I think I hit a plateau

[NL5]

If you listened on my website you almost definately heard clipping, that's already been taken care of on my end. I'll probaby have the remixed songs up on a week or so. And actually I was asking for critism from the get go.

I listened to the version off the website. The clipping is pretty bad throughout the whole song. Overall sound is a bit harsh.

The overall quality is decent, but the cymbals are all but non-existent. Not a big fan of the drums at all really. Guitars sound like they are pretty good, but it's hard to tell with all the clipping going on. Vox is excellent, but I'd let the lofi stand out a bit more.

Good work, but definently room to improve.

 

[jonnyc]

I listened to the version off the website. The clipping is pretty bad throughout the whole song. Overall sound is a bit harsh.

The overall quality is decent, but the cymbals are all but non-existent. Not a big fan of the drums at all really. Guitars sound like they are pretty good, but it's hard to tell with all the clipping going on. Vox is excellent, but I'd let the lofi stand out a bit more.

Good work, but definently room to improve.

I'm not a big fan of the drummer. He's not a rock drummer at all, I'm also forced to do quite a bit of moving around on his drums, more editing than usual. Like I said, I'm aware my website version is clipping bad, I tried pushing it too hard to seperate it from the myspace mixes and didn't realize until I stuck the cd in my car the next day. The myspace version should clip nearly as bad(still maybe a little, the singer demands loudness). Anyway I'm going to pull the mixes back a bit, add balls back into the guitars and kick and probably do some extensive drum replacing. Thanks for the critique. Oh and the guitars were a fucking bitch, it really is somewhat difficult to dial in a decent tone with the dual rec. I'd twist the damn eq knobs and nothing ever sounded any different. Just gggshhhhhhzzzzzzzz all night long.

 

[HangDawg]

I'm not a big fan of the drummer. He's not a rock drummer at all, I'm also forced to do quite a bit of moving around on his drums, more editing than usual. Like I said, I'm aware my website version is clipping bad, I tried pushing it too hard to seperate it from the myspace mixes and didn't realize until I stuck the cd in my car the next day. The myspace version should clip nearly as bad(still maybe a little, the singer demands loudness). Anyway I'm going to pull the mixes back a bit, add balls back into the guitars and kick and probably do some extensive drum replacing. Thanks for the critique. Oh and the guitars were a fucking bitch, it really is somewhat difficult to dial in a decent tone with the dual rec. I'd twist the damn eq knobs and nothing ever sounded any different. Just gggshhhhhhzzzzzzzz all night long.

Send that dual rect to voodoo amps. The eq will work when they get done with it.

 

[jonnyc]

Send that dual rect to voodoo amps. The eq will work when they get done with it.

Maybe I'll recommend that to the guy that owns the amp. The only amps that been more frustrating for me to record is the Marshall TSL.

 

[ocnor]

Now I know the snare absolutely blows goat balls but the drummer insists on using his shitball piccollo and then wants it all beefy/rock sounding.

I don't agree. It's a couple of notches below blowing goat balls. That snare sounds like he's playing 2 paper plates duc taped together. WTF is that drummer thinking?

 

[jonnyc]

I don't agree. It's a couple of notches below blowing goat balls. That snare sounds like he's playing 2 paper plates duc taped together. WTF is that drummer thinking?

Haha, I'm not really sure. You should hear what his band thinks when he's not in the studio. They all pretty much rip him a new one while he's not around. The kicker is the only place they can practice is his house so they're stuck with him at the moment. I have a really nice thick Tama steel snare that I'm going to force him to use on the next round of sessions. I will admit that I'm absolutely horrible at snare, probably my weakest point when it comes to mixing. Usually I command a good tight snare so I don't have to worry about it come mix time. I'm seriously getting drumagog for situations just like this. Hopefully Farview has something that can help with madness like this.

 

[TelePaul]

The lofi effect was a combo of a dry vocal track and a bullhorn track. The doubling effect is in fact just two tracks.

Could you explain bullhorn? I have to steal this technique.

 

[jonnyc]

Could you explain bullhorn? I have to steal this technique.

Bullhorns are those things that look kind of like a gun with a speaker or "horn" on the end. When you pull the trigger and yell thru it, it amplifies your voice. Well when you crank the volume of the bullhorn down it gives a very lofi effect. So we mixed in about 80% bullhorn and 20% dry vocals and worked it into the mix. If you don't know what a bullhorn is google it. You can get them at places like radioshack. Do they have radioshack in Ireland?

 

[NL5]

There is also a lot of easier ways to get that effect.

 

[donkeystyle]

Haha, I'm not really sure. You should hear what his band thinks when he's not in the studio. They all pretty much rip him a new one while he's not around. The kicker is the only place they can practice is his house so they're stuck with him at the moment. I have a really nice thick Tama steel snare that I'm going to force him to use on the next round of sessions. I will admit that I'm absolutely horrible at snare, probably my weakest point when it comes to mixing. Usually I command a good tight snare so I don't have to worry about it come mix time. I'm seriously getting drumagog for situations just like this. Hopefully Farview has something that can help with madness like this.

once you pay for drumagog, you can download 4 gigs of samples for it. that is on top of the few samples you get when you first download it.

also, in my opinion the steven slate drum samples that I've heard sound better than the farview samples that I've heard. They also cost a whole bunch more though.

 

[K-dub]

Now I know the snare absolutely blows goat balls but the drummer insists on using his shitball piccollo and then wants it all beefy/rock soundinng. www.myspace.com/ironfistdillusion

There have been scads of comments ... I've not read a single one ...

But ...

... and I don't care if I'm repeating ... because ... well, I'm tired and heading off to sleep.

But ...

First rule of recording: You can't create what doesn't exist.

No beef = no meat.

If the frequencies aren't there, then you can't "make them up". Part of making a good drum recording is to tell the drummer he has to stick his sticks somewhere and that's likely a better place than where he thinks he wants them.

That said,

I'm going to bed.

Damn drummers ...



Best,

Kev-

 

[jonnyc]

There is also a lot of easier ways to get that effect.

Yep, I usually just use the sansamp plug or even the cosmonaut plug. Gives close to the same effect. It was the singer's bullhorn and his decision.

 

[TelePaul]

Thanks Jonny! We call them megaphones over here. NL5 how would you suggest it?

 

[rayc]

Megaphone down here as well.

 

[jonnyc]

Thanks Jonny! We call them megaphones over here. NL5 how would you suggest it?

Yeah also called megaphones. Coaches always called them bullhorns, don't know why. Anyway some plug ins can achieve the same lofi effect.

 

[ocnor]

Coaches always called them bullhorns, don't know why.

I think that's because the police use them and bull is a slang term for prison guard. You guys need to watch more old black and white movies.

 

[jonnyc]

I think that's because the police use them and bull is a slang term for prison guard. You guys need to watch more old black and white movies.

I do not understand this, black and white you speak of.