First time REALLY EQing a song

  • Thread starter Thread starter shackrock
  • Start date Start date
S

shackrock

New member
what do you think about this mix:
its a 128kbps mp3 (so the cymbals sound like crap, as does the snare...its almost like it clips every time, which in reality it doesnt)......also - if you dont feel like listening to ALL of it - please check out at about 2:35, what do you think of that section as well...

thanks guys. ANY AND ALL info on the mix is appretiated...

what do you all think i recorded it with? - just intrested, if you dont already know...

peace

"act like me" - http://www.angelfire.com/emo/shackrockinc/homerec.html
 
I can hear some background noise with the bass intro..and more noise when the gtr track comes in..but it probably is acceptable. The drums are fair sounding, but wouldn't cut it in the pro world. The monster gtrs at :56 sound pretty good, and take the sound level up a notch. The vocal intonation wavers a bit...like listen just at your 'cutoff' at 1:12....and speaking of the cutoff. ...sounds like a good idea, but it needed to go a tad longer...like another 20 miliseconds or something...just feels like it ends too soon.

oh...the section at 2:35..kinda dis-jointed...but is holding together by a couple of threads.

Great ending.

all in all..the vocals are the weak point, followed by the drum sound, followed by the drum timing.

The power chords are the highlight and the ending take a second place in coolness...
 
oh...as far as recording device...it could be a Yamaha mini disk 8 track, but probably nothing much better. (or I'd be shocked). Verges on being too clean for a casette multi tracker, but there is some noise. Or...the computer, with budget inputs...
 
perfect.

thats exactly what i wanted to hear... the noise that you are talking about actually came when i mp3ed it -....but its not there at all with the wav so no worries on that one.

thanks for the response though,

in a day or so, i'll post what i used - just incase anyone else responds to the thread (hopefully!).

ha
thanks again mix.
 
what mp3 encoder do you use?

Personally I never feel like a 128kbps mp3 isn't more or less representative of what I did in the studio..like that noise there? No way that isn't there to an extent in the original...unless we are talking about a different "noise".

128kbps mp3s of commercial stuff always sounds basically like the record...just not as brilliant.

All in all mixing wise I think it's pretty good...kick/bass etc. is all eq'd well....nice work. Little too much snare for my taste maybe.
 
I agree...that noise was not added by an mp3 conversion...especially since it increased when the gtr came in, at the beginning too.
 
Hey Shackrock,

I'll try to ignore how much I hate that type of music when responding ;)

Yes - The vocals aren't that wonderfull, but suits the style. I wouldn't worry about it too much.
The drums sound like there's something missing. Especially the snare.
I remember your setup, so it wouldn't be fare if I guessed :) .
I'll just say that a condenser or two would defenitly improve your vocal sound, although, when doing this kind of music, a dynamic often does a great job.
The EQing is great. At first I thought something was wrong, but it turns out my amp was not set flat from some reason... Now it sounds good.

Good job, overall!

Oren
 
hmmm...well maybe you guys are right. i guess i hear it on the wav's - but its a lot more noticable on the mp3's (at least on my speakers it is).



my set up IS infact the most budget computer inputs available..ha SoundBlaster AWE16...(1 input...and its bad). I go from that, to a splitter, to my mixer, which has up to 4 mics at a time on it.

SM57, 2 58's(overheads), AT PRO25.

What cheap condensor would you suggest for vocals? any that would also work for drum overheads?


my next purchase will be a new computer with a delta 44.
 
Your Drums Sound Ok.... I think they are the best part of the mix.... The bass needs some compression, and it has a room sound, can you get the mic closer to the cabinet, or if you are going direct, get rid of the reverb.....

The voice doubling ruins the vocal... I think this would be a great vocal with just one... I like the song, very promising songwriting....

Throw a bunch of compression on everything.... don't be scared to use it.. it will tighten up this somewhat loose sounding mix....

When I say "bunch" I don't mean squash it to death... I just mean tighten it all up a bit.... maybe 3.00:1 ratio, and knock a good 10-15 db off every track....

Alot of people will warn you against it, but it's what all the big guys do like Tom Lord-Alge and Mike Shipley.....

Cool Stuff...

Joe

PS> I didn't read any of the posts above, so as not to sway my opinion of the mix.. What I said might have been already said....
 
Well, I've listened to some of your other stuff in the past. So, let me say that this sounds way better. Much more clarity and definition in the mix. I think most of the areas for improvement have already been mentioned.

About compression, even though voxvendor says the big boys all do it, given your setup I doubt you have access to any high end compressors like they do. I think compression is great and I use it extensively on some material, especially drums. But, just try to constantly a/b it with the original, uncompressed track to make sure you are actually making it sound BETTER, not just louder. Its my experience that 10-15dB of compression with a cheap plug in will sound pretty terrible.
 
Cool song, Shack, although I agree that the vocals need work. For my tastes, it would all mesh better if the guitars were brought up and the vocals and snare pulled back down into the mix. Those big chords really do sound good - I wouldn't touch those! As for the bass, I actually think the room sound you got goes well with the song, especially the big gits. And I like the cutoff at 1:12, but the crazed runaway at 2:35 doesn't seem right, like there's something wrong with its medulla oblongata!

I like the song - reminds me of Sportsguitar!!
 
thanks guys....sometime soon i'll post another song (prolly whithin the next week)

not only will most people here like it more, but I think it sounds better anyway...better sound on most of everything for the most part.

thanks again
 
gnarled said:

You make a good point... But in a case like this, even at the the expense of a bit of degredation, the solidity he is going to achieve from all the compression, should make up for the noisey cheap compressors....

This song would sound so much better if it was a tighter mix... even if it has to be with cheap stuff.....

Thats all I use..... Just the real time audio suite compressor that came with my digi.... I don't use my waves for compresson, until the mastering stage, just because of the power they take... and the rtas compresson is decent...
 
Back
Top