Hanging By A Moment - unplugged acoustic cover

[andrushkiwt]

Hey everyone, please take a moment to let me know your thoughts on this latest mix. Recent feedback has helped me settle the reverb into a better place as well as separate the guitars and vocals with volume and EQ modifications... so any thoughts and opinions on the recording, production, and mix helps tremendously. Please note the lead vocal is doubled then tripled in spots with the alternate vocal tracks being loud in comparison to the main because it is a large part of the vocal sound of the original Lifehouse track. The doubled vocal is about 4db under the main, and the triple is another 4db under the double. Without, it sounds less like the song. Normally I'll put the double about 12db under.

This is the first track I've used my new djembe drum on. I have never played one before and was unfamiliar with it, so it took lots of time to find a proper mic placement and a position to hold the drum in. The kick sound probably would've been better if I was able to lift the drum a bit and mic underneath it... but it provides low end and rhythm, and I think I got a lot of the muddy parts out with EQ, so I think it did the trick for now. Let me know what you think please.

Recorded at home with:

Laravee acoustic via sm7b approx 1 ft away, 3 guitar channels L/C/R, SSL-EQ and slight CLA-76 compressor
Triple lead vocals with sm7b approx 6in-1ft away, 2-3ft away for background harmonies
Djembe drum - 2 tracks, one playing a kick/bass sound and the other for a snare sound. EQ shaping for reduced muddiness and API compressor for around 4db GR, med A/fast R
Tambourine and shaker (crushed red pepper) - EQ hi pass and 3db GR with DC1A compressor on relaxed setting
Jazz bass through Digitech GNX3000 on "showbass" setting, flatwounds, into slight EQ, CLA-76 8:1 med A/med R

 

[pcstudios]

I love this. Sounds really nice, performance and spacial properties.
You were wondering about getting all the muddiness out. I don't think it's muddy, but I think it could get a little clearer. There's a great mix bus plugin called RICH from 2getheraudio. It's one of those free ones that you can choose how much you want to donate. Anyway it's a tone correction plugin. I got it and it really helped me clear the muddy sonics out of my mixes. You can choose to boost the total use of the plugin from zero up to max. I was just thinking it might be interesting to hear the difference with some of the tone correction applied. Of course, your ears may be a lot better than mine and you can correct the tone with basic EQ changes.

 

[andrushkiwt]

I love this. Sounds really nice, performance and spacial properties.
You were wondering about getting all the muddiness out. I don't think it's muddy, but I think it could get a little clearer. There's a great mix bus plugin called RICH from 2getheraudio. It's one of those free ones that you can choose how much you want to donate. Anyway it's a tone correction plugin. I got it and it really helped me clear the muddy sonics out of my mixes. You can choose to boost the total use of the plugin from zero up to max. I was just thinking it might be interesting to hear the difference with some of the tone correction applied. Of course, your ears may be a lot better than mine and you can correct the tone with basic EQ changes.

Thanks for listening. Is there a particular instrument or range you are hearing something off in? Appreciate it

 

[rob aylestone]

Nice - the only comment "I'm hanging by a moment" then the low "here with you". They overlap slightly so you know that's two separate instances of the same voice - maybe the "here with you" could have it's width tinkered with so it becomes different. Just a thought - the main voice in it's central position then the here with you spread out a bit to make it totally separate and different? I'd not tinker any more at all - it's done!

 

[famous beagle]

Nice performances as always. I thought everything sounded very pleasant. My only nit is that it seems the Djembe could have a little more low end. The "kick" sound seems to have mostly transient ("smack") and not enough bass to it. Other than that, sounded very nice.

 

[andrushkiwt]

Nice - the only comment "I'm hanging by a moment" then the low "here with you". They overlap slightly so you know that's two separate instances of the same voice - maybe the "here with you" could have it's width tinkered with so it becomes different. Just a thought - the main voice in it's central position then the here with you spread out a bit to make it totally separate and different? I'd not tinker any more at all - it's done!

Ah yea, the limitations of doing all the tracks yourself! Really stinks there's no variance in the vocal sound, being one voice. It would help a lot to have someone else singing there. As far as panning, the background vocals and harmonies are spread out, perhaps they could be moved a little more apart. There are 4 background vocal tracks - L/R at about 18 and then L/R at about 25, so 4 total. I think that line you're talking about are the ones set at 18 L/R. It might be too close in, but I was worried about stepping on the guitars and percussion. I tried to place things in fields where nothing else was panned.

 

[andrushkiwt]

Nice performances as always. I thought everything sounded very pleasant. My only nit is that it seems the Djembe could have a little more low end. The "kick" sound seems to have mostly transient ("smack") and not enough bass to it. Other than that, sounded very nice.

Thanks man. Zero practice recording or mixing a djembe and I totally agree with you. I think I pulled a little out of 100hz to make room for the bass guitar and then gave it a bump around 1k. I thought about giving it a 60hz boost for more thud but I have a hard time hearing the low-low end without a sub and only 2 Yamaha monitors. Maybe I'll get a better technique for recording the drum in the future, maybe mic'ing up underneath the drum instead of the top, where you're likely getting more smack than thud. Thanks a lot for the feedback