Old acoustic original - Once In A While

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Old acoustic original - Once In A While -updated 5-2-15

Latest version in post #24

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Changes: muted the main guitar's DI, which was low but may have been adding some high end harshness.
EQed the main guitar's other 2 mic tracks a little.
Retracked main vocals
Added a low harmony.
Automated pan on the guitars to spread out a bit for the final part of the song (when the lead comes in).




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This is my 3rd rewrite of an old song, and 3rd 'start from scratch' recording, too. I'm fairly happy with the mix overall (haven't listened on different systems yet), but would like some ears on the guitars and harmonies. I may end up retracking the lead vocal again (it's actually comped from two takes, but I'm not happy with the low note at the end of each verse -suggested by a couple of people, rather than going up in the melody).

 
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The vocal note at the end of each verse is so low that it has no power. Just boost it.

I can hear what you're aiming at with the harmonies, and it's worthy. But you know, I do stuff like this and try stuff like this, and I ditch it. Why? If it doesn't *quite* make it, I ditch it. I'm working on a bv right now for this tune I'm working on, and I've ditched two versions. I'm working on the third. I've almost convinced myself that it actually adds to the tune. Cuz that's the criterion for any part, esp. bvs, right? Does it add to the tune? Or is just okay noise? Anyway, I'll post it later this week, and you can rip me one.

Anyway, back to this tune. Harmonies: I'd be tempted to strip them down and simplify them. For example, just some notes, like 'then' and 'good' and 'oh' and 'could'. Next: 'when', 'good', 'oh' and 'could'.

I'd also be really tempted to add a bass part.
 
Is the main guitar a 12-string? There's a flange-y kind of thing happening, but it may just be that natural chorus that a 12-string has. I'd EQ out a little of the high-mids or highs of the acoustic guitars, I have a feeling that the mic isn't doing it any favors in that area. I'm not acute enough to name the frequencies off-hand, but I'd guess that it's up in the 8Khz area. I like the tone that's behind that EQ peak, sounds like a classic dreadnaught, my favorite. The acoustic has a really familiar sound to it...I think that I remember that you've been using the Kjaerhaus dynamics VSTs lately, maybe that's it. I used that compressor and limiter for many years.

The background vocals diverge from the lead vocal timing-wise at a few points. I like the bg vocals, they might just need a little tightening up to gel with the lead vocal.
 
Dobro- I do know what you mean about adding BG vocals, and sometimes I add too many parts, 'just because'. I think there's no tone on that last note because when I tracked it was really too low for me that day and I had to really force it.

Tadpui - the main guitar is my Taylor dreadnought. Possibly there is something phasey happening because it's a mix of 2 mics plus a little DI, and they're all panned a little different, just slightly to the left for one mic and the DI. A 12 string comes in at the end of the 2nd chorus. I haven't put any EQ on it, but the highs you're hearing are no doubt because it's a Taylor.

Thanks for the listens.
 
Vocal, sounds like it is where it is the most comfortable. A bit more relaxed and emotional would really give it more personality. I wonder if you tracked your vocals louder (more gain and higher in the mix) so you record lower to give you voice some more power range? I like the vocal, just never seems to be comfortable.

Guitar seemed pretty bright, if you were going for that, you nailed it. Sounded like it could use a little more in the bottom to make it fuller sounding.
 
Listening now. Very folky. The guitars get off near the end, but not a huge deal for something like this. Almost reminds me of some old Pink Floyd. Sounds pretty good over all. I kind of want to hear a little more instrumentation going on in it, but for a chill accent song, i think it does it's thing.

Feels about a 1:23 too long. I only say that as I feel like the very first part before the break is almost unnecessary...but that's just me thinking out loud. If it were me, I'd kill that first part and start it at 1:23. That's where all the goods happen.

Sounds cool though.
 
Robertt8 said:
Listening now. Very folky. The guitars get off near the end, but not a huge deal for something like this. Almost reminds me of some old Pink Floyd. Sounds pretty good over all. I kind of want to hear a little more instrumentation going on in it, but for a chill accent song, i think it does it's thing.

Feels about a 1:23 too long. I only say that as I feel like the very first part before the break is almost unnecessary...but that's just me thinking out loud. If it were me, I'd kill that first part and start it at 1:23. That's where all the goods happen.

Sounds cool though.
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Appreciate the listen, but that's the first verse, cut that and there's only one verse, chorus and outro! Yeah, the 12-string and the 6-string do that, will have to see if I can push them together better - or pan them further away from each other.

Retracked the vocals today, so will be working on this when I get the chance.
 
Sometimes a 2 minute, 1 verse song is better than a 4 minute 3 verse song.
 
I'm probably the last person you should take advice from since I'm just learning how to mix after 20+ years of writing tunes and recording them TERRIBLY (lo-fi/4 tracker type dude here), but my first instinct was the guitar was too chimey. The vocal sounds good, but the chimey acoustic distracts me from it, unfortunately.
 
Changes: muted the main guitar's DI, which was low but may have been adding some high end harshness.
EQed the main guitar's other 2 mic tracks a little.
Retracked main vocals
Added a low harmony.
Automated pan on the guitars to spread out a bit for the final part of the song (when the lead comes in).
 
I thought the acoustic guitars sounded pretty good. I thought the lead vocal was nice and clear. Both of them are very natural sounding.

Backing vocals are a little cloudy.

Did I hear a guitar pick hit the pick guard at 1:25? Heard something. I heard a couple more background noises elsewhere.

Nits mostly. Nice job.
 
Second post. My first post didn't bump the thread. Trying again.
 
I like this version better than the last link in the OP, seems like it's more "complete" to me....

Small timing thing with the vocals around 2:05...

Nice sounding guitars, especially the lead guitar...

Just a couple small nits from me, being picky as usual....

Something that might sound good (just a suggestion) is maybe a cello or violin playing very low in spots, just a suggestion, might help to fill the whole thing out, without making it "crowded" sounding...

Pretty good job overall....:).
 
To me, the vocal range sounds like that is where they want to be. No straining and very pleasant and it fits the feel of the rest of the song. You could push the vocals up a bit and it wouldn't hurt the mix.

Nice.
 
I really liked this. I like the length, it feels kind of meditative. I like the overall tone of the vocals, and the sound of the harmonies. I'd miss them if you got rid of those big harmonies in the chorus. But I did feel like they needed to be more closely in tune with each other in some places.
 
Listening to the latest mix. I like the changes that you've made, I'd consider it solid progress no doubt. I like the acoustic tone a whole lot better in this one. It doesn't sound as piercing on the high end, but is still nice and defined. It sounds more natural, like a guitar playing in front of me. The 12-string is still a little bit "spiky" but I think that it adds some needed high end during the chorus, keeps it from sounding too dark.

There is an abrupt transition from the little break after the first section, it sounds clipped short or something right before it comes into the 2nd section. You could extend the fade at the end as well, it's just a little abrupt as well.

Nice song man, when that 12 string gets going it reminds me of Bowie's early stuff, like something off of Man of Words, Man of Music. The mix is even reminiscent of that era of folky strummed acoustic music.
 
TripleM said:
I thought the acoustic guitars sounded pretty good. I thought the lead vocal was nice and clear. Both of them are very natural sounding.

Backing vocals are a little cloudy.

Did I hear a guitar pick hit the pick guard at 1:25? Heard something. I heard a couple more background noises elsewhere.

Nits mostly. Nice job.
Click to expand...

I'll listen for that, it''s very possible. If you can pinpoint any other noise places, i'd appreciate it. I found a bad 'chair creak' at the start of the lead guitar tracks (it's two mics) I hadn't noticed before.

Tadpui said:
There is an abrupt transition from the little break after the first section, it sounds clipped short or something right before it comes into the 2nd section. You could extend the fade at the end as well, it's just a little abrupt as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'l see what I can do on that. Might be a cross fade issue, as I thihk I had to fix the break length.

Thanks to all for comments and listens. I'm pretty happy with how this song has developed. My first version of it (first song I ever recorded completely on computer) had 17 guitar tracks by the end part and was 7 minutes long. Needless to say it was a bit muddy!
 
Listened to the newest version posted in this thread. I must say, Mike, that I think this is probably the nicest sounding track I have heard you produce.

I would like to share a couple observations based on how things are coming across in my listening space.

The guitar tone for the first 2 minutes of the song sounds tubby or boxy, but after that, the overall whole of all the guitars together presents a more balanced combined tone. The tubbiness is still there, but it is suitably balanced by some more chimey upper end content. The lead guitar line sounds really nice and works really well with the song.

I like the repetition in the ending. Indeed, not to take anything away from the beginning of the song, but everything after the 2 minute mark seems to work. I am getting some sort of modulation somewhere though. Some phasing or something? Not sure, but I am getting that 'swirly' sensation.

Translating here pretty well overall though.
 
I heard a couple of smaller ones at: 1:29, 1:31, and 1:36. So they're all concentrated in a short passage.
 
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