ein songs, I always get the feeling that the challenges aren't anything new to you, as if they are things that you've used in the past. So they always seem incorporated much more fluid.

What I liked: From the very start, this song invited me in to listen. Every time I became comfortable with what I was hearing, it changed to something else just as inviting and pleasant to hear. This song had a nice build with a bridge that was very fitting to the style. Then after all has been said and done in this song, the outro pulled it all together with a hand holding, room warming, body swaying farewell.

What I didn't like: Not much to dislike on this one either. BUT, I thought it was odd for the lead vocals to be off to the side and the backup vocals up the center. I know that's an old school thing, but it makes me tilt my head like dog when you you say, who wants a cookie! But I became comfortable with it very quickly, like when you accidentally rent a movie in another language with subtitles. Also, the fade was going so nice until it cut off too soon, which is a small issue in the big picture.

Good job to both of you. Both songs have their merits and will be tough to judge.

[Lunkhead]

Roymond - good idea, if I have some time and am bored I may do that some day.

frankie - personally I didn't notice the fadeout not completely fading out. Also, I don't quite understand everyone's dislike of fadeouts here. Anyway, I was just asking about how you did it because I thought I'd read that you were relatively new to the whole software recording thing and wanted to make sure you knew about automation and how you can draw in things like fadeouts. Sounds like you're aware of that already, though.

[frankie big face]

So weird. I'm probably as old school as you can be (it comes with being old), but I don't have the lead local panned at all! Maybe it's part of an effect I used? Again, I don't listen much in headphones (I guess I should start) ever since my good headphones bit the dust.

Keep judging the other track (with the apparently terrible fade), but, if you like the song enough to keep it, here's a replacement with a proper fade: http://www.frankiebigface.com/music/sotl.mp3

Thanks to all for the comments. And kudos to Reist for delivering a great track! Nur Ein!!

[Billy's Little Trip]

@ Frankie. Ooops. Typo alert. When I said "What I didn't like: Much much to dislike on this one either." I meant "Not much to dislike on this one either."

...also I change "goodbye" to "farewell" while I was in there. Seemed more fitting, lol.

[frankie big face]

@ Frankie. Ooops. Typo alert. When I said "What I didn't like: Much much to dislike on this one either." I meant "Not much to dislike on this one either."

Heh. I knew what you meant, but IT DIDN'T GO UNNOTICED.

[JonPorobil]

Keep judging the other track (with the apparently terrible fade), but, if you like the song enough to keep it, here's a replacement with a proper fade: http://www.frankiebigface.com/music/sotl.mp3

Hey, thanks for the replacement!

Yeah, it's a minor thing in the long run, but it's aggravating when a song audibly stops in mid-phrase. I don't have anything against fadeouts on general principle, and your coda definitely merited one.

Frank, I noticed that your mix doesn't sound as hot in the first half when I listen on low volume, so I'm going to try listening on a bunch of different systems to determine whether my initial complaints were simply caused by my speakers going bad.

On lower volume, Reist's track still sounds monstrous, which is impressive.

By the way, I've made up my mind. I'll give them one last listen when I get home before sending in my vote. I'd like to put off the vote until Wednesday, but I'll be recovering from surgery at that point, and might not be able to. Apologies to the one I'm not voting for; we may never know if that extra two days would have benefitted you in the end.

[frankie big face]

Frank, I noticed that your mix doesn't sound as hot in the first half when I listen on low volume, so I'm going to try listening on a bunch of different systems to determine whether my initial complaints were simply caused by my speakers going bad.

By "hot," do you mean "good" or "loud"? I don't think it's your system; I think it's my inability to mix and my weird monitor setup. Roy just sent me a note saying the song's clipping like mad on his speakers and he has pictures of the wave forms to prove it. I don't know--the whole thing's depressing to me.

[glennny]

I'm glad I don't have to vote on this one.

Holy crap guys AWESOME SONGS

To playfully poke fun at Frankie:

"What we have is exactly what we need" said the Spider to the Fly
"What we need is exactly what we have" said the Fly to the Spider

I have no predictions, could go either way.

Good job gents!

[Rabid Garfunkel]

Huh... as usual, the "not my thing" factor pops up and taps me on the shoulder, incessantly, like a little kid doing the "gotta pee" dance.

Y'know what strikes me as odd about both these songs? FBF's vocal style (to me, I mean... opinions & assholes, I've got 'em both) seems like it would sit better in Reist's song, on Reist's music bed, with Reist's lyrics, and vice-versa too. Does that seem weird?

Criss cross... you do my murder, I do yours...

FBF: The (±) 160 -> 80 bpm shift was nice, but the ('70s era He Who Shall Not Be Named) mental comparisons still distract me too much to do much more than listen attentively.

Reist: The (barely) sub-120 bpm tempo makes the whole song feel like the finale, the final chorus & outro, to some bloated show-closing anthem in a midwestern North American stadium concert. Not a lot of (again, opinions & assholes)... motion... in the song other than bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang.

Personal tastes aside, both the songs are damned impressive in scope & scale & skill. Good work, y'all.

[Billy's Little Trip]

opinions & assholes, I've got 'em both

You have multiple assholes?

[JonPorobil]

Frank, I noticed that your mix doesn't sound as hot in the first half when I listen on low volume, so I'm going to try listening on a bunch of different systems to determine whether my initial complaints were simply caused by my speakers going bad.

By "hot," do you mean "good" or "loud"? I don't think it's your system; I think it's my inability to mix and my weird monitor setup. Roy just sent me a note saying the song's clipping like mad on his speakers and he has pictures of the wave forms to prove it. I don't know--the whole thing's depressing to me.

By "hot," I mean "loud." It's only the first half or so. For some reason, even though the ending is even more grandiose than the beginning, the entire second half sounds divine on my setup. (note my line graph from above )