topvega

Thanks. I often spend more time trying to get the tone I want then actually playing on the track. Great Tone is inspiring.
Thanks for the listen and the comment. It is appreciated.

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Ben1972 16th Apr 2016 11:07 - 9 years ago

on Zep Step by topvega

Love that sound, seems strongly compressed, would be interessted in how this was recorded, maybe you can ventilate a bit of this well kept secret :-)

thanks
Ben

topvega replied 17th Apr 2016 - 9 years ago

No secrets. I will break it down as best I can. If you have other questions feel free to ask.
There are 10 active tracks. Two tracks are Addictive Drums. One is the Intro the other the rest of the Drums. There are 2 Guitar tracks. There are 2 Bass Tracks. Lastly 3 Keyboard tracks. All tracks have a 5 band EQ and Guitar Rig 5. Guitar Rig 5 on the drums is Deep and Wide setting. The guitar Rig settings on the guitars are Right side One May Left Billy Dual Grange. The bass is Precise Bottom and Wide Stereo, both panned to the middle. The 3 Keyboard parts are Izotope Iris 2, Massive, Vox V.
On the Master I have Izotope Ozone 5. The setting is 3 Band Master Instrumental with Slow Dynamics.
I hope that helps.

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kdwent 11th Apr 2016 16:45 - 9 years ago

on Zep Step by topvega

hey love this track! any chance i could use it in some of my videos in exchange for in video credit? Thank you!

topvega replied 17th Apr 2016 - 9 years ago

Be my guest. Appreciate you listening and would love the exposure.

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StaticNomad 24th Mar 2016 19:07 - 9 years ago

on Zep Step by topvega

Yo. Some damn solid rock here.

Good, crunchy guitar tone and bass is also powerful.

0:25 I hear a filter swept synth playing a very small role. More of that sort of thing could make this kind of track more interesting.

Good timing in your playing and I like the triplet stuff around 1 min for a while.

Drums are busy and pretty good.

This does sound like a well played live jam so could do with a bit more variation to break all that riffage up. Maybe drop the guitar for a bit and open up into a bass and drums section then perhaps bring guitar back in playing some subtler, gentler stuff. Build back up to the balls out riffage.

Good stuff.

topvega replied 26th Mar 2016 - 9 years ago

Thanks, Brother...will look into expanding the synth stuff. I have a solo or two that I laid down but I didn't like it enough to include it in the mix right now. Needs tweaking.
I like the idea of maybe dropping or minimizing the guitar for a bit and letting the bass shine. Thanks for the idea and for taking the time to give it a listen and comment. Much appreciated.

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Rhodesy 20th Mar 2016 16:47 - 9 years ago

on Zep Step by topvega

Great old school rock feel on this one T.V.
Guitars sound killer with the overdrive and tuned down a semitone.Those Asus4 chords open up the chorus nicely.
It sounds like you are playing the whole track live on the guitar which keeps the interest as your touch has a great loose feel giving variation to the hammer-on riffage.A sweet moment being at 3:30!
My only critique would be- maybe take the sting out of the cymbals.
Great job. Rhodesy

topvega replied 24th Mar 2016 - 9 years ago

Thanks, Rhodesy, appreciate the feedback and you giving it a listen.
You are correct I did play the whole song live on both Guitar and bass. I also took your advice and went in and EQ'd the drums to try and take the sting out of the cymbals. Thanks for pointing that out.
Appreciate you giving it a listen.

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Burtsbluesboxes 18th Mar 2016 07:58 - 9 years ago

on Zep Step by topvega

Oh yeah, definitely Zep influenced :D Sounds good, Jimmy Page would be proud. Now you just need to get Robert Plant to sing for you!

topvega replied 24th Mar 2016 - 9 years ago

Thanks...if you have Plant's number can you give him a ring and see if he is free? :)

Thanks for listening.

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Danke 18th Mar 2016 07:24 - 9 years ago

on Zep Step by topvega

Great track as usual TV!

Your guitar is brutal good and the Addictive tone is very much connecting to the Zep tone...

Hats off, Danke

topvega replied 24th Mar 2016 - 9 years ago

Thanks my friend. Appreciate you giving it a listen and a comment.

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Burtsbluesboxes 9th Jan 2016 04:41 - 9 years ago

on Back from the profundity of Hell by topvega

How did you manage to escape? No worries, you wont stay free for long Muhahaha! I feel your pain, I worked in recieving at walmart for 3 years and coming up to the holidays was HELL! I love when artist have a distinct sound/style and you know right away for sure who it is. Keep these great jams coming :D \m/

topvega replied 27th Aug 2016 - 9 years ago

Thank you my friend. Somehow this comment slipped through the cracks and I wanted to make sure you knew it is greatly appreciated. Probably one of the best compliments I have ever gotten.

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crucethus 16th Dec 2015 02:27 - 9 years ago

on Cant keep a Good Man down by topvega

I get a Psychedelic Frisco sound meets ZZtop. Awesome gritty and clean, amazing that you could do that.
Cru

topvega replied 27th Dec 2015 - 9 years ago

Thanks Brosef...I think this is probably my best Track overall. Even the mix sounds pretty good. Wish The Crawling King Snake, Jim Morrison was still with us and could add some vocals. :)

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ValveDriver 15th Dec 2015 02:37 - 9 years ago

on When the Queens Come Marching Home by topvega

Topvega, how are you, man?

This is a great track! I kept seeing comments about vocals. Personally, I don't think it's really set up for vocals. There's a lot of guitar in there! That's not a bad thing, either. Funny thing is, when it first started, my brain went to John Lennon, then to Iggy Pop, into Mick Jagger, and then finally Josh Homme. The music is such a perfect blend of all of them, that any of them could fit in perfectly.

Excellent work, man.

Take care.
Sloe.

topvega replied 27th Dec 2015 - 9 years ago

I super appreciate the kind words...I wish I was buds with Josh and could get him to try and do something on here. :) I agree it can kind of stand on its own since it is guitar heavy. Thanks again for checking it out and for leaving the review. Much appreciated.

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ramsinghelijah 10th Dec 2015 22:25 - 9 years ago

on Beggars Blues by topvega

You're the best, dude

topvega replied 13th Dec 2015 - 9 years ago

Well thanks ram..I appreciate the vote of confidence and your giving this track a listen and some feedback.

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Danke 15th Nov 2015 20:10 - 10 years ago

on Back from the profundity of Hell by topvega

This one is straight from hell...

from 0.40 is an outstanding piece of riffage...I have to say this IS your best track...killer...

Sudden dl and instant fav...handshake, Danke

topvega replied 13th Dec 2015 - 9 years ago

Thanks Danke...been getting killed at work this Holiday Season so just saw your reply. Appreciate your kind words. Thanks for taking the time to give it a listen and leave some feedback.

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Burtsbluesboxes 9th Nov 2015 20:52 - 10 years ago

on Crucify Me with partial Vocals by topvega

Your vocals are fine :p The Vocalist for My Dying Bride said in an interview he's a vocalist not a singer because he understands he can't hit the notes like a singer. You sound just as good , even better than some, ;) professional rock bands out there. I like the addition. Ever heard Brittany Spears sing without pitch correction? It's AWEFUL!!!

Orlando51 20th Oct 2015 17:47 - 10 years ago

on Crucify Me with partial Vocals by topvega

I surely won't crucify you for that my friend...I can only give you compliments for yet another rough old style rock number! Vocals or not...I'm already pleased with what I hear!:) Faved!

All the best____Orlando

topvega replied 24th Oct 2015 - 10 years ago

Thanks Orlando for the words of support and for giving it a listen. Still finishing up the vocals.

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DanGoldstein 20th Oct 2015 12:21 - 10 years ago

on Crucify Me with partial Vocals by topvega

awesome hard hitting groove. love the effects on the lead. good luck with more development. should be a winner! regards - Dan

topvega replied 24th Oct 2015 - 10 years ago

Thanks Dan...appreciate the kind words of encouragement.

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Burtsbluesboxes 12th Oct 2015 17:24 - 10 years ago

on Crucify Me with partial Vocals by topvega

Wish granted, now where's my hammer and nails ;) I've heard plenty of artist that can't sing but that doesn't stop them!! People love it raw :D Love it when the bass is doing it's own thing and not playing exactly what the guitar is doing. \m/

topvega replied 18th Oct 2015 - 10 years ago

I think it is mostly a subconscious thing on my part. I hear great singing voices in my head but struggle to get anything close to that and become super critical. I am going to just say fuck it and do the vocals the best I can and see what others think. I also love when the bass and guitars do contrasting parts, it's just tough to get that to work and following the rhythm is what I wind up settling with. I need to challenge myself a bit more.
Thanks for giving it a listen. I should have vocals added in a week to ten days.

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Danke 12th Oct 2015 07:48 - 10 years ago

on Crucify Me with partial Vocals by topvega

Again those dirty, crunchy, cool, catchy guitar riffs and melodies...tune is animal...part from 0.47 and later is awesome...Evisma tells the truth about the lead...or you wanted with sliding?

Anyways, great track, Danke

topvega replied 18th Oct 2015 - 10 years ago

Yeah I was going for an odd lead that would start out a bit off and catch up but without the vocals in the mix it does sound a little F'd. :) Thanks for taking the time to give it a listen.

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Evisma 12th Oct 2015 04:17 - 10 years ago

on Crucify Me with partial Vocals by topvega

Sounds like goddamn Clutch again! Uncanny.

1:07 lead's timing sounds off. Sounds like you're going for an odd rhythm there. The wild flanging effect is pretty cool. I hear it mostly on the right.

Bassline sounds more advanced than the main guitar, but the rhythm guitar is quite solid.

Yes, vocals. ALL of your stuff deserves vocals. Always solid riffery.

Evan

topvega replied 18th Oct 2015 - 10 years ago

Hey Evan thanks for checking it out and for the feedback. The lead does sound a bit off in timing at the start. I was trying to go for an odd "catch up" Lead and it sounds better with the vocals I had present in the track. I Muted them when rendering because they were far from done. I will see if I can't move them a slight bit to sit better. Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.

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PatrickFox 11th Oct 2015 23:17 - 10 years ago

on Crucify Me with partial Vocals by topvega

That sounds badass if you pardon the language. Awesome dude... Cannot wait to hear some vocals on it... Well done.

topvega replied 18th Oct 2015 - 10 years ago

Thanks PF...always nice to get some positive feedback.

In the process of finishing up the vocals now.

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liceomusicalemodica 27th Sep 2015 19:02 - 10 years ago

on As Freedom Dies by topvega

Jump n nice

topvega replied 10th Oct 2015 - 10 years ago

Thank you. Appreciate the kind words. Thanks for listening.

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Spivkurl 10th Sep 2015 16:40 - 10 years ago

on Bringing Me Down with Vocals by topvega

Hey man, this is pretty rockin! As always, I get into your guitar style! Also it's cool to hear you jamming on a keyboard. Possibly it is just the drums, but it could be the whole mp3 render - I hear a lot of artifacts in this audio. Is it possibly a very low bit rate for the mp3 render? Why I mention the drums is because I hear the artifacts especially in the high frequency parts, such as the cymbals - but this can also be a common issue with low bit rate encoding. It does not take away from the excellent performances contained here though, just felt it was worth mentioning. You have a lot of talent, and it is shown with tracks such as this!

topvega replied 12th Sep 2015 - 10 years ago

Thanks my friend for the listen, comments and input. I appreciate the chance to learn about stuff like artifacts and it was definitely worth mentioning. I checked the Master and I think the EQ on the drums was allowing too much high frequency. I brought it down and the drums sound better.
Thanks again for the really kind words of encouragement. I will render it again as soon as I finish off the vocals.

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Rhodesy 5th Sep 2015 23:05 - 10 years ago

on Cant keep a Good Man down by topvega

Wish i was at woodstock listening to this one dude.The feel is spot on.long live the blues.

topvega replied 12th Sep 2015 - 10 years ago

Thanks for the kind words brother. I love the Blues and there is something very cathartic about playing them.
Long live the Blues and thanks for listening and commenting.

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Orlando51 2nd Sep 2015 01:37 - 10 years ago

on All is Well by topvega

Your rough rock style rules as usual....I enjoyed this one immensely! Faved!

Compliments_____Orlando

topvega replied 12th Sep 2015 - 10 years ago

Thanks Orlando. This is one of my Favorite tracks simply because it sounds so rough and yet the tone is thick.
I appreciate you giving it a listen and for commenting.

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Spivkurl 28th Aug 2015 18:30 - 10 years ago

on Life Gets In The Way by topvega

Very fun track to listen to! Regarding the title, you are so right that "life gets in the way!" This is the biggest reason why it is taking several months at a time to release each track I do lately, so many obstacles. I work hard to make my art a priority, but that is not always enough. As is the case with many of your songs, the guitars are the focus, and the most special part... I love how these are played! I am not a fan of things like addictive drums, or superior drummer in most cases, so you'll have to forgive me that preconception. I think of them in a similar way to virtual synth presets - they are standard to the point of being done to death. Regardless, the rhythm was excellent, mostly due to your guitar work. I like the dirtiness that you have incorporated, even though some of it seems unintentional. Personally I've been trying to get back to incorporating real amplifiers and effects in my guitar work... it gives me less temptation to use presets and over-process my guitar parts. Thank you for sharing this awesome tune!

topvega replied 29th Aug 2015 - 10 years ago

Thanks for all the kind words my friend. Always nice to get some positive feedback. Yeah I need to sit down and really try and fine tune the whole drum thing. I think if I took the time to EQ and mix all 16 tracks of the Drums and add the right touch of effects I can get them to sound good. Will be working on that.

Thanks again for giving it a listen and leaving some kind words.

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BradoSanz 23rd Aug 2015 04:51 - 10 years ago

on Life Gets In The Way by topvega

BTW, I was curious as to what your setup is. What guitar/amp setup were you using for the guitar at :30? Did you mic or do a direct setup (think Mesa Cabclone)

topvega replied 23rd Aug 2015 - 10 years ago

Let me see if I can break down my set up for this track.

I use Reaper as my DAW. Love it and it is very reasonably priced.
Guitar is an Ibanez N427. Bass is an Ibanez GSR200.
My Line in is a Presonus Audiobox USB.
I run my guitars and bass Dry and use VST effects. I very rarely record anything that is not dry because I love being able to try different effects in the mixing stage.
I would say 95 percent of the time I use Guitar Rig 5 VST. Absolutely love it.
On this specific track the rhythm guitars (There are 2) Are panned 51% on the right and 60% on the left. Right is using an effect called Black Malcom Rhythm. Basically it is a close simulation of the rhythm guitar on Back in Black. Left is using Foo Monkey Ultra. A semblance of Foo Fighters Monkey Wrench I believe. Both guitars have also been EQ'd separately to bring out the tone I wanted.
2 lead guitar tracks are panned 51% each. On those we have Right side Foo Monkey Grat and the Left is Tweed Delight Sweep Delay. It is one of my favorite effects and is what gives the guitar a psychedelic feeling. Both of those are EQ'd as well.
Bass is panned Center and using an effect called Precise Bottom. It is EQ'd as well.
Then once I get everything sounding good I drop Izotope Ozone 5 on the Master channel and I am using a 4 band called Precise Bottom. Hope that helps.

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