# New song using a variety of virtual instruments



## zacnelson (Oct 20, 2011)

Hi there, I have just mixed together this song I've been working on recently. I'm at the stage now where I'm happy enough with it to make the big leap and post it on here! I am normally pretty cautious about posting stuff, this is only my second time! Anyway here goes...http://www.vi-control.net/forum/images/smiles/icon_redface.gif (http://www.vi-control.net/forum/images/ ... edface.gif)

I have used a lot of VIs here. All the percussion is from Spitfire Albion, as well as the strings. The piano is Emotional Piano and the guitars were recorded direct and I used Studio Devil plugin. The drums are BFD2 standard edition, but I didn't use any pre-made loops, I wrote all the drums in and made almost every bar of percussion or drums unique so it's not too `loop' sounding.

The bass is just Structure Free... I really should get some bass samples, or dig out my dusty old bass and buy some new strings.... 

I know it's not a film soundtrack or anything, but I would still love you to have a listen, I'm fairly proud of this track.

http://www.box.net/shared/dpal3i8vyifdy76tzxav

Oh, I also made a little video to go with it in iMovie using scraps of home video footage. It's nothing special but I find it quite effective and it provides an interesting contrast in theme compared to the lyrics (you'll see a couple of minutes in where it gets more interesting.... but I won't spoil it for you....!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPaJpAkX00E


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## noiseboyuk (Oct 20, 2011)

Yay, a Zac post! I think that's really nicely done, and a sweet video. Is that you singing? The chorus reminds me of Neil Finn / Crowded House which is no bad thing in my book.

The drums sound terrific, you wouldn't know that was VI. Overall it's well mixed too. Now, only comments are on the vocal in the verse. It sounds very close and compressed which I like, but I'm missing some richness and low end to go with that sound. It works fine in the chorus in the higher register, and more sung out - sounds spot on, actually - it's just the verses. The other thing about it is that the verse melody instantly reminded me of Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill, which I'm sure is just co-incidence. If it occurs to others unprompted it you might have an issue, but if it's just me then I shouldn't worry - everything is like something!

Good work, and keep posting!


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## Kralc (Oct 20, 2011)

Awesome, really great song. It's cool to hear this kind of music amidst the orchestral/film score stuff.

I agree with with Guy on the verse vocal, could be a bit thicker, everything else is brilliant, especially that video. Beautiful.


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## tote-musik (Oct 20, 2011)

Nice piece of Music! 

What Piano-Sound did you use?

Regards

Torsten


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## Gusfmm (Oct 20, 2011)

Zac,

Nice music, and the video was an absolute treat.

Lara is a sweetheart! My heart and prayers are with you and your family. Please DO let know should you need help with ANYTHING, you hear? All the best.


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## elevated_noise (Oct 20, 2011)

And again I'm amazed by the quality of the stuff that get's posted here. Love it. Period.


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## Daniel (Oct 21, 2011)

Hi Zac,
I really like that song, and your mixed. Superb BFD2, Albion, guitar playing, amazing video!. Like them all. 
Please send my regards to Lara, I will pray for her.
Yes, Life is Wonderful.

Best,


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## Rob (Oct 21, 2011)

Very nice, Zac! It vaguely reminds me Peter Gabriel's Solsbury Hill at times...


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## Resoded (Oct 21, 2011)

Reminds me of the band Augustana.


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## maraskandi (Oct 21, 2011)

Superb Zac, really impressive stuff!


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## BoulderBrow (Oct 21, 2011)

Can't offer any constructive criticism but sounds great - the hardest thing to achieve is one person sounding like a whole cohesive band, which I think you have realised wonderfully


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## Blackster (Oct 21, 2011)

Sounds very nice indeed. Many thanks for sharing! 
I wish all the best for your daughter, she's adorable!


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## Hannes_F (Oct 21, 2011)

Me likey!! Very much!!

If I were asked for constructive critisism (sp?) I think the flavour of today would be to have more electric guitar in a wall of sound style in the refrain.

Very much potential, keep it on!

Cheers,
Hannes


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## zacnelson (Oct 21, 2011)

Thank you all for taking the time to listen, and for making the effort to post your thoughts. I'm so glad that you were interested in listening to something which is not the usual cinematic genre in this forum.

Interesting to have a couple of comments about Solsbury Hill. I certainly had not heard this song before, Peter Gabriel is well before my time and I suppose I only know bigger hits from that period which might still be on the radio now. Perhaps it was a song that wasn't popular in Australia? I looked it up on Wikipedia and it was released in 1977, when I was just a new born baby! 

Anyway, it's good to have that pointed out, because I can go away now and compare the 2 songs and find ways to modify my melody or phrasing to differentiate them more. 

My ultimate goal with this track is to get another singer to do the vocals; the current vocals are from an old recording done with a singer I don't really like and it was a sloppy half-arsed take by him. I actually changed the tempo by about 10 bpm and melodyned it AND constructed the harmonies from a single lead vocal take so you can imagine how frustrating it is!!! But I wanted to try and make everything else as detailed as possible in order to attract a singer to the song. If you can recommend anybody let me know!


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## zacnelson (Oct 21, 2011)

Oh, and thank you for your thoughts and prayers and encouragement regarding my daughter Lara. We have faith that she will be healed but it is a long process of at least 1 year or intense chemo etc and then another 2 years after that of ongoing treatment. I'm sure we all know somebody who has had cancer or has died from it, it is a cruel assassin which can strike anybody at anytime. I suppose it is more heartbreaking when you are told your 2 year old daughter has been diagnosed with a rather severe case of leukemia, (especially when we found out on the same day our second child was born)!! There is something about seeing small children suffer which is particularly painful, and you just wish you could take the cancer on yourself and suffer in their place. 

BUT leukemia has a high cure percentage in small children, sadly for adults the chances of survival are much slimmer. I believe it is 80% success for small kids so you can understand my optimism!!


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## noiseboyuk (Oct 22, 2011)

zacnelson @ Fri Oct 21 said:


> BUT leukemia has a high cure percentage in small children, sadly for adults the chances of survival are much slimmer. I believe it is 80% success for small kids so you can understand my optimism!!



I'm sure everyone here on this thread is with me when we say we're all rooting for you, Lara and the family. Zac.


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## ricother (Oct 22, 2011)

All done by one guy!! :shock: 
Congratulations. o-[][]-o 
I agree with noiseboyuk on the voice sound.
It goes without saying I wish your family the best of luck in the fight against cancer.


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## zacnelson (Oct 23, 2011)

tote-musik @ Thu Oct 20 said:


> Nice piece of Music!
> 
> What Piano-Sound did you use?
> 
> ...



I'm sorry Torsten, I overlooked your enquiry! I used Emotional Piano. I did this song in Pro Tools, and in order to get the piano sound to `cut through' the dense mix, I used one of the `real-time midi properties' settings to add 15 to all velocities, so that the brighter, harder-hitting sample layers are triggered instead of the mellow ones.


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## zacnelson (Oct 23, 2011)

ricother @ Sat Oct 22 said:


> All done by one guy!! :shock:
> Congratulations. o-[][]-o
> I agree with noiseboyuk on the voice sound.
> It goes without saying I wish your family the best of luck in the fight against cancer.



Thanks Ricother! Very encouraging, glad you liked it


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## devastat (Oct 23, 2011)

A great composition and really good production Zac, I am sure i'll keep listening to it many times.. I love the (poly?) rhythms in the verse, it reminds me also a bit of Peter Gabriel.
From the bottom of my heart, I wish your family the best of luck in the fight against cancer.


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## Jeffrey Peterson (Oct 23, 2011)

Its a great song Zac, good job. I'm sorry to hear about your daughter. Cancer took my best friend a few years back and I'm sorry she has it. I hope she gets better.


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## zacnelson (Oct 23, 2011)

Thank you Devastat and Jeffrey, I'm so glad you enjoyed it, I have also enjoyed your music posted here.


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## Steve Martin (Oct 24, 2011)

Hi Zac,


thanks so much for sharing your music again with us. You have a real talent for writing orchestral music as well as songs! That's amazing!

The mix sounds really good in this music. You have managed to create a nice balance between all the elements in this song.

All the instruments have also all been blended together really well, and your voice sounds really great in this recording also. It's a really nice piece of music that is really expressive of communicating the feelings and emotions in the words.

I'm still kind of amazed at the difference in styles between your Albion piece and this song you have posted. You handle both different styles of music so brilliantly!

I do feel for your Daughter Lara and for your family in regard to her condition.

It would be good if you could keep us posted as to how she is going with the treatments. 

I am sure I am not the only one who will think of Lara, yourself and your family in their thoughts and prayers. 

Well, thankyou again Zac, for sharing another great piece of music you have composed with us, and Lara and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers in regard to what you have shared with us.

best regards,

Steve :D


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## Saxer (Oct 30, 2011)

yeah, good song... very emotional. all the best to your doughter!


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## Dan Mott (Oct 30, 2011)

Good to see a good song writer in Melbourne. Nice work!

Although I could really say alot about the mix! but I won't in this instance  alot to say.

Peace.


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## zacnelson (Oct 31, 2011)

Please do Dan-Jay! I could really benefit from your feedback, after all it is still a work in progress. Today I met with a singer who I will probably be re-recording all the vocals with and I will be re-mixing it once that is done. So now is the perfect time to give me suggestions on the mixing!


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## mac4d (Oct 31, 2011)

I like how the hook works, how "Life is wonderful" goes with the melody. And the overall feel (i.e. groove) and production is good.

But when I read you were going to re-record the vocals, I thought I'd bring this up. And this is of course just my opinion, but I would suggest you should look over those lyrics again, and consider some rewriting.

Also, I too thought the verses sounded familiar, but for me I thought they sounded somewhat like Sheryl Crow's song "Strong Enough" verses. Which means they too sound like that Peter Gabriel song I took a listen too (hadn't heard it before) because of this thread!


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## andreasOL (Oct 31, 2011)

...a wonderful song with an oh-so-true title.

I listened to it before I read the postings and I also had a vision of Peter Gabriel (one of my musical heros) in my mind, possibly because of the drums and the instrumentation...and because I started counting quarters. Solsbury Hill is mostly in 7/4.

Had tears in my eyes when I watched the video. I wish your daughter all the best one can imagine!!!

- Andreas


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## zacnelson (Oct 31, 2011)

Thanks so much for the feedback guys. I aprpeciate honest critiques, and I am not `precious' about my music at all! Mac4d, I am especially interested if you care to be more specific about the lyrics that could change. I am especially concerned about the lyrics on this song, I think it is treading a fine line of being too sentimental or lovey-dovey. I am mostly nervous about the 2nd verse which is too romantic. I was actually just this morning working through a variety of new lyrical options for the first 2 verses. I think I need to hint at a sense of loss early on in the song, and with that as a basis the 3rd verse lyrics should work beautifully as they are. 

Oh Andreas, I am so touched that you had tears in your eyes! That's wonderful, especially since we are complete strangers, and I am not a video editor or cameraman! 

You'll have to believe me when I say I wrote this song 6 years ago and had certainly never heard Solsbury Hill or any other Peter Gabriel songs in my life, and only just heard Solsbury Hill recently! I think I will leave it as it is, there are literally countless songs that I know and love which remind me of other songs and it doesn't affect my enjoyment. At least the chorus is very different (but who knows it may be alike another song somewhere that we haven't noticed yet!!)


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## mac4d (Oct 31, 2011)

Zac (saw your PM too), I'm happy to be more specific about the lyrics, but it would help first if you posted them. There are some words I don't think I'm hearing right. Especially in the 3rd verse.

Also would help to know the singer to singee relationship or backstory. Seems to be a guy feeling great about being in love with a girl? Are they together, or does he just wish they were? Or is this about you (a father) singing to his daughter (tho the 'ships' 'lips' part doesn't work for this)? Anyway, whatever info you can fill in.


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## Dan Mott (Oct 31, 2011)

Ok. I'll let you hear what my ears tell me. It's an opinion.


I feel a song like this should hug you. As in, right now I think it's way too compressed. If this song had a natural mix about it, it would really hug the listener and make this song more intimate. I'm not saying don't you use compression and EQ, but I'm talking really minimal EQ, subtrative EQ and little boosting if needed. Just eliminate any conflicts. Over all, too compressed. 

I feel the vocal is just too thin and compressed in the verse. It's actually quite tinny and it takes my ears away from your vocal and I start listening to something else. The vocal could really use some simple work. Just ease up on any of the compression and EQ used and make that vocal right up there so it's singing in your ear. This could really make it intimate. I feel the guitars dominate the vocal in the chorus. It's actually hard to tell what my ears want. IMO. Then I'm oblivious to anything else that's going on.

Now for the drums. These sound so squashed to me. I feel they are driving the song, but not as good as they can. I feel they need some brightness, or maybe a raise in level. When I listen to the song, it seems everything is too close together which creates a wall of sound, rather than some nice depth. Sometimes the kick get's lost, but I think because it's quite squashed. I feel that this song needs to breathe and that your drums certaintly need to.

Now as for the other instruments. I can barely hear you used strings. They seemed to be tucked away. I'd have the more prominent so they can really have some impact. Maybe when they play in certain spurts, it could come up loud and raise back down, where that would make them have there own part in the song. I do realize they aren't the main part, but they really could do with a part after the first verse or so. The high strings are pretty nice, but would be nicer IMO, if the whole song was more process free.

I honestly had to listen to this at a very low volume. I should have been able to crank this and it sounds nice and huggy. To me atleast. I just think a song like this should lay back a bit. Needs to touch you.

Ok. So that's it. I'm not a professional or anything so please! You don't have to listen to me. Infact, maybe if you do, you'd wreck it. I'm a hobbiest, but a passionate one. I love sound and I love good sound. So take it or leave it really. You'd better off show a pro, but they are just my thoughts.

Peace!


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## Ian Dorsch (Oct 31, 2011)

Nice work, Zac, really enjoyed it. Very tastefully done.

Very sorry to hear about your daughter--as a parent of young children, my heart goes out to you and your family. All the best to all of you, and a speedy recovery to your little girl.


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## zacnelson (Nov 1, 2011)

mac4d @ Tue Nov 01 said:


> Zac (saw your PM too), I'm happy to be more specific about the lyrics, but it would help first if you posted them. There are some words I don't think I'm hearing right. Especially in the 3rd verse.
> 
> Also would help to know the singer to singee relationship or backstory. Seems to be a guy feeling great about being in love with a girl? Are they together, or does he just wish they were? Or is this about you (a father) singing to his daughter (tho the 'ships' 'lips' part doesn't work for this)? Anyway, whatever info you can fill in.



Thanks again for your interest Mac4d!
Here are the lyrics:

If I had a thousand tongues
I would sing with every one
Voices like a mountain sung
Sing you are my only one

All my all my all my days

Life is wonderful
Life is wonderful
Never understood 
Life could be this good

I would launch a thousand ships
Just to be about your lips
Tell them all to sail away
Just to see you every day
All my all my all my days

If I had a thousand lives
I'd spend them all with you beside
Never ending dejavu
Never ending days with you
All my all my days

Now, this was written 6 years ago, LONG before my daughter was born, and was really just a stock love song. I threw the video together quickly using footage of my daughter I suppose mainly because a) the third verse has a sense of longing that could apply to losing someone regardless of the specific relationship and b) the sadder themes in life (like cancer etc) provide a greater realisation that `life is wonderful' - and that every day moments are to be cherished. I'm not really interested in making videos in any detailed or fastidious manner because I don't have time or money to devote to another creative pursuit when music is my main focus. But it's sometimes nice to marry images and music provided it doesn't distract me too much and waste my time.

However, the process of doing this made me realise that the song would be far more effective if I was to reduce the romantic love song element of the song and make it hint at loss through the lyrics, and not be dependent on a video to convey that theme. So I think especially the 2nd verse desperately needs to change. I plan to re-write that second verse. I hope to be getting a new singer to sing the vocals in a couple of weeks and I want to sort out any lyrics issues and mixing suggestions in the mean time. If the end result shows a large improvement I will hopefully shop this around a bit with various managers or publicists etc and see where it leads, because I hope there is a radio-friendly appeal to the overall sound and hook etc. I know it's not Mozart or anything but to my ears it sounds like it would slot in comfortably with the playlists on a number of the commercial stations in my city.


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## mac4d (Nov 2, 2011)

Sent my lyric analysis as a PM to Zac. Decided this was the best way to go. Just noting this here so people don't think I offered to help, and then didn't!


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