Help! I need some mixing advice for a new recording!

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octoruss

octoruss

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Hola amigos--
Yer friendly Octoruss here.

I've recently finished tracking and mixing a new recording, but for the life of me I can't seem to make it *sparkle* for lack of a better word. I think I'm too close to the song to make an informed judgement, but I really want this one to shine, particularly the ending of the song (with the 3 guitars and the "ooohs").

Any mixing and/or EQ advice would be greatly appreciated. The song can be found here: www.mp3.com/trussell and the song name is "Try to Fly"

Cheers!
 
what happened yesterday dude...???

I was typing my two page critique and then the thread disappeared and I lost finely craffted masterpiece :D

oh... wait this is different singer (????) better intonation then yesterday but still a little weak IMHO. Those are quick lines so thats probably what makes it harder to hit the notes better.

The harmonies seem a little too loud I liked the later better.

Ok one thing is the same that buged me is the kick pattern and that its too loud to my ears.

the way I hear it in most parts is 1...2and-3... and that 3 doesn't do it for me. I wanted to hear 1 ...2and...4..... but I'm not a drumer so what do I know :)

There is alot going on so I would need to listen more for other parts.

I like the tune and the stops and different sounds and all. I'm sure others will offer more thoughts too.

Good song and I can see there is some thought that went into production.

cheers
 
Nice song! It's catchy and you did a nice job on the drums and overall mix. I love the acoustic guitar - came out very nice.

I think carefully scooping out some the lower-mids on the vocals will go a long way for making some room in the mix. It's hard to tell from the speakers I'm at right now, but it sounds like the vocals might be a bit loud in the chorus too.

I do agree with Fed in that the singer is a bit weak. Sounds like she may have been a bit nervous and inhibited, not putting the full engery into it. If you decide to do another take, maybe bring the headphone volume up a bit.
 
I like the song, and though the singer has a nice voice, she does seem to be holding back. Also, there are enough highs in the mix. Everything seems muddy, but again, the song is a good one!

g

;)
 
Sweet flavor. Your so close to nailing it! I'd say save the vox track and use it as a guide for the singer to follow as she cuts a less uptight version. I wouldn't change the phrasing a bit. The delivery could be less"read" though. This is a tough call. Maybe my comments have been influenced by the fact that I've read the previous entries. If the vocalist is at your disposal, it couldn't hurt.

Still, I would restate the fact that the sound is sweet and clean.
Solid recordings.


Theron.
 
Wow, what a treat. This is the first song I've sat down to listen to for months and it really is well recorded and arranged. Pretty big and sweet sounding. Its got a friendly smoothness to it.

I'm not fond of the drums- they sound pretty canned to my ears, and that may be part of why the song doesn't sparkle. They are pretty thick, too- maybe scoop some low and low mids off that snare and see if it opens the mix up a bit?

I also agree that the vocal performance could be better. It isn't bad, but it doesn't add much to the song's feeling other than having a melody and lyrics. The lead vocal doesn't really sit into the mix well. I wonder if it that reverb that's on it...I can't quite tell.

It's a really sweet tune, though! Well done! Give it a couple days' break, turn off all the effects and set the faders all to unity gain...and give it a fresh approach to see what happens.

Take care,
Chris
 
I haven't posted here for a while, but I listened to 'Try to Fly' a couple times. Like everybody else, the drums need work. There is a fairly long section towards the end with NO drums and I like that part the best. The overall sound is good, nice mix, decent playing. I think the vocals are too busy - too many notes, just my opinion. You didn't ask for feedback on the song itself, but that usually happens anyway. The overall sound is very 1968. I was thinking of the Cowsills meet The Carpenters as I listened. Its all been done before - no offense. Seriously, work those drums out.
 
Ladies and genteltmen, thank you all for your replies and for giving it some thought. I never even considered the drums needed work, but now that you mention it, they certainly do.

I've got the vocalist coming in again next week, so I'll give her a little doobie and have her try the vox again.
 
Ladies and genteltmen, thank you all for your replies and for giving it some thought. I never even considered the drums needed work, but now that you mention it, they certainly do.

I've got the vocalist coming in again next week, so I'll give her a little doobie and have her try the vox again.:eek:
 
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