Lane Mckanes big mistake

**jaynkate01** · 11-08-2011, 10:10 AM

This is a second piece that I have written for fictitious private eye, "Long Lane Mckane".
I was trying to make it sound like a title theme for a tv show.
I use jabb horns and gpo strings.
I hope you enjoy it.

www.jesse.us.com/lane_mckanes_big_mistake.mp3

Jay

**swinkler** · 11-08-2011, 11:42 AM

Wonderful job and writing. I like the changes very much. Very subtle use of the horns. I wonder if you could vary the background figures though. That's really the only comment I have for "improvement".

Great job again though and the balance is good too.

**jaynkate01** · 11-08-2011, 12:36 PM

Steve. Thanks for listening and commenting. I did not think that the background figures were that repetitive. If you could take the time, could you point out the background figure or figures that stood out to you as needing variety. It really would help me out.
Thanks, Jay

**Plowking** · 11-08-2011, 12:59 PM

Very nice - smooth sound. I too noted that it seemed to lack variation after a while. Maybe there are subtle changes - but perhaps too subtle? Hard to say, seemed to be very much within a small pitch range - steady and straight all the way through. Nothing wrong with that -but perhaps that lends to what we perceive as lack of variation here though.

**swinkler** · 11-08-2011, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by jaynkate01

Steve. Thanks for listening and commenting. I did not think that the background figures were that repetitive. If you could take the time, could you point out the background figure or figures that stood out to you as needing variety. It really would help me out.
Thanks, Jay

I was talking about the sustained notes the saxes play. Near the end of the piece they seem to play the same chords/voicings as when they first came in.

**Cass Hansen** · 11-08-2011, 02:12 PM

Jay,

This isn't the type of music I write (or should say, can't write) or listen to usually, but I thoroughly enjoyed this! Smooth, gliding, and satisfying I didn't find it repetitive or showing lack of variation. But perhaps that's just me and I don't have the ear for it or it shows my ignorance; regardless, I thought it was a great track as is, wouldn't change it.

I was also really impressed with the rendering! I don't know if it is typical to split the cymbals and high hat off to the extreme R and L channels while keeping the main trap set towards the center, but I really liked the sound of it. Another question, on placing your instruments in the stereo field, especially front and back, did you use compression on some of the instruments to make them "stand out" or not? Or do you vary the pre-delay and/or early reflections on the reverb. Just wondering how you go about it because I really liked the placement.

Anyway, super cool; great track for a private eye!

Cass

**jaynkate01** · 11-08-2011, 05:58 PM

Cass. I am pleased that you enjoyed this. I did not intend to split the hi hat and cymbals from the drum set. The samples that I used are panned that way. I plan adjust that. Thanks for pointing that out. I did not use any compression and I used sonar's perfect space(performance hall) for reverb. I also used an equalizer(fabfilter) on each instrument and on the final merged audio track.

Steve. Thanks for clarifying.

Plowking. Thanks for the nice words. I was trying to emulate a tv series title theme here. Perhaps I got a little carried away with the fun of writing it and did not notice an overall sameness in the sound.

Thank you all for your much appreciated comments.
Jay

**rbowser-** · 11-08-2011, 07:51 PM

The smooooth jazzmeister is back! - Cool as ever, Jay - This really has that "mellow sounds for your late evening listening pleasure" groove to it.

And as always, I'm impressed with the sense of effortless control you have over all the instruments.

I want to talk about the mix, and some of this may involve some of the arrangement details also:

--This works as a smooth groove jazz track, as I said on the onset. But I think it would work even better if the balances were played with. Some instruments are So far in the background as to almost sound like a simple muted GM "Warm Pad"--or something like that. The vibes are So way out ahead of everything else, to the point of feeling out of proportion to me.

--But more specifically to your stated goal, which you say is to sound like a TV show theme, and one for this detective character. With that being the case, I really feel it's safe to say that your balance is sabotaging that goal. I think it needs to be Way more amped up - and probably with more muscle being put into the arrangement, not just in the mix.

--Picture what TV show themes sound like. Even the more mellow ones are setting up the mood for a drama. They have a lot packed into a very short time. How about the great, classic theme from Perry Mason - That's TV jazz, big dramatic, still very musical, a really good piece of writing. But with the drums and brass Much more in your face.

--Detective - you're thinking of the more bluesy, smokey jazz associated with older detective characters I think - Great, but even something like that would need to be bolstered way up in the decibal and drama department.

Makes me itch to try a hand at a meatier re-mix, to see how much of what I'm picturing could be done with the tracks as they are, and how much additional layering would be needed.

I like this, Jay - Your opening description just set me up for something very different from what I heard, and so I wanted to pass on some thoughts on that.

Randy

**sec2** · 11-09-2011, 02:37 AM

I am with Cass, I just love your sound and wouldn' t change a bit about it. It's a smokey jazz piece, it needs to be somehow slipping under the curtains. "Sameness", if any, is a plus, here. Only thing, probably, that sax is a bit too much in the back and generally lacks something in expression, but ok, just details.

**jaynkate01** · 11-09-2011, 09:06 AM

Hey Randy! Thanks much for listening and commenting.
I really wanted to bring the horns out more because I spent some time on the voicings, but no matter what I tried, they always seemed, to me, to overwhelm the vibes(cool vibes) to the point where the melody was sometimes hard to discern. This is probably why the vibes sound so much up front. The way it is now, I can hardly hear the horn voicings. I never did like that but my humble mixing skills could not find a way past it. I was trying to be understated with the arrangement, but I am now thinking that it is too understated. I remember your posting of the Perry Mason theme. It was fantastic. If you are truly itchy about trying your hand at this piece, I would love to have the "DORIAN" master put his mark on it. I could send you whatever you need. Let me know.

sec2. Thanks for the nice words. I agree with you about the horns. I explained the reason for that with the my above reply to Randy.

I love getting comments on my work, praise and critique. The best way I can improve my stuff is by finding out what is NOT working for the listener.
Thanks Jay