New MP3 Post (I DO) - feedback please

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ido1957

ido1957

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Well I have another song that I'd like to get some feedback on. This is a song I wrote some time ago. I bought a used ADAT in the spring but had to get it repaired before I had a chance to really record anything (bad output IC). It only took 5 months but the ADAT's fixed. This is my first attempt at a mix using the ADAT - previously used a Tascam 424 MKIII.

I still need to get my friend to add his bass track to this - maybe in the next few weeks. I'll update the post if/when I can get that done.

The song is called "I DO" - (it's a wedding-type song)

I guess that's all for now - like I said before - have at 'er......

Gerry

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=395006
 
Very nice. Good vocal. Tight rhythm.

I'd shorten the intro unless something is added when the phrase is repeated. The L and R gtrs sound good.... maybe would sound even better if their tone colors were a little more different from one another since they're playing very similar parts. The vocal and gtrs have a similar EQ emphasis, to my ear. Maybe experiment with EQ to get them each a little more space in the EQ spectrum. Bass could come up.

Tim
 
Timothy Lawler said:
Very nice. Good vocal. Tight rhythm.

I'd shorten the intro unless something is added when the phrase is repeated. The L and R gtrs sound good.... maybe would sound even better if their tone colors were a little more different from one another since they're playing very similar parts. The vocal and gtrs have a similar EQ emphasis, to my ear. Maybe experiment with EQ to get them each a little more space in the EQ spectrum. Bass could come up.

Tim
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Thanks for the review Tim. I will try to eq the guitars differently to see if they can "get out of the way" of the vocals. Both tracks use the same guitar and effects just different registers so they are as you say very similar. Maybe I will try using a different guitar for one of the tracks. Now I hear the bass overall is low. I increased it around 250Hz just using the cheapo eq on Windows Media and it sounds better. I dropped about 5dB off the vocals at 150 HZ as they were a bit bassy when I mixed it down. Perhaps I need to rethink that a bit. Lots to work on with this mix.....great advice....thanks !
 
Around 1:36, "Gentle Touch", made me listen to it twice to be sure what it said. It sounds like something else.

Give the drums a chance. Maybe bring them a little up. :)

I agree with Tim (and it instantly makes me feel smarter), it would sound better if the two guitar (L & R) sounded slightly different from one another. I will refrain from giving EQ advice since I'm not doing a very hot job of learning it well at the moment.

Bass could use to be given a little boost.

I like wedding songs. I like feel-good songs. This is a pretty good song. I would definitely listen to it again. :)
 
bigbubba said:
Around 1:36, "Gentle Touch", made me listen to it twice to be sure what it said. It sounds like something else.

Give the drums a chance. Maybe bring them a little up. :)

I agree with Tim (and it instantly makes me feel smarter), it would sound better if the two guitar (L & R) sounded slightly different from one another. I will refrain from giving EQ advice since I'm not doing a very hot job of learning it well at the moment.

Bass could use to be given a little boost.

I like wedding songs. I like feel-good songs. This is a pretty good song. I would definitely listen to it again. :)
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Thanks bigbubba - my wife also likes the feel-good songs and complains when I write anything involving suffering (usually heartache) of any kind. I just tell her that all my happy songs are written about her and all the sad ones about some fictitious character I never met :rolleyes: .
The Gentle Touch phrase may be in Canuckese - a dialect comprised of Welsh/Scot/Irish/French/Gaelic/Ukrainian/<insert many others here> :D .
Looks like retracking the second guitar and bass boosting will be the thing to do. Eq'ing is something I'm new at as well so I will just need to work at a lot to get it better.
The drums are IMHO my weakest point. I definitely need to upgrade to something else but I'm not sure to what (drum machine?/software?). I wish I could play like Llarion or RAMI - their drumming is outstanding! Any recommendations/advice in the (hmm) mechanized drum department is welcome.
Thanks Again!
 
Hey nice tune. A relaxing feel good listen.
I don't want to repeat everything they said, but one thing that sticks out to me most is the lack of bass. I think a song like this could use a lot more bass, can barely hear any right now.

Good singing, good feeling, good tune ;)
 
SnakeDog5050 said:
Hey nice tune. A relaxing feel good listen.
I don't want to repeat everything they said, but one thing that sticks out to me most is the lack of bass. I think a song like this could use a lot more bass, can barely hear any right now.

Good singing, good feeling, good tune ;)
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Snake - thanks for taking a listen (I know you u*ndergroun*d guys can get busy - but that's a whole 'nother thread :D ). Seems like the concensus is more bass required. I hope to get some bass added soon then I'll upload the updated version. Glad you like it and thanks for the input - always appreciated.
 
That's a pretty nice vocal. I wish I could sing!
 
Hey Monkey Allen. How is spring coming along down under? My sister in Melbourne said she's catching possums in a trap around her house. Apparently they're quite the pest there.

I use a RODE NTK mic with a bit of reverb from a PCM80 and some comp from a Triple C Compressor through a Studio 24 board and into an ADAT. I recorded one track of lead vocal and two tracks of backups (panned about 2:30 and 9:30).

I have to remix this as mentioned before because I cut the bass too much. I was assuming maybe that people might set their eq's like a smiley face and didn't want to put too much bass on the mix to start with. I also have to get some bass guitar added sometime....

Thanks for the kind words....
 
This is nice. Great melody and feel to the vocals/lyrics. I'd bring the drums up a bit, though it's not a drum-dependant song, so it's not the end of the world. Like Tim mentioned, both guitar parts are similar. They don't need to be changed drastically, but you might think about having one do more arpeggio or picking, and the other one do the strumming so they compliment each other. Love your voice on this. something Beatlish about the whole thing, too, which can never be a bad thing.
 
RAMI said:
This is nice. Great melody and feel to the vocals/lyrics. I'd bring the drums up a bit, though it's not a drum-dependant song, so it's not the end of the world. Like Tim mentioned, both guitar parts are similar. They don't need to be changed drastically, but you might think about having one do more arpeggio or picking, and the other one do the strumming so they compliment each other. Love your voice on this. something Beatlish about the whole thing, too, which can never be a bad thing.
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Thanks RAMI for the positive comments. I was just thinking about using a different guitar strumming the same thing but maybe I'll try what you suggest - some arpeggio or picking for a different feel altogether.

I tried to keep the drums low to de-emphasize (ok hide) them as I feel they need the most work but I will bring them up when I remix.

And yes being Beatlish would be a very good thing - I could use the money! Just missed out on the $54 Million Lottery - I only needed 4 more numbers out of six to win!
 
Well, your fidelity jumped measurably right away. Your voice is very cleanly recorded this time.

Hiding the drums is more noticeable than just mixing them properly and calling them a deliberate decision. They need to be up more, that need more edge and more bottom. (one minor programming not, in a groove like this, never do an open hat on beat 4; you have that in there once... the and of 4, yes; on 4, ick. :)

Not much else to say about the recording, it needs its bass part before the sound will flesh out, but you're MILES ahead of where you were with Overtime. The ADAT is your friend.

From an arrangement perspective, it definitely needs some counterpoint; the doubled guitar is wasted. If you're going to do the same strum pattern, capo the 2nd guitar up and play in a higher register, then the whole thing will have bigger sonic range. Or, just play differently, more arpeggiated. Like Rami, The Hamster in Overalls said. He knows what he's doing on guitar way more than me anyway. :)
 
Llarion said:
Well, your fidelity jumped measurably right away. Your voice is very cleanly recorded this time.

Hiding the drums is more noticeable than just mixing them properly and calling them a deliberate decision. They need to be up more, that need more edge and more bottom. (one minor programming not, in a groove like this, never do an open hat on beat 4; you have that in there once... the and of 4, yes; on 4, ick. :)

Not much else to say about the recording, it needs its bass part before the sound will flesh out, but you're MILES ahead of where you were with Overtime. The ADAT is your friend.

From an arrangement perspective, it definitely needs some counterpoint; the doubled guitar is wasted. If you're going to do the same strum pattern, capo the 2nd guitar up and play in a higher register, then the whole thing will have bigger sonic range. Or, just play differently, more arpeggiated. Like Rami, The Hamster in Overalls said. He knows what he's doing on guitar way more than me anyway. :)
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Thanks Llarion! I really noticed the increased clarity on the ADAT right away. You can hear every phrase - be it good or bad - 1000% clearer. It's a good thing really because it made me retrack after hearing it the first time.

So should I completely cut out the open high hat - or is does it fit somewhere else - I'm not sure what you mean.....

I cut the bottom end on the drums to about 11:00 on the bass control and rolled off 450 HZ aout 3-4 dB to get the boxiness off the snare (something I read somewhere). I'll review that when I up their levels next mix.

I'll try the arpeggio guitar suggested by RAMI, maybe do it on a different guitar as well.

Thanks Again!
 
RAMI said:
This better work...my name's all over this arpeggio idea...yikes. :eek:
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Don't worry it'll be fine, I'll have practice my arpeggios a bit though :D
 
ido1957 said:
Hey Monkey Allen. How is spring coming along down under? My sister in Melbourne said she's catching possums in a trap around her house. Apparently they're quite the pest there.

Thanks for the kind words....
Click to expand...

Spring is just great, and thanks for asking. We have possums in the tree next door...almost come face to face with them off my veranda. They don't go into the roof. They seem happy in the tree.

Take it easy
 
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