quick critique of "Wayfaring Stranger" needed

[banjo71]

I'm sending this one to some radio stations for air play, and although I'm in the band I get to mix the project. We don't have time to master it professionally so I'm doing my best to make due.

The wonderful Peg on lead vocal here. She's quite a talent and a great person to work with. Her husband Dave on guitar, Cliff on mandolin and dobro, Gary on electric bass, and me (Doug) on banjo.

Any critique is welcome please.

edited: see new link posted below a ways

 

[Manslick]

the 4th note in the bass figure during the verse sounds odd to me.

 

[banjo71]

Ya, I can hear what you mean. It's kind of a walkin' bass run and it's hard to know where to put that 4th note.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Hey Doug.
Agreed. The fourth note of each figure is the VI of the scale right? I'd go with VIII/octaves myself.

I also noticed the walking 1-3-5-6 is major during chord IV, but it should be minor.(flatten the 3rd). During "through, this world of...." in the first verse is an example.

This is cool all the same. I'm not finished listening, but I'm enjoying it.
There might be something a bit boxy about the vocal. I get the feeling there's a frequency you could cut quite easily that would just set it free.
Maybe around 500? That's a pure stab.

 

[dobro]

I think the whole mix is a bit dark. Break out the highpasses and lowmid cuts! Unleash them!

 

[banjo71]

Thanks guys for your input. The original mix was too dark. I haven't worked on the bass thing yet, but I'm hoping her vocal is less boxy and the whole mix is "unleashed" a bit better.

Peg's voice - cut some low mids out
Overall mix - put high pass filter on, cut some low mids out, raised ~8k a hair
Overall mix - I also brought down the master delay which thickened it up some too much

Wayfaring Stranger - Banjo Hangout Jukebox

 

[dobro]

I EQ each source individually - it's necessary in order to get exactly the right amount of low end removed - I don't EQ on the master buss much these days.

Yeah, this mix is much better. Try bringing the banjo up just a t-a-s-t-e. It's a great part - I'd like to hear it coming through just a bit better. If you do that, and the peaks are spiking a bit, you can gently compress the part. The vocal is obviously the focus, but I think you can mix the banjo as a secondary focus with this one - the banjo changes things up way more than the chugging guitar.

That guit solo can come down a dB or two too.

Great song done well.

 

[Armistice]

I listened the other day but didn't have time to comment but I agree that the whole thing seemed a little dark - haven't listened to the new mix... like dobro said, a bit of high passing on the various tracks might help. Otherwise, nice mix...

 

[rayc]

Nice mix & well played/performed.
Throwing a high pass across the whole mix is pretty drastic but seems to have achieved the desired effect.
Dark for dark business.