First full band mix - feedback please

[muxoman]

Hey guys,

This is my first recording attempt of my band. I've been recording for a long time as a songwriting tool and decided to give recording the full band a go. Any feedback would be appreciated. I've listen to this mix so long I couldn't critique it any longer even if I wanted!

Thanks!

https://soundcloud.com/disappearingboy/disappearing-boy-charmed-im-sure

 

[Schwarzenyaeger]

The guitars are a bit "thick" sounding. Very dark. I think the sound would work really well if they weren't playing so much. They working during the intro where they come and go but when the verses and chorus come in they seem to blend together to a mush.

The whole mix sounds a bit far back, like it's in a very deep room. It could be what you're going for.


The singer is very good. You don't find a lot of females that can pull of rock convincingly. There is a sloppy timing spot though once or twice.
Very catchy chorus.

 

[muxoman]

Schwarzenyaeger, thanks for the input. I'm going to work on brightening up the mix a bit. I want it to be a little noisy and lo-fi as I come from a very shoegazey background. But thanks so much for your input!

 

[Btyre2013]

the vocals are a semitone out of tune...

 

[muxoman]

the vocals are a semitone out of tune...

And that's what I find hardest about mixing. I can tell when 2 guitars are out of tune with each other but I find it hard to tell if the vocal is slightly out to tune. I don't know that my ear is that good! But I'll look into it further, thanks!

 

[Schwarzenyaeger]

the vocals are a semitone out of tune...

They are?
Do you mean "slightly" or literally a half step?

I think they sound pretty cool.

 

[Ultrachrome]

Good song and I like the way the singer at first sings a major on top of a minor. As a first time recording it's passable but I'm curious how you're approaching this....is this to some degree live off the floor? A lot of things are getting lost within each other. I've always been of the opinion that drums are instantaneous then their gone for a few milliseconds to let other things come through so you can put them a lot louder in your mix. Drums give a primal energy...it's nice to hear them more.

 

[muxoman]

Good song and I like the way the singer at first sings a major on top of a minor. As a first time recording it's passable but I'm curious how you're approaching this....is this to some degree live off the floor? A lot of things are getting lost within each other. I've always been of the opinion that drums are instantaneous then their gone for a few milliseconds to let other things come through so you can put them a lot louder in your mix. Drums give a primal energy...it's nice to hear them more.

Thanks for the comments. Only the drums were recorded live. My drummer claims he can, but he really can't play to a click track. So we record the drums live and then I have to fix them to be usable to a fixed time source. And then we record everything else afterwards.

Are you saying the drums should be louder? I keep going back and forth.

 

[Btyre2013]

They are?
Do you mean "slightly" or literally a half step?

I think they sound pretty cool.

yes a half step out, I know I'm not imagining it

 

[Bubba po]

the vocals are a semitone out of tune...

The vocals are fine, you square! The singer has a Siouxsie (of the Banshees) tone and alternative sense of melody that really suits the song. I liked the denseness of the guitars, but I feel that shelving off the low mids and bottom end of them slightly would leave more room for that tom-tom work to shine better. I have no criticisms at all on the arrangement, playing and sound of the band. It's right up my street, actually.

 

[Schwarzenyaeger]

an alternative sense of melody

This sounds like the most backhanded compliment ever

 

[Bubba po]

This sounds like the most backhanded compliment ever

No, not really - what I mean is, she's not singing the same hackneyed notes and lines that more mainstream singers would do. It gives the song the strident quality that it needs.

 

[Schwarzenyaeger]

I get you. Just riding your jolly sloth jumper.

 

[Bubba po]

jolly sloth jumper.

You kill me with these surreal quips.

 

[muxoman]

The vocals are fine, you square! The singer has a Siouxsie (of the Banshees) tone and alternative sense of melody that really suits the song. I liked the denseness of the guitars, but I feel that shelving off the low mids and bottom end of them slightly would leave more room for that tom-tom work to shine better. I have no criticisms at all on the arrangement, playing and sound of the band. It's right up my street, actually.

Thanks so much. That is exactly the kind of advice I was hoping for. Geez mixing can be hard. Thank god for forums like this!

 

[Ultrachrome]

Thanks for the comments. Only the drums were recorded live. My drummer claims he can, but he really can't play to a click track. So we record the drums live and then I have to fix them to be usable to a fixed time source. And then we record everything else afterwards.

Are you saying the drums should be louder? I keep going back and forth.

The link is missing now or not working for some reason. Yeah...for sure the drums need to be louder in my opinion. Drums aren't like other instruments in that they aren't making a sound the entire time during a song. A snare hits and then it's gone for instance. It means that you can put drums pretty loud in mixes without burying other stuff. Put anything else up too loud that isn't instantaneous like a drum, shit get's buried. Drums are cool and people like to hear them....I'm not a drummer either. I play bass and know my place...I provide the mysterious bottom and don't need to be able to be picked out too much.