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I was encouraged by a recent review of another song sounding "huge" in the monitors. This song was written to sound huge, but the original mix was done on a DP24, with all the faders pushed up and no finessing. This time I mixed it on Pro Tools, with complete automation and a new compressor (the Klanghelm, a real bargain at $27). This song is part of an "opera" called See Rock City, and was arranged and recorded in homage to Quadrophenia. Bob Brigham sings the Daltrey parts. I have no BB memo for this, the drums, bass, rhythm guitars and piano are BB.

https://soundcloud.com/willrockwell/looking-for-a-friend

Looking for a Friend
with Bob Brigham on vocals
from the rock opera See Rock City

AmDGC GAmG - piano intro
G DC rock intro
sequencer intro

AmDG I never claimed to be the face
CG I'm just a stranger in this place
AmD And I can't tell exactly where I've been
AmDG The girls all seem to pass me by
CG I don't have time to wonder why
AmG I just lay back and start again

EmCFG Here on the island I'm a face in the crowd
EmCFAm With the lines too heavy, the clothes too loud
GEmCD And the hoods in the park keep their knives sharp waiting for me

EmCFG The loose joint gents eat turkey all day
EmCFAm and the 8th street loonie's looking for some change
GEmCD Anyone can tell you this ain't the way it should be

Interlude

AmDG CG Maybe you re waiting for a line, a bit of favor, valentine
AmD I cannot tell you what I do not feel
AmDG But things I feel I cannot say
CG The time too short, can t find the way
AmG To let you know the words are real

CGDG And I ll go on pushing the cart through the
CD Lonely streets of sad New York
GDAm I belong, I ve been pushed to the ground for so long
CEmG That I've grown strong

AmDG I never saw you raise your eye
CG I didn t call, you didn t cry
AmD Is this the way that it's supposed to end
AmDG I never claimed to be the face
CG I'm just a stranger in this place
AmG Looking for a friend
AmG I'm looking for a friend
AmG Looking for a friend
Will
Certainly captured a Who vibe on this - and it does sound big!
Nicely done.
One thing I tried on this was putting reverb on the BB snare without getting it on the rest of the drum track. I did this by sending the drums to a gate with the snare frequency turned up, then sending the result prefade to reverb.
Will,

Very nice job on this - sounds great. Love the fullness of it.

Bob
Big again!!

It's interesting the different ways some BiaB users approach enhancing the snare. I use a method I learned from floyd of doubling the snare on another DAW track and mixing it separately. The individual drum kit sounds are available at the end of the the drum audio file contained in the BiaB folder for each RD. I cut the snare from the file and import to a track in my DAW. This allows you to use the exact snare played in the RD track. It's a little bit tedious to line them up but it goes quicker than anticipated. I then try to isolate the RD snare and pull it down a bit and then apply different effects to the solo snare track. I have gone as far as to cut all the snare instances out of the RD track but that DOES get tedious smile

We like it and it definitely fills the room up!

Nice work.

J&B
Hi Will,

Yep.... you sure succeeded in getting a big, big sound! It had a very 'jet engine screaming in an arena' kind of feel to me. This style of music is one with which I only have a passing acquaintance so I am completely useless from a critiquing perspective.

The energy radiating from the performance, arrangement and mix is awesome!

Regards,
Noel
Great job with this Will!! Pete Townshend is my all time favorite musician, and Quadrophenia is my all time favorite rock album. You've done a great job catching the WHO vibe, and your friend killed the Daltry parts! Excellent! Take care. Greg
This is a really good production. Enjoyed my listen.
It Does Sound YUUUUGE!!!! Cool!
It's a big sound.
The intro threw me because there was an acoustic guitar chord that came early.
The snare sounds like it's in a different room to the rest of the kit. Different reverbs or amounts will do that. The rest of the kit also sounds muted with the kick just a dull thud in the background.
I think you've done a grand job on the music but still need a little tweaking to make it live up to potential.
You'll need to get that 2nd vocal sorted to retain the power of the song & mix though.
Fabulous work inside Protools.
"The individual drum kit sounds are available at the end of the the drum audio file contained in the BiaB folder for each RD"

Does this just give you the raw sound of each element of the kit? Is there a way to break out the entire kit performance for the song?

Rayc, I appreciate and need the constructive comments, it's the only way to make the sound even better. Thank you.
Originally Posted By: Will Rockwell
"The individual drum kit sounds are available at the end of the the drum audio file contained in the BiaB folder for each RD"

Does this just give you the raw sound of each element of the kit? Is there a way to break out the entire kit performance for the song?



Yes, at the end of the audio file there are individual sounds for each element. And if so inclined and with plenty of time you could use the element sounds to build a whole drum track. But there are a lot easier ways to do that like with EZ drummer or in my case with Logic Pro's "drummers." I only use the snare enhancement method I mentioned.
Originally Posted By: rayc
It's a big sound.
The intro threw me because there was an acoustic guitar chord that came early.



I had to listen again to find the guitar you mentioned, but it is in its right place, it slightly anticipates the downbeat
Intentional, I can respect that. Cool.
Yes, you captured The Who sound perfectly. It takes a lot of talent to record something like this and you guys certainly have plenty of that!

Two thumbs up.
Will,

I remember replying to this song early on saying how great it was but somehow my post never made it. Must have been when the lightning storm knocked me out over here.

Anyway, I really like it. It is a big production all right--in a great way!!
Will,
I like your style. Brings back great memories of my youth. You are so adventurous in your writing - a Rock Opera! Big sound indeed!
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