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It Ain't Funny, Is It #547972 08/03/19 08:58 AM User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2019 Posts: 251 TN R Roger Brown OP Apprentice
OP Roger Brown Apprentice R Joined: Jul 2019 Posts: 251 TN	Kind of a quirky country song. This was done with the Rising Fingerpicking w/ Drums RealTrack, and I added a bunch of other stuff (cello, synth, electric guitar, dobro). Vocals & mix done with Logic Pro X. Not entirely happy with the mix, there are some acoustic guitar squeaks I couldn't get out without losing tone, so I got it as good as I could & moved on. For the applied use of these that I have, it does exactly what I need it to - which is just present the song. Enjoy! It Ain't Funny Is It It Ain't Funny Is It How you laughed the day she left me Cause she was leaving me for you Weren’t you the proud one, it must’ve been fun You made sure everybody knew So I’ve been hearing that it’s over And you’re the one who’s broken now Looks like you’ve been burned, I guess the table’s turned And maybe you have figured out – CHORUS It ain’t funny is it Not when you’re the one who has to live it You didn’t then, but now you get it Cause she’s gone It ain’t funny is it – You thought for you it would be different You had yourself a big old time With the hell you’re going through walking in my shoes I’m betting now you’ve changed your mind – REPEAT CHORUS BRIDGE: She’s found somebody new This time the joke’s on you REPEAT CHORUS http://www.rogerbrownsongs.com http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/roger-brown

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #547974 08/03/19 09:02 AM User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2019 Posts: 103 R RichardB1985 Apprentice
RichardB1985 Apprentice R Joined: Jul 2019 Posts: 103	I really like this. Fantastic lyrics and great instrumentation. Really enjoyed the listen, thanks for sharing.

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548004 08/03/19 12:08 PM User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2013 Posts: 6,892 Davis, CA G Greg Johnson Veteran
Greg Johnson Veteran G Joined: Dec 2013 Posts: 6,892 Davis, CA	Another really well-written song!! Love the feel of that atmospheric pedal steel.......perfect! I love the way you use "it" at the end of each chorus line....fresh and effective! Really like this!! Take care. Greg

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548007 08/03/19 12:18 PM User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2017 Posts: 2,945 Victoria, BC Ember - PG Music PG Music Staff
Ember - PG Music PG Music Staff Joined: Jun 2017 Posts: 2,945 Victoria, BC	I think the lyrics definitely provide an important message - you shouldn't look down on another's misfortunes because you never know when they could happen to you. Great stuff, thanks for sharing! Cheers, Ember

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548035 08/03/19 01:01 PM User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 20,773 Hamlin NY MarioD Veteran
MarioD Veteran Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 20,773 Hamlin NY	Roger, This is another winner in my book. Everything about this is perfect. You should put out a CD as your songs are far superior then anything on country radio up here! Me, it's not about how many times you fail, it's about how many times you get back up. Cop, that's not how field sobriety tests work. 64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548085 08/03/19 11:38 PM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 6,248 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc Veteran
rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 6,248 Cooran Queensland Australia	String squeaks annoy the hell out of me but most folk are OK with it as it sounds real. Sibilance is another issue that gets to me more than others - I think I mentioned there were some essing probs in your last track according to my ears. The quickest & easiest way to deal with the string squeaks is to create volume automation and do quick notches at those spots. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwYN-QhhAEs Additionally you could use an auto de-esser and adjust that to the problem frequency https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=+Logic+Pro+X+de+--esser - lastly you could set up an EQ that removes it but automate that to bypass except where the problems are https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sWcPCJWX-A Great song by the way. Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548094 08/04/19 01:33 AM User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2019 Posts: 251 TN R Roger Brown OP Apprentice
OP Roger Brown Apprentice R Joined: Jul 2019 Posts: 251 TN	Thanks for the feedback. Essing is an issue I've wrestled with for decades. My vocals are susceptible to it more than others for some reason. I've worked in the studio with more recording engineers than I can count, and it's always been a problem. As I've mentioned on other posts, my use for the songs & tracks I record are for pitching purposes. I write a lot, and consequently don't have the time or need to fine-tune the mixes in the way I would if I were planning on releasing them commercially. My "studio" is a corner hutch in my office - if you were to solo one of the vocal tracks, you'd very likely hear the ambient sound of a neighbor's dog barking, a garbage truck going by, or dozens of other pops, squeaks, & whistles. My goal is to get the songs I write presented in a way that an artist can hear them and hopefully want to record them on their own projects. I actually fought being my own engineer and having my own studio for decades, because that's not what I'm interested in doing. The economy of the music industry forced my hand, and here I am. The tracks/songs that I've posted, I probably spent 4 hours on each - from typing in the chord sheet in BIAB to bouncing the final mix to my external HD. That's about all the time I can spare to put into them, and again, for my application it's all I need. Your observations are entirely correct - I simply face a point of diminishing return when it comes to the amount of time I spend on these. My focus leans much more to the song itself - lyric, melody and the feel of the track - than fine tuning the mixes. My ear also likes brighter mixes with with a lot of air & presence, which of course accents any sibilance issues that are present. Thanks again for your thoughts & feedback, you have a great ear for this. Nashville could use more engineers who care enough to drill down on a mix. Best to you, RB http://www.rogerbrownsongs.com http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/roger-brown

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It rayc #548096 08/04/19 02:24 AM User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2016 Posts: 1,169 Gold Coast, Queensland, Austra... Teunis Expert
Teunis Expert Joined: Dec 2016 Posts: 1,169 Gold Coast, Queensland, Austra...	Originally Posted By: rayc String squeaks annoy the hell out of me but most folk are OK with it as it sounds real. Sibilance is another issue that gets to me more than others - I think I mentioned there were some essing probs in your last track according to my ears. The quickest & easiest way to deal with the string squeaks is to create volume automation and do quick notches at those spots. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwYN-QhhAEs Additionally you could use an auto de-esser and adjust that to the problem frequency https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=+Logic+Pro+X+de+--esser - lastly you could set up an EQ that removes it but automate that to bypass except where the problems are https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sWcPCJWX-A Great song by the way. IMHO the easiest way to reduce string squeak is by Spectral Editing. By this method you simply see where the issue is and reduce it. Not as intrusive as dropping the volume as you only get shy of the squeak not the note. See Kenny Gioia on Spectral Editing in Reaper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSBO_VC9q3E For de-essing sometimes using a multiband compressor with a narrow bandwidth at the ss point works well. Tony Last edited by Teunis; 08/04/19 02:29 AM. HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home, Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612 BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548168 08/04/19 01:01 PM User Showcase
Joined: Jan 2012 Posts: 3,613 Murgon Queensland Australia Rob4580 Veteran
Rob4580 Veteran Joined: Jan 2012 Posts: 3,613 Murgon Queensland Australia	Most has already been said but I do like this. Rob4580 https://soundcloud.com/ironbarkbob https://open.spotify.com/artist/6IPuZM4B48Drnd38DEWC7L https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoXdTc0EC_3aaZSqT4dyzug Using Studio One.

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548197 08/04/19 09:22 PM User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2016 Posts: 1,169 Gold Coast, Queensland, Austra... Teunis Expert
Teunis Expert Joined: Dec 2016 Posts: 1,169 Gold Coast, Queensland, Austra...	Had a listen, this is a beautiful song (my battery was low last night). Well put together, beautifully sung, very relaxing. IMHO I agree getting shy of some of the squeak would improve it heaps. This went over to “I bet you weren’t expecting this”. Yes you’re right I was not expecting this. Really very nice. As I commented earlier use a process such as Spectral Editing which will help get shy of string squeak one can also use the same procedure to reduce essing. It is a very simple procedure that is very quick (once you’ve done it a couple of times). Well done Tony Last edited by Teunis; 08/04/19 10:00 PM. HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home, Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612 BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548208 08/05/19 01:25 AM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 6,248 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc Veteran
rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 6,248 Cooran Queensland Australia	Originally Posted By: Roger Brown Thanks for the feedback. As I've mentioned on other posts, my use for the songs & tracks I record are for pitching purposes. I simply face a point of diminishing return when it comes to the amount of time I spend on these. RB Ah, makes complete sense then. For me I try to make them as good as I can get them as I know no one else will want to use them. That's the principal reason I seek singers for my songs rather than grunting & autotuning a facsimile of the melody. I'm also pretty poor in the melody stakes so a sing that can add a communicative voice and melody is key. I'm always stunned at my sensitivity to squeaks and essing as I'd have thought my tinnitus would've reduced the sensitivity - instead those things and unnecessary volume/level bug me. Thanks for the clarification. BIAB is a superb demo tool. Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Teunis #548209 08/05/19 01:34 AM User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 6,248 Cooran Queensland Australia rayc Veteran
rayc Veteran Joined: Apr 2016 Posts: 6,248 Cooran Queensland Australia	Originally Posted By: Teunis IMHO the easiest way to reduce string squeak is by Spectral Editing. Tony Thanks and yep, Tony, that works a treat - except for the colour-blind - which I'm not so that leaves it as something I can use when needed. I've found that, at certain level of zoom, the wave form of esses is very easy to spot and using pre FX volume automation from the visual & auditory perspective does the job well. Kenny also demonstrates setting up an EQ -> Comp chain that does a great job once the frequency is isolated. It's a little complex to set up but, if saved as an FX chain, is easy to use. I've it saved to use as & when needed. Thanks for the perspective and the reminder to use that spectral editing sequence more often. Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It rayc #548214 08/05/19 01:57 AM User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2019 Posts: 251 TN R Roger Brown OP Apprentice
OP Roger Brown Apprentice R Joined: Jul 2019 Posts: 251 TN	Originally Posted By: rayc Originally Posted By: Teunis IMHO the easiest way to reduce string squeak is by Spectral Editing. Tony Thanks and yep, Tony, that works a treat - except for the colour-blind - which I'm not so that leaves it as something I can use when needed. I've found that, at certain level of zoom, the wave form of esses is very easy to spot and using pre FX volume automation from the visual & auditory perspective does the job well. Kenny also demonstrates setting up an EQ -> Comp chain that does a great job once the frequency is isolated. It's a little complex to set up but, if saved as an FX chain, is easy to use. I've it saved to use as & when needed. Thanks for the perspective and the reminder to use that spectral editing sequence more often. I, unfortunately, AM color blind. http://www.rogerbrownsongs.com http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/roger-brown

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548215 08/05/19 02:20 AM User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2016 Posts: 1,169 Gold Coast, Queensland, Austra... Teunis Expert
Teunis Expert Joined: Dec 2016 Posts: 1,169 Gold Coast, Queensland, Austra...	Well I think it is still easy to see the blobs of noise (unwanted noise) higher than the rest of the Spectral graph. Why would I bother. Well I think the song is truly excellent and to have it suffer through something that can be easy fixed is a real pity. I went past the McLaren car dealership this morning. What really made the cars stand out was the polish (which I would think would be the easiest part of the presentation.) I really like the song Tony Last edited by Teunis; 08/05/19 02:22 AM. HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home, Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612 BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548221 08/05/19 03:33 AM User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2019 Posts: 251 TN R Roger Brown OP Apprentice
OP Roger Brown Apprentice R Joined: Jul 2019 Posts: 251 TN	As I've said previously....I'm not making commercially available recordings, I'm making song demos. The intended audience for my projects (recording artists/producers/etc.) are listening to the melody, the feel, and most importantly the lyric. The mix is totally irrelevant to them, because (assuming they like the song) they're going to re-record it anyway. I write on average 60-100 songs per year, in addition to producing 3 artists, administering my publishing, and serving as legislative chair on the BOD of the songwriters association. The ROI of spending too much time on demo mixes simply isn't there for me. I don't disagree at all that there are sibilance issues, I stated that previously. It's not worth a remix for me, because quite frankly, I've never even once in my career had an artist turn down a song because they didn't like the mix of the demo. The first song I ever had recorded, for example...we recorded the tracks with studio musicians at 10am, along with 5 other songs. About 30 minutes was spent on each song. After lunch, I sang the vocals to all 6 songs. We then mixed, and by about 8 or 9pm I walked out of the studio with the final mixes. They were, by commercial standards, pitiful - I would never have wanted them released on something like spotify or iTunes if they had existed then. In spite of that, Tanya Tucker recorded one of the songs from that session, and two others were recorded as well by indy artists. If I could justify the time to go back & tweak some things, I certainly would - but I can't. I do appreciate your thoughts & critique. http://www.rogerbrownsongs.com http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/roger-brown

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548264 08/05/19 09:18 AM User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 1,944 Texas Jim Expert
Jim Expert Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 1,944 Texas	Nice hook... And thought provoking lyrics... Good job. Jim †=☮&♥

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548266 08/05/19 09:25 AM User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 2,661 F.M.M. Veteran
F.M.M. Veteran Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 2,661	hi roger really well done great vocal and mix its all been said eric AMD (TM) 5950 4.9 GHz 16Core Processor 64 bit 32 bits of ram windows 10 pro 64 bit os. sound card Antelope ZenQ guitars Ibanez 2202a 1968 les Paul Custom and Cavin ae 185 Guitar boss Gt-100,GT1000 pedal Yamaha HS8 studio monitors

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548290 08/05/19 12:05 PM User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,272 Midwest HearToLearn Veteran
HearToLearn Veteran Joined: Aug 2010 Posts: 2,272 Midwest	Personally I like your approach to song demos. It makes perfect sense to me. It's why you are able to turn out the number of songs you do that are actually not desperate attempts and just pushing songs out. Your songs work! Well done! Chad (Hope that makes it easier) TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.

Re: It Ain't Funny, Is It Roger Brown #548365 08/06/19 03:59 AM User Showcase
Joined: Feb 2017 Posts: 3,414 Deryk - PG Music PG Music Staff
Deryk - PG Music PG Music Staff Joined: Feb 2017 Posts: 3,414	Wow - you really did a number on this one. Very thought provoking, and very relatable on the lyrical side of things. The entire tune is soaked in a layer of sincerity and heartbreak. I loved the instrumentation as well - really lush, and simply gorgeous to listen to. You should be proud of this one - thanks for sharing! Cheers, Deryk

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