Acoustic/vocal mix feedback

[keith.rogers]

This is NOT ME, but a friend who came over to just record some stuff - he's been working on mic technique, and struggles a bit at one of the local open mics where the host uses hypercardiod mics (Beta58s), so most of our time was talking about this and that. (We're both older retired guys, and you know we like to talk ).

I do this stuff a lot - just single, singer-songwriter stuff. Here's a couple mixes - the first is my typical, out-front vocal kind of quick mix I usually do for folks.

But, here's a version with a much more subdued vocal.

This was recorded all at once so there's a *lot* of bleed, which I don't usually worry too much about. In the 2nd/remix, more of the vocal is coming from the guitar mics. I kind of prefer the mix, but miss the vocal quality of the first.

Impressions, comments, whatever.

 

[Peter Pavlonis]

Nice work, first mix is better.

 

[Bulls Hit]

The vocal has much more presence in the first mix, and all the nuances etc are up front and centre. In a sparse arrangement like this that's where they want to be. If you added drums, bass, horns, orchestral parts etc then it might be a different story

 

[TripleM]

I like the first mix better too. The second mix has kind of a cloudy sound.

The guitar has a boomy frequency - probably between 100hz and 200hz.

Some pitchiness in the vocal in a couple of spots.

Edit - I think the vocal may be a bit far out in front of the guitar.

 

[keith.rogers]

Thanks for all the comments.

I'm going to try to remix this set to lean back toward the first one. As mentioned, the bleed and nature of mics means I've got vocal everywhere and guitar everywhere, so it's a little challenging. The 2nd one I can hear now has too much of the vocal from the guitar mics, so the vocal is coming in off-axis and it's not working as well as where I emphasize the vocal mic.

I did about half this session where he used a steel string guitar (still finger-style) and then some with the nylon string, and the latter, as in this song, is a little more problematic because there's just not as much guitar. Should have adjusted the mics a bit closer or maybe worked the angles to pick up less of the vocal.

Always something to learn .

 

[keith.rogers]

Went back to the first version but made about a 1dB move down in the vocal (mostly) and up in the guitar(s). Made the compression overall attack a couple ms sooner to just make me think it's got a little bit smoother feel...

Dropbox - Route 22 (remix 2)

Can't do anything about pitch in this kind of recording, which was really just a practice for a performance he had Saturday. Reports were positive on that...

P.S. If it matters: Miktek mk300 through GAP Pre-73 primary vocal mic, AKG C214 and AT4051a on the nylon string guitar. All into a F'rite 26 Pro. Logic X Pro.