sorry, a new song again.

Tuomas · Mon 19/03/2007 15:13:55

So this one's new. Making it was an experience. this friend of mine was complaining on msn that she was bored. So i told her to write a poem and then I'd compose something over it. So she did. The poem turned out to be really good, here it is:

Ruumiisi kylmÃ¤ ja eloton.
Lumihiutaleet ripsiisi sulaneet.
ElÃ¤mÃ¤ julma kai on,
rakkauden sanat eivÃ¤t viimeisiksi jÃ¤Ã¤neet.

Vei talvi kylmÃ¤ sinut mennessÃ¤Ã¤n,
ja sammui tuli silmiesi.
Vain ruusu kaunis kylmissÃ¤Ã¤n,
viimeisen reittisi yksin tiesi.

Viho viimeinen hymysi,
se kauan kirkkaana mielessÃ¤ni leimusi.
Kosketuksesi, ihollani niin kevyt,
oli silloin maailmani vielÃ¤ tÃ¤ysin ehyt.

Jos vain edes kerran tieni luoksesi johtaisi,
missÃ¤ kylmÃ¤, kaunis tÃ¤htesi hohtaisi.
Syliisi vaipua tahtoisin.
EikÃ¶ rakkauteni riittÃ¤nyt, kysyisin.

Yeah, pure Finnish, but it'll help you with the lyrics. See, I recorded this with my nylon acoustic guitar this time. What I did was taking the headset with the microphone, Placed the mic inside the hole on the guitar just under the strings, and then I taped it so that it wouldn't bounce or go off. Then I plugged in the mic, and started playing. Once through, and then a solo. well, the mic had a problem with the small solo, it broke some of the sounds. So with 2 tracks, one recording each, here it is.

I made my brother sing for it because obviously I can't as heard in my earlier thread http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/yabb/index.php?topic=30068.0, and he went for a kind of (if you know) Pekka Streng/Petri Petterson, as in the Finnish 60's-70's accent clear singing, which I very much like, so kindly Peder hosted the song for me, and here you go, tell me what you think. I know it's a bit slow, I nowadays play it quicer, so it annoys me, but it doesn't annoy you

I hope...

Music/composition/guitar: Tuomas Renvall
Lyrics: Elina Kolehmainen
Singing: Lauri Renvall

http://www.sonsofgaia.net/AGS/valmis.mp3

Nikolas · Mon 19/03/2007 16:16:42

It is very nice!

Very very nice!

I want 2-3 things, if possible...

i. Can I get a translation of the song?
ii. Could I get the 3 tracks seperately? (2 guitars and the voice, or at least the guitars seperated from the voice?) so I can try to mix it?
iii. Can I try some things on your song?

The music is quite lovely, if maybe a little repeated, but it didn't bother me a bit! The rythm adn the stops work great! The solo enters a little weird and there are some problems wit hthe volume, but nothing that can't be fixed.

Your brothers voice works great.

All in all, I'm nto exactly strict as I see very much potential in the song! Not that there aren't things to work on, but it works as it is, and it's not a professional level where I would be much stricter...

Anyways, if you wouldn't mind to share the tracks I'd gladly try something overnight or tomorrow at some point...

Bah... Why not contact you in MSN? :p

Tuomas · Mon 19/03/2007 17:34:30

Because I was away. I'll see to diggin up the tracks, if I still have them as tracks, and not just a whole wave file

btw, thanks.

auriond · Mon 19/03/2007 22:25:04

I really liked this song, and can't wait to see how Nikolas is going to mix it!

Nikolas · Mon 19/03/2007 22:42:02

Oh

The pressure the pressure!

God I'ts getting to me

Ok. I got the tracks from Tuomas (thanks for the trust) and hope to fix em up later on tonight or tomorrow the latest...

I really hope I do justice to this lovely song

Tuomas · Mon 19/03/2007 23:00:34

Quote from: Nikolas on Mon 19/03/2007 22:42:02
hope to fix em up

Hey! It wasn't THAT bad!

accolyte · Tue 20/03/2007 16:14:38

A very nice relaxing song. Good work!

Nikolas · Thu 22/03/2007 00:10:29

ok!

I got the files from Tuomas and worked on the song quite a lot of time. It got stuck in my head nad couldn't get it out actually! It's very catchy and very sensetive song!

www.nikolas-sideris.com/AGS/valmis.mp3

I did quite a few bits which I will name right after this sentence :p

1. I tried to make the sound of all the files consistant, as some notes here and there in the guitar were not heard enough and other small details.
2. Most wav files were distorted, with the most distorted being the solo guitar. I salvaged everything, but the solo was too difficult to save.
3. I made a midi file with a guitar sample from Geoffkhan (!) to copy the solo. It doesn't really sound THAT great, so Tuomas has the file without the solo to put his own solo on. And it is slightly out of sync... :S
4. I reduced the sound from all files, and especially the vocals which have some buzzing (prolly the mic).
5. Added reverb to all files (different ammounts), to give a little depth. For the vocals I used the "glaceverb" which is a fine reverb for such things and free.
6. Added some sound fx in the begining and middle and everywhere the voice was not present. I just felt that I needed something like that, to make it interesting. Not sure it fits, but it's not sci-fi or anything. Everything is "natural" sounds, like bowed cymballs, or bass harmonics and the such (with some reverb in places).
7. Added solo violin, viola and violoncello somewhere in the middle.

Mixing wise I think that it's not bad, but still maybe the guitar is burried at some places from the sfx, which will change later on....

Other than that I hope you like it.

Ozzie · Thu 22/03/2007 03:55:05

I think in some terms your edit is better and in other it is worse than the original.
I personally think that the added sound effects feel misplaced. Some reverb seems overused.
The changed solo is really very out-of-sync.
For me the orginal solo part seems better even with the distortion.

Otherwise, the added violins are lovely.
And the reverb on the voice is fitting.

About the original: I also like it very much. That's cool because I thought that the last song from Tuomas was terrible.
But this one has some very nice guitar work.
I hope you continue to improve!!

Tuomas · Thu 22/03/2007 07:03:05

Quote from: Ozzie on Thu 22/03/2007 03:55:05
About the original: I also like it very much. That's cool because I thought that the last song from Tuomas was terrible.
But this one has some very nice guitar work.
I hope you continue to improve!!

:D:D 8) You know I actually couldn't agree more now that I've listened to it quite a few times. But I like the song, it's just me playing and singing and recording that makes it so bad

Anyway, as I said to Nik, I agree that the violin sounds great as does the singing, after his mixing. he basically named it already. What I'd like too, that the guitar was a bit louder. Because basically I compose songs to go along with only one guitar, and sometimes singing, then if I can't hear my guitar, I can't hear my song and it turns to something else :/ Nevertheless, I've got more songs and a better soundcard+mic coming very soon. Just need to arse myself to record them

auriond · Thu 22/03/2007 08:15:42

I agree that the guitar needs to be louder, and possibly some stereo effects would help too - the guitar sounds oddly mono and far away. I absolutely love the strings added near the middle though, but the sound effects sound strangely like a brass gong (!) which sounds a little out of place.

So in summary: strings and voice rock, guitar needs to be "brought closer" and the sound effects are overkill.

Nikolas · Thu 22/03/2007 08:47:37

yup, I think that I will agree on all points:

The solo needs binning basically and hope that Tuomas will write a new on on the top.
The sfx seem like an overkill, I realy spent time on this, but if everybody feels they should go away then...
Strings stay...
Reverb on voice stays.
The solo was quite bad with the distortion and that's why I chose not to keep it. I don't play the guitar sadly and samples in every case suck pretty bad, I know...

About the guitar, the file was mono, and I didn't think of putting it some stereo effects but will do so, before I give the file for the solo to Tuomas.

Keep in mind that some things (mainly the low volume in the guitar as well as the sound fx), are there to cover problems in the files.

anyways you are correct...

PS. It is various cymballs, I think I mentioned it before, so it is exactly that, brass gong!

auriond · Thu 22/03/2007 08:57:22

^^; sorry, I think I missed that bit about the cymbals... well, the brass sound doesn't go with the strings, is what I think. Sorry that you spent so much time on it... I understand that you felt that you needed to fill in the parts with no voice, but I think a deep cello or bass would sound better.

I tried mixing too, just for fun, using the original mp3. It's mostly balance, to bring the voice closer to the centre and balance out the guitar. Personally I pefer the original. This one emphasises the distortion and doesn't sound as clean, but since I did it I might as well post it up.

http://www.auriond.net/ags/valmis01.mp3

Tuomas · Thu 22/03/2007 11:10:48

Your mix sounds quite good too actually. Peronally I don't find the distortion in the solo that annoying knowing it's my song, but if I'd want to professionally record something I'd love the violin from Nik's and the guitar-singing from auriond's. Though Nik's singing was good though... meh :/ guess easiest would be to just stay with the original or only perform it live