Please Review this tune, "Tara's Rain"

M

MusicallyMrM

Member
Was recorded using a Tascam 2488 MkII, exported to Pro Tools for some additional editing.

Instruments used?

lead guitar- Yamaha Ec112C2 "Black Widow" modded
rhythm- Fender John Mayer Signature
Bass- Stingray 5
Keys/Synths- Roland XP-80, Yamaha SY-85 (for some old skool vibe)
Drums- Roland V-Drums, Tama Kit

Guitar Amp-1996 Crate GXT 100 (with Celestion Vintage 30 and TAD 12ax7 pre's)

Mics- SM 57's

This song was dedicated to an erotic writer friend of mine. Smooth but just edgy enough to reflect her personality. I'm looking for some feedback in regards to song composition and mix. I hear some real obvious things but I want to see if anyone else hears them. (I don't always trust these old ears) :)

Thank you in advance for your honesty ;)

btw, there is a You Tube video for this song as well:

Tara's Rain (The "Black Kiss" Edition) - YouTube
 

Attachments

  • Tara's Rain 302.mp3
    5.5 MB · Views: 13
Overall the mix seems pretty well-balanced. If anything maybe the cymbals are a little harsh? I'm listening on a laptop with earbuds.
Funny, the "Rain" in the title as it reminds me quite a bit of the Weather Channel.
 
The musicality and the performance are awesome. But the mix sounds a bit strident. Perhaps overly compressed/limited and lacking a bit on the bottom end?
 
fat_fleet said:
Overall the mix seems pretty well-balanced. If anything maybe the cymbals are a little harsh? I'm listening on a laptop with earbuds.
Funny, the "Rain" in the title as it reminds me quite a bit of the Weather Channel.
Click to expand...

LOL Thanks for the Weather Channel analogy. Cymbals (as I listen after ear fatigue has subsided) are really hissy. Got a fix for that......
 
WhiteStrat said:
The musicality and the performance are awesome. But the mix sounds a bit strident. Perhaps overly compressed/limited and lacking a bit on the bottom end?
Click to expand...

Thanks. When I listen through my monitors, it does sound compressed to me.....more than it did when I finished the mix. (I would always suggest for all of us to take more time on the mix.....little at a time. I didn't do that and the "ear fatigue" killed me)
 
Ha - never thought of the Weather Channel until after I read the comments, but it would suit that perfectly. Excellent playing. No mix problems for me - listened to the Youtube version.
 
I'd echo what White Strat said. The performances are great. It does sound pretty harsh on my monitors. Almost like there's a big 2k bump on the guitars and some kind of high end bump on the kit. Maybe just revisit how the whole thing is eq'd. Tame the high end on the kit and this could sound really good.
 
Sounds pretty good except the drum kit cymbals sound off. They sound fake. Maybe try using a different kit, or record the drums to midi and then load in samples to play the parts. The lead guitar is clipping in a few parts also. I like the guitar tone, but there is something a little off with the eq, it doesn't sit quite right in the mix. It's 98% right, but sometimes I can hear finger slides, string noise, etc that I shouldn't. All that said it, sounds good. Nice song and the other instruments sound great. Great balance and mixing.
 
I love the lead tone. Very nice. I might actually bring the lead guitar up a bit.

Piano seems a tiny bit loud, and doesn't have a great tone...is it an electric, or is it just the recording.

Drums sound pretty good except for the cymbals everyone has mentioned. I wish the snare had a little more snap and crack to it.
 
Thanks everyone for the very useful replies. As we speak, I am working on a remix that cleans up a lot of the "unsightliness" in the mix. Going simple.......using Audacity for some clean up. Stay tuned.....
 
Beautiful playing and a really nice, clean mix, in my view. I think what people are reacting to with that ride cymbal is the way it sits so harshly on top of everything. It has kind of a "wide-open hi-hat" sound. I think the song calls for a big, heavy, 20-inch ride cymbal tapped lightly about midway between the edge and the bell. A nice, crisp ring with a long decay. But man ... what fine performances all-round. Really enjoyed it.
 
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