Finished a Remix (maybe?)

Nola

Nola

Well-known member
Hey guys, I posted this maybe two months ago, got feedback, went back to the woodshed and hashed it out. Can you let me know how this sounds now?

I messed with the low end EQ to remove mud, added an organ for atmosphere/depth, lowered guitar levels, and added a new bassline.
p.s. I know the timing on the opening acoustics are off with one another, but since they're on with the beat I decided to leave them b/c I no longer have that guitar or room to redo it (I thought they sounded kinda cool being off with one another but in time w/beat but let me know if not). Thanks, guys!

https://soundcloud.com/suicidevan/only-an-answer
 
Nope. You are correct. The acoustics in the intro sound fine as is. Not really off time with each other, just playing different parts. If they're on time with the beat and in the right key, pretty much anything goes, and that wasn't much of a stretch there.

Vocals were the star here and sound great imo. Only the drums stood out a bit as sounding kind of loud and slushy. Fine for a more rocking number, but for this I think they should be more subdued.

Organ is a nice addition.
 
Hey Nola.

Nice acoustic sound, pleasing to the ears. The timing issue is so minimal, it's sounds fine. Kind of adds a nice dimension, actually.

Organ tones very fitting, thought I heard a slight wurli sound on one of them. Nice melody, too. Drum sounds and beat fit nicely. Outro was cool, when the drums just stop and the acoustic was alone.

Vocal sounds nice, too.

Sounds done to me. Nice job.

Edit: On second listen, the snare does sound a little "big" for the song, but it doesn't take away or anything. I'm not talking volume, I just think a thinner sounding, softer snare would've maybe fit better. But that's kind of a nit pick, if you can't change it and experiment, I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Before I saw you posted in the clinic (didn't check it out until now), I played this on my SC this morning a few times. Really, really good song. The guitars are excellent sounding, and the organ too. The vocal melody is probably my favorite from you yet.

I think there's some room for the bass down there if the low mids and low end are tightened up more, it seems pretty scarce. Where are the guitars HP'd at? I can hardly hear the bass - listened in car and headphones. Vocals have a blurriness to them too. I didn't much like their EQ or tone, but again that melody is great.

Really good song
 
Bass, guitars, and organ sound good together.

Your vocal delivery still needs a bit of work. You're warbling a few notes.
That snare would probably sound better with brushes or something more subdued and less cracky.

Also, this is kinda "Creep"...
 
Sounds good, Nola. The vocal delivery is your selling point, warbles and all. The vocal sounds dry. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I might try adding a little more ambiance just to see if it helps the song. If not, leave it the way it is. I'm not hearing the blurriness mentioned above. No timing issues noted on the acoustic guitar. Bass could come up. You may need to thin the low mids to accommodate it as Taras suggested. The mix is a little bit woolly down there. Snare too prominent? Maybe a little. Might be worth experimenting with different snare patches if you are able.
 
Robus said:
The vocal sounds dry. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I might try adding a little more ambiance just to see if it helps the song.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that too. I agree with Ray...I remember thinking in the car early this morning that the vox could use a hefty amount of delay/verb. Better yet, standing further back from the mic would prob help a lot. I don't think this tune calls for an up front vocal sound; more like further back in the room, to my ears.
 
Thanks, guys. I will check the snare, bass levels, and vocal reverb today. With the bass, is it volume/too low or is it just too thin that's the problem? I tried for a thin/McCartney type line without much boom on purpose so it wasn't too in the way, but I do want it audible. The guitars are both EQ'd around 225hz and the organs at 400hz. As many here know I only use headphones b/c of living situation so it's hard to refine low end perfectly.

Andru, the vocal EQ is zero, that sound is all the mic itself (1949 harp mic). They tend to sound thinned out. I thought the old-timey feel of that mic sounded right on this song. I tried it with newer/nicer mics and didn't like it as much. I can try experimenting with the EQ on it, though.
 
Zero EQ is certainly the issue then. At least set a HP around 100hz or higher. EQ will def help that vocal sit better.
 
andrushkiwt said:
Zero EQ is certainly the issue then. At least set a HP around 100hz or higher. EQ will def help that vocal sit better.
Click to expand...

Sorry, my bad. I always cut every track except drums or bass 100hz or higher, so when I said zero EQ I meant besides that.
It's just an odd mic. It's hi-z and very old. I like it for songs that have a mellow/old timey vibe. It's totally fine if you don't like the tone -- it's 75 year old technology so that makes sense.

I tried some different vocal reverbs this morning. Plate reverb sounded pretty good. I'm going to sit on it for a day and see if I want to go with that large a reverb. Right now there's a room reverb and it's cranked high, but room reverbs aren't usually heard well. It's noticeable if I turn it off, though.
 
The doubled acoustic guitar in the intro sounds terrific. So does the keyboard pad. The whole intro is very good. Except the doubling on the guitar could be a little tighter.

Little pitch problem on the first vocal line. I think you could get a better vocal take overall. Vocal sound pretty decent. Decent clarity without harshness. But I think you can sing it better than that take. A doubled vocal would sound great.

The drums sound distant. They're kind of back and a bit roomy. I'm hearing mostly snare and not much else

Bass is kind of far back to.

Kind of a Neil Young feel to the song.

Needs an edit at the end.
 
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