Better Believe

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

This one...it started out as an instrumental. After it was finished I decided to add lyrics and vocals. Now it confuses me...I'm not really sure what to do with it or what it needs. Any comments or suggestions are welcome...very interested to see if this one is appealing or annoying. Thanks! -Mark

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6864550

Better Believe

Sailing past the faces
And the numbers and the names
You’ve been burned too many times before
So you just won’t play the game

But no one takes you nowhere
And there’s nothing there to see
So you better believe in someone like me
You better believe

Lovers promise you the world
But they only steal you blind
Now you’re done with lies and takers
You’re gonna leave them all behind

But no one takes you nowhere
And there’s nothing there to see
So you better believe in someone like me
You better believe

I believe in someone who believes in me
Give me a reason believe

Love just brings you pain and tears
Now you won’t even take the chance
Choose a life of lonely days and nights
Over passion and romance

But no one takes you nowhere
And there’s nothing there to see
So you better believe in someone like me
You better believe

Copyright 2008 by Mark Kaufman

[kiramdear]

Great song, Mark. I really like the writing and singing. My only comment is the drums are too pervasive, maybe too complex, and too heavy of effects on them.
Can you tell us how you did the recording? I'm in the middle of a GarageBand project and would love to share comments with you.

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

Thanks Kira. Wow, you really look a lot like Audrey Hepburn!

Yes, I agree about the drums...I'm still clumsy at the multitude of effects that are available in this digital world, and I have definitely overprocessed the drum sound. I'll try to fix that in the next couple days. There's too much trebly mud in the whole mix.

How did I do it? I started out messing around with a keyboard and came up with that Rhodes organ riff. From there I pieced together a drum track using EZ Drummer, and a bass line (with my trusty '72 4001). I did a lot of copying and pasting with the electric guitar and the Rhodes sound, with a little background synth and an acoustic guitar coming in at the chorus. The original track recordings are all very clear, but when I start messing with compression and EQ and reverb and stereo enhancement...that's when things get chancy. I record with Cubase, not familiar with Garageband...but always happy to discuss recording. It's my jones.

Thanks again, Kira, that was very helpful to me.

-Mark

[kiramdear]

Ha ha, that's a picture of my inner self, much better looking than the actual old carcass

I've got Cubase but I haven't actually tried a project yet. GarageBand is so dang "friendly" that I'll probably stick until I outgrow it (which may be never). But do tell all about it...

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

I think if you feel comfortable with Garageband you should stick with it. For our purposes--presenting our own music as best we can without going into a studio--they both deliver the same result. Cubase has more capabilities all told, but having listened to your song, I don't see the point of learning a new DAW...your recording sounds excellent.

[beatlefreak]

I like it, Mark!

[walker]

Very cool, Mark. Love the gritty edge. That overdriven honkey-bass organ patch rules. Hard to imagine this withOUT the vocals.

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

I like it, Mark!

Thanks Kris!

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

Very cool, Mark. Love the gritty edge. That overdriven honkey-bass organ patch rules. Hard to imagine this withOUT the vocals.

High praise coming from you, Mr. Walker. Thank you!

It actually sounded pretty cool and techno before the vocals were added...the vocals tied it all together and made it sound like a true song. Without them, you could tell it was a series of sampled bits.

The organ part is a free plug-in called "MrRay Seventy Three". It was designed to emulate the old Rhodes Mark I. Here, you can have it too: http://www.kvraudio.com/get/1658.html

Unless you meant that clavinet sound that starts everything. That one is called "Ticky Clav", and I'll give you that one too, since it was also free: http://www.kvraudio.com/get/190.html

Thanks again for the listen! -mk

[antipodean]

Mark,

I love this track! Great composition, arrangement and performance. That bass line is sweet! I'm looking forward to hearing the tweaked version.

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

Thanks Evan! It won't be tweaked too much more...so far, this is about the current limit of my home engineering skills...but I keep learning and trying, and each one gets a little better. I appreciate the listen! -Mark