i_hate_my_job.mp3 (MDR-7506)
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I like the stereo panning ... the 'halo' in the beginning. Good bass playing, mixed a bit low ;-)
The spoken vox, can come up 1db, and pan perhaps 3% left, this will give the spoken box more 'soapbox' ... the vox-backs in stereo right can come down, and pan as hard right as possible, more on 'stacking' later ...
The chorus vox is nicely mixed, harmonies are verging on being to low in the mix. There's no lead here ... so all the voices can enjoy an upfront mix here.
The 'I hate it' chant, I would experiment with panning that out left ... to leave the 'singstuff' in the middle more exposed, because the chant is what's important here, IMHO ... it's the hook more strongly presented in this section.
NOPE ... you can't do that cumulative break shit LOL !
Yeah, pan those phased flanged vox down hard stereo right and you could experiment with 'stacking' the back-up vox, double or triple them, and then stack them from bottom stereo right, and up a few percent on each one closer to center, making those that are furthest out less in volume ...
Cool tune ... uhhhh sincerely sung
call_me.mp3
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I love the strings here, the clap-slaps are to loud, much to loud. Look at the meters on that clap-slap and then the meters on the vox. I'm having to pause here to continue typing because it is uncomfortable to listen to that. This sample you are using was designed to cut through the din of a dance floor ... HUGE standing bass waves in a cavernous room ... TREMENDOUS natural reverb all around everyone ... the THRUM of humanity bustling and dancing about ... and that clap-slap was literally designed from ground up to cut through a BATTLEFIELD like a knife through butter, always remember that instruments like this, the side-stick, the wood-block, and this ... are designed to cut through anything. They need to be used very, very delicately because they can completely dominate.
On my SONY CFS-1055 Jambox, it's not to much of a problem, but it's still there.
Remember the monitoring solution I'm using here, the headphones, totally flat response, no cheating with these phones.
Continuing from 00:33 -
Yup, the clap-slap is actually stomping on your vocal, and I'm finding it a struggle to understand the words ... now I can understand them, but I'm not enjoying it as much as I could.
At 1:05, that hook in the stereo right field is weak.
1:18, vox is better now ... I love this ... cool chorus !
I LOVE the plucking cellos ! And I did Jam with the cello on this ... I play violin, viola and cello.
At 2:04, the spoken vox mix is perfect. I'd like to hear more of the rytmic support from the cellos
!
oooooo ... sexy stuff !
I think you'd like 'The Park', the vox is sort of similar in ways ... You are kinda broadway hip-hop ... cool style, I'm enjoying your music and writing.
green_light.mp3
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Still on the crystal clear flat headphones.
Cool sample. Dancin' stuff huh !
Middle eastern, I'll give ya some cool violin there ... and this intro vox is mixed great, I'd put some delay on it, it's just a little dry, just a little.
Vox mix is perfect at it's entrance. Bass maybe a hair to loud. By 0:53 the instruments are building up a bit to much. You've really got to expose this vox, and you know this, so be careful. The instrumentals here are really cool.
You seem to ALWAYS use the piano absoutley properly to accompany, never stepping on the vocal, always rytmically correct
... PC = politically correct ... nahhh ... Pianistically Correct ?
At 1:50 , the synth in stereo right is to much ... to much going on ... the chorus is great, just cut that synth, IMHO.
At 2:15, this vox is completely exposed and needs to be sung with total power and confidence, and you are almost there. It's great, I love it, but you are capeable of a lot more here.
Great keyboard riff, I love it. Around 2:43, this moog type synth I'm not buying it, again, expose your vocal and the song, to sell the lyric here, that's to busy, especially if it's going to be panned over to the right ... which is arguabley the more dominant of the two stereo fields.
At 3:07 drop all the instruments 1db ... you are generally very close with all your mixes on volume.
Now at 3:30, I like that synth ... but the rythm element ... stick or logs or something that's been happening every-other bar ... that's not working musically by this point, drop it out IMHO. The vocal is great here ... it's the star and can be stepped on not only by instruments that are to high in volume, but by parts that rytmically push us away from the vocal or distract us.
I'd get some screeching-chattering tires samples here, like when they chatter going around a curve ... IMHO.
Set_Your_Sight_on_Me.mp3
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Still on the crystal clear headphones.
Groovy intro. Clean precisie piano. Great layed back bass, great contrasts here. Guitar is fine.
All the instruments, especially the rythmic elements need to come down, and expose this vocal, the vocal must be absolutely and comletely and cleanly exposed in the beginning, and its a great lead vox, no problem when this is exposed. Whew thos The instruments are 'brutalizing' the poor sweet lady's vocal
Major shiver at 1:00 ... nice
Whew, this vox is blowing me away, best yet.
The guitar fills are like little firecrackers ... need to be compressed and brought way, way down ... and panned out somewhere. Like the stick, this strat-type guitar was made to CUT-THROUGH a very loud sitchation.
I like the cello here, very nice, and btw cello samples are the most realistic, they are generally very effective ... bring them up ... just kidding ... they are mixed fine where they are <*sniff*>
This guitar ... has got to come way, way down ... it's 'blowing up'. lot's of rumble and wild shit going on down below, don't really know what that is ? Big truck outside ?
This is a lovely, wonderful, beautiful song ... don't mess with this nice ladies vocal here ... or I'll file your guitar strings at the nut ;( ...
These doots in the outro are super sweet ... the guitar player is fired
... to loud, to busy.
Creep_Like_You.mp3
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Did ya write this about me ?
Acoustic guitar is great, drums are to loud, the vox is getting stepped on.
Generally your pronunciation and diction are so excellent , you could save the vox out of any hole you put it in.
Your vox is THE STAR. We are not going to buy your CD to hear the drums ... even though they sound good, and they are cool ... a good part.
This song is very, very good, and you are a very good singer.
Bring the backup vox in closer, just below 9:00 and 3:00, they are panned to hard.
I love the nah, nah, nah, nah ...
You have 'got the sound', your vox is marketable, it's pop, it's cool, it's 'there'. Let it roar in the mix.
I know it's tough to wear all these hats and be objective, but that's what you are here for and I APPRECIATE YOU and your efforts.
Thanks for sharing, bring the instruments down Ms. one man band ...
It was a VERY sad day...THANK GOD! I have a NEW JOB (not the one i hate...and in answer to your question..i did let 'the guy in the corner office listening to music pretending to be making important phone calls' listen to it 1 week before i submitted my letter of resignation...man that felt GOOD...i'm so happy to be out of THERE!!!) but my point is i work in the Technical department of a large corporation and am surrounded by computer GENIUSES...i owe this guy the world now, but he came over, GAVE me a brand spankin' new 40gig hard drive, SAVED all my old audio files so i lost NO data and reconfigured me for optimum audio performance, this pc is now dedicated to music...BUT...my Aardvark Direct Pro 24/96 may be DEAD...we're still not sure, i've got to take it in separately and i'm so frustrated after receiving such helpful feedback that i won't be able to work on cleaning this stuff up so you can see what a difference your help will/has made. UGUGGGUUUGGG!!! Murphy's law, huh. But i shouldn't complain...i basically got a brand new computer for free...i still can't believe he didn't charge me...not for his time, not for the parts...MY HERO!!! I did cook him dinner both times he came over though (maybe he likes my cooking).