Good Song? I can't mix worth a crap! Tips?

P

poppadp

New member
Help please. I think I have what may be a good song, but I can't seem to make it sound better than a demo version.

I tried to post a link but couldn't because I havent made 5 posts yet. :(

To give you an idea of my skills, i just learned about compression, lol.

The volume of the vocals fluctuates, even after compression, but I like the take, so wanna try to keep it. I tried adjusting the envelopes, but then it just sounded flat. Any ideas?

Any feedback is welcome in general, I really want to make this as good what i think it can be.

Thanks!
-Danny
 
http://stickerquick.com/dp/2008/08/10/new-song-taking-a-peek-official-demo/

So hopefully this counts and you can see the link. Any ideas anyone on how i should fix this?

Help please. I think I have what may be a good song, but I can't seem to make it sound better than a demo version.

To give you an idea of my skills, i just learned about compression, lol.

The volume of the vocals fluctuates, even after compression, but I like the take, so wanna try to keep it. I tried adjusting the envelopes, but then it just sounded flat. Any ideas?

Any feedback is welcome in general, I really want to make this as good what i think it can be.

Thanks!
-Danny
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Danny
 
Someone mentioned that there was a touch of John Lennon in this, and I agree. I also thought there was essence of Pink Floyd in there as well.

Thoughts:

1 I think the song is fine . . . I enjoyed listening to it.

2 I think the arrangement is basically sound, but you might like to consider varying the dynamics a bit. At the moment, there is not a lot of change happening throughout the track. This may have been your intention, but I would prefer to hear greater variety; in instrumentation and dynamic range.

3 The performance, likewise, is basically sound. There are a couple of niggles: something seems to be a bit off in the tuning, though I can't pinpoint it, my chief suspects are the acoustic guitars. I find the snare hits unsettling; they appear in unusual places. It's hard to decide whether this was deliberate or accidental.

4 The mix, I agree, needs some work. For my taste, the guitars are too far forward, the kit too far back and the vocals could do with a bit more life. However, the overall mix sounds dull, as if I've got cotton wool in my ears, and I think the top end has been rolled-off everything. Perhaps your monitors are delivering a very bright sound which is compensated for in the mix.

I suggest you spend the effort to redo this track, because I think it has merit, and I would love to hear a reworked version.

My suggestions are:

1 Work on the drum track (I'm assuming it's MIDI) so that it gives a bit more life to the song. I would like to hear more of a contrast between verse and chorus, and a reworked drum pattern would help a lot.

2 The fuzzy guitar that starts the track on the right needs taming. It sounds brittle, and at the very start, the distortion sounds more like system, rather than guitar, distortion. (It gets better as the song goes on).

3 Give the acoustic guitars more equal weight left and right (the left side dominates). Make sure they are in tune. See if you can introduce a change in playing style between verse and chorus.

4 Try and get some definition into the bass. It sounds vague and not well defined. I like the bass line, though.

5 You are right about the vocals too. I can hear the "envelope adjustment". It's worth giving them another go. You can still keep the original vocals if a new lot doesn't work out.

6 When remixing, start with bass and drums and get them sitting nicely, then add your vocals. With luck, the song should sound great with just these three elements. Once you are happy with this, bring up the other instruments to taste (without messing the good balance you've already achieved).

Best of luck, and keep perservering!
 
poppadp said:
http://stickerquick.com/dp/2008/08/10/new-song-taking-a-peek-official-demo/

So hopefully this counts and you can see the link. Any ideas anyone on how i should fix this?

Help please. I think I have what may be a good song, but I can't seem to make it sound better than a demo version.



Thanks!

Danny
Click to expand...

you're right, it is a good song! :)

you're also correct in assessing it as "demo quality," although i still find it perfectly listenable. there's no shame in settling for substandard sonics (within reason of course) if you feel the performance is irreplaceable.

that aside, i'll tell you what i hear that may have been done during the mix that's hurting you.

1. too much reverb on the electric guitar and drums. they really sound distant. the entire mix seems to have a bit too much reverb, but those are the two elements that are suffering the worst.

2. vocal level fluctuations: if you're unable to find a compressor setting that will tame this, then i wouldn't even bother compressing it--it's just adding more noise to the track. you'd be better off automating your faders to compensate. it seems to me that the problem is in mic technique. practice will be your best ally here--pulling away from the mic when your voice gets more powerful. take this one fwiw--vocals are my weakest link right now.

3. the vocal modulation effect is also cluttering things up--those effects take up a whole lot of room in the mix, especially if you're applying one effect to the track and then slapping reverb on the master bus. i normally use some chorus on my vox just because i like to fill things out a bit, and i'm kinda insecure and inadequate as a singer. but i use it judiciously--just enough to round things out.

4. snare could come up a couple db.

5. it sounds like a lot of things are fighting for space in the stereo field. give everything its own unique panning position and it will make the mix considerably less dense:

*my default scheme for reference*: vox, bass, kick, snare center. double-tracked guitars hard left/right. drum OHs 3 and 9 o'clock. stereo-effect leads at 1 and 11 o'clock (or sometimes 5 and 7). keys 10 o'clock, mono guitar track 2 o'clock. and so on.

other than that, i'd say your problem is in the tracking (mic placement, signal chain, gain structure, etc). see my first paragraph on that. it'll get better as you progress. :)

and i only listed so much because i'm trying to give you specific comments on your problem. overall, i still think it's a good song, and of listenable quality. good luck! :)
 
Definitely something funky in the two acoustic guitar tunings, and I hear what sounds like system noise (clipping?) a few times.
Now you know why GOOD vocalists are in demand! Vocals are my worst enemy, too.
 
thanks for your input guys! ill try and use your input as much as i can. this is really only my second attempt at really making something more than just slapping down some tracks.

i understand i really haven't even begun to learn much beyond the basics, and im kind of impatient when i want to do something, but i spent wayyyyyyy more time trying to mix this song than actually recording it. i guess its all part of learning.

i have a few songs written from the past few months. im thinking about maybe recording in my home studio and then have a studio or someone else mix them.

how much do you guys think it costs to have someone else do it?

would anyone mix from someone elses tracks? any referrals?

Of course i would want to do the the best it can be, as quick as possible, for a little money as possible (since i dont have much $)! LOL :)

Thanks again for your help!

Danny
 
Dross hit all the high points.

Use a pop filter to keep your mouth at a constant distance from the mic.

Listen back to what you record, and resist the urge to think you can "fix it later". Get it right on the way in, and you can have a "faders up" mix without too many problems.
 
Why not find a site that hosts large files and put your song in the mp3 clinic as a mix contest, one of the rules stating that you have to give a quick rundown of what you did to the tracks. There are usually lots of takers on things like that, and it will give you a chance to pick up pointers from some real pros.
 
I'm not hearing the whole Lennon thing, I kinda hear Mogwai, a little Minus 5, and a little bright eyes. It's a really cool song though.
 
poppadp said:
thanks for your input guys! ill try and use your input as much as i can. this is really only my second attempt at really making something more than just slapping down some tracks.

i understand i really haven't even begun to learn much beyond the basics, and im kind of impatient when i want to do something, but i spent wayyyyyyy more time trying to mix this song than actually recording it. i guess its all part of learning.

i have a few songs written from the past few months. im thinking about maybe recording in my home studio and then have a studio or someone else mix them.

how much do you guys think it costs to have someone else do it?

would anyone mix from someone elses tracks? any referrals?

Of course i would want to do the the best it can be, as quick as possible, for a little money as possible (since i dont have much $)! LOL :)

Thanks again for your help!

Danny
Click to expand...

take all the tracks and wrap them up into a zip file and post a link here. You might get some people to download and mix it for you. At a minimum, you might get some mixes you like and be able to get the mixers to tell you what they did to the tracks.
 
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