Check my mix,Please!

[muzeman]

Hi all,

This a song Iv'e been working on with boydrj for a while.
It's pretty much the finished version on my end,Rob is going to add drums,bass,and keys.

I wondered if anyone would be kind enough to check the mix and see if there are any problems before I send it over to Rob,I'd really appreciate it.
(I'm still mixing on an old stereo,Iv'e got to get some monitors!)

Any comments would be welcome,good or bad.


It's the first song.

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/...d=1317&alid=-1

Thanks very much,
Pete

[David]

Hey Pete, loved your song man..the harp really set it off. Great voice you got there, It reminded me of some early "America", I always dug their stuff pretty much. Hey you set me up for that *one star bandit I see...hehe I'll do the same for you Enjoyed it much Pete!

[Track Rat]

Very nice. The harmonica was a nice touch. It sounds pretty cool all the way through but the VERY end needs a little work. Very nice tune.

[theron]

muzeman,

Hey dude!

I've some thoughts and opinions for ya,

Leave the electric git way down (maybe to the side) in the intro. Tease it more. You've got all acoustic elements minus the electric so I'd use the electric to build and fill. Don't give it all up on the first date, if you will . It comes in just right after the intro.

Your git sound and vocals sound damn good!! Cool progression and playing.

Around 2:50 I'd throw in a harmonica solo just before the electric git solo. I really would..........if I could play the mouth harp
But, you can and you should at least try it out.

From what I recall, your recordings are getting alot better than when I first heard you. Again, nice acoustic git sound and vocals

Clean up that ending. With tracking and mixing like this, you've no excuse

Hope I've been constructive.

Nice song

Peace,
theron.

[powderfinger]

great interplaying acoustics at the beginning......really like the harmonica..........very nice and clean recording

good stuff.......i wish i had some good suggestions, but i don't...............nice work

[TexRoadkill]

Sounding good, Pete. My only real critisizm would be that it doesn't really sound like the instruments are in the same room. The guitar has a room sound, electric is in a hall and the vocals are very up front and 'pop' sounding. If you can decide on an acoustic space for the parts it might help them blend together a little better. The tracking quality sounds great.

[muzeman]

Thanks guys!

Hey David,thanks for the stars man,mabey I should just save the bandit the trouble and one star it myself!
Thanks very much for the kind words,much appreciated!
If I could ever sound half as good as you dude,I'd be doing something!

Thanks Track Rat,I really appreciate you taking the time to listen!
I still hear your version of Nantucket Sleighride every time I think of that song.
That was really great man!

Glad you liked the harp,any suggestions for the ending?

Iv'e been meaning to PM you about suggestions for recording with my 184.
I havn't had very long,still trying to figure the best way to place it.
If you have any tips,I'd appreciate it.

Theron,thanks bro!
I'll try out your suggestions,any ideas for the end?
Mabey a repeating fadeout?

Ya,my recordings are getting a little better,but compared to the great stuff that's goin on around here,I'm almost ashamed to post it.
But I figure,what the heck!

Thanks Powderfinger,I always appreciate your listening!
I really dig your stuff,wish I could sing like that!
I have to double my voice just to keep the cat's from howling!
Thanks for the kind words bro!

I really appreciate everyone's help!
You guys rule!
Pete

[muzeman]

Hey Tex!
You snuck in there on me while I was posting!
Thanks for the kind words bud,I appreciate you taking the time.

The electric was a preset on my J station,mabey I can tweak it.
The vocals and guitars were a different mic,mabey more verb on the guitars?

Thanks for the tips,I can't hear that stuff on my monitoring system.
I'm hoping to get some real monitors soon!

Hey,you have a V-67 don't you?
I just got one.
I remember that Australian band you recorded,one of the reasons I wanted one.
Any tips for placing it?
I used it with a 184 on the guitars,and the doubling on the vox.
Put it through my mini pre,seems to like it.

Thanks again,
Pete

[Gidge]

WOW! you sure you need my help on our collab?

i like the electric in the intro and the harmonica is very tasty.....yeah, bring that electric down in the verse, or better yet, let a keys part go there and save the electric for later for dynamic purposes.....the tone is good though......

this one is really gonna rock...cant wait to hear it finished.......

this one gets 6 stars.....

[boydrj]

Hello All,

First off let me just tell you what a pleasure it has been collaborating with Pete (Muzeman) on this production. We have been playing with it for a few weeks now (in between family outings, watching the World Series and what-not) and Pete has been supportive all the way...

I have yet to add my parts to this version (though I have added parts to another rough version and we are hammering out the details) ... I'm hoping that my parts can keep the artistic integrity of this song because it is a beautiful piece of music.

Just wanted to give Muze his props! Five stars!

[muzeman]

Thanks Mike!

I DEFINATLY need you on our collab,cause you the man!
The ace of ace's
The genius behind the scenes
The big kahuna
(Besids,I gotta get this monkey off my back somehow!)

I like the idea of taking the electric out of the verse.
Just leave it in between and on the bridge,cool.

See that,we havn't even started,and you already saved my butt!

Thanks,
Pete

[muzeman]

Hey Rob!

Thanks man,back at ya!
You get 5 stars just for putting up with my procrastination!
(I'm a notorious slacker!)

The pleasure's been all mine,your stuff's sounding really great!
That bridge you wrote really made it dude!
(Were almost there,where almost there.)

Collaborating is really cool stuff!

Thanks for making it happen,
Pete

[dres]

Sounds pritty good. I agree with Theron about the guitar level at the beginning. Also the Harmonica sounds so good I think you should add more of it. What about a note or 2 at 0:58 ? and more to break up the guitar solo maybe at 2:50 or maybe a little later at 2:58 ? and a note at 3:42 to lead into the electric ? Yep and I think the ending's been mentioned.

Just ideas

Really soulful stuff... I like it a lot

[participant]

Very nice all around... the electric is a nice touch... tho that's one of those things that could be overdone... the acoustic sounds "alive"... vocals are very nice....

Harmonica was killer... not one for Christian music per se, but this is very nice.

Well pretty much echoing everyone else... maybe 'cuz what people are saying's the truth?

Good job on the recording, as well... this is one of those you'd have to get out the microscope to find the nitpicks on... or listen to very carefully on monitors (a little tricky with my current set up)...

Thumbs up, and keep 'em coming, Pete!


Chad

[Lt. Bob]

Aren't collabs Fun!?
I think this one will be cool....a good song.....acoustics sound good.......not as excited about the electric. It's a bit too dark. Also, I think I'd have it centered with a good stereo delay on it...it would make it more ethereal and blend with the acoustics better. The playing's good all the way around and I really like the dbled vox. Vocals are very nice.
A good piece of work.....it'll be great to hear the finished version.

[B.SABBATH]

hey Pete, I'll be back to check this out later..

[B.SABBATH]

hey Pete, sounds pretty sweet! nice acoustic sounds, and the vocals sound pretty good to me.. good harp sound too.. this will sound real good after drj's parts..

I thought the first harmonica part was a little louder than it should be, but I had to really look for something to complain about.. I like the electric guitar too..


What is Bethsaida? Is it a real place?


sounds great so far..

[chrisharris]

Hey there Pete: Man, I haven't read the rest of this yet, but if anybody complained about the lead tone, they're just nuts, in my amateur opinion. I really like the tone, although I wasn't crazy about the use of it in the verses...but that's purely personal on my part.

My only criticism is that the second chord you play is out of tune a hair. I didn't hear it out in the rest of the song, but when that acoustic is all by it's lonesome right at the beginning, that second cord sticks out to me.

Nice work,
Chris

[TripleM]

Real nice song, very pretty. I love the intertwined guitar parts. The electric sounded very cool.

It seems there's a two part harmony trying to creep out. The lead vocal is covering it a bit. Was there a bobbled vocal during the opening line? I thought I heard something amiss - perhaps vocal track slightly out of sync. Either that or I'm just stupid. A flat note sung at 1:38 or so? Again, I'm probably stupid.

These are just nitpicks. But if the song isn't finished, you have the chance to go back and listen.

Nice job, I enjoyed the song.

[JR#97]

Sounds good. The acoustics sounded great. I think the electric needs to be a little more wet to fit in. I could hear what you were trying to do with the electric during the chorus/bridge.. sort of like a pad. Maybe use a clean guitar with volume swells, instead or as complimentary? Just a thought. It's been really neat watching/listening to this song develope.

[SLuiCe]

Hey there Pete...

Nice recording and song...

Personal opinions....

Guitar lead in the intro could come down a notch or two, especially if you want that harmonica to come in smoothly without over-filling an already crowding room. In other words, it's just the intro and it sounds like a middle build-up to me. All the parts are very nice, I just think the levels could be adjusted.

Vocals seem to be sitting very nicely on my end. Wonderful voice there too! Is there some chorus on it too? Sounds nice. When you say "I know it's there, if I can find a way" it sounded like "fuckin find a way" which of course is very different That's just me and I work with construction guys all day.

OK right there at 2:00...that's the level I think the lead in the beginning should be, or some where around it. That's a nice touch by the way.

nitpicky...around 3:35 ish...the words "when" and "find" sound forced...could be smoother. I don't hear in the rest of the song...I kinda like the character of it (and I have some heavy quirks to my singing, so grain of salt should be applied here ), but it's just slightly, ever slightly distracting. Just depends on how picky you wanna get.

All in all fantastic song...great vibe, and heartfelt. It just needs some bass and drums to give it some wider dynamics, but that's a matter of taste. The parts that are there already are vey tasty. Great job!

[SLuiCe]

I just read Lt. Bob complimenting the doubled vocals. So it's not a chorus effect? Nice job indeed!

[Guernica]

Man Pete, ......what a pretty song.
Ive been lucky enough to hear this a few times before... and every time ......beautiful. Nice to know you are doing everything you can to mix this to justice. I like the lead tone, as ive mentioned before. ...and the acoustics sound very nice (as do their panning ) Only 2 very small nits. The harmonica is a touch too loud in the beginning, and IMO.... you might wanna drop the level on one of the lead voc doubles just a touch. Use it for thickening and not as a competitor for the line..... you'll get less wavering that way and it will sound more solid. VERY nice vocs man. Beautiful work, looking forward to listening to the collab.


G w/5

[JMarcomb]

Alright guitars and harp

Sounds really great muzeman!... reminds me of neil young

I like the tone your are getting on the electric guitar

Really enjoyed... Thanks!

[muzeman]

Thanks Dres,I appreciate you listening.

I'll try your suggestions with the harp and guitar,thanks.
The song is pretty much set otherwise,I was thinking of just fading out on the repeat.
What do you think?

Do you still want me to take a shot at that other thing,or is somebody else doing it?
I'm on my way over to check out your update on the psalm song.
(Did I spell that right!)

Thanks Chad for taking the time to listen bro.
I appreciate your help along the way with this.
Glad you think everything sounds o.k

I got some new mics,so things are getting a little better.
I have to get some monitors ,it's going to kill me to spend the bucks though.
I need more toys first!
Thanks man.

LT,thanks man!
Ya,collaborations are the best.
I'm really looking foward to working with you and Mike!
A privlidge indeed!

The guitar was a preset from my J.station,only one I thought would fit.
I tried to make it work with the acoustics without being too overpowering.
It's panned stereo because it's doubled,only way I could get any beef out of the J.station.
Still working on getting some sounds out of it.

Thanks for the kind words on the vocals,coming from you that means a lot!

Hey Sam,I really appreciate your thoughts,and the help you gave me on this,thanks bro!
Mike and I are going to use the Chainsaw on ours,probably Rob and I too.
Pretty cool to be able to send wav.files via e-mail!
I owe you.(again!)

Really glad you liked everything,I'll have to check those harmonica levels.
Rob's stuff is really going to bring it together.

Ya,Bethsaida is in Isreal.
Actually the name of the pool is Bethsada,it's in the town of Bethsaida.

The pool is sometimes called Bethsaida,so I figured it would would be better for a lyric.
I think there's a dig going on there right now in Isreal.

The story is right out of John 5,pretty cool story if you want to check it out.

Thanks,my friend.

Hey Chris,really glad you liked it.

Thanks for taking the time to listen,much appreciated!
I think your right about the lead in the verses,Mike said the same thing.
Guess I'm going to take them out.
That's what's so great about this place,after working on a song for so long,you get numb to it.

Danged if you aren't right about that E string!
Can't hear it on headphones,but it stands out like a sore thumb on the PC speakers.
I can hear it through the whole song.
Does that mean I have to retrack it?
I guess so,bummer,it's all doubled!

Thanks very much for pointing that out Chris,I appreciate it.
You got golden ears man!

TripleM,thanks very much for the listen!
Glad you liked the guitars!

I can't hear anything on the opening line,no monitors,but I'll take your word for it.
You caught me on the second verse!
I had trouble with the whole verse,don't know why.
Still not really comfortable singing I guess.
Think it needs to be retracked?

You must have some good monitors,what kind are they?
I need a pair bad!

Hey Chad,thanks man!
I like your sugesstions on the git,but I'm kind of limited with the J.station.
What do you think,needs more verb?
No real good clean tones out of it so far.
Mabey someday!

I appreciate your input along the way with this,it really helped!

Iv'e been trying to work on that song,actually I havn't even started!
Hope I can make the deadline,I really want to do it!

SLuiCe,thanks my friend!
I appreciate you taking the time to listen.
I'm definatly going to bring the guitar intro down,seems to be the consensus.
I appreciate you kind words about the vocals,I doubled them to hide the fact that my voice can peel wallpaper!

Hey,I'm a construction worker,mabey I did say that!
Just kidding,(I hope,better go check!)

Thanks for the pointers on the levels and the vocals,I appreciate you taking all that time to pinpoint it,thanks man!

Rob is going to add the drums and keys,and I'm going to take a shot at the bass.
Should really bring it together.

Hey Mike!
Thanks bro,your help on this has been invaluable.
I'm using your bass settings,really made a big differance.
I owe you one!

Glad you liked the gits!
I'm going to lower the harmonica,Sam said the same thing.

Thanks for the vocal tip.
This is the first time I tried doubling.
I used two differant mikes,think that was a mistake?
I tend to keep the second up to cover my voice some.
For the good of mankind!

Thanks for the kind words bro!


Jeff,thanks my friend.
Glad you liked it.
Ya,I learned to play by copying Neil,you know,that heavy handed stiff arm stuff.
(Wish I could play like you though,someday!)




I was wondering if you guys could help me out with something.

Mabey this isn't the right forum,but I'm going to buy some monitors soon and you guys are the golden ears of this place!
If you all don't know,who does.

I record in a small room,10*10,and mix at a desk from about 2 feet away.
I guess I need small nearfields?
I just want something that's flat,so I can hear what's really going on,and any eq/dynamic changes that need to be made.

Monitors seem to be harder than mics to buy!

Iv'e been looking at the small M audio's and the small Events that just came out,both bi amped/powered.
Both $299.

What do you guys think,would they do it?
I could really use some help with this.

Thanks very much,
Pete