Full band with horns

[TexRoadkill]

What up my ninjas? I haven't been around much but I have a new project that we've been working on for awhile. This is a pre-release demo for radio play that I'm making the final touches on. Please feel free to comment on anything you like or don't like.

This was recorded on a Soundcraft Ghost into a Radar Nyquist 24. Mixed in Reaper. Drums, bass, rhythm guitars and keys were recorded together in the same room. Vocals, horns and guitar lead were overdubbed.

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=1537&alid=1797

"The Flame"

 

[scott free]

I like it...Volume was low and highs were a bit dull...listening thru windows media player and skullcandy earbuds. Song is cool

 

[Lt. Bob]

I find it to be super muddy ....... the horns ( I think those are horns) have absolutely no definition whatsoever to them but that may be the overall sound because it's so muddy in other ways too.
I look forward to hearing future mixes ..... the song's pretty cool though I don't really care for the drum groove too much.
Like I said ..... I look forward to hearing the new mixes where I'll better be able to tell what's going on ....... sounds like it's a great project.

 

[TeyshaBlue]

Seems like the snare drum is eating up a tremendous amount of real estate that the vocals and (some) horns occupy. I think you're hearing that and maybe mixing the vocals a bit thicker than they should be as a way of trying to get them out front. The end result is alot of mud in the 300-600 hz range and a mix that just doesn't gel yet. I think it starts with the snare and the lower-mid to mid ranges in the mix. The guits, vox, bass, and horns seem to be well tracked, but they're all fighting for room.
A pretty good first pass. Keep at it.

 

[Llarion]

Seems like the snare drum is eating up a tremendous amount of real estate that the vocals and (some) horns occupy. I think you're hearing that and maybe mixing the vocals a bit thicker than they should be as a way of trying to get them out front. The end result is alot of mud in the 300-600 hz range and a mix that just doesn't gel yet. I think it starts with the snare and the lower-mid to mid ranges in the mix. The guits, vox, bass, and horns seem to be well tracked, but they're all fighting for room.
A pretty good first pass. Keep at it.

Amen to most of this. Horns are a bit thin to me, and yea, the drums in general, and the snare specifically are a bit big in the mix. Vocal overdubs are clean, but a little close-in in the soundfield. You might want to moisten them, paying special attention to the amount of pre-emphasis on the reverb to get them to their rightful spot. You have a little bit of clipping in the lead vocal when he gets ballsy.

DIGGING the tune though!! VERY soulful playing and writing. Can't wait to hear the final evolution on this...

 

[the marquis]

I was thinking the same about the 300-600 thing and to my ears the drummer and bassist are not locking the groove together at all. THEY GOT TO LOCK TO GET IT TO POP BABY !!! LOL... Anyhow , very cool tune...

 

[nzausrec]

I get this played at 24kbps, is this right? How about boosting it to 198 or 320? Might get a lot more dynamics out of it ...
It sounds good musically but is really flat due to lack of dynamics.
This is not 24bit sample recording, but 24 kilobites per second recording. You mustn't do that.

 

[Llarion]

I get this played at 24kbps, is this right? How about boosting it to 198 or 320? Might get a lot more dynamics out of it ...
It sounds good musically but is really flat due to lack of dynamics.
This is not 24bit sample recording, but 24 kilobites per second recording. You mustn't do that.

You must have accidentally clicked the smaller of the two arrows, the larger arrow is the higher def sample...

 

[nzausrec]

I'll give it another listen.

 

[TexRoadkill]

Thanks for all the honest feedback. I gave it some passes on better monitors and carved out some of the low mids and worked on the "mastering" a bit. I hate trying to master shit myself. I need to give this to the radio station soon. I know it's not perfect but did I clear it up enough?

I updated the file on Nowhere so give it another download.

Thanks again!

 

[Lt. Bob]

MUCH better.
The horns sound like horns and I can hear the vox.
I'll let those with better 'puter monitors get into the details but it's way improved.

 

[TeyshaBlue]

It's better...you're getting there. Sounds like you really massaged that snare and, IMHO, pulled it back too far without doing much to the vocal tracks. While the snare incursion has improved, at the cost of alot of energy, the vocals are super saturated around 500hz. When I was listening to this, I let it run for about a minute before I was grabbing the eq...I pulled 12 db outta 250 - 500hz and the mix was just starting to even out.
It sounds like you maybe didnt do much to the vox after you reworked that snare track and they are seriously overboosted in that 350-500 range and just sit on top of the mix rather than in it.
Dynamics have completely dissappeared and the compression is brutal @ the guitar solo around 1:45 to the end.
The horns are clearer this time around, but I think the mix still needs alot of work. How many tracks are you running? How many of drums?
I'd seriously spend aboiut 30 minutes just getting that drum mix sorted out and then add bass and then vox. When you can get those tracks to play nice together, I think the rest will fall in nicely.

I'm being pretty critical cause this is a really nice tune and I'd love to hear the mix fully fleshed out and realized. Keep at it.