New Escape and Grand Illusion Audio Tracks - Let's Try Again

[eclipse]

OK, it is late here, but I have posted some additional tunes for both Escape and Grand Illusion.

Hear them at:
http://www.myspace.com/originalescape

and
http://www.myspace.com/grandillusionrocks

New Eclipse tunes will be posted tomorrow night.

Peace!

Paul

[Don]

http://www.myspace.com/originalescape

http://www.myspace.com/grandillusionrocks

[Liquid_Drummer]

The room is causing the drums to arrive at the mic later than the music coming out of the mains on Ask the Lonley and the other new clips. Just so people know why the drums sound off. Thanks Paul..

[eclipse]

The room is causing the drums to arrive at the mic later than the music coming out of the mains on Ask the Lonley and the other new clips. Just so people know why the drums sound off. Thanks Paul..

Thanks, L.D. I thought that people would figure that out. . Serious bounceback in that room, and the vocals aren't loud enough, but at least there is no crap kick drum issue.

Sly Fox Friday should be much better.

[G.I.Jim]

The room is causing the drums to arrive at the mic later than the music coming out of the mains on Ask the Lonley and the other new clips. Just so people know why the drums sound off. Thanks Paul..

I'm glad you mentioned it...most people would have assumed there was a serious timing issue! Still sounds good though. I can't wait to hear some better quality recordings.

[eclipse]

The room is causing the drums to arrive at the mic later than the music coming out of the mains on Ask the Lonley and the other new clips. Just so people know why the drums sound off. Thanks Paul..

I'm glad you mentioned it...most people would have assumed there was a serious timing issue! Still sounds good though. I can't wait to hear some better quality recordings.

I recorded back by the board and I think the sound guy had a monitor back there so he could hear better, but the drums weren't coming through it. Life would be simpler with a dedicated sound guy, but we don't have that option - yet.

Any volunteers? And I literally mean "volunteer". LMAO!

[G.I.Jim]

The room is causing the drums to arrive at the mic later than the music coming out of the mains on Ask the Lonley and the other new clips. Just so people know why the drums sound off. Thanks Paul..

I'm glad you mentioned it...most people would have assumed there was a serious timing issue! Still sounds good though. I can't wait to hear some better quality recordings.

I recorded back by the board and I think the sound guy had a monitor back there so he could hear better, but the drums weren't coming through it. Life would be simpler with a dedicated sound guy, but we don't have that option - yet.

Any volunteers? And I literally mean "volunteer". LMAO!

[Liquid_Drummer]

If I lived close hell yea I would do it. I know how to mix harmonies. Just tell the sound guy this. Backup singers that are doing high falsetto have to be lower in the mix than the people that are doing full voice harmonies. Falsetto sounds weak on its own but when mixed properly with the full voices you get the proper blend for desired effect. Make sure the lead singer is panned dead center and that the back ups all have their own little place in the stereo field.

In other words you dont want two people that are singing harmonies that are close in pitch both panned right at 2'oclock or they will cluttered and try to bury each other. If you have 5 singers and a dumb sound guy or you have to mix from the stage yourself you need a one size fits all mix. I mix like this under those conditions.


Lead vox dead center
backing one left 8-9 o'clock
backing two right 1-2 o'clock
backing three left 11 o'clock
backing four right 3 o'clock. (the high falsetto harmonies should go in the channels with the hardest panning as it addresses their volume as compared to the full voice singers. Hard panning drops the volume a bit)

Bass, kick and snare can be dead center with the vox however the toms and keys need to be panned around a bit to find the sweet spots and thats where it gets tricky with that many singers. With two guitar players I pan one at 10 oclock and one at 2. Again keys are tricky because they can use the same dynamic range as a singer, bass player or guitar due to their tonal possibilities but most treat and mix keys as they would guitars.. When in a pinch this type of mix has worked well for me and to be honest a lot of the floyd mix you have heard uses this basic formula however since we had a very good sound man he would change up the mix for the song.

Just make sure everything has its own little space in the mix. I think of the mix visually as a clock and give everyone a little space on the clock.

[eclipse]

If I lived close hell yea I would do it. I know how to mix harmonies. Just tell the sound guy this. Backup singers with that are doing high falsetto have to be lower in the mix than the people that are doing full voice harmonies. Falsetto sounds weak on its own but when mixed properly with the full voices you get the desired effect. Make sure the lead singer is panned dead center and that the back ups all have their own little place in the stereo field.

In other words you dont want two people that are singing harmonies that are close in pitch both panned right at 2'oclock or they will cluttered and try to bury each other. If you have 5 singers and a dumb sound guy or you have to mix from the stage yourself you need a one size fits all mix. I mix like this under those conditions.


Lead vox dead center
backing one left 8-9 o'clock
backing two left 1-2 o'clock
backing three left 11 o'clock
backing four left 2.

Bass, kick and snare can be dead center with the vox however the toms need to be panned around a bit. With two guitar players I pan one at 10 oclock and one at 2. When in a pinch this type of mix has worked well for me and to be honest a lot of the floyd mix you have heard uses this basic formula however since we had a very good sound man he would change up the mix for the song.

A down side of having four guys share lead vocals. I even gave the sound guy at Aces a color-coded set list that Jason created so he would know which of us was singing lead on each song (he had never worked with us before). All these recordings were part of an Eclipse show. Jason sings about half, with George and I singing 25% each and Fred singing one or two. When we run our own sound from stage, I boost/drop the faders accordingly.

My hope is that we will have their main sound guy this Friday, and that he will get the mix dialed in during the Eclipse portion of the show since Jason will be singing lead on everything in the Escape set (other than my Greg Rolie leads in Feelin/Anytime and JTSW).

We have 3 BGV (drummer can't sing). I know it sounds like a whole choir, but there are only 3 of us. And NO TRACKS! LOL I cover the single part harmonies and the really high parts (with a few exceptions). Then George and then Fred. It helps to have someone like Jason pick aprt and help us build the harmonies. Great harmonies can truly set a band apart, especially one doing a lot of melodic rock like Journey and Styx.

[Liquid_Drummer]

There is only 3 of you ? Damn, you fooled my ear bub. I thought I heard at least 4. Must have been some weird harmonic thing from the recording.

[eclipse]

There is only 3 of you ? Damn, you fooled my ear bub. I thought I heard at least 4. Must have been some weird harmonic thing from the recording.

Well, three plus Jason......

[Liquid_Drummer]

Ahhh ok....

[Saint John]

Paul, do you have a clip of "Runaway?" People need to hear Jason at the end of that song. The vocal I heard in Ohio at the end of that song was every bit as impressive as Perry singing a similar part on Mother, Father on the 81 DVD.

[eclipse]

Paul, do you have a clip of "Runaway?" People need to hear Jason at the end of that song. The vocal I heard in Ohio at the end of that song was every bit as impressive as Perry singing a similar part on Mother, Father on the 81 DVD.

I'll take a look. I may have a part of that song (if not the whole thing). I am going through Eclipse songs (i.e. Non-Journey and non-Styx) after work tonight to update that page. And I will label who sings lead on what song (for example, I sing lead and do the high part at the end of Ah Leah, not Jason). People like what he does at the end of Runaway.

[eclipse]

I have added a few more sings to the Eclipse MySpace page. I also labeled the predominant lead vocalist on each.

I have more to post, and am still looking for a Runaway clip for Saint John.

Hopefully tonight.

[Liquid_Drummer]

Sounding great on the new tunes. You guys should consider doing some Boston. Thanks for posting Paul. Cant wait to get up there.

[eclipse]

Sounding great on the new tunes. You guys should consider doing some Boston. Thanks for posting Paul. Cant wait to get up there.

We have toyed with the idea of some Boston. Possibly even "When Your Love Comes Back Around" by RTZ (Delp's follow-up band). GREAT power ballad.

We have been focused on Journey and Styx lately, but starting next week, we will be adding more tunes to the Eclipse playlist. Our next extravaganza will probably be the long version of "Blinded By The Light". I am also lobbying for "On The Loose" by Saga. Stuff that shows not only vocal skills, but instruments as well (kind of like the Kansas tune).