Ok.. I am nervous

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wilko

wilko

Marking my territory
Ok, I need advice . Please go to my sounds in my sig and listen to "Passerby". This is recorded on an MR8 in a bedroom and mixed on the PC. I don't have flash mics (I use the one I got with the MR8). The effects on the guitar and voice are at source so this is they way they were recorded. Given my rudimentary setup and the limits I have what can I do to improve the basic mix?

A reluctant wife sang it. She is a good singer but we did all the vocal takes in one so there are vocal errors.

I am nervous because there are so many professionals on this board and I am an amateur home recordist with very limited equipment.
 
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this is really good but the layered main vocals are a little disconcerting. Are they layered or is it a matter of FX?
Everything seems very bright - perhaps some lifting a mids & bottom in the final bus?
I thought the drums were too loud at the beginning but they fit perfectly when everything is happening. I rreckon they could do with a reduction through the intro.
There may be a little too much reverb on everything - & that's from me who's been described as a Reverb Addict.
A very nice piece of work. I'd like to hear it again tweaked.
 
rayc said:
this is really good but the layered main vocals are a little disconcerting. Are they layered or is it a matter of FX?
Everything seems very bright - perhaps some lifting a mids & bottom in the final bus?
I thought the drums were too loud at the beginning but they fit perfectly when everything is happening. I rreckon they could do with a reduction through the intro.
There may be a little too much reverb on everything - & that's from me who's been described as a Reverb Addict.
A very nice piece of work. I'd like to hear it again tweaked.
Click to expand...

They are layered. Ummm what is the final bus? A reduction on drums in the intro - ok I will try. The reverb was on the vocal efects box and I added some on the MR8. To rectify I will have to rerecord but I think I will. Thanks for your comments... I am going to redo this weekend (if I can get the wife drunk enough to sing again!)

When you say too much reverb - do you mean you the guitars as well?
 
Nice tune Wilks....reduce the volume of all teh music just a little....1 or 2 db. Leave the main vocals as is. See if they fit a bit better. If they do, then lift the whole song back up that 1 db or so. What program do you use to mix with on the pc? Most have controls right on the tracks to slide the volume down just a bit. Then, maybe run a compressor over the entire mix, just to smooth out the highest transients. Only a little, not to smash the song way down. Here's what I did really quick, with a little eq, and some compression. Just tried to keep all the highs from taking over.
Wilks Try

Good song man...you seemed to capture it well, so all you have to do is finish tweaking it to your liking, and you've got her made man.... :D
 
wilko said:
Ok, I need advice . Please go to my sounds in my sig and listen to "Passerby". This is recorded on an MR8 in a bedroom and mixed on the PC. I don't have flash mics (I use the one I got with the MR8). The effects on the guitar and voice are at source so this is they way they were recorded. Given my rudimentary setup and the limits I have what can I do to improve the basic mix?

A reluctant wife sang it. She is a good singer but we did all the vocal takes in one so there are vocal errors.

I am nervous because there are so many professionals on this board and I am an amateur home recordist with very limited equipment.
Click to expand...


Hey Wilko,

Firstly a very nice tune!
The guitar at the very beginning and the vocals need bought up in volume, I'm talking about at 0:07-0:21 before the main guitar comes in.
The vocals are so similar to Briars it's incredible. I would add some low end/bass to the vocals to take the harshness out a little. I really like the vocal interaction at the 0:55-1:20 mark. The vocals are very well harmonised during this section. Volume fluctuations throughout the voice can be addressed but it is no big deal. If the microphone was hand held it can help to have it on a stand so the vocalist can concentrate in keeping the same distance from her mouth and the mic.
Your guitar sound is great, I have always liked your signature guitar tone. Do you have the guitars panned hard left 100% and hard right 100%??
I think with a little bottom end added to the mix and a little tweak here and there to your liking will see this become a sweet little tune Wilko!

Is there bass guitar in there Wilko?

Nice work to you and Mrs Wilko!

Gortman! :)


PS. It's great to have you contribute to this mp3 clinique Wilko! Let's have more of it, we all learn so much in here!
 
Finally I got some time to write some thoughts about this.

First of Great tune man, I like the vibe.
Sounds kinda alternative, gives me a Oceanic Feel.
In other words "Jette bra, min venn" :D

The vox, could be alittle dryer they sound nice, but would sound nicer with a more natural aproach IMHO offcourse.

Bring up the Eletric guitar a bit, and cut the Accoustic a tad, it was sligthly dominant, interferred with the vox. may some eq would do it.

Thanks for sharing, I agree with Gort; Its great seing you around these parts of the woods,
just watch out for the Norwegian Shark, she might try to lure you into her shed :D
 
Don't be nervous Kiwi-man! You'll learn a ton here from everybody :D

Your mix could use more bass, it's intresting though... listen to Dogman's mix. I like what he did there with the bass and mix. Yeah actually sounds like your mix has a few adjustments people already noticed, but I'd talk to Dogman about what he did, sounds like he improved everything.

Cool song kiwidude, enjoyable and relaxing. Just DO NOt turn up the heat over here, it's already usually 110 in phx :eek: :eek: :) :)
 
cool tune man. when the double vocal came in, modest mouse came to mind.
 
Eleanor -
Chorus vocals work really well. In the 1st verse it sounded like thte main vocal was in the L speaker & the reverb was in the right so there's a little pull across the stereo image with each word.
The playing is really good. The percussion - tambourine? Ride? & h/hat are very, as in VERY bright. Cna you play with thier EQ at all.
I was a little worried about the intro - it's good but I feared it might go on too long. You might be well served to add something under it for the last bar or so - a bass line or even an ohhh vocal. Really nice work though. This has nice psych meets US 60's garage overtones & I love that stuff (OZ & Kiwi bands were some of the best at it too)
The reverb on the previous song I wondered if you'd put a reverb over the whole song to pull it together.
Highway. The Reverb kind of goes whoom at the end of each vocal phrase or it might be the inhale - you could ride the faders to drop this out. Can you hear it - I'm using h/phones? You might mask it with a tanbourine beat.
This song is very Jefferson Airplane acoustic. Very cool late 60's feel to it.
In all the songs there's a very bright sound that might edge on harshness. It could be an artifact from the MP3 compression. It could be that's how you've EQ'd it. Gorty has set you pretty straight - some bottom end and a little less of the top. Like I said though - if they don't appear when you play a CD track or wav. file on a few different playing systems (car, home, walkman etc) then it's me or the MP3.
Good work all round. I'll be dropping in to listen again.
hang on I'll down load the MP3 & play it through the media player & exp with the EQ to see if I'm pointing you true.
I just pushed up a tiny bit 31, 62, 500 + 1 khz & a tiny drop at 16khz. The result was warmer but a little too bassy. You'll have to do some tweaking with indiv tracs if you can.
What are recording in/with/through?
Great work
 
Just wanted to say welcome and don't feel nervous...there is alot of really cool knowledgeable people on this forum that are very generous with there advice/tips!

I like your song here...can't add to much to whats been said already...I just think the levels need a bit of tweeking to bring out the lead vocals a bit..the thig that strikes me is the acoustic guitars are just a tad up front ...cool song man...I like it!
 
variaxman said:
Just wanted to say welcome and don't feel nervous...there is alot of really cool knowledgeable people on this forum that are very generous with there advice/tips!

I like your song here...can't add to much to whats been said already...I just think the levels need a bit of tweeking to bring out the lead vocals a bit..the thig that strikes me is the acoustic guitars are just a tad up front ...cool song man...I like it!
Click to expand...

This is the first time I mixed on the computer. The place where I work has recording studios and that is where I got my copy of n-tracks, I am thinking about buying my own. In all my songs - except Passerby - I mixed on the MR8 through headphones and there is little eq on an MR8.

All the effects were at source and I find it difficult to guess how they sound to an unbiased observer. The advice I have been given here is fantastic and I so appreciate all of your time that you have taken to listen to my stuff. I am more of an amateur songwriter and recordist. I will redo the vocals on Passerby and see if it works.

Thanks for all your advice. I will post when I have done it. I am not so nervous now that I have had such positive feedback. Thank you.
 
wilko said:
This is the first time I mixed on the computer. The place where I work has recording studios and that is where I got my copy of n-tracks, I am thinking about buying my own. In all my songs - except Passerby - I mixed on the MR8 through headphones and there is little eq on an MR8.

All the effects were at source and I find it difficult to guess how they sound to an unbiased observer. The advice I have been given here is fantastic and I so appreciate all of your time that you have taken to listen to my stuff. I am more of an amateur songwriter and recordist. I will redo the vocals on Passerby and see if it works.

Thanks for all your advice. I will post when I have done it. I am not so nervous now that I have had such positive feedback. Thank you.
Click to expand...

If you get time, can you listen to Eleanor and Highway...
 
wilko said:
This is the first time I mixed on the computer. The place where I work has recording studios and that is where I got my copy of n-tracks, I am thinking about buying my own. In all my songs - except Passerby - I mixed on the MR8 through headphones and there is little eq on an MR8.

All the effects were at source and I find it difficult to guess how they sound to an unbiased observer. The advice I have been given here is fantastic and I so appreciate all of your time that you have taken to listen to my stuff. I am more of an amateur songwriter and recordist. I will redo the vocals on Passerby and see if it works.

Thanks for all your advice. I will post when I have done it. I am not so nervous now that I have had such positive feedback. Thank you.
Click to expand...


Cool man...I didnt even look at the number of post you have...I thought you were new here based on what you said..boy I feel stupid now :o !
Anyways ...looking forward to hearing more of your stuff!
 
Very cool. This reminds me of a group from the 70s, I THINK their name was Rennaissance. Dont ask me to spell that again :mad: :D

I like her voice. I dont care for the pre-lyrics vocals, the warmup stuff. When she gets into the song it sounds quite good. I REALLY like the song, very cool. :cool:
 
DavidK said:
Very cool. This reminds me of a group from the 70s, I THINK their name was Rennaissance. Dont ask me to spell that again :mad: :D

Thanks!! .I like her voice. I dont care for the pre-lyrics vocals, the warmup stuff. When she gets into the song it sounds quite good. I REALLY like the song, very cool. :cool:
Click to expand...

Yeah the pre-lyrics was a bit of an experiment. We did it on another version and is sounded good. THis time she didn't hit the notes and I recorded it badly. Renaissance lived in village very close to where I lived - I have an album of theirs. Great band.
 
wilko said:
If you get time, can you listen to Eleanor and Highway...
Click to expand...

Listened to Eleanor today...kinda has a 60's vibe to me...kinda Mamas and Papas type thing.Drums sound a little distant or verby, but that may be what your going for on this.I like the vocalist style and voice...very easy to listen to.Nice song.
 
Ok - I have redone all the vocals and remixed trying to incorporate all the great advice I have been given. I poured wine down the missus last night and got her to sing.

The song is Passerby (click on the ling in my sig). More advice!!!!
 
Its a very good song. I think the vocals are clipping/distorted?? I would suggest turning the other stiff down and giving them some room, they are a bit buried at times. I like her voice a lot.
 
Sounds like its going very well to me, it does seem to have a 1970's era sound to the mix. That sound fits it quite well to me. The bass guitar to me is somewhat too loud and wooly in the mix, it needs a volume cut to balance with the other instruments. Thats really the only thing I hear to fix.
Your wife has a lovely voice, and the layering and harmonies sound great on the tune.
 
Geez you guys have got good ears!! I turned it all down to get rid of the clipping and I upped the mid on the bass and turned the bass down... :D :D
 
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