Come Forth - spooky ass white boy shit

andrushkiwt said:
so was i right? was that the track you were thinking?

oh ok, i have the 4040. it's very mid-rangy... the 700-2khz area seems exaggerated.
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The track I'm thinking of runs through the whole song. I believe it's automated back during the 2.00+ part but I'll have to check. That section has alot of vocal stuff going on low in the mix, so it could be one of those things, or it could be something I haven't noticed yet. I'll scrutinize it later.

Yeah, I don't have enough comparative experience with the ATs to know how they stack up against each other, or even other mics. The only other LDCs I own is a pair of NT1As that I haven't used in ages. Now that I'm thinking about it, I might dust one off and give it another chance, since I'm always having a tough time getting my vox to sit well with the AT.
 
Vocals sound a little thin, perhaps even nasal or sibilant. Are you cutting your reverbs on them above 6K? I feel like this is the type of tune where the vocals could take some really heavy processing - delays/echos, parallel compression, etc. You are doing a good bit. IMO there could be even more. That's a style choice though.

I really like the snare sound.

I too am hearing a few frequency build ups - perhaps 200Hz being the most noticeable. There is an overall blurriness going on in the thicker parts. I don't know how you can tame this, in my most recent mix I toned down the aux compression/reverb tracks that had multiple instruments or drums going in.
 
I like 4050s well enough for many things, including vocals, but the last time I tried one on voice it didn't work. A Sennheiser MD421 was a much better choice.
 
OKAY.

New mix up in the original post. I did have both the main vox and OHs shelved up ~2dB around 3k and up, so I undid that.. I pulled some lo mids out of the bass, and I brought the doubled lead that starts at 2.00 closer together and brought the non-dominant track down some more to get a more focused tone, then dropped overall gain on those tracks. AND I found the compressor on my main voc was getting slammed, because I guess I'd retracked them hotter and never adjusted the threshold.. so I fixed that.

To my ears, losing the shelves on the vocals and overheads has taken from the overall sparkle of the mix, and it sounds a little duller and flatter. I might end up bumping it back up a little if I don't get used to it. Also I think in flattening the shelf on the vox a few of my t's and s's are starting to getting lost.. but you be the judge. I doubt this is going to be the last mix. :(
 
ibleedburgundy said:
Vocals sound a little thin, perhaps even nasal or sibilant. Are you cutting your reverbs on them above 6K? I feel like this is the type of tune where the vocals could take some really heavy processing - delays/echos, parallel compression, etc. You are doing a good bit. IMO there could be even more. That's a style choice though.
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Wow, weirdly I actually did have one on the vocal send that I didn't realize was there.. it does happen to be LP'd at 8-10k. I guess I thought that would sound good? lol. There's actually not that much on my vocals, though I just fixed a compression problem (see above).
 
bouldersoundguy said:
I like 4050s well enough for many things, including vocals, but the last time I tried one on voice it didn't work. A Sennheiser MD421 was a much better choice.
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Boulder, given what you've heard of my vocals, is there any particular dynamic mic you'd recommend me looking into down the road?
 
I like mix 2. You addressed the one big issue I had which was harshness when vocals and cymbals combined at certain frequencies. I don't think it left the mix sounding dull overall, just tamed that area a bit. The hand claps came down quite a bit, didn't they? I think the doubled lead probably does sound better more centered as it is now. I really didn't have much of a problem with the 1st mix, but you've improved the clarity this time around for sure.
 
i dug it. it reminded me of Can combined with Talking Heads (intro especially) and the Monks (staccato vocal rhythm)
The only thing bugging me is that high guitar in the left speaker. It's kinda harsh. Is it delaying across to the right, too? I wish it stopped at times to give the ear a rest.
 
fat_fleet said:
Boulder, given what you've heard of my vocals, is there any particular dynamic mic you'd recommend me looking into down the road?
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The 4050 seems to be doing good with your voice. If the opportunity to try a different mic comes your way take it. Mics and voices are all different so you have to try things to find what fits. The 421 is a good alternative. When the only good mic I had was a 4050 I found it was sometimes "too good" so I got an AKG C1000S for some variation. The AKG is a weird mic and doesn't work on a lot of things, but it often worked when the 4050 didn't.
 
I'm hearing a high-mid thing on the kick, around 2.5k. I think that could be pulled down. I would take a little 500 out of the snare and vocals, and cut some 300 from the guitar. I tried a high shelf boost and it did sound better on some things so I think there's something to the idea. Not sure what the best approach would be.
 
fat_fleet said:
Lol, so summary so far: "too much lo mids", "too much hi mids", "too much highs", and now "too much song". I think I'm starting to see a pattern. :D
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Oh no! No no! I like busy mixes!
I was at work tho and didn't have nearly enough mental capacity to think about the task I was working on, parse everyone else's comments, and give the song anywhere close to a critical listen. I was just overwhelmed.

So onto mix 2...
There's a lot going on. It's hard to identify what's really right and wrong here.
The balance between the lead vox and harmonies is good, but the melody line still feels a little buried most of the time.

I dig the hard-panned clap/stomp polyrhythms.

Those flutes(?) starting around 4:20 seem pretty fake - like an early video game flute tone, but they're kind of rare, so it might be fine.

Going back and listening for it specifically, the kick feels a little clicky maybe?
 
Hey mr fleet. I listened to the early mix and didn't have time to comment (that sounds familiar?:D) - Mix 2 is sounding much more balanced. And I love that intro, even though I hate windchimes in real life. :laughings: Nice work - I like the intensity of the drumbering in particular.:thumbs up:
 
heatmiser said:
I like mix 2. You addressed the one big issue I had which was harshness when vocals and cymbals combined at certain frequencies. I don't think it left the mix sounding dull overall, just tamed that area a bit. The hand claps came down quite a bit, didn't they? I think the doubled lead probably does sound better more centered as it is now. I really didn't have much of a problem with the 1st mix, but you've improved the clarity this time around for sure.
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Hm. I just noticed last night that the handclaps seemed a little quieter in the new mix. Definitely do not recall touching them, but I might have. I'll have to check later on.

Nola said:
i dug it. it reminded me of Can combined with Talking Heads (intro especially) and the Monks (staccato vocal rhythm)
The only thing bugging me is that high guitar in the left speaker. It's kinda harsh. Is it delaying across to the right, too? I wish it stopped at times to give the ear a rest.
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Those are all very flattering comparisons, thanks Nola. You seem to know about some pretty cool shit.. do you get into much Fela Kuti? I finally got into him this summer after managing to ignore his stuff for decades and it is completely mindblowing, and revealing how much of an influence that stuff was on Byrne and Eno c. Remain in Light. That 'chikka-chikka' Jerry Harrison guitar sound.. totally copped from Afrobeat stuff. Plus he was a total badass. Actually got beaten down and had family members killed by the Nigerian military in retaliation against his stuff. Kind of makes bands like Rage Against the Machine look like bourgeois posers imo.

Hm.. I think the 2 main guitars are both doubled and panned symmetrically in this mix, though I am thinking of changing it to a more L-R configuration. Is the harsh git the one playing the single arpeggiated notes or the one playing chords?
 
bouldersoundguy said:
The 4050 seems to be doing good with your voice. If the opportunity to try a different mic comes your way take it. Mics and voices are all different so you have to try things to find what fits. The 421 is a good alternative. When the only good mic I had was a 4050 I found it was sometimes "too good" so I got an AKG C1000S for some variation. The AKG is a weird mic and doesn't work on a lot of things, but it often worked when the 4050 didn't.
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I looked up the C1000S.. the chassis looks alot like the Rode M3s I use for overheads and wierdly, the M3 curve really does look alot like the C1000S with the HP engaged.. I was thinking, though, of getting a new dynamic mic for vocals since I don't own any dynamics except 57s, and have always wanted a nice one. So I'm thinking selling off my NT1A pair could get me into SM7b/RE20/421 cost territory.. I've considered the 421 before for guitar cabs.

bouldersoundguy said:
I'm hearing a high-mid thing on the kick, around 2.5k. I think that could be pulled down. I would take a little 500 out of the snare and vocals, and cut some 300 from the guitar. I tried a high shelf boost and it did sound better on some things so I think there's something to the idea. Not sure what the best approach would be.
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Sheesh.. if I had a payroll I'd put you on it. I'll definitely try that stuff with my next mix.. hopefully later today if I get a chance. There is a ~2.5k click boost on the kick so maybe I overdid it. Thanks so much.
 
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fat_fleet said:
Those are all very flattering comparisons, thanks Nola. You seem to know about some pretty cool shit.. do you get into much Fela Kuti?

Hm.. I think the 2 main guitars are both doubled and panned symmetrically in this mix, though I am thinking of changing it to a more L-R configuration. Is the harsh git the one playing the single arpeggiated notes or the one playing chords?
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No, I never heard of them, but I'll check it out this afternoon when I get home.

To me the harsh (maybe brittle is a better word) guitar is the one playing arpeggios. It's not bad on its own, but it plays the entire song and after a while there's a frequency in there that becomes irritating. That's why I said maybe you can just drop it out at times for a bit and give the listener's ear a break. EQ would be another solution. But, if nobody else hears that or complains about it maybe it's just me and nothing to worry about.
 
Getting here late and listening to mix 3.

I like the harmonies. I like the way the vocals are panned.

The song in general gives me a late 60's psychedelic feel.

Everything seems a little distant. Like the high end has been rolled off.

The snare is a little loud and the bass/kick are a little soft. Vocals are a bit loud too.

I like the lead-ish guitar on the right. Nice tone to it.

There is a percussive part that comes in every once in a while on the out edges. Handclaps? They're a little clicky and distracting.
 
fat_fleet said:
One of mine, second time through here.. this time with some arrangement changes and just about everything retracked.
Lemme know how it sounds, or don't.. That'll show me. :)

pilgrimage.jpg


Mix 1

Mix 2

Mix 3
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the one thing i like about this right off the bat, is that it is very definitive in it's vision,
even tho it's a bit rambling, it is reminiscent of a lot of prog rock that i grew up listening to....

and it reminds me a bit of a light version of mastodon at times..


very ambitious instrumental sections, i'm a sucker for this kind of stuff.

there are mix issues, but i'm not going to even go there.

i like the song overall, can you tighten up some sections, yes...
can you improve the mix..... yes.

but the vibe is good to go.
nice job.

---------- Update ----------

oh yea, my comments reference mix 3.
 
Now I'm hearing a big peak on the bass guitar at 80Hz. Put a 6, 8 or even 10dB cut on that with a 0.5 octave filter. I think it will open up the mix. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of the bass guitar above 80Hz.
 
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