This is definitely not a finished track but I ran out of time, plus I was able to make decent enough progress on the things I am trying to make progress on, so, good enough.
Big news this week, I found some very helpful EQ & Compression presets from Cellar Door Sound. I still don’t totally understand thresholds and ratios, but clicking through and trying these different options is helpful in training my ear for what to listen for. I think the vocal mix is better this week and this is a big reason why. I also used their suggestion of putting the reverb on its own track to mix it better, which was revelatory, and very different from how the many other youtube tutorials I’ve watched on the topic of reverb approached it.
Side note: part of my learning process necessarily involves watching a lot of youtube tutorials and I find there is a strict and low upper limit on how many I can watch and ingest in a given week. They’re helpful but they’re not THAT interesting and it’s hard to remember which one gave you what suggestions so I watch & follow maybe 2/week and that’s it. More than that is mentally exhausting for me/my learning style.
Even though most of what I’m trying to learn and get better at involves vocal editing, I just want to say that the guitar part is my favorite part of this song. It was added relatively late – I had an idea for it right before bed one night, made some notes about it on my phone. That idea didn’t work very well when I applied it the next morning, but it led to what you hear, which for me works great. Good lesson there about how the good creative ideas don’t happen up front – even if you think your initial idea is The Good Idea, it’s not until you start down the path from there that you get to the Really Good Shit.
Here are the lyrics in case you’re curious (yes I only ever write about the internet, what can I tell you)
Everything you say to me / I can save for later
My consciousness adaptable / (like) opinions from a hater
Comment unsolicited / Unless you’re uninvited
People don’t believe you when your references are cited
Saved by venture capital / Informed by inner trauma
Defenses are habitual / Built for ending drama
Application protocol / Had to take it further
Viruses decloaked from an unfederated server
Watch as I deploy my new extendable arm
As I chill on the couch while causing bodily harm
My third eye laser beam was sponsored by big pharm-a
All my haters insides cooked like eggplant parm-a
I’m more machine than man / you don’t hear me complainin’
I learn from all your failures / that’s just part of my trainin’
To never share my insights / that would be a cop-out
(Rolls Royce pull up / black boy hop out)
I am a little embarrassed about the rap section, this is not me headed boldly into a career in hip hop, but a) I want to learn to mix different styles of vocals (and vocal effects), and b) it felt like the song called for it, and c) I’ve just been listening to a lot of Tyler the Creator lately, he’s one of the artists that inspire me most, hence me including that line from his song Lumberjack at the end there.