Acoustic Band. need help with EQ and stuff

D

DavaFlava

New member
I run DavaFlava Productions and I have recently recorded for my friend Jennifer and Blake. They are in the Acoustic Band call Bohemian Justice.

I'm still new to music production and I need some help with these recordings.
All I've done is set the levels (for the most part) and I got ride of as much noise as I know how to.

Here are our rough mixes:

Bohemian Justice

I haven't added any compression or effects. I could really use some suggestions.

Thanks!
 
DavaFlava said:
I run DavaFlava Productions and I have recently recorded for my friend Jennifer and Blake. They are in the Acoustic Band call Bohemian Justice.

I'm still new to music production and I need some help with these recordings.
All I've done is set the levels (for the most part) and I got ride of as much noise as I know how to.

Here are our rough mixes:

Bohemian Justice

I haven't added any compression or effects. I could really use some suggestions.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The vocal is too loud, but mostly it needs retracking or tuning :o The guitar sounds like the soundhole was miced. Try a different location--1 or 2 feet off the 12th fret, or below the bridge . . . late in the tune, the vocals clip the preamp.
 
Thanks Mshilarious!
Yeah, we've got a lot of work to do. I had it mic'd towards the bottom of the fret board. I'll try moving it further up.
Agian, these are only rough mixes.

Which song did you listen to?

I actually need help on all of them.

Thanks again!
 
DavaFlava said:
Thanks Mshilarious!
Yeah, we've got a lot of work to do. I had it mic'd towards the bottom of the fret board. I'll try moving it further up.
Agian, these are only rough mixes.

Which song did you listen to?

I actually need help on all of them.

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

OK I listened to the rest. Your pitch is better than Jennifer V's, at least until you sing above your range, but back off from the mic a bit, you are way too close which is exaggerating the dynamics of the vocal. On a sparse arrangement like this, double track the guitar or use stereo micing. And try the below the bridge micing position, I suspect it might work better for the style.

"Searching" clips badly. Watch your levels during recording.
 
Thanks man! I'm still pretty new at this. All of us are.
I'm only 16. And Blake and Jennifer are only 15.
I'm having Blake spend the night in a couple of weeks to re-record everything. We want to put out a demo.

Any other suggestions?
 
haha, I'll try that.
She actually had a cold when we recorded this. I had to edit out a few sniffles and sneezes.
She can do a lot better.

Any second opinions anybody?
 
Are you using a dynamic mic to record the guitar. If so, try and rent two condenser mics. Place them each about 6 inches to a foot off the guitar. Have one at the bridge, the other around the 12th fret. If there six inches of the guitar the mics should be about 18 inches apart so you don’t get phase. 3 to 1 rule.

Searching sounds like it’s badly distorting. That one needs to be completely re-tracked. Existentialism could use some better pitch from the girl. In Friction the boy lost his pitch when he went higher there. In First day it really sounds like he recorded his guitar and vocal at the same time. Is that how you did it. Try to get the guitar part nailed first. Then have them sing the vocals. Maybe that’s how you did it. It just sounded like at a few parts where the guitar does something, the voice basically imitated it but not in a good way.

Some nice potential here. Keep at it.
 
What kind of mic are you using for the acoustic?

also, as a playing moment, the acoustic on the first track has some down strokes that would flow better as upstrokes. but that's my personal taste

also, are you tracking the vox seperately? i like a lot of acoustic stuff when the singer plays and sings, but make sure the mics are seperated. that'll be tough to eliminate phasing,b ut it can make for a better mixed sound. the more control you have, the better.

as said by others, the pitch when you go high is kinda awkward, but depending on how you mix it, it can actually work (see Bright Eyes)
 
Let us know what your recording signal chain is. I would say you are on the right track. Your vocals remind me a little bit of Don Mclean on some of his ballads. What I would like to hear from your voice is a bit more sustain and force, you seem to be holding back a bit. I like what you are doing, the kind of stuff I would listen to at the local coffee house or club, lyrics that get me to listen to what you have to say, which is very rare in music these days, I think!
 
Wow! Thanks everyone!
I'm using an MXL 2001 Large Diaphram Mic ($100) for both guitar and vocals.
These recordings were kind of rushed. Next recording session, we are going to try a few different mic positions. Also, we will make sure the vocals sound near perfect.
Also, none of us have jobs, so money is pretty tight... or nonexistant. I'd love to use 2 mics at the same time though.
 
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