RECORDING May 2023 - 67

Music recorded by RECORDING Magazine's own readers-
Reviewed by producer, engineer and bassist Dave Martin
READERS'TRACKS
" RISE UP WITH ME "
BY J. Gulli
I want to point out how the different delays
add to the ambiance of the recording without
getting in the way-a lovely touch. The background
vocal arrangement is also excellent and
emphasizes the song's message without getting
in the way of the lead vocal. And finally, the EQ
change into the spoken word section of the song
is very effective.
Suggestions
Equipment
DAW - Sonar 8; Alesis QS7 keyboard and unspecified headphones.
Music
" Rise Up With Me, " composed and recorded by Wayne Price, aka J Gulli,
is an inspirational pop song that hits the mark as a compositional call to action.
Review By Dave Martin
" Rise Up With Me " has all of the hallmarks of a well-written pop song-the
structure makes sense, with two verses followed by memorable choruses,
the spoken word section that functions as a bridge makes sense, and a final
chorus. The whole composition is under three minutes long, which shows a
degree of economy (and restraint) that is increasingly rare in pop music; I
like that.
Though there's a certain lack of specificity in the equipment used on the
recording (for example, no microphone is listed), this track does show what
can be accomplished with minimal gear. Sonar 8, an Alesis keyboard, and
a pair of headphones are all that are mentioned, and the understated music
bed supports without distracting from the message of the lyric.
LISTEN HERE
recordingmag.com/readerstracks/rise-up-with-me
64 RECORDING May 2023
There are a few things that I would change if I
were mixing this; I hear a bit of mouth noise in
this track that may be partly due to the microphone
used for the lead vocal and partly due to
the distance that the mic is from the singer. A mic
that's a bit less hyped in the upper frequencies
can help to minimize those noises, as will moving
the mic a few inches away from the singer.
I'd also use a de-noise plugin like Izotope Mouth
De-click to further smooth out the vocal sounds. I
might also look for something (either in the bass
sound or the kick drum sound) that adds a bit more
low-frequency information to the overall recording.
I've learned through experience that something
can sound massive on headphones but a
lot less exciting and full when played over fullrange
speakers.
Summary
Overall the changes I would suggest are minimal.
" Rise Up With Me " is a well-written and
well-performed contemporary pop song and
is also an excellent example of an artist doing
good work with minimal gear.
Dave Martin is a producer, engineer and bassist.
Dave owned Nashville's Java Jive Studio for close
to 25 years. Dave has recorded, produced and/
or played with symphony orchestras, rock and
roll icons and country music legends ranging
from the Old Crow Medicine Show, The Dead
Pickers Society, Porter Wagoner, Robben Ford,
Billy Cobham, The Box Tops, Carl Verheyen,
Richie Faulkner (Judas Priest), Adrian Belew, Rick
Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Eric Johnson, Robbie Fulks,
Steve Vai, The Coasters and others. Dave is also a
member of the Western Swing Hall of Fame.
RECORDING May 2023

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