Please listen and give suggestions!

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startitover

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There are a couple of tracks I engineered and produced here. Mixing and Mastering done my me. They are my first released for public. Good band of good freinds of mine. They are getting local radio play already with these songs (well Last Drop of Wine anyway). I'm looking for criticism as I'm going to be doing this recording gig full-time eventually.

http://www.myspace.com/johnnash

Please make suggestions! I can do better. I should have pushed the singer more... Oh yeah I played the solos on both.

If anyone cares:

-Steinberg Nuendo
-Motu 2408 MKII
-Presonus 8 channel comp/limiter/preamp using adat lightpipe
-57's
-akg d112
-superlux vocal condenser (cheap)
-avlex overhead condensers (cheap)
-Gibson Standard Les Paul
-Fender American Tele
-Top Hat King Royale with master volume and reverb overhaul by some famous amp guy (best amp ever IMHO)
-can't remember what bass or amp setup it was, used the d112 though
-vistalite drums
-A Custom hats and crashes
-some sabian ride
-recorded in an open room w25 x l70 x h20 feet
 
Ps

I think actually downloading the mp3 instead of listening to the streamed version on that site nets you a better quality sound.

Thanks again!
 
i cannot hear a bass. at all. in either song. maybe it is my cheap speakers here at home. not very bad songs though. i like the kick. not a big fan of the vox..

not much help but better than no reply.
 
It's there for sure. Almost equal level to the kick. I think I bumped the kick up just BARELY for a punchier sound.

And truly, thanks for the reply.
 
Last Drop of Wine:

Well, first off the vocal is not always hitting the vibe or really staying in pitch. The end of sentences hang out of tune which is not as good effect on this in my opinion. The little squeaky thing you do at the end of the word dine has got to go, it adds a whiney quality to a spot that should be carefree and flying headlong into disaster.

The song sounds cool, typical but fun.

Mixwise the snare could pop more and the bass could use some high frequency boost to define it a bit.
 
I like the tune. I'd have to tune the vocal. It drifts a bit and where there's harmony it's especially noticable. Bass and kick are weak. I think it deserves a little tweaking and a remix.
 
Thanks alot guys! I'm always trying to refine my skills. I haven't had any good input until I signed up here.

Also, I know about the vocals... He just couldn't get it.... ha, what are you gonna do.
 
i think it sounds good...the vocals are alittle off at times..but he'll improve over time...its not like he really needs lessons or anything...


but you want to know about the mix!...it all sounds good to me, though my moniters are long past their youth...theres alot of echo with the snare, and thats all i come up with....nice job man, youve done beter then i :p
 
startitover said:
Thanks alot guys! I'm always trying to refine my skills. I haven't had any good input until I signed up here.

Also, I know about the vocals... He just couldn't get it.... ha, what are you gonna do.
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Unless you spent three days doing vocal takes don't tell me he couldn't get it.

What you do is do it over and over until it's right.

Here's a trick: play a guitar or keyboard line along with the vocal matching the notes the vocal is suppsoed to be hitting line for line. Listen to the harmonic clash that happens and play it for the singer. Tell him to go home and practice for a few days at least two hours a day singing exactly to the guitar line that represents his harmony.

When he comes back to retrack mute the extra guitar or keyboard and I bet this will fit like a glove.

Or keep the half-ass recording you have here, your call.
 
Thanks for the comments about the mix. That WAS what I have been looking for :)

jake-owa: I like that idea of yours. It makes sense, although I haven't recorded enough to think to use it yet. Thanks for the tip.

On the other hand, no thanks for whatever that was in your last line:

Or keep the half-ass recording you have here, your call.
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That seems sorta uncalled for and totally made me think you are an ass instead of an individual capable of constructive criticism.

I recorded them free... I wasn't gonna spend three days doing the vocals on two songs.

If the vocals are the only things bad, and that happens to be the talents fault by the way, and the engineering of the actual recording is good, is that really a half-ass recording?
 
Yes, placing a half assed vocal into an otherwise decent mix makes for a half assed recording in my opinion.

If I were recorcding them for free I probably wouldn't want to spend a single minute more on it. you posted it here for opinions and I gave mine.

Again I say it's a half assed recording but it's not your art so why take it personally? The performance is holding it back, it's not the first time and it won't be the last. If you engineer others for free you will have many a half assed recording on your hard drive. My use of the term half assed was a lame attempt to get you to kick that singer's ass into doing a good vocal take. He can but it won't be easy, getting the best performance from yourself or others rarely is. If it's not an option ok, I won't be losing sleep over it and neither should you.

I have done far worse for free and I don't hold it against you at all. Your angle is respectable.
 
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