Kilby Jail

wretchasketch

wretchasketch

Member
I'm doing all the vocals and acoustic instruments except for the drum track.
 

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wretchasketch said:
...except for the drum track.
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..which you can't really hear. Needs some better level balancing. Performances aren't very tight, and the timing issue is rather obvious throughout. However, it's a really good song and rather catchy. I liked this a lot. Thanks for posting.
 
I can't hear any drums.

I liked the song and the feel. The mandolin playing was nice. Gererally, my toe was tapping. I like bluegrass.

But as Andrush said, the general timing is pretty loose.

There was some harshness on some track. The banjo, the harmony vocal, and harmonica were just a little on the harsh side. To an extent the same could be said about the lead vocal too. Words here and there are a little "hot".
 
Thank you for your help. Here is my plan. I will go back and mix the drums up and make them more present, but not too much up front. I will delete and recut the rhythm guitar, banjo backup, mandolin rhythm and bass. I used a mastering preset in Ozone 4 to bring the volume and brighten up the mix overall. I will not do that this time, and I think it will help with the harshness of my voice, harmonica and banjo. The banjo is a 20's gibson with the original calfskin head. It is not naturally abrasive but doesn't need to be brightened by a plugin. I will also revisit the balance between the lead vocal and the instruments as well as the lead vs harmony vocal. I agree my groove was a little out of the pocket and sloppy. Thanks for again for the critical ear and the kind words as well. I hope it is not too long before I have something to repost.
 
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Yeah, I can't hear the drums at all (although, bluegrass isn't supposed to have drums anyway, right?)

+1 on the timing being pretty loose too.
 
VomitHatSteve said:
(although, bluegrass isn't supposed to have drums anyway, right?)
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Flatt and Scruggs, Jimmy Martin and Bill Monroe all recorded with drums over the years. You can't get any more bluegrass than that. They usually mixed them down where they weren't very forward in the mix.
 
HeavyMusic3000 said:
Wow. This sounds fantastic. :thumbs up:

What mic's and pre's are you using? Amazing clarity and space. Fantastic performances as well. The late great Dick Burnett would be proud :D
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Thank you for the kind compliment. I used a Sennheiser 421 and a Millennia HV3 for everything except the vocals, which were recorded with an SM 58 into a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. I have other mics that do a great job, sitler mod Oktava mk012s, AKG 414b UlS, AT 4050, but I wanted to keep it simple for this.
 
It's definitely better. Performances are tighter. Still love the song.

Overall things sound pretty good.

Did you copy and paste the chorus? The reason I ask is the word "leave" in the first line of the chorus is slightly flat every time.

But it sounds like bluegrass.
 
TripleM said:
It's definitely better. Performances are tighter. Still love the song.

Overall things sound pretty good.

Did you copy and paste the chorus? The reason I ask is the word "leave" in the first line of the chorus is slightly flat every time.

But it sounds like bluegrass.
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Thanks for giving the update a listen. Yes, sir. I did copy and paste the chorus, but even if I didn't there is a good chance it would be flat every time. I tend to sing flatter than a duck's ass.
 
When I go flat, I don't think it's because the note is out of my range. Its more likely because I don't know what I'm doing or don't always hear the pitch. Back in the 90's, the guy I worked for said sometimes I sound like the Grand Ole Opry, but most of the time I'm all over the place. Maybe a gofundme page for vocal lessons would be in order. Old dog>new tricks
 
I listened to the revamp-Great song, great playing. The mix could be a little brighter, but i think it sounds pretty natural as is. This sounds like a winner to me! I like that it's hard to tell when it was written and also it makes me wonder is this Americas original music before blues and jazz?? Good stuff.
 
Stratomaster said:
I like that it's hard to tell when it was written and also it makes me wonder is this Americas original music before blues and jazz?? Good stuff.
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Not before blues and jazz, but the melody is close to two or three other popular songs I can think of starting with the Carter Family "Thinking Tonight of my Blue Eyes." They were popular during the Great Depression and influential in Country, Folk and Bluegrass music to this day. I'm guessing this was written later. The folkways recording where I heard it was released in the Sixties, but doesn't tell when it was recorded. I changed the words to my liking.
You could sell out in a week.
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Haha! Thank you. I could see running out of money in a week.
 
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