New member, New Tune-

  • Thread starter Thread starter Skern
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Skern

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I just finished this and I would love to hear your comments, especially the mix. People have different systems and I want to make sure I got it pretty close. I appreciate any comments you have. I did all the parts, the drums are cut together samples though because I suck on drums.




Scott Kern
 
Hi Skern. Welcome to the forum. Before anyone else gets the chance to say this (in a long and drawn out speech), all they'd simply say is to try and put time into listening to other peoples stuff, comment on it and you're own knowledge will expand.

On the song: I like it quite a lot. The chorus is very "RedhotChilliPepperish". The guitar sounds good, maybe it needs a bit of compression? I'd consider thickinening up the general sound by adding another guitar part in there. How did you mic the guitar? Great playing for the solo. I think you should try being a little more adventurous with panning, the main guitar, solo guitar, bass, main vocals are all central. I'd spread em out a bit. Technically though it sounds well recorded, and I like the song. Good stuff :)
 
Mic and such

I wasn't shooting for a Red Hot Chili Pepper's thing, maybe it's the fretless bass thing. I mic'd my guitar, which by the way is a 1967 Miguel Classical that I fiercly love even though it's had the hell beat out of it. I should have posted a picture of it for a laugh, but I love the sound it has. Anyway I mic'd it using a large condenser mic into a tube preamp that was saturated pretty well. I put the mic around the 14th fret. I always seem to do better if the mic isn't in front of the sound hole. In reguards to panning you are correct, since this was a single guitar and a single bass I panned them center but to give them some wideness I used approx 12 ms delay on the guitar, which if you are wearing headphones should place it in your nogging a little to the left with having to pan and makes it sound wider. Also, when I mastered the final mix I added some over all stereo wideness. I did use some compression on the instruments. I did lighten up the compression on the solo just because I wanted the dynamics but it might be a little too much. Thanks for posting, I just found this place and it looks like a great place to talk shop!

Scott Kern
 
Not Bad!

Nice pickin' the vocals are nice, a little nasal but very comfortable to listen to. The harmony is nice.

Technically, I have no real complaints--it is nicely structured.
 
I'm on Headphones here : Sony MDR-7506, I'll make comments later from listening on my nice Jam Box.

I like the fretless bass, it has a very nice sonic quality. For the intro, I'd push it just a hair into the right field. It's a bit boomy on it's bottom. I think that might be verb doing that.

The intro acoustic guitar is very nice sonically, but IMHO, it needs to start closer to center as that instrument 'leads' the intro, perhaps 18% left ... and then you could push it further over to the left gradually, (and you take the listener with that movement to the left, as you approach the verse).

Then, when the vocal comes in, it draws the listener's attention to the center.

Nice levels on the initial verse, but I think the acoustic is to far left and much too loud. Too much space in the left field between the vox and crisp and dominant acoustic guitar sound. Think 'side-chain' compression ... when the vox starts, the compressor kicks in on the acoustic guitar.

My philosophy is that the singer is the star of the song. Without a vocalist ... you don't have a song ... why compete with the vocalist, you are just competing with your songwriting, and your listener's ear. The verse ... is the star, if it sucks, we need to hear that in the clinic ... if it's good, as it is here ... don't dare cheat us :D .

Entering the first chorus, I like the change of mix, the acoustic in the center now, with the band in the middle. If we had the movement I described in the beginning, this would not seem as abrupt. The instruments are simply too loud though in this first chorus, they are taking center stage, yes ... and they should only enjoy that at a much lower volume level ... 4-6db reduction.

I could be percieving the instrument mix as too loud, because of to much bottom end ...

Generally the bass and bottom end of the guitars are a bit too boomy, especially during the chours as they constrast sharply with your tenor voice.

Again, you are competing with the very nice chorus vocal you are performing and have written ... don't cheat me of a good vocal by distracting me center with the loud instruments ... :) ! Don't compete with your own songwriting.

I would make a very small EQ reduction on the upper mids of the chorus vocal, as it is developing a little sibilance, and that is because of doubling your tenor range. Perhaps clone the track and EQ one, and mix them wet and dry ... for each side.

I would move the chorus vocals in another 10-18% towards center, so they mix better with the instruments in the middle, but still retain that 'doubled stereo placement'. - The Ghost of FM - on this board loves to use the technique you are using here.

Entering the second verse at 1:55, again, I generally like the level of the vocal, a bit to much reverb on the instruments, but just a tiny bit to much ... and that encourages boominess ... a drier verse I agree with.

Don't add verb to the verse vocal, remove it from the instruments, and maybe EQ the bottom of the guitar down, to allow the bass to continue presenting that nice tone, but giving the guitars and bass more seperation, a more clear break point between them.

I would push the solo more right, rather than left heavy, as you began the song with the acoustic in the left field.

You have an opportunity here to guide the listener through the stereo field through the course of the song make a strong use of the entire stereo field ... and help to define structure ... with presentation of the acoustic now as a true lead instrument heavier in the right field, rather than the left.

Beautiful tone on the acoustic ... 'magnificent' acoustic tone.

Hey, I think this is 'Americana' Rock ... it's not Southern Rock, it has elements of that, it's a very nice Genre you are falling into here that speaks of the American Condition, I like this song a lot.

Listening now on a nice jambox ... flat.

The placement of the guitar far left seems more acceptable. All lyrics are easily understandable on the first listening and I applaud you for that.

The chorus vocal needs to be much louder than the verse, it's the other way around now.

Let these chorus vocals SOAR out above the mix, and don't be tempted to add more reverb when you do that, add delay, and just a touch if you must, but you have got to bring the dyanmite chorus vocals UP ...

Also, these are nice harmony-backup vocal figures, and they must be presented to us out front, well out front.

IMHO, the verse vox should draw us in, by making us lean forward to hear that, and then we can lean back as the louder and more aggressive chorus vocals take the spotlight.

At 2:45, again, really fine chorus vocals ... more, more, more and soaring.

I would even consider experimenting by placing the chorus vox center, each track just 3% right and left, and surrounding that with the instruments ... as if the singers are leaning into the mics ...

The solo high notes on the speakers are a little to punchy, need to EQ the topmost notes a tiny bit down, they bit me a ... bit ...

Man, at 4:35, I wanna hear those chorus vocals soaring ...

That last tag at the end, needs to be much softer ... it's an afterthought, make the listener struggle to hear that, hook them on the last breath so to speak, add a touch of tap delay to that ... 40 miliseconds and fade that delay on that last tag ... IMHO.

Groucho should dig this song a lot, and I encourage you to listen to him, I think you will like it a lot. I encourage you to review other newbies as obviously your mixing and performance and writing skills could go a long, long way on this bbs.

Welcome to the board Scott.

A keeper here, goes in my deep dark folders ! :D
 
Thanks Sloop!

Thanks for the kudos Sloop, I really like the vibe I get from this board and it's members. I really enjoy recording and I'm glad I found a group of people that are just as enthusiastic about it as me. :)

Scott Kern
 
Wow Studio

Dang that was a maticulous review studioviols. You must have ear cramps from listening that hard :) I appreciate all your comments though. I don't really get into automating my mixes that much and I guess I should. I usually just find a happy place for the levels and leave it at that. I did try a little experiment though instead of panning I left things mostly in the center except for backup vocals. I then used a few milliseconds of delay on one side of a track to make it appear that it was left or right. It kind of mucks with your brain but for me it makes it sound more real and lifelike (if that is a word). Thanks again for the listen. I noticed the punky tune we did is doing well on soundclick. Yeah!

Scott Kern
 
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