Like I Knew You Would - Synth driven pop

K

K-dub

Well-known member


Another off my album remix project. Any/all comments on the new mix warmly welcomed and appreciated. Also ... if you like it enough to download, please feel free to do so by clicking on the down arrow on the player. It's on me. :D

K-
 
Well recorded as usual. My first thought is that the drums could use more attention. That cymbal crash on the left is kind of grating, and you have a strange gating effect going on with the snare. Are those drums samples? The bass guitar could use a little more top. Flatwounds?
 
The snare is a little strange - I think its the reverb on it. The cymbals could be tamed a bit (EQ or a little lower volume). I hear more pick-strum sound than tone from the acoustic guitar - did you notch a lot of mids out of it? The organ part might be a little louder in places, it's really hiding back there!

Listening with JBL LSR305s
 
The mix sounds a little crispy on the high end to me. If you have a high shelf or boost on the highs, try dropping it by a few dB. Maybe it's just the drums or drum overheads that sound like that to me. I don't hear it on the synths, vocals, or guitar. Must be the drums.

I could use a little less modulation on the vocals, sounds like a chorus or phaser or something.

Good song, I like the synth melody and the guitar stabs. Nice uptempo pop song you've got.
 
Love anything that reminds me of the cars era.. Vocals have bit phase that could back off
 
I'm a big Future Islands fan, do you know them? They've given the whole synth pop genre a massive boost recently.

Some of the vocals seem to fit a little bit unnaturally on top for times, I agree that the acoustic isn't coming through as well as it should, the snare sounds a bit unnatural too, I think it needs to pop a bit more.

The main hook is really nice, the lead guitar tone is great, it sounds really good, although there's a couple of phrases that I think could be cleaned up a bit. Your voice sounds pretty good and the backing vocals are perfect.

Good job!
 
Cool synth sounds. I'm a big fan of synths that don't pretend to be anything but.

+1 for toning down the phasing on the vox. Actually, this is such a traditional, simple pop-style song that it might be worth trying to get a collaborator for lead vox. Your BGVs are really good, but your voice is just unconventional enough to be a little distracting on the melody. Are there any good straight-pop vocalists on the forums that could help?

No other real nits from me.
 
I thought the synths sounded very nice. Catchy riff.

The cymbals are too hyped in the high end. That, combined with some upper end hype on the acoustic guitar, is kind of a bad mix.

Bass sounds cool.

The lead vocal had some weird effect on it. Subtle, but noticeable. I think it works pretty well on this tune. But I don't think it would work on your typical tunes.

I liked everything about the lead guitar except all that 80's reverb.
 
GREAT comments folks! I'm picking up a strong consensus on several issues concerning the amount of detuning I placed on the vocal and high end cymbal wash (which is actually the mastering chain I used). This is exactly what I come to the board for. It REALLY helps.

I did take a big bite out of the middle of the acoustic guitar ... the body of the git was interfering w/ the top end of the bass ... so the growl on the bass was taking a hit. I do agree I might bring it a little more forward, but I had mixed it that way, and then backed off of it. Looks like my first inclination was the right one.

Thanks so much ... excellent thoughts!
 
It sounds a little weird to the left side. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but maybe some kind of high ssshhhhhhh sound lol. Over all it's a different type of thing with the synth and stuff going on. So, I think it still works even though it's got too much of something going on lol.
 
FoulPhil said:
It sounds a little weird to the left side. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but maybe some kind of high ssshhhhhhh sound lol. Over all it's a different type of thing with the synth and stuff going on. So, I think it still works even though it's got too much of something going on lol.
Click to expand...

Yep ... I'm several states away from studio at moment, but when I get back, I will attend to all the points made. :D

Funny how I thought my original lacked ... and so made a remix ... that still hasn't got it right.

Gotta love art ... but also gotta love all the help. This is an odd game ... where other ears and input are required to help catch all the nuance.
 
Possibly too much snare.
That synth lick would sound just as good on guitar.
If you slowed this down it'd make nice popreggae.
Esp. if you did the synth lick on a clucky clavinet a la the signature part in many Wailers tracks.
 
Listened to both. The second one's better. Not a suggestion, just an idea to try out: put more space on the vocal - delay, verb, whatever. I mean, this tune's big enough to handle a slapback on the vox.
 
dobro said:
Listened to both. The second one's better. Not a suggestion, just an idea to try out: put more space on the vocal - delay, verb, whatever. I mean, this tune's big enough to handle a slapback on the vox.
Click to expand...

It's uncanny how you mirror my own thoughts. I tried the detune/phase ... but folks didn't like it that much as the "right effect" ... and I agreed and thought I perhaps overdid it ... but my native instinct was to avoid "too dry". I've got two effects on it now. The first is a widener ... an ever so subtle stereo spread that has very little delay, but "biggens" the spread of the vocal across center soundstage.

That wasn't enough for me, though. I wanted a "more". So I did the detune ... but that my have been the wrong direction entirely, and instead ... maybe I just want more spatial impact.

Thanks, P. Spot on w/ my mixing head.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top