Sweet, Cure-y, and Overdubbed Drums Galore

cominginsecond

cominginsecond

Decentralized Media Mogul
You all were so helpful with my last tune, I thought I'd better post this ASAP:



I did the drums in kind of an odd way. I set up my stereo overheads and snare mic. Played the first part heavily on the hi-hat, and then overdubbed a part that emphasized the ride cymbal. I panned the hi-hat part to the left and the ride part to the right. Then I overdubbed kick drum with a keyboard. Then I overdubbed the pseudo Latin tom sections in the middle with a mono Rode overhead and a close mic'd 57. Then I overdubbed the big crash cymbal in the chorus later with an ECM8000. So, basically, where real drummers can play a song in one pass, fake drummers can fake their way through it through the magic of overdubbing.

Tell me what you think.

Oh, and turn up the volume a little bit for optimum analysis. It's not a very loud song yet.
 
Not so curish.
The mix is kind of uh...spinney. It seems to be sorta live feeling but with some confused sonics involved. A bit too midrangey but that's not all...it's clear but crowded.

The feel is nothing like the cure just that one synth.
 
This song really reminded me of "Caterpillar" that's why I said it was Cure-y.

Thanks for your comments.
 
jake-owa said:
Not so curish.
The mix is kind of uh...spinney. It seems to be sorta live feeling but with some confused sonics involved. A bit too midrangey but that's not all...it's clear but crowded.

The feel is nothing like the cure just that one synth.
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That busy, busy drumming is definitely what I was going for. What do you mean by "confused sonics"? The automated panning?
 
Turn your vocal up. I like the background airy vox a lot. Actually, the vocal level seems okay in the chorus. Okay, that wood block sound, that's a good level for the guitars, I think...lol...I'm not helping, I'm sure.

I don't like those drums so far away sounding, but it fits the mix.

I honestly don't think I can be very helpful, because it's just a different KIND of mix you're going for, I think. If it were me, I'd try to figure out a way to reverse the EQ between the midrange and the low end. It's got too many low mids for my taste too.

I'm liking your voice more everytime I hear it. So, did/do you listen to The Smiths?
 
Not the Cure, even caterpillar, but very English and pretty cool.

I liked it a lot. I even liked the drums the way they were - except that crash/splash cymbal throughout.

I liked the vocals a lot too.

Nice work!
 
chrisharris said:
If it were me, I'd try to figure out a way to reverse the EQ between the midrange and the low end. It's got too many low mids for my taste too.

Yeah, I needs more low end. If it had that I think it would sound less mid-rangey.

I'm liking your voice more everytime I hear it. So, did/do you listen to The Smiths?

Until a couple of years ago, they were my favorite band, and people always say that my voice is Morrissey-ish. I can't hear it, though. It must have subconsciously sunk in or something.
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Thanks for your comments. It confirms what I was already thinking to some extent.
 
I have a better version of this song at the following URL:



The bass and kick drum are higher, and I think this substantially improves the overall frequency balance of the song.

I have not included the fade at the end like I did with the other version. So, around the three minute mark begin gradually pulling down the volume in your MP3 player until around 3:30. :) It'll be good practice for you next mixing session.
 
The second link wasn't working, but I listened to the first.

I really like your stuff. You have interesting arrangements on solid songs. On this one I feel like the drums dominate the mix and get in the way of all the other interesting stuff going on. I think you have plenty of room to bring them down and still have a very drum/percussion oriented tune.

If you can improve this like you improved the last one, it's gonna be great!
 
cominginsecond said:
So, around the three minute mark begin gradually pulling down the volume in your MP3 player until around 3:30. :) It'll be good practice for you next mixing session.
Click to expand...
Okay, that just about made me choke to death. Pretty funny.

There's about :10 seconds of silence at the beginning of the file. Silence is actually preferred on my recordings; the more, the better, but you should chop that off.

It sounds better to me. I can't explain it, but it doesn't beg me to keep turning it down...sounds warmer.

You ARE Morrisey.
 
okay, i totally love this song. really.

thanks for posting it. it's going into my playlist and on my next mix CD for my friends.

well done.

.pete.

ps - got more? when's the CD gonna be done?
 
Thanks for the encouragement guys/gals! The record that this is going to be on should be ready by August or so, I think. I have to work a summer job to pay for the mastering ($600 from john golden) and duplication (around $450 if I get bulk CDs from dualplover.com and printing from stoughtonprinting.com and jewel cases locally)

I'll work on the drum levels, and see if pushing them down a little improves the mix.
 
I don't know what you've done with this but it sounds much better tahn the first listen...although I've upgraded my net puters audio hardware since then also.

One thing: The wood block is way too loud. I can hear it from down the hall over almost the whole mix.

Good job.
 
jake-owa said:
One thing: The wood block is way too loud. I can hear it from down the hall over almost the whole mix.
Click to expand...
Ahh, I see that now. I've turned it down, and it sounds a lot better.

That's what I like about this forum: with other people's help you become aware of things that you wouldn't notice until a year later (after the album's been duplicated 1000 times and given away or sold to a few hundred people).

Thanks for your help.
 
Its hard to comment on sonics.. because these crappy headphones make every thing sound like a compressed AM radio
But the song is pretty cool reminds me of the 80's wave..Good voice!Anyways good Brit pop! I like it!Maybe a little less verb on the L Vox and the drums seemed dry but like I said about the phones.....


Don
 
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