G70 Demo at request od Scott, DNJ and others

OK, here is a recording of a song I wrote with a friend back in 1971 while we were commuting to college. It's a song for my wife.

This is by no means a perfect recording. I made a few mistakes with rhythm variations on verse 2, but hey...

I used a Live style, Pop Unplugged, with a little darwbar on the right hand. Variation 2 was for the verses, var3 for the ramp up to the choruses and var4 for the choruses.

Go to my website, http://cassp50.googlepages.com/links
and click on the song EVERYDAY to hear me totally live and using the G70 arranger.

Hi Cassp,

Fine tune, my friend, singing is good and strong, and although a tiny bit strained in places, it comes across very well.

I found the drums a little too much "in your face" but quite realistic.

The style was nice and simple, the rhythm guitar working nicely.

Great job.

Ian

Nice to finally have the opportunity to hear some truly LIVE (auto accomp mode) member performed G70 songs. Nice sound. Not sure what G70 instrument voice(s) you played live while singing though. My guess is organ, right? If so, I recommend making that a much more dominantly heard sound to showcase YOUR playing instead of the drums. Nice demo Cass. Thanks. - Scott

Scott & Ian, thanks for the right on remarks. I pumped up the drums because I thought they sounded a little too quiet, but now I agree they are a little to up front.

The right hand was organ drawbars and I really cut back on the volume there because take one was way too loud and had too many harmonics. I would normally play the right hand louder.

Vocals - a little strained at the end, especially. I got a frog in my throat towards the end and just couldn't hit the high notes like I should. This song live, with a band or just on piano exudes a lot more emotion and I am able to get more feeling into the choruses.

Thanks for sharing this Cass. I like the changes you wrote. It was ok to listen to the drums mixed hot because it gives one a chance to hear(audition)the punch in them.

Take care,

Chris

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http://www.myspace.com/mychrisvalenti

You want to sound 'live', this is about where a real drummer would sit. You just have to play and sing strong to keep up with it!

There is something about playing with a real drummer that forces us (most of the time!) to play a little stronger, to sing a little harder, to put a little more energy into our performances. THIS is what I want to hear even if I'm using an arranger for drums. It gets too easy to dial back the drums, lower the volume, sing a little softer, and the next thing you know, we all sound like wimps!

I try to use the arranger as a replacement REAL band, not a karaoke track, to be swamped if you dig in, so I feel that it's important to keep the drums and bass just where they would be in a real band... Tough to sing louder than!

So, nice job, cassp, at capturing what would be close to a 'live' mix...

Diki: Though I agree with you about this for a true live BAND situation, in a 'one man band' keyboard situation, where the audience clearly sees there's NO drummer or drumkit on stage, but merely a keyboard + someone sitting/standing behind it, I'd still recommend pulling the drums back just a tad and bringing up the live played keyboard parts. Afterall, it's the keyboardist/singer the audience (paid) came to hear.

Scott

Cassp.....

Great job I really enjoyed this G70 tune ......nice chord structure also...
really nice LIVE in your face sound which I love when Im performing also.....
Thanx for having the Nads to post a demo for us....keep up the great work... no need to explain about mistakes, or mix related things for the nit pickers....when we go for it Live we're all human & nobody is perfect!.....just have fun & make music. Hope to hear more soon.

Thank You

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cass ... really nice job ... would have liked the organ a little more up front, but otherwise really nice ...
t.

Scott, Maybe I didn't post clearly enough... Though I still feel the drummer sits in the right spot (people still DANCE to the drums and bass, no matter WHO they paid to see), it was a poor attempt (I see now) to merely suggest that the playing and singing be a little stronger, to match it's energy.

Turning down the drummer doesn't change his intensity if you are trying to get him to sit with a gentler performance. You need to use the Dynamic Arranger feature for that, which adds or subtracts velocity values from the Parts, and especially makes a difference to the velocity-switched drums. Or change, using the Cover tools, to a more brushed kit, perhaps.

But I believe that the 'sound' of a drum determines how loud it needs to be. Turning a hard hitting drumsound down below the 'hard hitting' volume level gelds the sound, IMO. I MUCH prefer subtracting velocity, or just changing to a softer 'hitting' kit, but at a similar volume.

It's a LOT more like what a real drummer does... as he gets quieter and quieter, he backs off the rimshots, goes to more skin hits, them finally, he changes sticks and gets out his brushes or Blasticks, and starts to play a little harder again, and let the stick do the volume drop...

For me, the sound of a hard hit drum track turned down to sub-vocal levels is just some clicking in the background. I'd rather hear an in your face brush kit than a distant hard kit if it HAS to come down...

Just me, my opinion, no big wup....

Alright Cass buddy, nice use of the live drums. Definitely live band sound, nice work on the composition as well. Thanks for posting

Very nice, Cass!
I agree that the drums are what characterize this song (or at least this recording) the most. I often listen to the G-70 styles with only the drums playing and am impressed at how crisp and punchy they sound.