Please Help, one-man band looking for a vintage sound...Need a critique on this track

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StewMusic

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Hi Everyone, I just joined this forum today and I am newbie. For the last 8 months I have been working on home recording.

I need help with this track I am working on as a single release.

I recorded using two mics a condenser and an Sm57. A live cut each mic recording to a different channel. I played guitar, kick drum, Tambourine and Sang all at once. I then plugged the bass in directly no DI and layed over the bass track. It is a quick Live take and I have "Mastered" it to get the volume up. any more information you need I'd be happy to give you.

basically I idolize Johnny cash and vintage folk music. I would be really grateful if some one could take a listen to the track and give me there thoughts?

Many thanks in advance,
Stew
 

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OK, first if you are a fan of Johnny's last few records, as organic as it sounds, there were some serious recording techniques used. Rick Rubin didn't just stick an old microphone in front of Johnny and say play. Rubin knows how to record. He used full modern technology to get Johnny sounding the was he did there at the last. Wonderful recordings to be sure, but not as humble as one may think.

I like what you did here, but I suggest going back and try and track again. Make sure the guitar is tuned, since you have only a few mics, track the kick with its own mic/track to get some of that punch to push through. Then lay down the vocals, or come back and track your guitar and vocals together.

I think you can get it much better. Give each instrument more attention and a separate track. Which would mean multiple recordings per instrument.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks DM60 for you help. I was trying more for the sun recording era of Johnny Cash where it was more live takes... I know Rubin's tracks are really well polished... I tried the one guitar thing or recording Guitar and Vox together then adding the kick and Tamb after but I lose tempo
 
Is your intention to play everything at once and record everything at the same time? I agree with DM, if your wanting a better sound, your probably going to have to track each instrument separately so you have more control of the mix. If your insisting on doing it all at once, I would stick that SM57 at the kick and then your condenser(hopefully large diaphragm) in front of you about 5-6 feet away so it picks everything else up.

It's a cool song you have, and it does have that "vintage" lo-fi sound.
 
I agree with DM.
Although your goal is old recordings, I think more attention per instrument during recording is going to be a good move overall.
Guitar tuning struck me too, btw, so keep an eye (ear) on that.

The particular song has a consistent rhythm so if you're struggling to overdub a kick or tambourine there's a problem.
Maybe try recording with and 8th click in your headphones to keep you on track then record the rest to the guitar track afterwards?

I know Johnny cash had a long career but when I think of old cash recordings I think of slap delay.
Might be worth giving that a blast on the vocal?

If you want, or need, to perform it all live I'd do what Bruthish said.

Hey, feel free to PM me if you do some multitrack recording, even if it's a test.
I wouldn't mind having a play around with the tracks, if you wanted.
 
My Condenser is a Rode NT1 The Sm57 was about waist height pointed over the top of the kick and Tamb. My logic was and maybe I'm being overly optimistic that by having the mics record live that the mix was be half done because everything is being captured at real time natural levels.
 
Thanks, Ya I think I may have to record the Vocals and guitar and then the kick and tambourine after... good ear for the tuning I missed that. Ya its not the rhythm that catches me its the pace.. like live there seems more enthusiasm than tracking seperately.
 
StewMusic said:
My Condenser is a Rode NT1 The Sm57 was about waist height pointed over the top of the kick and Tamb. My logic was and maybe I'm being overly optimistic that by having the mics record live that the mix was be half done because everything is being captured at real time natural levels.
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The theory is good but the outcome then depends so heavily on the performance, instruments, and environment.

Of course these are all important no matter what way you record but with only two mics, at least you can give better attention to your guitar and vocal when recording separately.
Close miking helps to reduce the ratio of source and ambience which is often a huge help in home recording.
 
Hey guys you've all been a massive help to me especially as this is my first post here ever.... Here is a version I did before with separate tracks may help make a comparison..
 

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Oh wow, that sounds way cleaner and nicer.
I hear what you mean about the timing. It does sound like everything waiting for everything else so you could try two things.
Either try recording to a click in your headphones, or just do a full and complete live recording as your guide.

The latter would suit better for songs that speed up and slow down naturally.
 
Man, your second mix is WAY better in terms of sound. Yeah timing needs to be figured out. Use a click track to stay on time. In a personal note, I would lose that that very beginning guitar intro. Start it where you start humming.
 
StewMusic said:
Hi Everyone, I just joined this forum today and I am newbie. For the last 8 months I have been working on home recording.

I need help with this track I am working on as a single release.

I recorded using two mics a condenser and an Sm57. A live cut each mic recording to a different channel. I played guitar, kick drum, Tambourine and Sang all at once. I then plugged the bass in directly no DI and layed over the bass track. It is a quick Live take and I have "Mastered" it to get the volume up. any more information you need I'd be happy to give you.

basically I idolize Johnny cash and vintage folk music. I would be really grateful if some one could take a listen to the track and give me there thoughts?

Many thanks in advance,
Stew
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The first version was awesome. I wish you didn't listen to these guys and try to polish it. Listen to yourself, man. It was awesome before you followed the advice here and messed with it. Your first one sounded like a vintage delta blues recording. Bet Cash would be proud of the spirit! Your current mix sounds like a bad Garth Brooks attempt. I'd listen to the first on repeat; I'd never listen to the 2nd again.
 
Bruthish Ya its much clearer and the instruments are more punchy in the 2nd mix.. the guitar intro is like the songs singnature but, I have had people say it before to me..
 
4Tracker wow thanks, was going for the old school vintage feel. Actually the one you like is the current recording the "Cleaner" mix was the first recording but I didn't get the pacing right...
 
I agree completely with 4tracker...the first version is way more raw and soulful. I dig the vibe way better...it sounds amazing IMO.

I dont think the guys meant that your mix was bad the way it was...it was just their vision about how it should sound. There is no right or wrong way to mix and to record a song...it just depends on how YOU want it to sound.
 
StewMusic said:
4Tracker wow thanks, was going for the old school vintage feel. Actually the one you like is the current recording the "Cleaner" mix was the first recording but I didn't get the pacing right...
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Stick to the one in the first post. I don't know if that's the first, second, or third, but it is awesome. I think people are always in this default mindset that it has to sound like radio, when the reality is radio recordings sound like compressed ass. Loud, no dynamic range, plugins that fake everything and are obviously fake, and the list goes on and on. Rick Rubin? That guy started the loudness wars, or at least added to the problem. He creates polished turds. The guy is a hack. Not all clean recordings are bad, but the only hi-fi engineering that's good today is taking place in the more obscure genres. Something like Fleet Foxes (vintage gear, organic engineering) is impressive. There are others, but that's a tangent.

That dirty recording was awesome. The grit added something. What is funny is people then go out and buy lo-fi plugins because their recordings lack "something" (heart, grit, etc). There's no plugin for the magic you had on that recording. If you have good songs, you can record them on a tape recorder and they will shine through. Don't listen to all the noise and stick to your own compass, because it was correct that the cleaner recorder had issues, and not just the timing.
 
Thanks, CMolena I know everyone here is a massive help and I respect everyone's opinion... I guess I want it to be commercial sounding... then again I ain't Ed Sheeran or taylor Swift lol.
 
Tbh I am sick of recording stuff track by track as It lacks feeling and I listen to Johnny cash Folsom prison and its so Instant... out of interest what issues did the cleaner recording have?
 
StewMusic said:
Tbh I am sick of recording stuff track by track as It lacks feeling and I listen to Johnny cash Folsom prison and its so Instant... out of interest what issues did the cleaner recording have?
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Try the click, or recording to a scratch track. Even if you think it won't work, it'd be worth ruling out simply because the loose timing in recording two really takes the feeling away.
 
StewMusic said:
I guess I want it to be commercial sounding...
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Oh, in that case the forum can probably help you.

My one piece of advice would be to clean up the high note. On a commercial recording, that note has to be on pitch. You waiver on it and it is clear you strain to hit the note. You'll have to practice that note more or auto-tune it.

But, if you only have a few microphones, it will be hard to get a commercial sound. What is your room like? This, too, will obviously play a large roll in the max fidelity you can achieve.

Folsom Prison is raw and non-commercial sounding, even by 70s standards.

When you are done with everyone shoot me a pm. I really like the song, and I would definitely check out a full record.
 
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