New Mix Up - Please critique

[BJW]

Hello all,

I posted this a while back and asked for tips and tried to fix it accordingly. If anybody could critique this tune I would appreciate it. Tell me what you like about it and what you don't like about it.

Here's the link: http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=261004&T=7164 Listen to "The Way It Has To Be".

A few things have changed since the song description was written, so I'll just say how I recorded it.

Drums: programmed in Cubase
Bass: programmed in Cubase
Acoustic guitar: x/y mic'ing with a pair of mxl 603s's -> DMP-3 -> delta44
Electric guitars: SRV custom strat -> V-amp 2 (which I just got and like a lot) -> delta44
Vox: Me -> Studio Projects C1 -> DMP-3 -> delta 44

I think I covered everything. I'm still not happy with my vocals, but everything else sounds OK to me. I think I just need to re-do the vox and try to stay more consistant with my singing, and then not EQ it so much. Maybe a touch more reverb on them, or maybe they sound OK as is.

Any comments appreciated. Let me know what you think of the song itself (aside from the recording quality).

Let me know what you think of the v-amp. The song below it (Something Better) was recorded with the same guitar through a mesa boogie dual rectifier blue angel 4X10 and an sm57. I think the mesa sounds warmer and fuller, but the v-amp sounds a bit cleaner, plus has tons more tones. Oh, and it was $100 instead of $1500. The amp or the guitar isn't mine - I'm just borrowing them from a friend, which is why I picked up the v-amp.

 

[joro]

.

Any comments appreciated.

Let me know what you think of the song itself
(aside from the recording quality).

Good song man....fits with the nowadays kind of vibe...that is it sounds modern.

OK...the performance is real good...
the lack of bass hurts the arrangement a lot...this tune needs some good bass riffs man...the cubase bass sounds more like keys than a guitar...

the electric guit is way too high and too close to center in the mix....pan it out some and soften it up a lot....a slight eq high cut may help too.

The acoustic on the other hand should come up a bit in the mix...and if you do pan the electric to one side...pan the acoustic to the other but still bring it up and add some verb to the acoustic too man...

Sounds like you put a lo-fi filter or eq on your vox...I like the effect but the vox needs to come up...
Drums need to be a bit softer too man...the attack on the snare is a bit sharp...the kick is weak...and cymbals are non-existant...

You should add some harmony vox on the chorus too man...or is it there and I just can't hear it too well?



I really do like the tune though man...good writing for sure......I listened 4 times man...
Good stuff.
Joe

 

[jerberson12]

What is your acoustic guitar? sounds nice

 

[BJW]

Hey thanks for the replys. I really appreciate the kind words and the suggestions.

Funny you asked if I put a lo-fi filter on the vox, cause I didn't. I thought they sounded that way, too, which concerns me. Maybe my mic is defective or something, or maybe I just didn't place it right.

I'll agree that the bass vst in cubase absolutely sucks. I've got a bass but a friend is borrowing it currently. I'm curious about running it through my v-amp and recording that way. I'm sure it would sound better than the bass vst in cubase (what wouldn't?).

The guitar I play is a takamine fd-360sc, which I love. I'm sure my recording of it doesn't do the guitar justice. It's a sweet guitar. Glad you like it.