request for recording/mixing/mastering critiques

K

KenekeBarnes

New member
This is just a song I made with my band, and I'm looking for obvious improvements needed. I'm a pretty amateur sound guy, so any obvious critiques would be appreciated. No performance critiques, please. This was back when we first started. ;)

Don't laugh!

Equipment & techniques used:
- MXL condenser for drum overheads and vocals
- Shure SM57s for kick, snare, all other instruments
- Recorded on Firepod to Sonar
- Post: mixed, compressed vocals, snare, and overheads, reverb on vocals and whistle
- Recorded instruments together, vocals afterward
- Reduced highs of snare in order to separate cymbal overlap, but I think I deadened snare too much. :(
 
Sounds like the Irish National Anthem, lol. Nice song.

Ok, the recording...the biggest problem I hear right out of the chute is that guitar tone. It's all "fuzztone" with no meat. One of the first things you'll find about recording distorted gits is that less distortion = heavier sound, to a point, of course. If "heavy" were determined by the amount of distortion used, then we'd all just plug in 10 tubescreamers end to end and let her rip. The guitar on this is so distorted and thin that I originally thought it was some kind of radio noise.

Once you get a decent guitar tone, you might try double tracking it and putting the guitars left and right...I'm not on headphones right now, but the mix FELT like the guitar was mostly coming out of the right speaker. It's not a mixing crime or anything (listen to Panama by Van Halen...panned HARD to one side), but it helps when you've basically got drums (middle) bass (middle) vocal (middle) to spread the guitars around a bit.

The mix has other issues, but I'll let others have a go at it. Keep recording.
 
I cant listen to the mix properly at the moment because im on my laptop but will have a proper listen tomorrow on my PC.

One thing id suggest though from reading your techniques is that i wouldnt use a SM57 for the kick drum or bass guitar. It has a built in HPF (High Pass Filter) which will cut out some of the low frequencies. This is ok for snare drums and guitars but not for bass instruments. Id suggest using an AKG D112 if you can get hold of one as these are made for recording kick drums and they can also be used on bass guitars. You could also D.I the bass as well as mic it.

Hope this helps a bit but like I said I will have a proper listen to the mix tomorrow and let you know what I think.
 
like chris said, the guitars are background noise, when they cut out, it's actually a clean, clear recording. The vox are nice and up front, where they should be, i can hear the bass and it sounds ok. I'd start ith retracking the guitars, and go rom there! Hope that help.

JasonBird
 
Just chiming in to say this is a great tune.....

Irish National Anthem - good one Chris!

All the mix issues have been stated above (good and bad) ...

Love the hurrahs at the end!

:):D:):D
 
chrisharris said:
Once you get a decent guitar tone, you might try double tracking it and putting the guitars left and right...I'm not on headphones right now, but the mix FELT like the guitar was mostly coming out of the right speaker.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there are two guitars on this: the offending guitarist plays a Strat on single coil with a Digitech "Distortion Factory" pedal and Crate amp. Sounds good live, but I see what you mean that it just turns foul once recorded. The more mellow guitar is panned on the opposite side. Both are about 20% panned to their respective sides.

The mix has other issues, but I'll let others have a go at it. Keep recording.
Click to expand...

Oh, by all means, keep going.

THanks everyone!
 
Here's another mp3 for ya I recorded, mixed, & mastered, if you think you can see patterns in recording that need quashing...

 
The dist guitar sounds like the balls rolling in a bingo barrel.
The vox are too loud - good but too far above the mix - I'd like to hear them more a part of the band - though not submerged as the lyrics are crucial to the song.
The drum breaks sound like jam tins.
The backing vox need more ergs. & possibly some extra in the chorus.
Cool song - sounds like it's be fun to perform esp in a pub.
Bass - a big boost at 3khz.
If you can do so retrack the dist guitar with another that's overdriving a valve amp - that way you'll get a bit of dirt but a lot of guitar - you can always add some amp vst or something later.
There's a strange click early on - drum accident?
 
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