BroKen_H
Re-member
Here's my first rough mix of a new song I wrote. No excuses, no disclaimers. Let me know what you think (besides needing to hire real musicians and techs).
Chili
Site Moderator
I gave a quick listen and wrote down some thoughts as I went along....
Strings/pads need to come down a lot. They are overpowering.
I don't like the vocal slapback effect at all. Sounds like it's in a long corridor or something. Very distracting. You should remove it completely and just let your natural voice shine through.
Speaking of which, the vox should be upfront and not as an after thought. And it would help the delivery if you could tune it up a bit.
The bridge section seems musically disconnected. I didn't get what you were doing there.
I see this song as having a big intro, then stripped down to almost nothing for the first verse and build back up throughout the rest of the song. But thta's just my opinion.
Thanks for sharing.
Strings/pads need to come down a lot. They are overpowering.
I don't like the vocal slapback effect at all. Sounds like it's in a long corridor or something. Very distracting. You should remove it completely and just let your natural voice shine through.
Speaking of which, the vox should be upfront and not as an after thought. And it would help the delivery if you could tune it up a bit.
The bridge section seems musically disconnected. I didn't get what you were doing there.
I see this song as having a big intro, then stripped down to almost nothing for the first verse and build back up throughout the rest of the song. But thta's just my opinion.
Thanks for sharing.
DavidK
New member
It's a catchy song. It seems over-compressed and too bright. On phones, it's too much, it needs less treble overall. Take the backing strings down a lot, they are interfering. The main thing is the compression/limiting, it's sucking out all the dynamics. Performances are fine, there's a nice recording here if you just pull things back a bit.
T
TripleM
Well-known member
Agree with the other comments. I'd take the effects off the vocal. Reverb, everything. I'm hearing some pitch problems. Some timing issues as well.
The guitar on the left side is a little harsh sounding.
The song is a little lacking in the low end.
The guitar on the left side is a little harsh sounding.
The song is a little lacking in the low end.
DM60
Well-known member
Yes, compression is really high. The bass pumps the sub in a negative way, synth is a tad too much. If you keep your vocals the same and pull the other things down, would like to hear it again. Once again take some of the compression out and let it breath and there was some minor clipping (probably bass).
Would like to hear the remix.
Would like to hear the remix.
P
paw1
New member
Think it's over compressed as mentioned above, and I think I hear some pumping, which is not good for this song.
I agree on taking the pads down, and the strings too.
Also, the bridge needs a better transition from the part before.
I agree on taking the pads down, and the strings too.
Also, the bridge needs a better transition from the part before.
BroKen_H
Re-member
Okay, I bypassed the final compressor, cut down the treble on the final eq. Pulled the strings back 2.5 db (may not be enough). The bass is naked, DI, no eq, no compression. Spectrum EQ doesn't show any abnorms below 70 hz.
Sorry about the vocals. Did that in about an hour and a half just to mark them. Will redo them completely as they are hacked into place. They do sound a lot better without all the compression (I left a sidechain to de-ess). Pulled all but a short hall verb out of all the vocals. I also cut the gate verb on the drums back fairly drastically cause they didn't sound right after everything else cleaned up...
Try to get it filed down and replace the original file at the top. Don't want to upload a bunch of versions to the sites limited resources.
Sorry about the vocals. Did that in about an hour and a half just to mark them. Will redo them completely as they are hacked into place. They do sound a lot better without all the compression (I left a sidechain to de-ess). Pulled all but a short hall verb out of all the vocals. I also cut the gate verb on the drums back fairly drastically cause they didn't sound right after everything else cleaned up...
Try to get it filed down and replace the original file at the top. Don't want to upload a bunch of versions to the sites limited resources.
BroKen_H
Re-member
Okay. Don't know how to replace the file here, so I'll just reference my MySpace:
https://myspace.com/broken43
I still find it funny that everyone was in agreement about the high end and the strings, and I couldn't hear it on my Rokit 8s. Maybe I just like a that old W sound (where you shape your eq like a W for all you younguns who haven't seen a graphic eq). Or maybe I'm going deaf or something. I might give a listen on the wife's system with the 5.1 cheapo Cambridge Audio speakers or the Pioneer system in the living room. Maybe I need to calibrate the treble on the back of the Rokits. Don't listen to too much else on them, so maybe listening to some other music (that's not 128k cheapo MP3s) will help. Any other ideas?
https://myspace.com/broken43
I still find it funny that everyone was in agreement about the high end and the strings, and I couldn't hear it on my Rokit 8s. Maybe I just like a that old W sound (where you shape your eq like a W for all you younguns who haven't seen a graphic eq). Or maybe I'm going deaf or something. I might give a listen on the wife's system with the 5.1 cheapo Cambridge Audio speakers or the Pioneer system in the living room. Maybe I need to calibrate the treble on the back of the Rokits. Don't listen to too much else on them, so maybe listening to some other music (that's not 128k cheapo MP3s) will help. Any other ideas?
G
Greg_L
Banned
I agree with the others, although I can't listen to the myspace link. Nothing comes up.
I have Rokit 8s as well, and lemme tell you, your mix is super bright. Set your monitors flat. You should hear it killing your ears unless something else is wrong.
I have Rokit 8s as well, and lemme tell you, your mix is super bright. Set your monitors flat. You should hear it killing your ears unless something else is wrong.
rayc
retroreprobate
1st post as myspace isn't my space:
The chorus vocals are really awful - sound, intonation and effects wise.
The synth strings drench the mix. the intro suggested much more was coming - it's was like 80's pop slipped into country.
Lyrically all I can safely suggest is that the hooks are for a Hillsong crew & not me.
The chorus vocals are really awful - sound, intonation and effects wise.
The synth strings drench the mix. the intro suggested much more was coming - it's was like 80's pop slipped into country.
Lyrically all I can safely suggest is that the hooks are for a Hillsong crew & not me.
DM60
Well-known member
When I get something like this, I start my mix from scratch. Remove EQ, pull all the faders back to off. Start then bring up the instruments, get them to sit right, start getting the tone the way I need it, then bring up the main vocals next to last, then background vocals.
You really should not try to fix this, you should mix from the beginning. I think the song is better than your allowing it to be.
You really should not try to fix this, you should mix from the beginning. I think the song is better than your allowing it to be.
BroKen_H
Re-member
Okay, I don't know why, but lets try:
https://myspace.com/broken43/music/song/holding-on-to-jesus-95226968-106066127
I found part of the problem in the speakers are a good foot below my ears on the desk. Gonna have to raise them up as it sounds completely different when you get in FRONT of them.
BroKen_H
Re-member
Thanks. I'm trying to do just that, but the vocals that are there are place markers. I went from writing the lyric line to singing it on tracks in about 2 hours and then used the razor tool to move them around. They really don't sound that great with all the dead are hacked in and they are raw and unrehearsed. Next step is to redo those vocals when I get some more time off (but I'm practicing them for now so they'll sound mo betta).
Really appreciate the encouragement...as well as all the great constructive criticism I've gotten here. Still don't know why my MySpace link doesn't seem to work (other friends can't find it either).
BroKen_H
Re-member
OK. Listened to the latest remix on the wife's computer (as well as checked links). It sounds much worse on her 5.1 Cambridge Audio system. Sub kicks too hard and still too much on the top (like someone's kicked a Loudness contour in. I'll have to look at the Master Maximizer in Reason (that's the only place I know in the chain that has that function)). But the links both worked as well as googling "myspace/broken43" This is becoming a mystery. It sounds right on my computer. Through the 8s and through my Denon cans. But horrid on my wife's cheapo 2' speakers. Sounded tinny, but not bad on the bass on the Bose system in the next room...still needed tweaked down. 
BroKen_H
Re-member
Right. Found the loudness contour on the mastering set (it's kinda hidden and automatically set at about 40%). Kicked that out, got my speakers pointed at my ears instead of my nipples, ripped about 3db more out of the high end from 6k up. Next step, re-record the vocals and do them right.
Really appreciate all the support!
Really appreciate all the support!
DM60
Well-known member
OK. Listened to the latest remix on the wife's computer (as well as checked links). It sounds much worse on her 5.1 Cambridge Audio system. Sub kicks too hard and still too much on the top (like someone's kicked a Loudness contour in. I'll have to look at the Master Maximizer in Reason (that's the only place I know in the chain that has that function)). But the links both worked as well as googling "myspace/broken43" This is becoming a mystery. It sounds right on my computer. Through the 8s and through my Denon cans. But horrid on my wife's cheapo 2' speakers. Sounded tinny, but not bad on the bass on the Bose system in the next room...still needed tweaked down.
Before you do much of anything else, you may want to get your mixing environment sorted out first. Grab some songs you know, put them in your DAW and give them a listen. I have the 8's and the only problem I have with them is the bass is a little too strong. But I am getting to know that and adjust accordingly. Also, look on the back of the speakers and make sure the high level adjust isn't all the way down.
Get that sorted out before you do any further adjustments or you're just chasing your tail.
BroKen_H
Re-member
Thanks David. Really appreciate the input. Stopped by your cloud, BTW and I really enjoyed The Burn Of Love. Great track.
I'm starting the process of re-recording the vocals and maybe the guitars. I'm hearing about the right sound out of the track now that I've got my 8s pointed at my head...
And I just got a lot more serious about buying the Sennheiser 280s that were recommended ($100 won't kill me and several here like them) to replace my Denons
I'm starting the process of re-recording the vocals and maybe the guitars. I'm hearing about the right sound out of the track now that I've got my 8s pointed at my head...
And I just got a lot more serious about buying the Sennheiser 280s that were recommended ($100 won't kill me and several here like them) to replace my Denons