New work in progress - Labyrinthine

Working on a new track - a bit different than my usual stuff - more melody and softer sounds at the begininning followed by progressively more challenging solo. Calling this one 'Labyrinthine' becuase everything gets more complicated before returning to a basic theme. Probably sticking with the format up to the 2 min mark - not sure what's going to come after this point yet but looking forward to maxing out one some uber complicated passages before coming back to the central theme (hence the track title). Will rerecord everything when I work out the structure so please ignore the mistakes! Work in progress so far - hope you like it.
http://www.mp3unsigned.com/showmp3.asp?mp3ID=49219

Hey man great stuff!! I like to listen to some of your stuff when I am doing computer work. I also listen to some instrumental rock stations on Soundclick. I like the way you used the Morgan Freeman Soundclip in your song Contact. I have had some ideas along that line myself. My skills are not far enough along yet though. I do have a question.... well a couple actually. I have been getting into recording and I was wondering what kind of DAW software you are using and do you use any external devices like Desktop control surfaces that have faders and other controls. I have been using Traction with Amplitube and the IK plug to put the guitar right into the computer or I have been going through my GNX4 into Traction. I have also been using Toontracks EZ Drummer and a Keyboard to help make drum loops. Any advice you could give would be great. I figure you are the person to ask since the quality of your recordings are so amazing. Keep up the good work!!!!

Thanks for the feedback! Re my home setup I do everything on a high spec pc with 4GB ram and an outboard M-Audio Delta 1010 rack mounted soundcard. My DAW consists of Cubase SX3 but if I was starting out again I would go with Reaper - I really like Cubase because of the easy to use interface and the midi capabilities (very flexible for VST's). I also have a Mackie HUI DAW controller for manipulating Cubase becuase trying to fiddle with knobs and faders using a mouse kills me! A budget option for a controller is also the Tascam US428 - I had one before upgrading to the HUI, makes life so much easier. I use EZ-drummer now too, used to use DFHS but found it too difficult to mix the drums to get a nice sound. I play everything now through a Rocktron Prophesy II fx/tube preamp - I love the tones out of this thing, fits my playing style perfectly plus it has an excellent speaker simulator for recording direct - I go straight to the Delta, I only use the HUI as a controller. I'm not the best at mixing but am getting slowly better - I do everything in Cubase SX3 including VST inserts and effects/compression from a UAD-1 card. I'm not much use at EQ but when I do use it I go with the CUbase generic parametric EQ.

Thanks for the info. Sounds like you have invested some money in your setup. Thats what I am looking to do also but I am worried about spending a couple of grand and then finding out that half of what I bought needs to go back for something else. You know the scenario of either not getting something that can do everything you want or getting something that does stuff your will never use. I have been studying some of the gear in Sweatwaters catalog and they seem to have a real good support team to answer questions and help with setup. So I will probably buy through them since I live out in the sticks and do not have a good local music store.
I am looking to get a nice control surface like you have so I do not have to use the mouse with my DAW. I get frustrated trying to remember where to click to find the drop down menus to do what I need. Nothing like wasting a whole Sunday trying to figure out the software when you are dying to record a track that has been in your head all week. Thats been the routine for me lately. Some of this stuff has a pretty steep learning curve. But like anything worthwhile I guess it just takes time.
I am surprised to hear you say you would use reaper if you started over. I have heard about this program and did not give it much consideration since you never see it mentioned in any publications. I guess I will have to look at it again. Alright I will stop blabbing now. Thanks again for the info and keep up the good work your stuff sounds great! Its very inspiring. Let me know when you get your CD done.

The reason I would go with Reaper if I was starting again is becuase of the price and the fact that it does everything Cubase and ProTools do. The prioce is...wait for it.... FREE. You can make a donation of about 30 or 40 dollars I think to the developers should you decide to keep it but it is free to download and is uncrippled with full functionality. Check out homerecording.com for info on it, lots of pros with their own studios are using it now too. Get it here: http://reaper.fm/download.php
Yeah, I spent a lot of cash getting to where I am now (traded in and up on E-Bay over the past two years) but my current setup is the skimmed down version (ditched the PODxt, stompboxes, amps, Mesa rig etc), I don't bother with the Marshall amp or Mesa Boogie rigs gear anymore, the Rocktron unit does it all for guitars now - it's the only purchase I've ever made that I am 100% satisfied with.
The only thing I may ever look at next would be some preamps or an upgreade from the Delta 1010.... maybe an Appogee AD8000.... better cut up the credit card, 'GAS' attack coming on! :p

My absolute favorite piece from you so far and it's not even done yet. I look forward to hearing this finished.

I checked out the Rocktron Prophesy II man that is pretty sic. It makes my Digitech GNX4 look pretty weak. Now its time to go and check out reaper... Thanks again for all the info.

love your tone, as always. to me it always screams "restraint". this whole tune was far from flashy, and it sounded awesome. good stuff. the melody gets a little stale in some parts but thats simply because the backing instruments lack variation. i've heard alot of your finished stuff, so i'm sure you'll rev it up a bit. this tune sounds like it has a lot of room for unique ideas. pull out the synthesizer and get a little alternative wankage going on.

Hey Super,

Nice tune. Much more mellower than your up tempo prog stuff.

I think it's a great start. Nice sounding drums too mate ;)

Shaz