Even more of your expertise is sought . . .

C

chessrock

Banned
I got one more I'd like to share. It's from the same session as the one I posted previously. No, not the elevator music. :D lol.

Keep in mind, this song is a little long at about 5 minutes. And it's repetitive, so I'm not overly thrilled with the structure. But then it isn't my tune, either. I just engineered and mixed it. :D So I'd appreciate any comments you might have in regards to the tracking and overall mix. If you don't get through the whole song, at least try skipping to the very ending; there's sort of a bonus track that sounds pretty cool. Thanks!

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=1298&alid=402

Thoughts from a Car
 
Well. . . It is a very good job tracking. I don't like the reverb on the snare. When it gets to the verse part, with the hi-hat and snare, I hear the 'verb too much. Just set the decay time faster or something in the verse, and/or turn the wet mix down. Very good bass drum sound though. I would also kind of like to hear a bit brighter cymbals and man is that crash in your face, can you turn it down a bit.

Good vocal track, very good. Very nice guitar sound too. Bass could maybe come up a tiny bit. Good sound overall.

This song could use a kickin chorus (in terms of song structure)song and it would be really good. I mean a Coldplay or U2 type big chorus though where he goes high and screams and stuff.

Maybe some synth strings if you were so inclined, there is some room for something higher in frequency that still wouldn't clutter up your mix. Maybe some sustaining guitar with chorus and delay, or ebow?

The thing that comes in at the end also shows promise to be a ghood song. Give it a beat, an upbeat one, add a piano and another kickin chorus and sell it triple platinum.

Good sound for real though. This group's recording will be nice to show future clients.

Beezoboy
 
hey, I like how you get the guitars together and blended and still plenty of separation in voice freq'. thats real cool man. learned something... Beezoboy said it already but, I would like to hear the kick and bass "babumpin" a tad more. really smooth clear sound.
 
Beezoboy: Now that's some feedback I can sink my teeth in to. Great points you bring up, Beezo. Seriously, you would have made an excellent producer/arranger on this one -- I wish I could have been involved in the arrangement myself for a lot of the same reasons. I'm probably the only one who likes the reverb on the snare, but I can see how it could get excessive. I need to re-examine how I'm tracking drums. The cymbals and crashes can get out of hand.

Anyone with suggestions on mic positioning for less cymbal? I've run out. :D I hate to do it, but I'm almost ready to start mic'ing all the toms up, but I'd like to avoid it wherever possible.

Thanks again!
 
Nice vocal sound....very intimate....the guitar is nice and clear.....no muddy bottom end to it.....the overall mix and balance sound good to me. i still don't care for the bass sound. I, personally like a bit more presence on the bass but that's a preference of mine that not everyone shares.
 
No problem man. It easy to make comments on a mix like this, where there are only a few minor problems.

Could you comment on how you are positioning your overheads. You didn't really say in the other thread in recording techniques. Also is this drummer using a thick crash? It almost sounds like a John Bonham type crash sound. The cymbals sound thick like a ride cymbal - thick and dark. Also what are the positions of the crash cymbals in relation to the kit?

Answer these questions and maybe we can figure out something. I have just been through a couple weeks of fighting with a drumset too.

(Edit #1)OK I am editing after I have listened some more. It sounds like this drummer does not hit the toms very hard. That could help a lot too with the toms. To me it sounds like the cymbal on the left (in the mix) is the culprit. The one on the right is pretty nice and airy.

(Edit #2)After listening more I have decided the ride and crashes could come down in the mix entirely. Turn down the overheads and boost the mids in them to bring the toms out. Also you could turn the guitars up a bit more and accomplish the same thing, if you raised the snare and bass drum a bit.

Beez
 
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Sounds good to me. Can't add anything that hasn't been said already (Beez). Everything sounds nice & clean. Nice work.
 
awesome man...I wouldn't change a thing:D
<edit>
I thought it was a little cymbal heavy and I agree with Lt. about a bit more defined bass sound. I am not to wild about the slight delay sound on the vocal or room verb..or whatever effect you're using. To me it actually takes away from the intamacy of it. If he is singing softly, as he is, then a more "up close" sound to the mic is what I would look for..even more breathy too...where you can hear the saliva smacking around too.

Maybe since the song is so repetative, you could change things around mixwise to add more dramatics to the song. Change the gtr volumes around a bit more noticeably...but not too much where it sounds drastic. Stuff like that.
 
Critique of my own mix (in hindsight) . . .

Awesome man, don't change a . . .

Wait a minute, I'm banning . . . uh (realizes he's paid for his nowhere radio account with unlimited space) . . . yea, that's awesome, man! :D
 
niccce.....the intro is really intimate. The sound you got on all the instruments is really awesome. i dont like the ride when it comes in at 0:50 or thereabouts...it's too loud in the mix...mebbe u cld put some 'verb or bring the levels down. it sort of overpowers the snare at this point.

i like the the way your guitars sound. both the rhythm and lead parts are very clear with no mud at all. what was ur recording chain for guitar?

cheers!
kb
 
sounds really good...........i was listening while getting ready for work.......not the best time for in depth critiques, but it is a good way to hear something that is really off........nothing here was really off..........a great vocal track usually makes for a great track.........this had a great vocal track............good stuff
 
Chessrock, I wish I had your "problems". This clarity is what I aspire to attain out of my system......someday....
 
Wow! I think the sound is awesome!

I agree with Beezoboy that a kickin chorus would really take this tune to the next level. I was even thinking that the part at the end could maybe fit into the middle somewhere with a really driving beat and a killer pour-it-all-out vocal and maybe a solo...then back to the smooth mellow rest of the song to finish it out. I definitely think it's out of place as an ending for the song, but is really good and could sound cool if worked in. Of course, none of this has anything to do with your sound, which you're asking about, but like I said it's awesome. Very tasty... :D

-Jeff
 
I really liked the guitars, both their tone and the parts. The bass might be able to come up a little more.

The singer is a bit soft. For the most part that wasn't a problem. But there was a word here and there that was tough to hear (e.g., 1:18, 1:33).

I hear ya about the structure, some of that stuff I'd ask myself, "Why is this here?" That section at :45... Some of it I'd have no idea.

Yeah a big chorus at the end (after getting some of the girth out of the middle) would definitely work.
 
Thanks for the comments guys.

Kartikbala: the guitar chain is mostly blue dragonfly > dmp3, except for a few of the overdubs, which were sm57>Soundcraft SpirtM Board with Behringer ecm8000s as room mics (strictly for ambience). Come to think of it, the dragonfly was used on the vocals, too. The very end; bonus track is all dragonfly. I love that mic. In front of a guitar amp, it always delivers the goods.

It's strange to me how I'm hearing so many comments about the bass needing to come up. :D Actually, it's more than loud enough volume-wise, but that's probably because I know what the tone of it is, and the problem is that it's blending in too well with the guitars; it's tone isn't bottom-heavy enough, and I think that has a lot to do with the guy's arrangement, technique, etc. It just sounds like a lower, bassier 6-string. I know, I know, as a bass player I should be able to correct that stuff, but what do you do? :D
 
ride and crashes too loud. snare too mushy and wet. not enough attack there.

i like the guitars.

that ending is weird.
 
Awesome overall clarity and tone. Cymbals are a little hot. I know what you mean about the bass. He is not playing a beefy enough part/tone to get much more than what you are getting from him. If he likes it,I would just "let it eat"



(note to self.......MUST get Blue Dragonfly!)
 
I don't really think the bass needs to come up. I'd like for it to have, as Mix said,...more definition; a bit more punch. Maybe just a slight bump up somewhere in the mids. I'm not sure where....maybe as low as around 550hz or as high as 1.2khz or so. And keep in mind that I'm listening on 'puter speakers and it is an MP3 also. So that could be a large part of it.
 
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