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RAMI
Guest
Oooh....you're good.......I guess the thread title takes on a whole new meaning, eh?
https://youtu.be/TV2em3YsNtk
https://youtu.be/TV2em3YsNtk
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TripleM
Well-known member
Listening to mix #4.
I think the acoustic guitar brittleness has been improved. I think there is still too much there. So whatever you took out, I'd take out a little more. It doesn't seem to be lacking clarity.
The vocal is much better. The effects are out of the way for the most part. There is still a long delay that I could hear. I don't personally care for it. Is it a new performance? The performance sounds better too. But that could be my ears playing tricks on me.
Still like the heavier section.
I think the acoustic guitar brittleness has been improved. I think there is still too much there. So whatever you took out, I'd take out a little more. It doesn't seem to be lacking clarity.
The vocal is much better. The effects are out of the way for the most part. There is still a long delay that I could hear. I don't personally care for it. Is it a new performance? The performance sounds better too. But that could be my ears playing tricks on me.
Still like the heavier section.
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RAMI
Guest
Just to get one person's perspective on it. I'm not saying this is the only way to do it, but my busses (or "groups" in REAPER) are always at unity. I vary the levels of the individual tracks WITHIN those busses or groups. But the busses themselves are always at unity for me.
BroKen_H
Re-member
Good to have you back, Trip. I've been having my annual schooling session. If I could remember what I lernt last year it could help a bit...Still working on how to get this to sound open. I think I just got a very important clue.
Thanks for more positive, encouraging words. Took out 12-16k, like Ben suggested in the first post. Just pulled off what I'd added. If it needs more, I'll have to cut. The performance isn't new, but I tried my hand at some semi-transparent tuning on some of the wavery notes. (I'm sure that will bring down the house, too...
) But I'm big enough to admit I don't sing how I used to could. Retracks will be next week (this is my only day off this week, and I'm busy learning.)
BroKen_H
Re-member
That would kind of defeat the purpose I use busses for. I send multiple guitar tracks into a bus, then balance the guitars. Then I can balance the guitars vs the drums, etc. using the bus faders...I don't mess with the individual tracks unless something sounds out of whack once the bus is mixed.
Reason has 8 aux sends, so I don't need busses for effects. Shoot, I don't have any left on this mix.
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RAMI
Guest
Sorry, I have no idea why I said that, it's wrong. Well, I know why I said it, I was confusing it with something completely un-related. I, too use the busses to turn up or down my guitars or whatever. Disregard what I said, it was way off in left field.That would kind of defeat the purpose I use busses for. I send multiple guitar tracks into a bus, then balance the guitars. Then I can balance the guitars vs the drums, etc. using the bus faders...I don't mess with the individual tracks unless something sounds out of whack once the bus is mixed.
Reason has 8 aux sends, so I don't need busses for effects. Shoot, I don't have any left on this mix.
BroKen_H
Re-member
Nice song! I can relate to the lyrics, I suspect the motivation is a woman? not to get too deep but the same thing happened to me a couple of years ago. I agree on the verb, maybe add a touch of delay to the vocal, but I am a delay and verb whore! guess it stems from growing up in the 80s. there is a low mid rumble on the acoustic. good job man.
Yeah the rumble's actually down about 180Hz. I've tried to pull it out, but I think I'll take some advice and retrack it with the mike pointed a bit different. There's going to be some retracking on this one next week.
Glad you like the song. It's about coming out of the world and into His marvelous light. I'm a verb and echo guy myself.
---------- Update ----------
Bubba po
Tiny Stonehenge Moment
This quote ought to be made into a banner across the top of every page on this site.
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Greg_L
Banned
Agreed. Rami summed up almost everything that gets posted in here.
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RAMI
Guest
Thanx guys.
I have to say that I give credit to Broken for being so gracious, too. He took all advice and considered it without arguing, making excuses, or just generally being a baby about it. This is why I don't post here as much any more, if at all. So-called "harsh" (which some of us like to call "honest" and is definitely the most helpful kind) criticism is often countered with a bunch of whining and excuses. Not always, but too often.
To be honest, if he hadn't sent me a PM asking me to help him, I probably wouldn't have. But he then took my advice and everyone else's at face value and was appreciative. Whether he agreed with everything or not, only he knows. But at least he was willing to consider that there's a possibility his recording isn't 100% perfect as is, and didn't question why anyone would have the "nerve" to tell him otherwise.
Having said that, don't everyone start sending me PM's when you post a song. It ain't gonna happen.
I have to say that I give credit to Broken for being so gracious, too. He took all advice and considered it without arguing, making excuses, or just generally being a baby about it. This is why I don't post here as much any more, if at all. So-called "harsh" (which some of us like to call "honest" and is definitely the most helpful kind) criticism is often countered with a bunch of whining and excuses. Not always, but too often.
To be honest, if he hadn't sent me a PM asking me to help him, I probably wouldn't have. But he then took my advice and everyone else's at face value and was appreciative. Whether he agreed with everything or not, only he knows. But at least he was willing to consider that there's a possibility his recording isn't 100% perfect as is, and didn't question why anyone would have the "nerve" to tell him otherwise.
Having said that, don't everyone start sending me PM's when you post a song. It ain't gonna happen.
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Greg_L
Banned
mjbphotos
Moderator
Just coming back to this one now, so didn't listen to mixes 2 & 3, just 4. The acoustic sounds much better, but could probably just use a touch more harshness-taming.
Reading all the comment, at least I know it wasn't my ears hearing the vocal distortion! It too sounds much better now, and it now fits with the instruments instead of standing out from them.
Due to the very dynamic nature of the song (intro acoustic part vs heavy middle part), I think you need to pull back the volume of everything in the beginning, so that you can pull some stuff down in the heavy middle part - it all sounds so pushed. The snare sound wouldn't be my choice (add some bottom mic, maybe?)
Reading all the comment, at least I know it wasn't my ears hearing the vocal distortion! It too sounds much better now, and it now fits with the instruments instead of standing out from them.
Due to the very dynamic nature of the song (intro acoustic part vs heavy middle part), I think you need to pull back the volume of everything in the beginning, so that you can pull some stuff down in the heavy middle part - it all sounds so pushed. The snare sound wouldn't be my choice (add some bottom mic, maybe?)
BroKen_H
Re-member
I just spent a couple hours doing exactly that. Between RAMI, Greg and Steen, I figured out something I've been doing wrong all along. The next mix should sound very open and natural...Pulled all the faders back, balanced the vocals, the electrics, the acoustics, the drums, etc. into their component buses. Set the master faders at parity and pushed and pulled those balances around until it wasn't clipping. MAN what a difference. This term, "gainstaging" was not something I'd ever even considered. I always followed the rules of signal chain, making sure of the right distance from the mike, right level going into the preamp, right level going into the DAW...but never correlated that to channels to buses to master...silly me.
Now I UNDERSTAND!!! 
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RFR
Well-known member
See? Perfect title for the thread.
easlern
Boredom artist
Hey Ken, fresh sound on this one! Sounds a bit like the highs and lows might be a little too hyped. Acoustic guitar sounds great. When things get heavy I might push the electric guitar back. Tone on it is awesome but it kind of crowds out the other parts. Nice composition, the female backup is a good addition (your wife?)
BroKen_H
Re-member
Thanks! You've made my day (in more ways than one). 1) I've worked hard to get things sorted on the song, and appreciate the vote of confidence. 2) It is the composition (as a songwriter) that is my main concern. and 3) the female backup is ME.
easlern
Boredom artist
lol that is a convincing falsetto.
BroKen_H
Re-member
I may have just brick walled. Something happened to my computer last night. It still works. Doesn't seem to have any problems. But it's just super slow. Reason won't play ANY rendition of the song. Says the computer's not fast enough...Yeah, I get that. Don't know what happened. EVERYTHING is running slow. Takes forever to get places. Don't really want to do a system restore, but that looks like the right direction. Everything's pretty much backed up from the W10 fiasco. Guess I know how I'll spend my day off tomorrow.
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RFR
Well-known member
Ouch! Bummer.
If it's any consolation mix 4 is the best yet.
One observation ( for when you get your computer back up to speed), have another look at the vocal. It seems at times when the song gets heavy, the lead vocal gets buried a bit. It comes back in strong later on, but earlier its a bit low. I dunno, vol automation needed? ?
Anyway, well done, now go fix your computer!
If it's any consolation mix 4 is the best yet.
One observation ( for when you get your computer back up to speed), have another look at the vocal. It seems at times when the song gets heavy, the lead vocal gets buried a bit. It comes back in strong later on, but earlier its a bit low. I dunno, vol automation needed? ?
Anyway, well done, now go fix your computer!
BroKen_H
Re-member
Okay. Morning check and reality. Everything works fine, including Reason. But none of the five iterations of this song work. All my other songs still play in Reason. Just this one. Have to look at free space on the drives...(system has 5, 2 SSDs, 2 externals and the main 2tb HD). Possible one of the SSDs has become full and the saved files are loading or writing poorly. Could also be one of those is going junkward. Run some tests...oh the JOY!