something wrong...

  • Thread starter Thread starter jeffmaher
  • Start date Start date
A remix with a wider stereo could help.
Overall mix is too "narrow" IMO. Hihat, cimbal, shake, all in the center ...
Piano is a bit thin in the mids.

Hi hat steal some space of guitar, piano and vox.An 8th note hi hat, instead the 16th, could be better (don´t forgeting some panning too).

Nice Vox tone,as guitar.Congrats for the performance too.

Ciro
 
CIRO already mentioned the panning. I think you could do a little eq'ing on the low mids on the guitars, and make a little room for the kick drum and bass. Take down some of the reverb on all instruments. They should be as dry as the vocal.
 
Thanks so much! Made a list...back to work! Appreciate the time you took to listen....and teach me something.
 
Why not leave the guitar as is when the vocal comes in. It sounds awesome big and spread out. Just back down a hair as the vox appear and maybe pushed a little to the left.The 16th hats give a certain feel that you may want to keep but they should probably be brought to right a little. I think the kick is a little too present, and the crashes are very loud imo.
Being stuck in the past as I am, I say add some more verb to the voice and that will glue it to the instruments. I'm not a member of the anti-reverb club.
Very nice tune. Doesn't need much I don't think.
ac
 
Thanks so much! Made a list...back to work! Appreciate the time you took to listen....and teach me something.

I'll figure out the WMP link thing for the next one, AC...sorry.

It's funny...I was focused on the bass sound ..I thought it just wasn't working right....and fudging the mix. Re-focus...re-mix...a real cheep instrument with an awful signal.

The piano comping purposefully used mostly ranges just above the string bass, and above the guitar...so I could keep the guit up-front without it eating everything in its path....not much to swallow. Is that the reason it sounds lacking in the mids? Or is it an EQ componant of the pitches that you hear? It's a little tinkly, sparse and meandering.....I left the meat for the guit.
 
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About the bass. I agree that it doesn't have some awesome tone or something but it does fill in the holes and provides a nice anchor to the sound. Definately does not hurt the tune. I say leave it alone and get the kick "in" the bass track instead of jumping out of it.
ac
 
What are you recording with, a DAW? Is your drum machine in software, or is it an external box? Is there a way you could bring each individual drum into the DAW as 1 track per drum, to allow for individual processing?

~Shawn
 
The kit has indididual midi tracks...I can select the sounds from a pallette of absolutely horrible 16bit samples from a DM5 of K2000 synth. I've tried using tweaks on the sounds...but always got worse sounds as a result...so I tend to leave ''em be. But I'm willing to try anything you suggest.
 
jeffmaher said:
The kit has indididual midi tracks...I can select the sounds from a pallette of absolutely horrible 16bit samples from a DM5 of K2000 synth. I've tried using tweaks on the sounds...but always got worse sounds as a result...so I tend to leave ''em be. But I'm willing to try anything you suggest.
Click to expand...

Cool! So lets have some fun!
For me, it's very hard to seperate the mix from the arrangment of a tune some times. Really, the mix begins when we choose elements of an arrangement. That just means that the instruments we use, and the timbres/sounds chosen for each of them, will have a bearing on the final mix. I know this is stating the obvious, but at the same time it's hard to over-emphasize. So, I think that in the case of this excellent song, it would be good to briefly revisit a few places first. Since the drums and bass are the foundation, lets start there. Someone mentioned the 16th note pattern the high-hat is playing. I think that this pattern gives the drums a very mechanical sound. This is a dead give away that there is no drum kit on this recording. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but the robot sound of the hats in this case is a terrible contrast to the beautiful organic elements of this tune. I would replace the 16th notes with 8th notes. And, while you're at it, try this: (remembering that you would count eigth notes 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and) make the midi note velocity of the "and" notes of the high-hat significantly lower than the others. You will hear a huge jump in the "humanization" of the high-hat track. As far as the basic sounds go, I think they are OK with the exception of the ride cymbal. I would choose a different sound for that. After you accomplish these things, I would solo each individual drum up and record the midi tracks on their own seperate audio track. Then, you will have some real control over EQ, compression and reverb send for each drum. That will be a huge step in the ability to make this track sound better. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but it will be worth it in the long run. .... let me know when you get this far, should you choose to.

Peace!
 
The kit has each piece on a separate audio track ...my SOP. The hats are done on a pad to organic-ify the velocities. I usually fix level velocity on the snare and bass.

I'm starting over a minor 3rd up...I can kick the vocal better...I think it was way too flat and lacking oomph.

Gonna borrow a better bass guit. Also gonna tighten and feature piano for the major lifting in the comping..withdraw the acoustic a bit. Screaming, passionate electric guitar solo in place of the lame cello part. :^)

So, I can record the kit when I get it done and post it...then you can suggest tweaks? I might also borrow a real crash...the sampled ones really suck.

It is one of my best tunes...I wanna get it right. TX!
 
jeffmaher said:
So, I can record the kit when I get it done and post it...then you can suggest tweaks? I might also borrow a real crash...the sampled ones really suck.

It is one of my best tunes...I wanna get it right. TX!
Click to expand...

You betcha! Shoot me an email when you're ready. I'll pm my email to you. If all else fails, you can send me your audio and midi and we'll work on tweaks seperately but together. I can tweak them a bit, post the result with an explanation, and see if you can duplicate it at your end. Cool?

~Shawn

ps I didn't think the crash sounded too bad, it was the ride cymbal that hurt my ears!
 
I've started again scratch. Be a week or so.

I'm raising the key a maj 3rd...better range for me; building from the guitar and bass, not the piano. I'm not a piano player...lacking in concept...just got fascinated with piano roll. New strings on the bass...much better. Gonna put some 'letric guitar L&R; cello thing is history. Getting back to what it was when I first heard it playing between my ears. Rock ballad.

Loaded the kit on MIDI....I'll get it sounding as good as I can get it...then you can hammer on it.

Eager to learn stuff and not suck.
 
http://www.yousendit.com/download/bVlDcXltRStVbTljR0E9PQ

Just about finished all the recording today. Have at it! Every thing if flat, as recorded...except the vox...comp/EQ.

A bit of overall verb, comp/EQ /stereo imaging/HF fuzz in mastering so not seen walking around without my pants on.. Haven't even mixed it...but I don't think it sounds too bad. Gonna be a complex mix...
 
New key works, hihat is much better, song is relaxed now...
Old snare was too dark, but new is a bit brittle in the highs (~6k)
Shake is loud (and panning it -R- would be nice).

Ciro

*Just curious, what´s the setup (mic/pre/type of room) on vox?
 
jeffmaher said:
http://www.yousendit.com/download/bVlDcXltRStVbTljR0E9PQ

Just about finished all the recording today. Have at it! Every thing if flat, as recorded...except the vox...comp/EQ.

A bit of overall verb, comp/EQ /stereo imaging/HF fuzz in mastering so not seen walking around without my pants on.. Haven't even mixed it...but I don't think it sounds too bad. Gonna be a complex mix...
Click to expand...

I think you are on the right path, for sure! Great start. I'm thinking of an experiment. Would you consider emailing me a midi file of the drums? I've got a DM5 at the house, and I could try a little something with a piece of equipment that you have there to work with, and then you duplicate it. Whatcha think?

Peace!

~Shawn
 
Shawn...files sent.

Ciro, my room is a perfect 14' by14' by 7' ...the worst possible. I have boat cushions and fiberglass batts in the corners.
The only good mics I have are a pair of Shure KSM 47's. I sing the vox with the mic placed wherever I can best defeat strange, bouncing waves...about 4' and 5' from a corner...within reach of the mouse...and where I can see the computer screen. [ it's gonna be wierd singing in a studio with someone else running the operation...I like to see the tracks develop when I sing, now] The walls and ceiling are old horsehair plaster with a wood fireplace wall on one side .

I use the bass rolloff switch on the mic, then cut some more of my back-of-the-throat mids on para EQ. A tad of HF fuzz with 'harmonic exciter' on Ozone mastering software. That's my current formula. I need a new voice...how much does that cost, and where do I get one?

My preamps are Mackie XDM's in a 1202 VLZ Pro mixer.

Wicked low-budget setup. But like the real guys always say, it's not the gear, so much. There's so much to learn before I go out and spend on real stuff. What I need is a Roland XV 50/80 with 24bit samples. What I want is a dedicated computer and real great sample software....and everything else...haha
 
jeffmaher said:
Shawn...files sent.

I need a new voice...how much does that cost, and where do I get one?

But like the real guys always say, it's not the gear, so much.
Click to expand...

Dude... You've got a great voice....stop it already :p
Are those mics you have omnis? I don't see why they are picking up so much junk.

~Shawn
 
My bad...they're KSM27's. Cardioid-polar. What junk do you hear...reflections on steroids...churning stomach?

Just sent the correct file on email...sorry about the mixup.

Gonna sing it again.
 
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