Can I get feedback on these two versions of this mix?

4

4tracker

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I can't hear the piano at all. However I would say that the timing seems a little more solid in the version without, so it may be that the piano is unsettling your groove, perhaps?
 
Mickster said:
If the piano part is in there.......I can't hear it. Why did you mix it so low???
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Really? I can hear it pretty well (low but very audible). I wonder if it's my headphones.

Here is a mix rob did with it:


Maybe you can hear it better here.
 
Of the two, I like the dropbox mix better. The lead vocal is nicer sounding in that version. In the SC version, it's got a lot of 1K stuff in it. I'm hearing quite a few pitch problems in it. She has a nice voice, but she's hitting bum notes in spots. In addition to the vocal, the instruments are not as brittle in the dropbox mix. I didn't much difference in the bass and drums.

The song starts out very abruptly.

The vocal sounds like it's in a very different space from the instruments. It's much dryer.

Some of the backing vocals weren't tight with the lead vocal.
 
TripleM said:
Of the two, I like the dropbox mix better. The lead vocal is nicer sounding in that version. In the SC version, it's got a lot of 1K stuff in it. I'm hearing quite a few pitch problems in it. She has a nice voice, but she's hitting bum notes in spots. In addition to the vocal, the instruments are not as brittle in the dropbox mix. I didn't much difference in the bass and drums.

The song starts out very abruptly.

The vocal sounds like it's in a very different space from the instruments. It's much dryer.

Some of the backing vocals weren't tight with the lead vocal.
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Thanks. The mixes are exactly the same other than the piano is in the dropbox mix, so if all that is true, it's the piano giving those effects or the soundcloud conversion. All Rob did is add the piano into the stereo mix I gave him.
 
This was good fun to do, especially as it's one of my favourite songs/albums/bands. I didn't hear 4tracker's mix with the piano in, but I didn't really do anything special with mine other than add it as a separate track to the stereo mix he sent me. It's just panned to the right, no other processing EQ or automation - I think the difference in mix quality is probably that of a 320 mp3 vs soundcloud degrading the sound in the transcoding. It can really mangle things at times, and then other times it does okay. Not sure why.

I tried to keep the piano part itself as faithful to the original as I could, in terms of part and level in the mix - it's more of an additional layer and occasional counter melody than an element in its own right. Because it's low in the original mix, it's pretty hard to know exactly what the part is every time though. I think it's a really good take on the song by 4tracker and Mrs 4tracker though, and for me the vocal processing works and I like the looseness of the backing vocals when they comes in - I think they add to the country tinge.
 
+1 for the louder piano. It seems like being able to hear it better fixes the issue with timing feeling off. Or maybe the track is lined up a little closer in that one.
 
easlern said:
+1 for the louder piano. It seems like being able to hear it better fixes the issue with timing feeling off. Or maybe the track is lined up a little closer in that one.
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I agree I think something happened with the timing when I exported it in. Rob, I'll write you a pm in more detail next week, but maybe I can send you the stereo .wav file and you can mix it in, because the timing seems better in your system.

Seems like people like the piano added in so we'll go with that.

Big thanks to Rob and hope to collaborate again.
 
Never heard the original before, but this sounds pretty good.

I know you only specifically asked about the piano, but if I may...

The radio-ish sounding treatment of the vocal against the fuller bodied sounding instruments works well I think. The vocals stand out pretty effortless as a result. The singer goes off pitch here and there. Those kinds of things should really be taken care of as they really affect the final outcome. Recording and mixing takes such a huge amount of effort and time, it is really worth it to get it right during the session.

As for the piano, I am not thinking that it is really adding or detracting. At least, I am only really noticing it near the end. Is it throughout the song

Anyway, very cool. I am going to check out the original.
 
kindafishy said:
The radio-ish sounding treatment of the vocal against the fuller bodied sounding instruments works well I think.
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Thanks, man. That was a judgment call just sent it through an amp sim to filter out some body b/c the mix was getting too full sounding to me.

The vocals stand out pretty effortless as a result. The singer goes off pitch here and there. Those kinds of things should really be taken care of as they really affect the final outcome.
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Yeah, I mean I agree on one hand and maybe we should just retrack those. I don't mind pitch issues here and there and find them "human", but it seems many people do.

Really I would want to redo the vocal to make it looser. She was kind of tense and I feel that shows. That's why I'd redo it more than the pitch, but thanks for the feedback -- it's always great to get feedback to consider. Curious what you think of the original song, too.
 
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4tracker said:
Thanks, man. That was a judgment call just sent it through an amp sim to filter out some body b/c the mix was getting too full sounding to me.

Yeah, I mean I agree on one hand and maybe we should just retrack those. I don't mind pitch issues here and there and find them "human", but it seems many people do. Once you hear the original version you'll hear it's quite pitchy, and has sold over half a million copies...

Really I would want to redo the vocal to make it looser. She was kind of tense and I feel that shows. That's why I'd redo it more than the pitch, but thanks for the feedback -- it's always great to get feedback to consider. Curious what you think of the original song, too.
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The original disappointed me to be honest. I like this one better. I expected the original to be a female singer, so I had an instant bias. I hear ya on the pitchy thing. I definitely like music that sounds human over studio-perfect production. Every time. I always prefer something that just feels good.

I like her voice and the song (your version, that is ;)).
 
4tracker said:
I agree I think something happened with the timing when I exported it in. Rob, I'll write you a pm in more detail next week, but maybe I can send you the stereo .wav file and you can mix it in, because the timing seems better in your system.

Seems like people like the piano added in so we'll go with that.

Big thanks to Rob and hope to collaborate again.
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Yeah, that's fine man - send me either the stereo file or individual tracks when you're ready (depending on what you want to do) and I'll get them mixed in when I can.

I agree with trip that the song comes in a little abruptly - I'd have sorted that if the dropbox link was meant to be a proper mix. Can easily tweak next time around.
 
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