1st band recording

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studiowolff

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My 1st band recording...need feedback

Hi,

I've start to record my own group and hopefully more groups to follow....
We want to make a promotion CD for the people that like to hear what we are doing.
I've record this at location with my digi002r and ADAT expansion.
Drums where digital (ddrum4SE) with real cymbals.
The vocals and sax where recorded the same time in another room. De elec.gitaar amp (vox ac30) also in antoher room.
Everybody a headphone and let's play......
The vocals where recorded with dynamic (sm58's) mics and where singing so the rest of the band to get in the 'feel' of the recording. Later we going to overdub the vocal with a real studio mic at my homestudio. Same for the sax.

But this is the rough mix....



I can't get a real grip on it.....i want to get rid off the 'live' sound....

You feadback please on this mix....

Greetz,

Jeroen
 
Last edited:
Jeroen
There is nothing "live" (either bad or good) about the sound.
The thing I noticed that might need some work is the instrument sound stage and vocals all sound as though they are from different places and rooms but yet crowded center stage all at the same time.

The vocals are fairly dry and bright as is some of the drums but the cymbals don't sound as though they are in the same part of the stage as the drums. All of the sounds are good in their own right , but they don't sound like the sound stage is real.There is not the impression of vocals close to you , guitars and sax etc behind them and drums behind that.. There is no left to right sound stage either. It all has to do with panning , EQ and reverb.

Brighter and drier make things close to front of stage, duller / darker and more reverb moves things back in the mix (stage wise)
Panning things left to right makes physical room for the main focus (such as vocals). EQ can help make sonic room by cutting frequencies from different instruments that are fighting for sonic real estate.

It is the essence of the art of mixing. It can only be learned by experiance. You have a good start with the quality of the sounds you have captured. Carving the sounds into a cohesive soundscape is the next step.
 
First thing that sticks out is that everything seems to go through the middle. Some panning should help as tmix pointed out. Maybe try doubling the rhytm guitar and pan it hard left and right to create some space for the rest in the middle. Those drumsounds could do with some reverb to sit better in the mix. Other then that I think tmix covered it all.
Good performance and songwriting skills. I like that sax solo.
Keep it up!
Koen.
 
tmix, thanks for your advice!!

The vocals are fairly dry and bright as is some of the drums but the cymbals don't sound as though they are in the same part of the stage as the drums.
Click to expand...

What type of reverb do you advice on the vocals. There is now a plate active with 2 msec. Or should i put just more on it?

The cymbals where real with mics, the rest of the kit came as line signal from the soundmodule. Maybe that's why there is space between the drums and the cymbals.
What should i do about that? Make the rest of the kit more 'wet'?


All of the sounds are good in their own right , but they don't sound like the sound stage is real.There is not the impression of vocals close to you , guitars and sax etc behind them and drums behind that.. There is no left to right sound stage either. It all has to do with panning , EQ and reverb.
Click to expand...
So what i must do is bring depth with EQ and reverb and width with panning?
Drums more dark so they go behind and also put reverb on total kit?
Guitar more dark en left/right dubbing + reverb?
Sax to the right?


It is the essence of the art of mixing. It can only be learned by experiance. You have a good start with the quality of the sounds you have captured. Carving the sounds into a cohesive soundscape is the next step.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help. I would like to learn all i can get from you more experience guys and girls.

I still find it difficult what my next step now is te improve this mix.
I can here your first point. They are all separated....

I will try to make it better and post the next version......
 
Koen, also thanks for your time to listen and your advice.

First thing that sticks out is that everything seems to go through the middle. Some panning should help as tmix pointed out. Maybe try doubling the rhytm guitar and pan it hard left and right to create some space for the rest in the middle. Those drumsounds could do with some reverb to sit better in the mix. Other then that I think tmix covered it all.
Click to expand...

I will try to make some changes....hope fully you guys can give more feedback after that.

I like that sax solo.
Click to expand...
We to....we love our sax player.....wait until he does the overdub in my litte homestudio....;)

Keep it up!
Click to expand...
Thanks!!
 
Hey-

Don't really have anything new to add here, I enjoyed the song. I liked the dual-vocal approach.

I'd bring both the vocals up a bit, and maybe pan one a little right, and one a little left.

Nice work!

travis
 
changes applied

Thank you all for listening and giving advice!!
I realy appreciate that!

I've tryed to applied the tips and suggestions. More reverb and other EQ settings.

Please listen this version at:



It's not the final version and both the vocals and sax needs an overdub.

Please give me your feedback. I'm an starter and want to learn from you guys!!!
 
excellent! maybe just the mp3 conversion, but it seems to need a little more top end to put a little shine on it. I'm listening through my monitors...just a little dull. But like I said, may just be the mp3. Very good job!
 
Sorry I did not get Back!

Jeroen
I am sorry to not get back sooner. I thought I had clicked all the proper buttons to be notified when you responded.

I want to hear your new remix, but my modem at home is sooooooooooooooooo slooooooooooooooow, I will have to do it on Monday at work. I'll let you know what I think.

I enjoy the Genre of your music and don't get to hear it much these days. Keep up the good work!

I know what you mean about doing horns in a small place, I have a small studio (about 12 by 20) and I am in the process of recording a 14 piece Mexican Horn Band: Tubas, Trumpets, Trombones,Clarinets and some drum/percussion. It so incredibly loud that I wear my headphones all the time (not even plugged in) just to keep my ears from exploding.

Tom
tom@tmixstudio.com
www.tmixstudio.com
 
more changes....

tmix, thanks for your support.
I had a laugh on my face when i read your story about 14 piece horn players in your studio :)

I made more changes over the weekend.



I think it's getting there....what do you guys think?

PS. Is it 'done' to have the drumsticks at the beginning?
 
I got a chance to listen to the latest. Sounds nice!A real improvement. Here is my ever so nitpicky advice.

Listening over some really smallish speakers... different things pop out. The guitar (for computer speakers) could drop a few dbs in loudness, it is stepping on the vocals a bit. The vocals could be a tad brighter, it may could just use cutting a few dbs around the 300-350 hz range to pull a ever so slight tubbyness out. The bass could come up a tad (for my taste).

Again, I love your stuff keep it coming. If you would ever want someone else to do a mix of your stuff, I am volunteering!

If you want to hear some of the recent stuff I am doing go here (hear):
http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=1955&alid=-1

It is kind of a rough cross section of stuff I do. Also 1 of the 3 horn band songs I have recorded are posted there for a good laugh.

See ya!

Tom
 
tmix said:
... different things pop out.
Click to expand...

I will try to change things tonight when i'm at home again....

What do do think about the sound and volume of the snare?
It also pop's out.....what can i do (exept a few dB's softer, maybe to much compression?)
 
I don't think the snare was too loud, But of course I am a drummer so go figure.

It sounded good over these speakers, it is always a trade off, you have to mix to make the average system sound good.

It is what a good Mastering Engineer can do where I have not always been successful.

Tom
 
I liked the song...but I'm partial to rockin Praise and Worship...hehe

Anyway, I haven't listened to the redo yet..but I thought the first take was an excellent starting point, as posted earlier, sounds like you have pretty good tracks to work with.

Gotta admit, I could here my guitar riffin in there in a few places.

Nice Job
 
Just listened to the redo........very nice.

Definitely keep up the good work.
 
79_Les_Paul said:
IGotta admit, I could here my guitar riffin in there in a few places.
Click to expand...

Les Paul,

Thanks for your listening....
I'm not good in understanding your slang....what do you mean by "I could here my guitar riffin in there in a few places"
Guitar to loud?

I've tracked these track myself. Drum where easy because of his drummodule (ddrum4SE) ;), only hihat and overhead where mic'ed
Elecguitar had an sm57.
Sax and vocals still need to be retracked.....just for quality sake..

Thanks again all you listeners...please advice me as much as possible....i want to learn...i'm a starter....
 
Sorry about that....I meant I could hear "me" playing some guitar riffs in there...in my head....because I play guitar...

I thought the mix was pretty balanced.

Keep it up!
 
Nice work man! i really dig your work. sounds nice...

You might get mad now but i took the oppurtunity to practice my mastering skills a little... I really hope you don't mind!
 
bastupungen said:
You might get mad now but i took the oppurtunity to practice my mastering skills a little... I really hope you don't mind!
Click to expand...

No...not at all!!! But you try to master the MP3???
i've put allready a lot of compression on it...so any luck ?
 
not at much as it would be possible... but still a little better, though. i thought that i got little results from the multiband compression i did... the compression you said you added was probobly the reason...

the thing added was a little more warmth and louder volume, basicly..
 
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