1st Recording Effort: Critique my Bluegrass

[toddyjoe]

First off, I want to thank everyone who has ever provided any input or commentary on this BBS. I have played instruments for a number of years but only recently starting thinking about and digging into the recording aspect. It is looking like a long road of learning ahead of me but this BBS has definitely helped get my feet wet.

Here is my first homerecording solo project, a bluegrass-type digital recording under the barest of circumstances called "Highway 29 Country." In my initial criticisms, the bass part feels too light on lesser quality speakers and the dobro part sounds a bit mid-heavy. However, please let me know what your thoughts are on the mix. Thanks!

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=4553&alid=-1

 

[XLR]

Good to hear some bluegrass here. Good arrangement and I like the dobro playing and tone - it has a live, sittin' on the front porch feel. I think the midrange emphasis in the mix is because of the guitar's lack of highs. Sounds like a nylon string gtr...?

The bass needs to come up, IMO, but don't let it get too hot in the lower mids. Even though this is essentially a dobro solo w/accomp, the dobro part is a little too hot - it masks the gtr & bass. The gtr part might benefit from retracking to try to get a more consistent/clean strum in the bass/strum/bass/strum rhythm. It varies a lot. Oh, and watch that edit click at :16.

Tim

 

[Llarion]

Nice!!

Dobro is a little hot in the 1K-2.5K range, has that "horn" tweter sound.. Bass could come up, but really needs more definition than volume. Guitar could use a little clarity as well; overall just a little "muddy"... Lovely, loping tune though. I just came from the Swannanoa Gathering, and got really steeped in Bluegrass, Old-Timey, and fiddle tunes and the like. This had a nice, homespun feel..

 

[toddyjoe]

Thank you both for the great input! The guitar part is in fact a nylon string. My original thinking was to make the steel-string dobro as distinct from the standard guitar rhythm part as possible, so I grabbed the nylon string. Not the best choice in hindsight, especially when other bluegrass arrangements have no problems with steel-string accompaniment.

That edit click was actually a computer glitch when I was converting the digital track to a mp3 type for uploading. I was going to go back and reconvert it to get the glitch out but I wanted to get general comments on the mix first.

Back to the cutting room floor...