another set of ears needed please

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overseer

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Hello all. I hope I am posting this in the right section.

Anyhow, I would appreciate another set of ears if you will. The link below is for a song that I am producing and the bassist seems to think that there are timing issues. This is an early edit of the song, no heavy mixing has been applied. Take a listen and drop me some feedback if you will. Thanks.

Summerwalkstudio dot com /clips/18Whlr.mp3
 
Yes, there are definitely problems with drum timing...
 
I'll have to listen again when I get home from work...it is not horrible, but definitely noticeable and distracting. Also not sure whose fault it is...can't really tell if it is the drummer or guitar player. Were they playing with a metronome or click track? Try playing drums solo'd then guitar solo'd and see which is causing the problem, then re record that track.
 
So the guitarist sets up a particular rhythm at the start, then about 50 secs in when he goes into a new section, he changes that rhythm... not on purpose - different style of strumming, so he's not aware that he's changed, I'd say... then when the band kicks in it sounds to me like they're trying to play to the guitarist.... definite timing issues.... too much to be that sort of "loose" feel that bands can have - it comes and goes but it's particularly noticeable from 2.10 - 2.20 and various other places....

I suspect that both of them aren't particularly competent at timing...

I'd be retracking the drums to a click and starting again.
 
Oh boy...that's not what I wanted to hear, but if it's going to be right then its going to have to be done. I was hoping they were going to be tight enough on this one that I wouldn't have to go that route, but alas. Thanks for the input.
 
So here's a cut of the bass, drums, & vox. I don't seem to notice the timing issues without the guitar. Am I missing anything here? If not, could I possibly just retrack the guitar?

summerwalkstudio dot com/clips/18whlr-nogtr.mp3
 
overseer said:
So here's a cut of the bass, drums, & vox. I don't seem to notice the timing issues without the guitar. Am I missing anything here? If not, could I possibly just retrack the guitar?

summerwalkstudio dot com/clips/18whlr-nogtr.mp3
Click to expand...

I could still here some tempo fluctuations and timing problems in there. If you're savvy at editing, there are some workarounds that you could do to avoid re-tracking anything (i.e. Elastic audio in pro Tools). Otherwise, I'd say re-track with a click.
 
I moved this to the Clinic--a more appropriate place for the desired input. You're likely to get more help here.

Good luck!
 
Please tell me you'll correct the phase on the drums. In my short time here I'm pointing that out and/or hearing that a lot!
You need to start with a clean tempo no matter what you lay down first. I'm hearing poor timing in more than a few places.
I wouldn't try to fix it. I would re-record it. Sucks I know. I had to shell out a couple of unexpected studio hours when my
drummer refused to let a performance of his get released. Tough beans. Good tune.
 
The guitar sounded nice. Nice singing voice. But I'm noticing small pitch issues here and there.

And yeah the rhythm is a bit sloppy in spots.
 
@WhiteStrat: Thanks for moving this to a more appropriate place on the forum. :)

@komposer: I am taking them back to square one on this one. I am going to take what I have and work out the click track and send it to the guitarist and the drummer. I'll post again when I have more to share.

@TripleM: Thanks, hopefully I can recap that on the next go round.

Further input is still welcome.
 
Yeah.. Your drums have serious phase issues. I'd venture to say your guitar has phasing issues, too. Drums and guitar are out of time pretty badly in spots, too. You'd do good to research proper stereo mic'ing techniques and see if you can get rid of the phasing problems. Your recordings will undoubtedly become much, much better.
 
Ok, so let me ask since more than one of you mentioned this. Where/how are the drums out of phase? What am I missing or should be listening for?
 
overseer said:
Ok, so let me ask since more than one of you mentioned this. Where/how are the drums out of phase? What am I missing or should be listening for?
Click to expand...

Sounds like the overhead mics were out of phase. Listen to your mix in mono. The cymbals almost vanish.
 
Ok folks, so help me out here. I have explained to the artist that there are enough timing issue to require a redo. He's down with that. I have to get a click track over to him and the rest of the players so they will be ready when we track again. I have been listening to what I have recorded and trying to figure out the average tempo by tapping it into my metronome. The song is in 3/4 & I am looking at some where around 133 - 135 bpm. Can I get an opinion or 2 from you all on this?

Thanks. :)
 
Yeah, 135 bpm at the start, but more like 145 toward the end. But I’m not sure a click track is the right approach for this style. You might end up wrecking more than you fix. Is there anything you can do about the mix? I feel the snare is all in my right ear.
 
Tobe, the majority of the snare is panned right. I haven't sat down with the mix since my original post (real life is busy). I'll gladly repost a new mix as soon as I can with attention to what's been noted here. Why do you say that a click track may "end up wrecking more than you fix"?

For those of you mentioning phase issues. My mic setup on the drums was as follows: D112 inside the kick near the beater, LDC MXL out in front of the kick, sm57 on the top and bottom of the snare (& yes, I flipped the phase on the bottom 57 here), an audix tom mic on the rack & floor tom, and 2 SDC over heads. I am thinking a lot of my phase issues may be because of the MXL out in front of the kick. It picked up a lot of ambient sound from the kit & cymbals. Would it behoove me to gate each of the kick drum mics to see if that would help with the phase issues?
 
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