mjbphotos
Moderator
Could use some ears on this one.
Nola
Well-known member
Kind of weird in that it's Celtic sounding but not really. Sounds modal, too.
The vocal is straining a bit. Maybe a different key?
The mix sounds pretty good. The right channel is lacking in volume compared to the left.
The vocal is straining a bit. Maybe a different key?
The mix sounds pretty good. The right channel is lacking in volume compared to the left.
heatmiser
mr. green christmas
Yes, I definitely hear a L/R imbalance here too. Otherwise, it's sounding like a pretty good mix. I think you've improved a lot over the years as well mjb. You've got better balance level-wise, better clarity and focus to your tracks. It's great to come back here and see that people are making progress, as that's what this place is for.
There's a bunch of things I would have done differently here, but I think it's mostly subjective.
I too think the vocal sounds strained btw...like there's a lot of effort required keeping you from relaxing and enjoying it.
There's a bunch of things I would have done differently here, but I think it's mostly subjective.
I too think the vocal sounds strained btw...like there's a lot of effort required keeping you from relaxing and enjoying it.
fat_fleet
Swollen Member
Are you side chaining the rhythm guitar off the vocals? Seems like there's a little pumping/ducking around 1.48 ("blown away") and where those sweet sweet harmonies come in around 2.27. But it could be the dreaded SC artifacts. Rhythm gits could be thinned a little and still retain some body, a couple of those little flute-guitar runs are a smidge loose. Fundamentally a pretty nice sounding mix. 
ibleedburgundy
The Anti-Lambo
Cool tune.
The ascending scale run that repeatedly happens - the notes are not evenly volumed it seems. I think it takes away from the step up feel - that makes any sense. Maybe you meant to crescendo up that scale but there is a lack of tightness there. Elsewhere the tightness is fine. The nylon is getting lost in it as well.
If you are going to use nylon at that one point, it seems you could deploy a bit more. Little tidbits of nylon guitar here and there behind the vocals might be a nice touch IMO there is an opportunity. That's arrangement stuff though, not sure if you are interested in that sot of commenting.
Something about the main rhythm guitar doesn't seem right. Maybe it's the pan balance. Sounds like there is a lack of high frequencies on it too.
The ascending scale run that repeatedly happens - the notes are not evenly volumed it seems. I think it takes away from the step up feel - that makes any sense. Maybe you meant to crescendo up that scale but there is a lack of tightness there. Elsewhere the tightness is fine. The nylon is getting lost in it as well.
If you are going to use nylon at that one point, it seems you could deploy a bit more. Little tidbits of nylon guitar here and there behind the vocals might be a nice touch IMO there is an opportunity. That's arrangement stuff though, not sure if you are interested in that sot of commenting.
Something about the main rhythm guitar doesn't seem right. Maybe it's the pan balance. Sounds like there is a lack of high frequencies on it too.
R
Robus
Well-known member
Nice acoustic guitar tone and playing. I don't hear it as unbalanced. The guitar is panned left, so be it. Personally I'm not stuck on the idea that there should be an equal volume level coming from both speakers at every moment in the song. Nice harmonies. I thought the synth string thing was a bit loud. There are some places where the main guitar and double don't seem to quite agree on the timing of the changes, for example 0:21. I would tidy that up.
Bubba po
Tiny Stonehenge Moment
Nice-sounding mix, Mike, but there are some timing errors to look at. Do you practise and record to a click? The vocal phrasing sounds a little awkward, at times - perhaps it just needs time and performance to settle properly. It's nice to hear in your recent mixes that as you add stuff it doesn't end up drowning out the instruments that form the framework and core of the song, which was a common fault earlier on.
Pretty good.
P.S. I'm not sold on the phrase "Gypsy Wind". It could be interpreted as some kind of unfortunate gastric episode.
Pretty good.
P.S. I'm not sold on the phrase "Gypsy Wind". It could be interpreted as some kind of unfortunate gastric episode.
mjbphotos
Moderator
Thanks for the listens. I may need to re-record this in A minor, I guess. I originally started in C#m (capoed), but it was too high for my voice. I've been trying various phrasing changes and thought this was the better of them - maybe not. I didn't use a click on this one, although I usually do, I guess I should have.
Imbalance - yes, I noticed that. I actually have a 2nd guitar part, very low, panned halfway right to try to balance it. Maybe I should mute it, and pan the left side guitar a little more towards the center.
Timing on the guitar/flute/nylon 'tag' - yeah, a little "not tight", although I fixed a few really off notes, I actually struggle to play it consistently - don't you hate writing something you can't play?
No sidechain ducking on this, just manual automation on the main guitar during vocals. No compression on anything, just a master limiter on the mixdowned file, so it may be SC crap.
'Nylon' - is actually my baritone uke. I muted all the things except the tags, as I didn't think it added anything to this.
Bubba - I can't help your "wind" implications - that's a personal thing!
Imbalance - yes, I noticed that. I actually have a 2nd guitar part, very low, panned halfway right to try to balance it. Maybe I should mute it, and pan the left side guitar a little more towards the center.
Timing on the guitar/flute/nylon 'tag' - yeah, a little "not tight", although I fixed a few really off notes, I actually struggle to play it consistently - don't you hate writing something you can't play?
No sidechain ducking on this, just manual automation on the main guitar during vocals. No compression on anything, just a master limiter on the mixdowned file, so it may be SC crap.
'Nylon' - is actually my baritone uke. I muted all the things except the tags, as I didn't think it added anything to this.
Bubba - I can't help your "wind" implications - that's a personal thing!
T
TripleM
Well-known member
The vocal clarity is very good. Your delivery is improving. Still tentative, but it's getting better.
I liked the flute - or whatever that instrument was.
Acoustic guitar was decent sounding. It lacked just a bit of fidelity. It could use a bit more upper midrange and upper end definition.
In the verses the acoustic guitar is on the left, but there isn't anything comparable to balance it. So it is a little left heavy during those sections.
Nice harmonies.
I caught a couple timing mistakes. Mostly early in the song.
I liked the flute - or whatever that instrument was.
Acoustic guitar was decent sounding. It lacked just a bit of fidelity. It could use a bit more upper midrange and upper end definition.
In the verses the acoustic guitar is on the left, but there isn't anything comparable to balance it. So it is a little left heavy during those sections.
Nice harmonies.
I caught a couple timing mistakes. Mostly early in the song.
BroKen_H
Re-member
Seconds on the nice harmonies! The problem I always have moving keys around is keeping my good harmonies and having to re-invent the wheel if you know what I mean. Like the bit at the end, but I'd let it ring out a bit more...really abrupt fade out.
VomitHatSteve
Hat STYLE. Not contents.
I'd have made the comment if he hadn't.
+1 on the vocal straining.
The flute felt kind of canned to me? I'm not sure if that's just me mishearing tho
Harmonies sounded good.
I started to notice the panning imbalance by the end too. I suppose mastering might affect that tho?
mjbphotos
Moderator
Thanks for all the comments. I tried the main vocal today in Aminor, and in that key (one of my usual ones), I can really deliver on the vocal more. You're right that I'll probably have to reinvent the harmonies, though. 
So back to recording when I get the opportunity, with a click for timing. BTW, the flute is actually two parts - one is a flute, the other a recorder (comes in after verse 1), both on my Casio.
So back to recording when I get the opportunity, with a click for timing. BTW, the flute is actually two parts - one is a flute, the other a recorder (comes in after verse 1), both on my Casio.
VomitHatSteve
Hat STYLE. Not contents.
You have a keyboard with a recorder setting?
I think I figured out what stuck out about the winds tho: there's too much separation between notes and probably too much consistency in the breath support. I suppose your keyboard doesn't have a glissando setting, does it?