Help!

[7string]

This song was mixed with compression on some tracks, Classic Compressor Mixdown setting across the buss and into the L1 to bring the level up and then normalized to -1. If I were to send this to be mastered I would drop the final buss though. I may add one more track, another rhythm guitar track to compliment the left rhythm guitar during the verses. Or maybe a keyboard track doing the same thing as the rhythm guitar, except I'm no keyboard player IN CASE THERE'S A GOOD ONE AROUND WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADD A TRACK (hint, hint). So, how's the mix?

 

[Dogman]

Very nice song. Sounds very good to me. I love the guitar tone you chose. Very well done.
Ed

 

[7string]

Very nice song. Sounds very good to me. I love the guitar tone you chose. Very well done.
Ed

Thanks Ed! I was hoping I got the bottom end right as I just had a light bulb go off in my head where compression is concerned. I didn't want to overdo it. Does that area sound good to you?

Thanks again!

 

[7string]

BUMP! Anybody else? Some comments please!

 

[scrubs]

Well, you continue to write solid tunes and your recordings are improving in quality. I still am not fond of the drum machine. Are you boosting the upper end EQ on it, or does it just naturally sound that bright? The high hat and cymbals make me wince. Also, too much reverb on the drums (perhaps cutting some of the higher frequencies from the reverb tail would decrease the brightness). The guitar playing is good, but I'd like to hear a little more variety in the tones. Perhaps less distortion on the leads. The clean guitar on the left sounds out of tune. The solo seems a little too hardcore for this ballad. It's well played, but I just hear a cleaner, telecaster sound, with maybe some pedal steel in there. Nice vocal melody.

 

[7string]

Well, you continue to write solid tunes and your recordings are improving in quality. I still am not fond of the drum machine. Are you boosting the upper end EQ on it, or does it just naturally sound that bright? The high hat and cymbals make me wince. Also, too much reverb on the drums (perhaps cutting some of the higher frequencies from the reverb tail would decrease the brightness). The guitar playing is good, but I'd like to hear a little more variety in the tones. Perhaps less distortion on the leads. The clean guitar on the left sounds out of tune. The solo seems a little too hardcore for this ballad. It's well played, but I just hear a cleaner, telecaster sound, with maybe some pedal steel in there. Nice vocal melody.

Wow. I never, in any way, EVER thought of this song as a ballad! If that is the impression that you got then I missed BADLY on what I was going for. Time to scrap and start all over on this one.

I hate the drum machine too but again, I'm in the middle of nowhere and not even a music store (but we DO have a general store/gas station and a restaurant/bar!) much less a drummer in this village. Except the guy that moved in across the street last month is a drummer. But he's usually drunk on his ass within an hour of getting off work. I have a feeling he's not very good at playing drums anyway. That said, I'm not sure about the drums. I don't add verb to them, only what is on the machine itself. Maybe I'll see if I can shut it off. And I'm not boosting the high end. I did a quick experiment and cut the highs about 15db from around 1.3k to 20k and it didn't make much difference to my ears, so it must be the drums are just naturally bright. At least the cymbals.

Thanks for the comps on my songwriting and mixing. I'm still working hard at making my songs sound the best they can be.

 

[scrubs]

Wow. I never, in any way, EVER thought of this song as a ballad! If that is the impression that you got then I missed BADLY on what I was going for. Time to scrap and start all over on this one.

I wouldn't go that far.

Maybe "Power Ballad" is a more appropriate term. The guitar leads give this a very classic/prog sound ala boston. You have the voice of a country singer, though, which makes the style hard to pin down. By ballad, I just meant that it's a pretty, melodic tune with a sad story. Then again, maybe there's just so much metal and hip-hop on this site that I've lost all perspective.

 

[7string]

I wouldn't go that far.

Maybe "Power Ballad" is a more appropriate term. The guitar leads give this a very classic/prog sound ala boston. You have the voice of a country singer, though, which makes the style hard to pin down. By ballad, I just meant that it's a pretty, melodic tune with a sad story. Then again, maybe there's just so much metal and hip-hop on this site that I've lost all perspective.

Actually I was going for more of a Night Ranger approach on this one. But I'm still going to re-think things. Something is still missing. Maybe I just need to start doing collab's with a good drummer who will do pretty much the same thing only on REAL drums. Seems like the only way to go considering the situation I'm in.

Check your PM's.

Edit:

You have the voice of a country singer...

I can get you from here ya know...

 

[XLR]

Hey 7,

I like the song. I see Scrubs point about the basic vocal quality sounding kind of country, maybe with a Jackson Brown quality to it. That's certainly not a bad thing though. Wish my voice sounded that good.

The instrumental tracks sound a little too compressed to me - or compressed with too fast of an attack.

BTW I'm working on the other song, and enjoying it.

Tim

 

[7string]

Hey 7,

I like the song. I see Scrubs point about the basic vocal quality sounding kind of country, maybe with a Jackson Brown quality to it. That's certainly not a bad thing though. Wish my voice sounded that good.

The instrumental tracks sound a little too compressed to me - or compressed with too fast of an attack.

BTW I'm working on the other song, and enjoying it.

Tim

Thanks Tim! The sad fact is that I played in a country band for 20 years with the ex. Just don't tell anybody. I can get loud and gravelly with my voice when I want to if the song calls for it and I have a few that are like that.

Take your time on the other. I'm in no rush (but still anxiously awaiting...).

 

[7string]

Da Bump

Anybody else want to give me a quick review?

 

[Wireneck]

First off nice lead playing. I really liked the harmonies. This really isn't my style but it sounds like it was performed well.
The mix sounds like it got hit , wait no CRUSHED with compression. Its seems to stick out the most with the drums. It seems like cymbals are kind of pumping and breathing with the compression and im guessing that all that extra reverb being audible is probably the compression as well.
Agree with the comment about the clean guitar possibly being out of tune? Might just be the chorus on it, seems slightly out of pitch though.

 

[7string]

First off nice lead playing. I really liked the harmonies. This really isn't my style but it sounds like it was performed well.
The mix sounds like it got hit , wait no CRUSHED with compression. Its seems to stick out the most with the drums. It seems like cymbals are kind of pumping and breathing with the compression and im guessing that all that extra reverb being audible is probably the compression as well.
Agree with the comment about the clean guitar possibly being out of tune? Might just be the chorus on it, seems slightly out of pitch though.

Thanks for the comments! I was messing with compression a bit on a few things trying to FORCE myself to learn more about it. Nothing I can't fix. And I actually hooked up with a REAL drummer thanks to Scrubs' advice and he's going to lay down the drum track for me soon. At that point I may just re-cut the rest of the tracks since this is about 2 years old and I've learned a whole boatload of stuff since then.

Thanks again!