Chili
Site Moderator
Once it got going, I started enjoying it. I thought you could strike a better balance between the guitar and vocal. Meaning, bring the guitar up a bit more.
Just got to the humming part and that's where you lost me....
Just got to the humming part and that's where you lost me....
dobro
Well-known member
Well, it's all about the balance between the guitar and the vocal. Sometimes one seems to dominate, sometimes the other. It sounds back and forth to me. But I guess I could compress the tracks a bit. Or just turn up the guitar. 
I'm looking for a folk sound. A different kind of polish.
I'm looking for a folk sound. A different kind of polish.
Mr Clean
AKA Teddy Wong
I'm with chili on the guitar/vocal balance. For most part what you have works and then others are drowned out a bit much.
Fun track though. The vocal reminded me of a Jethro Tull/Devendra Banhart style. Good stuff!
Fun track though. The vocal reminded me of a Jethro Tull/Devendra Banhart style. Good stuff!
C
Captain Whisky
New member
DM60
Well-known member
I really don't have any comments on the mix. The song itself reminded me of one of those folk singers on Lawrence Welk show. I never was a fine, a bit too polished for my taste. Same here to me (what too polished you say?). I just think it would add more character, and that is what a song like this requires since it is so stripped, and more flavor to the song.
I liked it, not sure how you would get a more honest sounding recording (like a guy in a room with a mic and guitar), but maybe pull away from the mic if the room as something to add.
Nice tune, nice mix, but a song like this doesn't want too nice, perfection can be a negative. Just some thoughts.
I liked it, not sure how you would get a more honest sounding recording (like a guy in a room with a mic and guitar), but maybe pull away from the mic if the room as something to add.
Nice tune, nice mix, but a song like this doesn't want too nice, perfection can be a negative. Just some thoughts.
Mr Clean
AKA Teddy Wong
heatmiser
mr. green christmas
Ok, that is some weird ass folk music there dude 
.
I enjoyed it. Very creative and high energy. The trumpet solo is crazy.
I agree with most of the mix comments above, but you consistently come up with these very sparse, dry and clean mixes, so I have to think that's kind of how you want it to sound, right? I mean, it's pretty stripped down, so to have it all up front and dry like this is a surprising choice to me (typically, the less going on with an arrangement, the more space I feel I have to give it), but again, this is pretty consistent with your other mixes. Great clarity, separation and originality.
.I enjoyed it. Very creative and high energy. The trumpet solo is crazy.
I agree with most of the mix comments above, but you consistently come up with these very sparse, dry and clean mixes, so I have to think that's kind of how you want it to sound, right? I mean, it's pretty stripped down, so to have it all up front and dry like this is a surprising choice to me (typically, the less going on with an arrangement, the more space I feel I have to give it), but again, this is pretty consistent with your other mixes. Great clarity, separation and originality.
Chili
Site Moderator
Well, it's all about the balance between the guitar and the vocal. Sometimes one seems to dominate, sometimes the other. It sounds back and forth to me. But I guess I could compress the tracks a bit. Or just turn up the guitar.
I feel your pain. I've been trying to do some stripped down acoustic songs lately and not getting much success. Nothing I'd consider posting, so you're way ahead of me there.
I bought a figure-8 mic and am experimenting with the m/s recording method. It sounds completely different from straight micing methods. I really like the potential. Probably my problem is the lack of a quality recording space because m/s will pick up the entire room.
But to get that 'folk sound', you should give it a try yourself. You need a cardioid mic and a figure-8 mic and read up a little on it.
dobro
Well-known member
When I said folk music it was a bit of a joke, but two things are like folk music - the vocal-and-instrument-only arrangement, and the miking of both at the same time. For this one I was sitting down with an upper mic for the voice and a lower mic for the instrument, so there's a ton of bleed. This week I've also tried putting up two mics beside each other (not coincident, but close to each other) and singing and playing at the same time, no overdubs. It's trickier because there's no possibility of adjusting levels after the fact. But I like how I can pan them apart for a sense of space which is really nice in such a sparse arrangement.
And yes, I've got figure 8 mics and that's the next one to try.
In the meantime, here's a new version incorporating a lot of the suggestions in this thread:
* lowered the vocal level
* put a compressor on each track and the guitar comes through better
* put both tracks through the same reverb
* parallel compression on the vocal so I don't have to turn the vocal level up
Thanks, all - I won't thank you individually cuz you were acting like a group it seems, but thank you.
And yes, I've got figure 8 mics and that's the next one to try.
In the meantime, here's a new version incorporating a lot of the suggestions in this thread:
* lowered the vocal level
* put a compressor on each track and the guitar comes through better
* put both tracks through the same reverb
* parallel compression on the vocal so I don't have to turn the vocal level up
Thanks, all - I won't thank you individually cuz you were acting like a group it seems, but thank you.
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rayc
retroreprobate
I like the original mix.
The soundcloud one is fine but I like the original - sorry - I prefer added quirk in my quirkiness stew.
The new one sounds a little polished compared to the 1st. The compression makes the newer one sound a little more aggressive.
Mouth trumpet is good - better than dog or bum trumpet any day - it also adds to the serendipity feel of the song. I could imagine this is a new version of Brer Rabbit & Co..
The soundcloud one is fine but I like the original - sorry - I prefer added quirk in my quirkiness stew.
The new one sounds a little polished compared to the 1st. The compression makes the newer one sound a little more aggressive.
Mouth trumpet is good - better than dog or bum trumpet any day - it also adds to the serendipity feel of the song. I could imagine this is a new version of Brer Rabbit & Co..
DM60
Well-known member
Thanks, all - I won't thank you individually cuz you were acting like a group it seems, but thank you.
Better than acting like a mob.
New version is a good mix. Everything is clear, can say anything negative (or add anything constructive either) on that front.
J
Jessica_X
New member
I really like the fast singing part ("Wanna be...")
I like the idea of the sliding vocals in the beginning...but I think it might be a bit overdone, as in it's difficult to get a hold on what the main note is that you're sliding into/out of (if that makes sense). To me it was distracting.
I really enjoyed listing to this because I felt like I never knew what to expect next!
Hilarious and awesome trumpeting. I don't think I've ever heard something quite like that before in a song!
I like the idea of the sliding vocals in the beginning...but I think it might be a bit overdone, as in it's difficult to get a hold on what the main note is that you're sliding into/out of (if that makes sense). To me it was distracting.
I really enjoyed listing to this because I felt like I never knew what to expect next!
Hilarious and awesome trumpeting. I don't think I've ever heard something quite like that before in a song!
fat_fleet
Swollen Member
Heya. Thought it was gonna be a Gene Clark cover at first. Listened a few times already..mostly the first link, but I just listened to the second one a few times as well. It is louder and (a little) harsher. I think I prefer it. The tuneage is weird and wonderful as usual. I really like the vocal delivery..and the mouth trumpet- very Robert Wyatt.
Listened a few times already..mostly the first link, but I just listened to the second one a few times as well. It is louder and (a little) harsher. I think I prefer it. The tuneage is weird and wonderful as usual. I really like the vocal delivery..and the mouth trumpet- very Robert Wyatt.
T
TripleM
Well-known member
I listened to the second version.
I thought the guitar sounded very good. A little boxy, but I thought it worked well in this mix.
I've heard better vocal sound from you. It sounds a little tubby/cloudy to me, at least in the slower part at the beginning. After the song got going, that feel went away. I'm also hearing what I think are vocal artificats. Mouth clicks, etc. What ever it is, it's kind of crackly and happens quite a bit.
It's all very dry, which I think works very well for a song like this.
I thought the guitar sounded very good. A little boxy, but I thought it worked well in this mix.
I've heard better vocal sound from you. It sounds a little tubby/cloudy to me, at least in the slower part at the beginning. After the song got going, that feel went away. I'm also hearing what I think are vocal artificats. Mouth clicks, etc. What ever it is, it's kind of crackly and happens quite a bit.
It's all very dry, which I think works very well for a song like this.
robgreen
no face
If I rubbish everyone else's critique, can I qualify for an individual thanks?
I think I preferred the first mix as the mix sound was a little warmer. I think the vocal is still too far out in front on the second mix too - but they're probably both just personal preferences rather than imbalances.
As usual a cool tune with plenty of character in the vocal though - I'd like to hear you go for a full out, over the top arrangement one of these days!
I think I preferred the first mix as the mix sound was a little warmer. I think the vocal is still too far out in front on the second mix too - but they're probably both just personal preferences rather than imbalances.
As usual a cool tune with plenty of character in the vocal though - I'd like to hear you go for a full out, over the top arrangement one of these days!
dobro
Well-known member
Thanks, Rob.
Gee, this thread got way more response than I had hoped, so maybe it's time for some disclosure. I did this tune years ago using a particular recording technique and I wanted to see if people heard much wrong with the sound. A few did. It's phase issues because of the way I tracked it with two mics, cardioid pattern, one in front of the mouth, one in front of the guitar. I'd heard about the 3:1 rule, so I cosied right up to the mics but I think there's still some phase. See, I've just written a batch of new songs and I want to track them similarly - vocal and instruments together using two mics - but I'm trying different approaches. I've tried putting a sloppy stereo pair out three feet - it's okay, but you have to get the height of the mics just right and be *very* conscious of how loud you're singing and playing, otherwise something dominates. Maybe tonight I'll try Chili's idea with the two figure 8 pattern mics. My guess is that's the way to go - it'll offer maximum tweakability in the mix.
Again, thanks to everyone for weighing in - I really appreciate it. The net aggregate of the comments told me what I was looking for.
And a special thanks to Robgreen, of course, for being so special.
Chili
Site Moderator
Oops, that is one figure-8 and one cardioid.
Turn the figure-8 sideways so the transducer is 90 degrees to the sound source. Put the cardioid over the figure-8 with the transducers inline and the cardioid pointing at the sound source.
Record to two separate mono tracks.
Copy the Figure-8 track then invert it.
Link the two Figure-8 tracks and balance them against the one cardioid track to get the sound you want.
Do the hoky-poky and you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about.
dobro
Well-known member
That's round two of figure eightdom. Here's something I want to try first:
TAE
All you have is now
Hey D nice work buddy... bizarre how different the two versions are The first has your vocals in the top of my head...where the soundcloud version is in my face up close.. Curious why you didn't clip the mic noise at the intro and ending.
I like em both but the soundcloud one has more clarity..
I like em both but the soundcloud one has more clarity..