After the Burning post Traumatic VST Crash Disorder

[rayc]

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5814810&q=hi
This link will take you to a remix as of today.
The remix has slightly fattened vocals (thanks Greg L), lessly reduced b/vocals & significantly reduced rice shaker (thanks Torp) and the addition of a distorted guitar up the centre.
I'm not sure if I managed to get the levels right as my VST Wrapper crashed & I lost all the related settings - I had to install the cakewalk VST Adapter and try to set things as they ought to have been.
Please listen to the overall mix but listen to/for the distorted guitar in the centre of the stereo image. I spend quite some time trying to record a good distorted sound that fitted this song - I kept going overboard though.
I ended up recording an Epi Sheraton II through a Behri Bass DI with the blend & drive fairly cranked SO it's an simulated distortion not the real thing.
Enough blather.
What d'yer reckon?

 

[heatmiser]

Yes!...this one sounds sooo much better to me.

I have heard I don't know how many different mixes of this over the last month or so, and each one sounded somewhat better than the last, but this is the biggest improvement by far.

I too thought the shaker on the chorus was too much on the last mix, but you have pulled that back nicely. The vocals do sound fuller, and the (new?) drums are much more expressive...they follow the changes of the song more closely and help a great deal...is that Greg?

Did the initial versions have a drum machine? I can't remember now, but anyway, I admire your persistence and I think it has paid off.

 

[Greg_L]

Vocals sound MUCH better Ray. A lot warmer and easier on the ears. The first few lines are kinda quiet. Maybe automate the volume on those first few lines or throw a volume envenlope on that section. Really, the entire vocal track can probably come up just a little. Not much though. I'm not really picking up any distorted guitar in the middle. Maybe the slightest hint of one, but not really. I'm mainly hearing the cleaner guitars.

 

[rayc]

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5814810&q=hi
This link will take you to a mix that addresses the issues raised by Greg (thanks mate).
I found that Block ish on one of the vocals was set for rhythm guitar & so the 1st vocal section was quieter than desired. I've raised all the vox slightly.
The distorted guitar, well overdriven, is straight up the middle & blends pretty well into the rest - I didn't want too much & I think I succeeded in keeping it transparent.
heatmiser,
Not not Greg on drums - though I'd enjoy working with him - but someone from around the board - I won't drop names on things until the mix is finished. The drums are a very nifty package played, recorded & mixed by a supremo & sent downunder by download to drop in ever so sweetly much the same as the guitar solo from another denizen of the clinic.
I used a TR 505 in this until last week.
I've only used a Cakewalk plugin final mix compression on the setero out as I wanted some semblance of togetherness for a posted mix but I'm not, in any way, prepared to attempt mastering - If I get enough money & positive response I may end up getting this done though.
Any other comments, reccos, feedback?

 

[Torpid-x]

Sounds better, I'd take it down a tiny bit more, the ticking that is, or roll some highs off to balance the tick with the hat and tambourine on the right. It still pulls to the left through phones. you may need to wear cans to fix this. Without cans it's still stands out higher but, not really offensively. If the ticking and the shaking are the same track, you may need to add compression to balance the shaking with the accents.

The background vox issue I mentioned is also better in this mix, seems you blended the particular track (if it's even there now) to transparency.

Guitar blends fine, this is a very thick mix and I don't hear anything out of place or jumping out at me guitar-wise.

I burned my ears out for now, must have played it 25 times in a row, I think it's my favorite song now

 

[queepy]

Hey Ray, I think this one sounds really good! Everything seems to sits well in the mix and has a real cohesive sound.Dig that bass guitar, nice playin'

 

[rayc]

Torp,
Yeah - I lost the previous setting on the rice when the VSTs crashed. I'll fix that - I noticed it when I listened on a cd walkman - thanks for the detail. That b/vox issue I had a squiz in the freq analyser and re EQ'd, matched the comp and level a bit better. It is a thick mix, 22 tracks in all. Thanks for the very kind words.
variqueepy,
Thanks for the generous comments. It's come on well - the star turns on drums & solo gtr provided the magic woofle dust and that was activated by some very accurate comments and suggestions. Cheers

 

[bigbubba]

Can't believe haven't commented yet. Have heard it multiple times. This sounds really good. The drums do sounds really nice and they do bring the song to a different level.

Nothing wrong that I hear.

 

[rayc]

BB,
Thanks mate. It's amazing what a excellent drumming can do for a song.

 

[Dogman]

Sounds pretty good to me man...everything sounds even, and seems to have decent space. I'm liking it....

 

[rayc]

Thanks Dogman,
It's definitely been a work in progress over several weeks.
This link takes you to a Dec 4th mix that addresses the rice conundrum and also drops the tambourine just a tad as it stuck out a little more with less rice.
I've also boosted the overdriven guitar a little towards the end.

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5814810&q=hi

Are we there yet?

 

[SnakeDog5050]

Hi Ray, very smooth and thick sounding mix. Easy and full on the ears. Everything flows well. After a hearing a few of your tunes your bass style is distinguisable here. Good tune, has sort of a springsteen vibe to my ears. Guitar solo is at a nice level too. Good drama and sense of urgency in the final verse. Sounds good, sounds like I caught one of your final mixes here. Nothing really to recommend, good work

 

[rayc]

SnakeDog5050,
Thanks kindly. I'm waiting to see if I'm done or not - that'll depend on folk like you telling me so. Nice of you to suggest I have a decernible style on bass - it's my instrument - or to put it more accurately the one I am least horrid with.