folk guitar solo... so what's wrong here?

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stonepiano

stonepiano

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ok, no disclaimers here... save that
1) I'm a total newbie to recording...:D and
2) that this is my second try at mixing with no assistance or instruction beyond what I get here...which is sizeable.

all done one track at a time with Sonar 1; the main voice is mine, the guitar is mine, done without a click track, rode NT1 for vox and acoustic, sm57 on a Gib Les Paul blues junior... It's meant for a three song demo to give coffeehouses and bars to get gigs. Is this good enough for that?

In addition to that, I guess what I'm looking for is how do you feel about the balance/dynamics of the song/instruments? Does the reverb sound too heavy? Is there more eq'ing I could do to make this have a little more sonic "impact?" The second singer has yet to deliver her second verse/chorus parts so I'm a little naked out there for that...

The song is David... Thanks everybody.

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=1733&alid=-1

stone (locked out as my original username, milesmaxwell)
 
sounds pretty good here....
like the "fragile"..?..ness?...of the vocals...im not sure what im tryin to say..here..lol..sorry....(i like them)..maybe thats better..nice harmonies....pretty nice lyrics..some of them are quiet but i thinkthat is a product of yer singin style...but too me i like character in a song......the solo is sitting prety good maybe a tidbit loud...but..not much if any.....i like the octave thing really cool..and the panning......all nice touches....

pretty sweet little number if you ask me.........you were asking me right????:D


jamal
 
For what you're trying to do, I'd say this is certainly good enough. The guitar sounds nice. There's something about the lead vocals that I think could be improved. They seem a bit "distant", as if sung through a closed door.

Maybe experiment with different distances from the mic, different angles between you and the mic, different levels on the mixer, etc.

But overall, certainly a nice job. Good song.
 
thanks fellas

jamal:

indeed, I did ask. glad to see you dig what I was trying to do with the vocals, albeit with limited success. I was trying to be up close with a vulnerable end-of-the-rope emotional performance. The way I see it, the female voice is the good voice anyway. I'm just the everyman voice. Fragile is certainly a good word, (and more complementary than some others I could think of...) I'll also play with the guit solo levels. I squashed it with the sonar compressor to even it out but it does still sound upfront.

Triple M:

Now, here's where my inexperience shows... I didn't take room acoustics into account for one second and I'm guessing maybe that, in addition to the levels and mic placement, are responsible for what's lacking in the vox. What I did was turn the level way up on the mixer and sing softly but in extremely close proximity to the pop filter. I'll definitely be trying some new setups to experiment. thanks for the advice.

Muzeman:

thanks for trying! :D It does seem to work for me here at work, though. I changed the permissions on Nowhere so now anyone can get it from anywhere. maybe that'll help.
 
Sounds pretty good to me. I think the vocal issues sound like the high end might be rolled off a bit much. I would expect something miked that close to have a lot more consonant prominence, but that wasn't the case. What sort of EQ was done to the vocals? You may have been overcompensating to rid yourself of sibilance.

Disclaimer - I'm not a professional in this area.
Disclaimer #2 - Listening on crappy PC speakers, which I'm sure is not helping the sound.
 
OK, I'll be the critical critic!;)

First of all, what you have done, for the purpose you stated, is very good! If this is only your second attempt at mixing you're in front of the heard.

The harmonica on the intro seemed harsh. It also seemed like the player moved in, towards the mic while he was playing. Also, the only time we heard it was in the intro. It would have been nice to have it come back in on the ending. It's like in speech writing, or story telling; tell them what you're going to say, say it, then tell them what you said. Either the flute(?), or the harmonica could have fit that role nicely.

The first guitar is clean, and sits well in the mix.
The second guitar comes in nicely in the solo. But at times the 2 seem to be competing for space, sonicly. Perhaps a wider pan of the 2 for more separation?

The dual vocals are nice, BUT, if this is a duet, there's a portion of the song where the male and female are singing the same line and it doesn't sound..... complementary. The two voices are so different in range and style that they just don't seem to fit well together for that portion of the song. They work nicely together in other areas of the song though.
I would consider a "call and response" for that part of the vocals.
(I realize that has more to do with song writing and arranging than recording, but I felt it was noteworthy.)

Is there a flute in there at the ending? It adds a nice touch. I would liked to have heard more of it in the song.

In all "David" was well played, and recorded nicely. It willl surely work for the intended purpose.
If you were inclined to take this song further than demo purposes, I would rework the arrangement somewhat.

Good Job!
 
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how did you get alanis to sing back up with you? damn.... I'll agree with MJ..the vocals didn't quite mesh.. a call and response type song for the two of you would work great.

I listened to David. I liked it. It definitely had the coffee house feel to it. during the guitar solo you add a tremoloe'd guitar.. maybe add that earlier on as a teaser to some more electric guitar to come. It really complimented the acoustic. You came in with harmonica and then we never saw it again, why not? We also never heard the back up vocals again either, why not? Polish up a few loose-ends and this song will be a great demo.
 
Sounds pretty good.
I liked the acoustic tone,Capo?
Good vocal's.

Definitly need to let your lady friend sing more,she's really good!
I think her voice fit's better with the high tone of the guitar,
Sounds like yours needs a lower register.
Mabey some more of that sweet harmonica too!
JMHOP.:)

Sounds good for what you need it for.
I'd go have some coffee and listen to you!:D

Pete
 
I couldn't have said it better than Mr Jones.
 
i think this i probably good enough for the purpose you mentioned.

i liked the tremolo guitar in the end of david. that really filled in a lot of holes in the mix for some reason. vocals could probably be a little more 'present' in the mix. fighting a little with the guitar for the same space sometimes.

and pm me when you get a coffeehouse gig. i live in the area.
 
very helpful

okay. First off, I really appreciate all your comments. Mr. Jones, special thanks for lending it your critical ear. It sounds like my vox performance/arrangement needs a little more to please discerning tastes. I'm glad it was flat out said so I know what to fix. :D

All the things you've said have suggested (to me, anyway) that I retrack my vocal. I was always a little worried about it before because it's not my normal tone (I sing a little more ballsy than this, normally). Anyway, You've all convinced me to do it again (and again...and again...).

Muzeman: capo SEVENTH fret. don't ask me why...As for the "why don't you let her sing more" response, I get it from a lot of people. I totally understand as hers is a much more classically pleasing voice. What can I do, though? I'm like Rockwell with Michael Jackson singing behind him. It still makes the song better. (Somebody's Watching Meeeee....) Seriously though, I am far more interested in just staying in key and having an interesting unorthodox voice a la Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Harry Chapin, Steve Earle, etc. I know I listen more to what people are singing when they sound different than when it's just pretty...

Also, as per all your suggestions, I added Trem guitar (good ears, Roenick) to the chorus and second verse. It does kind of fill things out, don't it? The harp also makes a reappearance (I just got lazy and didn't add it between verses) at the break.

Will do about the PM, erichenryus. I'm glad you liked the trem. Isn't it amazing what an amp modeler (gasp!) and some creative panning can do for open chords? To me, it's arguably the most interesting part of the song and I could have played it the first week I learned guitar.

This weekend, the other voice (the talent) comes in to complete her vox and to tackle our upbeat demo song. I'll have her take a stab at the call and response vibe to see how it goes.

Thanks guys, I'll post an update to this tune next week!

milesmaxwell.com
 
very good for a first (or second) effort. MJ covered everything. To me the biggest thing was I wanted a bit more "crispness" to the vocals. The guitar sounded pretty good and I liked the song. I heard a few pitch issues but nothing too bad. I'd come hear you myself....I would want to add a little Kahlua to the coffee. ;)
Gotta have something to take the edge off the caffeine.
 
Interesting!

I like the tenderness and balance of the guitar a lot. Clean and crispy. Nicely arranged.

The vocals are the help area. There is a certain tentativeness to it; you're not supporting at all, and you get pitchy and wobbly as held notes tail off. It sounds like a breath support and confidence issue. It does have a certain Neil Young honesty and emotive appeal going on, you just need to sing it like you're not worried about who is watching.

I'd come see ya at Borders anytime, man. :)


Cheers,
Phil "Llarion: The Jazzinator" Traynor
Smooth Jazz
www.llarion.com
- Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons;
for you are crunchy, and go well with ketchup.
 
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