andyhix
:dank:
Here's a not-quite-final mix of a song from my band. I'd appreciate any feedback - mix, layout, lyrics, whatever...
link is at:
www.birdbomb.com/orangerobot
link is at:
www.birdbomb.com/orangerobot
another new member-another new song
- Thread starter andyhix
- Start date
Hey. Welcome to the forum. Please take a few minutes to read the provided health and safety leaflet. In case of a fire hazard, run. Try and listen to as much stuff as possible, preferably not me.
Anyhow, I really like this, the quality is good. Acoustic sounds very nice, and I like whatever the strange thing is at the beggining, I'd love to know how its made
Main vocals sound a bit thin to me, dunno what others think of this? Electric sounds good. Very professional overall. What equipment do you use?
Good job.
Anyhow, I really like this, the quality is good. Acoustic sounds very nice, and I like whatever the strange thing is at the beggining, I'd love to know how its made
Main vocals sound a bit thin to me, dunno what others think of this? Electric sounds good. Very professional overall. What equipment do you use? Good job.
Stratomaster
Active member
Cool song-Acoustic sounds good, pretty catchy melody--like the way it bilds up-adding the 2nd voice and electric 2nd verse---The drums are overbearing, a little high endy too-I think I can understand the effect you were going for when they come in--kind of modern-almost distorted sounding (flaming lips?) But theyre too loud IMO-At least they sound like real (not canned) drums. Other cool stuff in that section too-sounded almost like a theremin...
I would have played with some reverbs on this-it sounds like it has almost none-The drums have a natural room sound that maybe isnt the greatest-Seems like the voices are pretty direct sounding too-some diff reverbs for different sections of the song on the voices is what i was hearing....
Anyway-welcome to the board--what kind of gear are you using?
I would have played with some reverbs on this-it sounds like it has almost none-The drums have a natural room sound that maybe isnt the greatest-Seems like the voices are pretty direct sounding too-some diff reverbs for different sections of the song on the voices is what i was hearing....
Anyway-welcome to the board--what kind of gear are you using?
andyhix
:dank:
thanks for the feedback. We are tracking on cool edit pro through an aardvark Q10. That is a theramin, btw, and the intro is actually just a loop of the guitar that follows, with some effects. Hell if I can remember what effects....I agree the overheads on the drums are a little tinny. That will be rectified, likely. Thanks again.
-Andy, OR
-Andy, OR
studioviols
New member
Use the stuff in the intro, but cut it in half. We just need a tiny hint of that 'effect' in the beginning, and the loop cut is noticeable. So cut it in half ... or fade it hard to a dead spot, and then hit us with the verse.
I like the vox level in the first verse. The baritone vox doubling panned hard right is effective, but it needs to 'come out of that tight corner' from it's hard right panned position. It needs to be a touch closer to the lead vox, panning a vocal line HARD right or left is 'camp' and it can be 'tacky', you really have to have strong and ultimate justification to pan HARD to right or left, any vocal track.
Doubling a vocal track and panning one hard left, and one hard right is a different matter, that is a good way to develop the stereo field and promote 'chorusing'. This is a single vox you have panned hard, and that can become distracting for the listener very quickly.
Use it only once in the song, and work the voice in closer to the lead vox as you proceed in it's next presentations.
In the pre-chorus, your vox needs to be further out on top of the mix as you have added a lot of additional instrumentation there. Perhaps those instruments are too loud. It's almost ok on headphones but the vox gets challenged on speakers.
In the chours, gently EQ a bit of the nasal top-end off the singer, and give me even more volume. The vocal doubling panned hard left works, but I'd move it in closer as the chorus progresses ... autopanning it to join with ... as the end of the chorus is marked with ... that 'ahhhhOhhhh'. Sweep us into center as the chorus ends.
My philosopy ... the singer's the star, don't ever step on the lead vox, just like you would not step on the lead guitar solo. Without a lyric and vocalist ... it's not a song, it's an instrumental. And some band's treat the vocal as an instrument, and that's fine, but I don't think that's justified here.
At 1:19, this 'thing' is simply happening too long, I'd like to put some freaky - REAL - violin over that, weaving around it, and based on the melodic movement of the verse.
PM me if you want me to collab with you on a bit of violin for that spot.
Vox level at 1:46 is nice. As the baritone joins in, the verse vox is no longer center stage, need to keep it there for the life of the verse. I would have the baritone doubling even closer to the lead vox at this point, because that hard panning is getting a bit tacky now.
Drums are getting too loud, they are in front of the lead vox. The aggressive nature of the part at this point serves the mix, you don't need this much volume on the drums.
Yes, lead vox needs more, and that means bringing the instruments down to develop 'headroom'. Nice drum part, but it's stepping all over the lead vox. And I really feel like the chorus is now led by the hard left panned vox ... and that may be your intention, if so, I would move that hard panned left vox closer to center, and increase the volume.
You could have a very effective 'sweep to center' by the end of the chorus here, if indeed you raise the volume of the hard panned left vox, and make it the lead, for this chorus. I think that would be a really sweet technique.
again, the outro 'thing' is too long, it's kind of cool, but not really, you need some freaky violin there also, maybe even a bit of cello also, and I play both.
I LIKE this tune, I LIKE the performances, and I LIKE the mix, but it can be a very fine mix with some more thought and work.
I like the vox level in the first verse. The baritone vox doubling panned hard right is effective, but it needs to 'come out of that tight corner' from it's hard right panned position. It needs to be a touch closer to the lead vox, panning a vocal line HARD right or left is 'camp' and it can be 'tacky', you really have to have strong and ultimate justification to pan HARD to right or left, any vocal track.
Doubling a vocal track and panning one hard left, and one hard right is a different matter, that is a good way to develop the stereo field and promote 'chorusing'. This is a single vox you have panned hard, and that can become distracting for the listener very quickly.
Use it only once in the song, and work the voice in closer to the lead vox as you proceed in it's next presentations.
In the pre-chorus, your vox needs to be further out on top of the mix as you have added a lot of additional instrumentation there. Perhaps those instruments are too loud. It's almost ok on headphones but the vox gets challenged on speakers.
In the chours, gently EQ a bit of the nasal top-end off the singer, and give me even more volume. The vocal doubling panned hard left works, but I'd move it in closer as the chorus progresses ... autopanning it to join with ... as the end of the chorus is marked with ... that 'ahhhhOhhhh'. Sweep us into center as the chorus ends.
My philosopy ... the singer's the star, don't ever step on the lead vox, just like you would not step on the lead guitar solo. Without a lyric and vocalist ... it's not a song, it's an instrumental. And some band's treat the vocal as an instrument, and that's fine, but I don't think that's justified here.
At 1:19, this 'thing' is simply happening too long, I'd like to put some freaky - REAL - violin over that, weaving around it, and based on the melodic movement of the verse.
PM me if you want me to collab with you on a bit of violin for that spot.
Vox level at 1:46 is nice. As the baritone joins in, the verse vox is no longer center stage, need to keep it there for the life of the verse. I would have the baritone doubling even closer to the lead vox at this point, because that hard panning is getting a bit tacky now.
Drums are getting too loud, they are in front of the lead vox. The aggressive nature of the part at this point serves the mix, you don't need this much volume on the drums.
Yes, lead vox needs more, and that means bringing the instruments down to develop 'headroom'. Nice drum part, but it's stepping all over the lead vox. And I really feel like the chorus is now led by the hard left panned vox ... and that may be your intention, if so, I would move that hard panned left vox closer to center, and increase the volume.
You could have a very effective 'sweep to center' by the end of the chorus here, if indeed you raise the volume of the hard panned left vox, and make it the lead, for this chorus. I think that would be a really sweet technique.
again, the outro 'thing' is too long, it's kind of cool, but not really, you need some freaky violin there also, maybe even a bit of cello also, and I play both.
I LIKE this tune, I LIKE the performances, and I LIKE the mix, but it can be a very fine mix with some more thought and work.
Musichameleon
New member
Hi Andy,
OK, I'm probably repeating a load of other guys here (!), but this is what I thought.
The bassy pulse sound sounds out of time to me, which was a bit distracting.
The cymbals sound a bit "stuck on" - need to be settled into the mix a bit, and by contract the snare was too muffled for my liking. I'd choose a different snare sound (or re-mic it/eq it if it's a live drummer, which I think it is).
Overall, there's too much bottom end during the louder parts of the song. Maybe some multi-band compression? Just an idea.
Overall a pretty good track.
Cheers,
Gary.
OK, I'm probably repeating a load of other guys here (!), but this is what I thought.
The bassy pulse sound sounds out of time to me, which was a bit distracting.
The cymbals sound a bit "stuck on" - need to be settled into the mix a bit, and by contract the snare was too muffled for my liking. I'd choose a different snare sound (or re-mic it/eq it if it's a live drummer, which I think it is).
Overall, there's too much bottom end during the louder parts of the song. Maybe some multi-band compression? Just an idea.
Overall a pretty good track.
Cheers,
Gary.
studioviols
New member
<Homer Simpson voice-over>
ummmmmm ... multi-band compression
ummmmmm ... multi-band compression
andyhix
:dank:
Thank you!
I really appreciate all the well thought out comments, and will take them to heart. When we get the mix straightened around a bit, I'll throw it back up for more comments.
In the meantime, I will continue to try to listen to your stuff and give my 2 cents. Only problem is with a slow network, it often takes me a reallllllllllllly long time to dl a song, so the opportunity to do so is few and far between.
Thanks! Andy, OR
I really appreciate all the well thought out comments, and will take them to heart. When we get the mix straightened around a bit, I'll throw it back up for more comments.
In the meantime, I will continue to try to listen to your stuff and give my 2 cents. Only problem is with a slow network, it often takes me a reallllllllllllly long time to dl a song, so the opportunity to do so is few and far between.
Thanks! Andy, OR