I think my mix can be better, but how?

P

Piano-Hits

New member
Hi,

I like to record piano covers with vocals. Today, I uploaded a cover My Immortal from Evanescence. I'm happy with the result (I'm just a beginner), but It feels it can be much better, but I can't put my finger on it. Do you hear guys what can be better and have some tips?



Thanks in advance!
 
Your voice sounds good, and you sure can sing, but at times the piano is overwhelming your singing. In other words, the mix does need work. That's my initial basic comment. Tell us how you did it--the mic, the room it was done in, what the mic went into, any EQ or other treatments, the use of a DAW, etc.
 
Hi Tim,

Thanks for your feedback and sorry for my delayed response. I had also the feeling the mix isn't correct. With some speakers it sounds fine, with other it sounds strange and there is no balance between piano and the vocals.

I worked together without someone on soundbetter.com for the vocals. I'm not sure how these are recorded.

I'm using reaper and used the following config: https://docs.google.com/document/d/...ouid=105624336609772527648&rtpof=true&sd=true

Besides these plugins, I used some volume automation: piano parts a little less volume at the verse parts.

I wonder if you have some tips for this setup.
Thanks in advance!
 
The vocals are too low, or perhaps the piano still too high, right where the vocals start. And, it's in the lowest part of the vocal range, so the piano EQ might use some automation, or maybe a bit of compression. And, the hammer (everything's a nail!) in my tool box is ducking, which can be applied judiciously or even automated (on/off, or threshold and attack) in parts like this.

Do you have any compression on the piano, or a light, mix-bus compressor in this mix?
 
Piano-Hits said:
Thanks Keith,

I'm using 2 compressors. First one at the piano track and second one at the Master track.
Click to expand...
Well, you might put one on the vocal with a little make-up gain (watch the meters and listen), just to see what happens. BUT... You can add a second compressor (on the piano) - in Logic I use the cleanest ("Platinum Digital") to avoid coloration - and side-chain/duck using the vocal track as input. If there's no singing, there's no compression. Most ITB compressor plugins let you filter on frequency, in addition to the track/bus you are ducking with, so you can even add a little compression on just those regions where the vocal frequencies get most masked by the piano, or turn it on/off with automation. I like to keep the pre-delay near zero with a relatively fast release. It just lets the consonants get through so the vocal becomes more intelligible, without a noticeable (to my old ears) compressor artifact.
 
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