Starting Final Mixes: Song 1-My Praise

  • Thread starter Thread starter BroKen_H
  • Start date Start date
Hey Broken, been awhile since I have been on here, but I can see a lot of progress on your part getting to be a better mixer of your music. Kudos to you for that! I know its all a matter of personal preference but "I" think that snare makes your mix sound cheap and from a 80's electronic mix. And I really think it makes it sound like all the other worship music(I can't for the life of me get why all worship music sounds the same??). I think I have mentioned that before, but you are obviously very talented in the music department, but you need some better drum sounds and beats brother!
Also, I don't claim to be an expert of vocal creation but one thing I felt from this, and most of the songs I have heard from you, your vocals seems to stay at one level and one range. SO it's constant throughout the whole song. Maybe you should try coming down on the pitch during the verses and back up to the range you normally sing during the chorus? It will give a natural "build" and maybe be a little more pleasing to the listener.
Please don't take anything I said as offensive or rude, I say it out of respect. I think you can break the mold in worship music!
 
Robus said:
For me, the guitars are overwhelming everything else. I'd lower them, at least during the vocal parts. Don't take this wrong. I think your vocals are holding you back. I say that as somebody who is vocally challenged as well. Have you thought about collaborating with a vocalist?
Click to expand...

B_H, somehow I posted this comment here that was intended for your other song. I had the two songs open in different windows and was listening to them one after the other. Sorry, the comment about the guitars being overpowering were meant for the other, heavier song.
 
Bruthish said:
Hey Broken, been awhile since I have been on here, but I can see a lot of progress on your part getting to be a better mixer of your music. Kudos to you for that! I know its all a matter of personal preference but "I" think that snare makes your mix sound cheap and from a 80's electronic mix. And I really think it makes it sound like all the other worship music(I can't for the life of me get why all worship music sounds the same??). I think I have mentioned that before, but you are obviously very talented in the music department, but you need some better drum sounds and beats brother!
Also, I don't claim to be an expert of vocal creation but one thing I felt from this, and most of the songs I have heard from you, your vocals seems to stay at one level and one range. SO it's constant throughout the whole song. Maybe you should try coming down on the pitch during the verses and back up to the range you normally sing during the chorus? It will give a natural "build" and maybe be a little more pleasing to the listener.
Please don't take anything I said as offensive or rude, I say it out of respect. I think you can break the mold in worship music!
Click to expand...

I'm here for mix advice. I'm not here to have my ego stroked.
I'll be hooking my old drum system in...enough is enough. I'll work that out somehow.
Still not going to say I'm a singer.
Thanks for the honesty!
 
Real nice separation of instruments, I can hear everything clearly on my headphones. I wonder if less compression overall wouldn't help everything breathe a little better? The balance and panning sound great to me.
 
CTP - Thanks! I need to know if you're listening to the OP or post #20. Otherwise, a lot of what you're saying was covered. Interesting that you'd pan on the bass. Lots of people like my new bass tone. It's kind of 80's because that's when I played live and developed my sound. It's basically a sim of my old stage rig. 4x10 running above 190Hz and an 18 running below, then some grit on the top. I love that sound, so maybe I am that artist! :)
Guess I'll have to play with a couple of issues of Neptune, or automate a bunch of parameters. Gotta play with speed, clamp, formant, vibrato and a couple other things pretty tight with this one just to keep the nastiness out of the vocals.

Easlern - Wow...almost as surprised to hear a comment on the compression as on my bass tone. Barely running any except bass and vocal. Adjusted the threshold on the keys and guitars to where it only reacts to stronger peaks, and just automated. Maybe my automations are not sounding very natural or something. Can't imagine the little compression I'm using would be bad, but I've run into bus compressors or 2bus things that I hadn't shut down before, so I'll go looking. I trust your ears.
 
It seems like there's a hard limiter on the mixbus or something, but if you're not using much ignore me. I've been wrong plenty before haha
 
Every instrument is present enough. You have some dynamic moments, however, that could be a bit more "exiting" with heavier guitars, or tom fills - more accentuation. This mix is good enough to pass out to fellow church members, but to take it to the next level, you or someone you know could use some pitch-correction software on the lead vox (I use Melodyne).
Parts of the song remind me of REO Speedwagon. Good stuff!
 
Easlern - I have the 2bus effects bypassed, so that's not possible. Had to work 2-10 yesterday, so I didn't have any time. Same today. I'll take a look this morning.
Luke - Appreciate the compliments and the honesty. I did a bit of that beforehand (pick slide, organ parts). I'll take a look at doing a bit more.
Nepturne is part of the Reason suite. I'm going to give it a lot more time when I have some time off, but it's holiday season and things go a little sideways around here, so it may be January. Looking at Melodyne, but I'd want at least the $200 version, so that will have to wait as well. Someone on Soundcoud said it sounded like Go With The Changes or something like that and I listened...it's the same chord progression on the intro. I've probably heard the song enough times in the 70s on the radio that it stuck.
 
Okay, third mix: Autotune engaged. See if that helps my voice.
Couple things brought forward more than before at key moments in the song.
May have cut too much bass. Opinions?

Sorry, I can't find any limiters or excessive compression. I don't know why it sounds that way. I took out some of my automation to the volumes in spots and remixed. Maybe that will help.
 
Last edited:
Wow, much better. Did you double the bridge vocal? If so, duck it under the main vox a bit, as it makes it less intelligible. Also. the grace notes you used on the second to the last "praise" aren't too good, and negate the pitch correction you employed in the body of the song. You could copy and past a single note "praise" from an earlier utterance, or re-track.
Your singing is fine, just keep two things in mind for next time - pick a key where your not straining on the high notes, and if you want to sing grace notes (3 or more notes over one syllable), you should get some tutoring.
 
Listening to mix 3.

I like the piano and organ sounds. Nice balance there.

Bass is perhaps a shade loud. Half DB or maybe 1.

The vocals sound a bit in back of the instruments. That's a stylistic choice. I think you could carve out a touch more space for them.
 
Mix #3

The bass sounds nice. I'd back it off a db or two.

The piano sounds pretty good. A bit midi-y.

The snare still seems too slappy to me. A solid, powerful snare would be perfect for this song. Cymbals are swirly, but it's probably SC doing it.

Other than the bass, I think the levels on everything are good.

The double tracked vocal is good.
 
Thanks everybody! I accidentally left the vibrato on during the whole song, so I've fixed that. I'll push the bass down, and sorry my playing sounds midi. That comment was made earlier....it's really me, really playing. Yeah, I still haven't got Reaper/SSD4 working again. I'll try a complete reinstall on my next day off (whenever that may be). For now, I'm going to retire this one to the "semi-done" pile and move on...this is only 1 of 12, but on the other hand, it's the first song for the release and it needs to really pop out at people so they'll listen to 2-12! Yeah, right. Whatever. ;)
 
Sorry, late to the party. Been super busy.

I am not quite yet in the most ideal environment to give advice on frequencies, but I find that snare really needs to be huge on the 'Hello' track. It isn't there yet.

Let me know if I can help with another snare sample. Or 10. lol

I am also feeling a reverb with a substantial pre-delay on ta fat snare could be cool to give it some depth.
 
jimmys69 said:
Sorry, late to the party. Been super busy.

I am not quite yet in the most ideal environment to give advice on frequencies, but I find that snare really needs to be huge on the 'Hello' track. It isn't there yet.

Let me know if I can help with another snare sample. Or 10. lol

I am also feeling a reverb with a substantial pre-delay on ta fat snare could be cool to give it some depth.
Click to expand...

Yeah! I'd like a big, fat 6 1/2" with some semi-tight snares (I'm not a high and tight guy). I have it in SSD, and I'm trying to get it back. Will work on that on Monday when I'm off next. If you can recommend (or can Dropbox) something, I need the snare and some decent crashes. :) Then I could work in Reason. The kick I have is not ideal, but I've been doubling it with a dub kick to give it the bottom punch it's missing. The toms, hats and percussion are pretty solid.

You keep listening to my sig line and it hasn't changed; :)
 
BroKen_H said:
Yeah! I'd like a big, fat 6 1/2" with some semi-tight snares (I'm not a high and tight guy). I have it in SSD, and I'm trying to get it back. Will work on that on Monday when I'm off next. If you can recommend (or can Dropbox) something, I need the snare and some decent crashes. :) Then I could work in Reason. The kick I have is not ideal, but I've been doubling it with a dub kick to give it the bottom punch it's missing. The toms, hats and percussion are pretty solid.

You keep listening to my sig line and it hasn't changed; :)
Click to expand...

LOL! Yes I do. Same drum issues tho.

Would need the MIDI files to pull that off effectively. :)
 
Piano and keys remind me a bit of REO speedwagon's "Roll with the Changes"

That's a compliment btw. :-)
 
Mix 3:

I think the tuning really helps. Bass sounds really good. On second listen through, I'm thinking the keyboard and organ might be where the compression (illusion?) is coming from. Sometimes those vsts have their own compression/effects, just on the small chance you hadn't already checked?

The double in the bridge sounds really good. Real nice mix, all the instruments are really clear individually and together make a nice full sound.
 
Thanks! Still got me on the comp. I'll look at those channels, but the piano and organ are from the line out on my Kawai. I doubled the piano and hard panned them 4ms off from each other to get them out of the center...
 
Okay, posted a fourth attempt: Without the vibrato set on solid. Bass back a bit. Hard look at all the compressors.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top