Stop - Original glam/pop/rock song

Listened on Headphones. Mix sounded good, really clean. I didn't hear anything that jumped out.
 
VomitHatSteve said:
Continuing with mixing that glam ablum I'm working on, here's the pop ballad:
Stop | Lipstick

Any and all feedback is appreciated!

Again, featuring Greg_l on drums.
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Listening on good mixing headphones. The rhythm guitars are disappearing into the background and the drums aren't having the impact I would expect them to have - the snare is completely audible but just doesn't seem to crack, it almost sounds quite dry. Don't quite know how to describe this. This is the sort of song that would just make smile if I was getting into it - but it sounds a bit flat/dull. Has Greg heard it? He'd know how to describe it properly.

Vocals sound good - but the band doesn't sound like its with them.
 
Good tones. Great vocals! The mix sounds good. Nothing sticking out or hanging back. The leads are just a bit fizzy for my taste, but that's taste, and I'm no pro at guitar tone by any means. :laughings:
Everything is very dry. You must not like reverb much...
Some of the high hat stomps in the breaks are just kind of limp. Either highlight, emphasize, or maybe mute? Drum mix and performance are excellent.
Bass tone is a bit lack-luster, but fits the genre.

S'all I got. Great tune!
 
Backing tracks sound pretty good. Not crazy about the snare. I'm getting that "band in the orchestra pit" thing I mentioned on a previous song. The lead vocal sounds like it's in a different place. There is some harshness on the vocal that I notice when I turn up the volume.
 
Thanks for the input!

Mix 4 is up at the same link: Stop | Lipstick

I've bumped up the r-guitars a touch (there's a lot of side-chain compression on them; hopefully they're not pumping audibly)
I also muted the drums in the breaks. I'd thought they should have been muted from the beginning, but no one else had commented on it yet!
Drum reverb is up a few DB. I had it a little low after the last few mixes had too much.
 
I'm liking the overall balance better. There's still something about it that sounds more like a rock musical than a band. Nothing wrong with that if it's what you're going for. Something slightly unattractive about the attack of the solo lead guitar, that brittle sound that can happen when something in the input chain is clipping.
 
Robus said:
I'm liking the overall balance better. There's still something about it that sounds more like a rock musical than a band. Nothing wrong with that if it's what you're going for. Something slightly unattractive about the attack of the solo lead guitar, that brittle sound that can happen when something in the input chain is clipping.
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Nothing's clipped while tracking, but some of the FX on the DI channel might be a little weird. The verse leads and solo lead are actually a nearly identical chain except with a different guitar.

"Rock musical" like a Jesus Christ Superstar kind of thing?
 
Yeah, or Rocky Horror. You've got a bit of They Might Be Giants thing going on--that's a good thing.
 
It's a great arrangement with solid performances and very creative as usual.

I'm not crazy about the mix though, which seems a bit muddy to me (listening loud on HP280 phones). The bass guitar is really indistinct, and the drums have almost a dead quality to them like a blanket was placed between the kit and the mics or something. The lead vocal by comparison sounds very clear and dry and therefore disconnected from the backing somewhat.

I dunno, that was just my take. I listened to mix 4. Maybe I'm kind of being nitpicky, but I think you could get this to sound a little more open and clear...?
 
Ok. I've actually seen rocky horror, so that's a more useful comparison point! :D

Mix 5: Stop | Lipstick

Heat, you're right. The bass was a touch quieter than my last few mixes. So the bass and kick are now louder relative to everything else.
I also futzed with the EQ on the solo guitar. It should be warmer and less harsh.
 
I like it better with the bass where you have it now. Drives it along better.

Did you do anything to the drums other than the kick? It seems like the cymbals are a tad brighter and the snare cracks a tiny bit more, which I like, but I could be imagining it I guess. mix 4 & 5 are not like totally different when I A/B them, but I like 5 better for sure.

Kick is there, but it sounds like I'm mostly getting the thud from it. Maybe a slight, narrow boost in the high mids might define it more without having to raise the level? See what others think...
 
Cymbals aren't edited. Just louder! :D

It's possible the kick needs some EQ tweaking... Anyone else have thoughts on that?
 
It's got a real nice 70s sound to the rythym section. Reminds me of the Sweet for some reason. This doesn't sound like you though Steve, its very structured and conformist. I would have expected a mad breakout with weird echos and stuff. My only nit is the vocals, they're a bit one dimensional but they get the job done. This is pretty well put together, nice job
 
Listening to mix 5 on full stereo with sub dialed back, on my system kick is pretty heavy. Sounds good, just very dominating for this mix/style. Would sound good on a hip hop tune ;)

Guitars aren't cutting through, I would say turn them up, but not sure if that is the issue. Might be panning placement, see if anyone else has comments around the guitars.

Except for the kick, most of my comments are minor nits.
 
Bulls Hit said:
It's got a real nice 70s sound to the rythym section. Reminds me of the Sweet for some reason.
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That's exactly what our vocalist (the primary songwriter) is going for, so that's pretty perfect!

DM60 said:
Listening to mix 5 on full stereo with sub dialed back, on my system kick is pretty heavy. Sounds good, just very dominating for this mix/style. Would sound good on a hip hop tune ;)

Guitars aren't cutting through, I would say turn them up, but not sure if that is the issue. Might be panning placement, see if anyone else has comments around the guitars.

Except for the kick, most of my comments are minor nits.
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Alright. I'll double-check that kick.
 
I couldn't listen on full speakers because it is a little early, but on HPs I hear everything clear. Even if I turn it up, nothing jumps out. Lead sounds really good, rhythm guitar sounding good.

From me, I think you have a good mix here. Sounds tight on all fronts.
 
Just listening Mix 6 after having previously listened to the original mix. Sounds much better - I enjoyed listening to it a lot more. The guitars still sound a little dull to me though - like they're a bit too scooped. Are they scooped?
 
Thanks, DM!

They might be, JDOD? I can't recall the exact EQ curve I'm using on them. The rhythms are ducking the kick, lead, and vox a little, which might contribute to that.
 
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