mjbphotos
Moderator
I was inspired a few weeks ago by Woody Harrelson's opening monologue and song piece on SNL. Because of the opening, this one is just for fun, won't be on my nxt CD. DOne it a couple times live already, gets some chuckles.
Schwarzenyaeger
Formerly "Dog-In-Door"
The kick sounded really muffled and off beat.
Neat tune
poor swifty
Neat tune
poor swifty
Brian Miller
New member
Hey man, thanks for sharing your work and it's great to have funny pieces to pepper into a live set. This mix is a bit of a mess though. Here are just a few of my thoughts:
-Vocals have very inconsistent dynamics, and rather dull sounding. They could use a good compressor combined with some volume automation to keep them in check. For the dull sound, consider high pass filtering up to as high as 200hz, and if that doesn't work (or it thins it out too much) consider a boost in the 4-8k range for presence.
-Is the acoustic a DI signal? Sounds rather lifeless as well. Could probably lose a bit from the mids.
-Electric rhythm guitars are not well defined and in this mix it's hard to tell what exactly needs to be done. Again, you could probably pull out some of the mids and low pass filter up to 150-200 hz.
Drum kit:
-Kick is super boomy. Get rid of those mids, try a tight boost around 2k for the beater click. Kick is also all over the place rhythmically. Quantize that.
-Overheads could be wider
Now that I've gone through the whole song a few times and looked back at my notes that I was making in real time, here are some of the overall problems that seem to be present, which you should consider in general:
-Stereo spacing needs work. The whole mix feels like it's coming from the center even though it's in stereo. Use more extreme panning and remember that frequencies play a huge part in the illusion of sounds be center vs off center, as well as higher and lower (vertically) in the speakers.
-Mid equals mud. Okay, it's not that simple, but my dad (a brilliant musician in his own right) used to tell me that all the time. In other words, the mid range (and low mid) frequencies tend to muddy up a mix very quickly, especially in rock music where the guitars, bass, snare drum, and vocals all sit right in the mid range. Carve out mids in individual tracks until it sounds thin, and then dial it back. Do this to extremes while you're learning so you can get a feel for what's too much.
Keep at it man!
-Vocals have very inconsistent dynamics, and rather dull sounding. They could use a good compressor combined with some volume automation to keep them in check. For the dull sound, consider high pass filtering up to as high as 200hz, and if that doesn't work (or it thins it out too much) consider a boost in the 4-8k range for presence.
-Is the acoustic a DI signal? Sounds rather lifeless as well. Could probably lose a bit from the mids.
-Electric rhythm guitars are not well defined and in this mix it's hard to tell what exactly needs to be done. Again, you could probably pull out some of the mids and low pass filter up to 150-200 hz.
Drum kit:
-Kick is super boomy. Get rid of those mids, try a tight boost around 2k for the beater click. Kick is also all over the place rhythmically. Quantize that.
-Overheads could be wider
Now that I've gone through the whole song a few times and looked back at my notes that I was making in real time, here are some of the overall problems that seem to be present, which you should consider in general:
-Stereo spacing needs work. The whole mix feels like it's coming from the center even though it's in stereo. Use more extreme panning and remember that frequencies play a huge part in the illusion of sounds be center vs off center, as well as higher and lower (vertically) in the speakers.
-Mid equals mud. Okay, it's not that simple, but my dad (a brilliant musician in his own right) used to tell me that all the time. In other words, the mid range (and low mid) frequencies tend to muddy up a mix very quickly, especially in rock music where the guitars, bass, snare drum, and vocals all sit right in the mid range. Carve out mids in individual tracks until it sounds thin, and then dial it back. Do this to extremes while you're learning so you can get a feel for what's too much.
Keep at it man!
Bubba po
Tiny Stonehenge Moment
As Schwarzenyaeger says, the drums are all over the place and not working with the track. The kick is so off-time it sounds like it's not been lined up with the rest of the project properly.
It also sounds as if you haven't sorted out the skeleton of the track before you've started embroidering it with vocal harmonies, double-tracked acoustic guitars and whatever else. Those are never going to cover up a dodgy rhythm track. And that is a seriously dodgy rhythm track.
If you have acoustic guitars, why on earth are you not recording them with a microphone?
It also sounds as if you haven't sorted out the skeleton of the track before you've started embroidering it with vocal harmonies, double-tracked acoustic guitars and whatever else. Those are never going to cover up a dodgy rhythm track. And that is a seriously dodgy rhythm track.
If you have acoustic guitars, why on earth are you not recording them with a microphone?
mjbphotos
Moderator
Thanks for the quick comments and suggestions, as always. yeah, the drums were messed up, somehow they got this 3rd beat accent going in a bunch of place, don't know where that came from!
How's this version sound?
https://soundcloud.com/mikebirch/1989-12-21-14a
How's this version sound?
https://soundcloud.com/mikebirch/1989-12-21-14a
Schwarzenyaeger
Formerly "Dog-In-Door"
Now I just can't hear the kick at all besides an occasional *whoof* of air.
mjbphotos
Moderator
I put a touch of EQ on the kick, but certainly didn't take all the low end out, just too low a volume to you? I also widened the overehards, EQed some mud out of the electric guitars, and stepped up the compression on the lead vocal, besides adjusting all levels a little.
DM60
Well-known member
My two cents, lead vocal is a bit loud. Could drop a few and work much better (IMO). Drums could push a bit, but would reserve doing that until the vocal was reduced. A couple of places, vocal timing could be better (I think just a more being comfortable with the song).
I did not hear any kick thump, or any good solid bass tones. Maybe I am expecting bass tones to be more in my face these days.
As a guy with some age on him, I liked the lyrics. Sums up that time pretty damn good. 1989 I was living next to the East/West German border (about 2K), it was a big world change for a lot of people I knew. I remember it well.
I did not hear any kick thump, or any good solid bass tones. Maybe I am expecting bass tones to be more in my face these days.
As a guy with some age on him, I liked the lyrics. Sums up that time pretty damn good. 1989 I was living next to the East/West German border (about 2K), it was a big world change for a lot of people I knew. I remember it well.
T
TripleM
Well-known member
Cool song.
I might retrack the bass. There are notes here and there that really jump out. That needs to be more controlled.
The lead vocal is much more dry than the rest of the tracks.
Drums were OK. I liked the drum playing.
I might retrack the bass. There are notes here and there that really jump out. That needs to be more controlled.
The lead vocal is much more dry than the rest of the tracks.
Drums were OK. I liked the drum playing.
mjbphotos
Moderator
Thanks for the listens - funny, I took some of the reverb out of the lead vocal after boosting the compression, as it felt too strong to me.
I don't know what happened on the bass guitar - I added apre-sim compressor on it too, but the sound still jumps around. I'll try retracking it next.
I don't know what happened on the bass guitar - I added apre-sim compressor on it too, but the sound still jumps around. I'll try retracking it next.
mjbphotos
Moderator
I retracked the bass, tweaked the mix a little, but as this song will not be on any upcoming CD, I didn't go nutz trying to get everything perfect.
Lyric video here: http://youtu.be/-t34CQ374sg
Lyric video here: http://youtu.be/-t34CQ374sg
Bubba po
Tiny Stonehenge Moment
You haven't addressed a single one of the mix criticisms put forward. The drumming is out of time, the kick drum is muffled and has random fluffs everywhere. The acoustic guitars are over-compressed and sound D.I.d rather than properly recorded. The singing is out of tune and out of time. The whole mix is muffled and weedy, with no presence, volume or punch. It's awful.
Put your raw tracks in the "mix this" forum on dropbox, and let me have a go.
Put your raw tracks in the "mix this" forum on dropbox, and let me have a go.
mjbphotos
Moderator
Did you listen to the video or the original mix again? There's only one acoustic track - a 12 string, I EQed some more piezo quack out, but it is what it is, I don't think its so noticeable once the rest of the instruments start in (listen to some 80s 12-string recordings for a similar sound!) The bad hits from the kick were fixed.
I'm at work, but now I'm wondering if I put the wrong audio track on the video!
Bubba po
Tiny Stonehenge Moment
I actually think it's a good, catchy song, Mike. I've listened to it a few times now, just with my critical ear to pick out flaws, which is what this forum's all about. The bloody thing's got stuck in my head. 
One of the biggest issues, though, is the overall volume and punch. Something as simple as the Kjaerhus master limiter on the master bus would sort that out, I'm sure. Just use the Master CD preset and tweak the threshold down a little at a time until it sounds right and the meters are hovering at just under 0dB.
One of the biggest issues, though, is the overall volume and punch. Something as simple as the Kjaerhus master limiter on the master bus would sort that out, I'm sure. Just use the Master CD preset and tweak the threshold down a little at a time until it sounds right and the meters are hovering at just under 0dB.
mjbphotos
Moderator
I actually think it's a good, catchy song, Mike. I've listened to it a few times now, just with my critical ear to pick out flaws, which is what this forum's all about. The bloody thing's got stuck in my head.
One of the biggest issues, though, is the overall volume and punch. Something as simple as the Kjaerhus master limiter on the master bus would sort that out, I'm sure. Just use the Master CD preset and tweak the threshold down a little at a time until it sounds right and the meters are hovering at just under 0dB.
Thanks - I did not master this at all, just cranked the volume up a little for the render.
Bubba po
Tiny Stonehenge Moment
Why wouldn't you use a mastering plugin? It takes all of ten seconds to do and the improvement would be instantaneous with this track! It sounds absolutely feeble without it.