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The end comes as a surprise. After ....14 months? 15 months? 12 months? crikey when did we start this again? hang on i'll look it up.

Ok so Morning flame was released as a single in Feb 27 2024.

Therefore we're just over a year if you imagine it probably took a month to make MF.

Once again, our present production rate is around a song a month, with a little variability.

Since 2020, when I became the resource for editing and mixing, we've been making things in an ongoing song by song production process.

Previous to Signposts, our...i have to look it up....13th album, our process was to gather the songs, do it all in one fast hit in the studio cos we're 'frugal'.

I am certain that this alternate approach has changed the nature of the songs and how they work. I'm of the opinion that it is normal and to be expected as a band grows and changes.

I still feel like we have been in a wonderful pocket of quiet that has enabled us to produce work we're happy with, without the glare of expectation. Count your strange blessings.

After last nights walk around the circuit, I only made 4 notes on fixing.

• Solace main up one decibel

• morning flame down half a decibel

•  liquidator up 1/2 dB

• Turn the front vocals up in the yearning

The new order works. True to concept, the first half of the album now crashes through the wall like the kool aid character, until we hit 'where am i' when it takes a blessedly slower approach until the end of the album. I reckon this is like an A side and B side - A is full on power B is much more chill. A little like the Safe Harbour/Rogue State approach.

As the releases are digital it's much of a muchness, but I am considering doing a small Audio Cassette run.

new order:

zeppelin/solace/morning flame/by myself without you/liquidator/crossfire/psychedelic surfer/the king is back/heavens on my shoulders/where am i/2 week millionaire/the yearning/the fix is in/the duke/waiting on a message from bob.

Final Review Phase

I have formally requested a review from the cellar feller's. That will bring me to the following:

1. final review notes

2. final fixes

3. 2nd final review

4.2nd final fixes (if any)

5. Group 'in car listens'

6. 3rd final fixes

7. leave it for a day or two

8. listen.

9.4th and last fixes

10. preparation for release, technical chopping and prep for CD's

11. release to digital services

12. produce small runs of physical product.

After that, there are two cracking songs I wanna get into the set, more in the greenhouse ready to receive more work, and a few other things to get on with.

Good times.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/final-review-123355768?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Listening in car. Theo listening. burning to cd is useful for next stage review.

Nutshell - levels starting to coalesce around -13 lufs for the first half of the album, -16 for the next part. Some discussion about order led to some shifts.

Specifics as follows. More process to come.

Songs reordered again, today.

tw - merge solace and zeppelin cross over point

tw ok on reorder - zep/solace/morn/liqui/cross

drums up on heavens on my shoulder

where am i sounds weak and lower

heavens kick up

floor toms down where am i

2nd time chorus snare fix where am i

Turn solace up one decibel solace

Turn up the lower vocals on the way oh heavens on my shoulder a WAYO.

Pan Robyn’s guitar harder right

Snare down in the yearning

Take the main vocal down one decibel

Take the mandolin down one decibel

Make the mandolin a little less top-heavy after the key change

Take theos drums down a little after the key change

Fix the Harp band in the solo intern Paul Surany up in the solo

Turn the Duke down one decibel

Adjust Coggins guitar solo in solace the end is a little buried

The last solace vocals turn up a fraction at the beginning

Turn morning flame down one decibel

Vocals in morning flame down a bit see if you can try to get them level they’re too high sometimes and too soft on a couple of locations work on that

Turn the mandolin down in the learning bring the vocals forward with less reverb on them

Gonna be like this until it's done.

• Every night i go for a walk, listen to the mixes, make notes, fix, go to sleep. next day do it again.
  
  I have been a little concerned with my skills relative to this task. I think a certain amount of respect for the work is warranted.
  
  Nonetheless, I am running out of fixes. Here's a list of my nights work for the week
  
  Morning flame up one dB

• By myself without you up one dB

• Solace up one and a half

• Add guitar lick to front of each chorus
  First bridge, the word need requires better integration
  
  Michael Coggins solo is too loud in the initial part
  

• tried new The King is back still sucks

• psych surfer fix kick at end

• Heavens on my shoulders, turn the scratch up, turn the yard down

• Rub some funky marmalade on Paul Surany’s guitar

• Reduce his reverb bring him closer to the listener and closer to centres

• Where am I drop by decibel

• The yearning lower the vocals and the snare by decibel

• Turn the harmonica down a little in the solo

• Turn Paul Surany up in the solo

• Turn mandolin up in the bridge

• mandolin down in the solo

• Turn final chorus vocals down

• Turn Tom Tom’s down

• Turn her up in verse two and verse three

• turn by myself up a little

• Turn the bass up in by myself

• Turn the initial solace up on the vocals at the end of Zeppelin

• Turn solace up one decibel

• Turn Coggins guitar solo down

• Idea under the front of the choruses is okay but bring it down until you get the rawl

• Turn liquidator up one decibel

• Turn psychedelics up one decibel

• Mastering on King is back is okay

• Heavens on my shoulder reduce Paul Surany effect, reduced Paul Surany reverb, turn song up

• Heavens on my shoulder reduce Paul Surany effect, reduce Paul Surany reverb, turn song up by one decibel

• Turn where am I up one decibel

• Turn Coggins solo down one decibel

• Turn the violins down in middleweight of the Duke

• Turn Bass on by myself without you back down

• listen to morning flame see if you can make your guitars brighter

• Turn Paul guitar down on solace

• turn the bass down on solace

•  turn my vocals revert down bring me closer

• Bring Coggins solo down slightly

• Vocals up slightly at the end of solace

• Heavens on my shoulders simplify beginning with Paul’s guitar

• Reduce reverb on Paul Read’s guitar

• resolve confusion in verse two with guitars on the vocals

• move Paul Surany slightly more to the left

• The yearning turn Paul Read down slightly

• Turn liquidator up on decibel

• Turn heavens on my shoulder up one decibe

• Simplify heavens on my shoulderok

• Where am I, turn the harmonica up, turn the snare down, listen to the balance

• Turn the intro to heavens on my shoulder up by 3 dB

If you are noticing a bunch little to the left little to the right you'd be right.

Tonight I only had 4 fixes. A few more days of this and i'll be ready to share with guys for a formal final review.

Also, I gotta stop before I make stuff worse.

Stay tuned.

Mandolin installed. Excellent, really ties the room together.

Liquidator remixed for a stormcellar release.

Heavens on my shoulders still a bit messy but getting there

where am I - still uncooked but i am vibing on some possibles

the duke - messing with the violins and levels still

mastering testing - getting there

Order - Meh.

I reckon we have almost 2 albums here and we ought to break them up into 2 works or a double set which would allow me to put all the oomph tracks on the left and all the sweeties on the right and imma totally be overruled cos A: paul doesn't care and B: theo likes the mixture. As does Friend of the band Miss Suzanne.

No rush, it's ripening nicely.

1. mastering testing. I have made a spreadsheet. Top Down mixing, this new phenomenon, takes some getting used to. I wonder if I fluked the last few :) i have done a series of tests. I am still working on it.
2. Solace - guitar fix. Internal discussions.

3. Heavens on my shoulder - needs some fixing.

4. liquidator - working on a middle and a new opening to distinguish it from the single

5. The yearning. adding mandolin.

6. Where am I? i still reckon it needs vox but i am not there yet.

7. order? still up for grabs

There's a fine line between too little and too much. I feel like the production speed is right but also that it's still in building phase, more so if I have to go back and fix guitar with retakes. Or if I summon the magic beans of producer powers maybe I can get away with a different sound.

An old pirate i once sailed under called it 'finishiative'.

I have a weather eye for this and I think I'll know when it's right and it's not ready yet.

Bugger.