Reworked version of "When The Rain Comes Down" - getting better??

[bigmahon]

Hi gang,

Many thanks to those of you who commented on the previous version of this song. I have incorporated many of your suggestions.

Was hoping I could get some feedback on this new version, which is almost entirely retracked and redone. Added some new guitar parts, and tightened everything up (I think ). Am I on the right track here?

Thanks in advance!

When The Rain Comes Down (new version)

Chris

 

[XLR]

It's a great vocal, articulate and expressive steel string and nylon gtr playing, beautiful vocal harmonies, and cool songwriting. The performance is so good I can't figure out why you've processed it so intensely that it sounds hyper compressed and artificial, given that this is acoustic music. I'd love to hear a natural sounding version of this.

 

[Nate74]

Awesome song! Really dig it, but I have to echo TL. I'd kill to hear the tracks with just a touch of 'verb and see what they started as. I bet their INCREDIBLE!

 

[ido1957]

Tim has a good point, this is an excellent piece.

I can see where you're going with this and it may have a bit more compression than I would apply, it's probably approaching today's radio standard...

I love the telephone effect ever since I heard the Beatles use it....

I vote thumbs up for this (with maybe a tad less compression).....

 

[bigmahon]

It's a great vocal, articulate and expressive steel string and nylon gtr playing, beautiful vocal harmonies, and cool songwriting. The performance is so good I can't figure out why you've processed it so intensely that it sounds hyper compressed and artificial, given that this is acoustic music. I'd love to hear a natural sounding version of this.

Tim, point taken. I plan to dry the vocals out even more. I have a problem with the way I hear my voice.

 

[bigmahon]

Awesome song! Really dig it, but I have to echo TL. I'd kill to hear the tracks with just a touch of 'verb and see what they started as. I bet their INCREDIBLE!

Nate, thanks! I really appreciate your feedback.

See comments above regarding the vox.

Cheers,

Chris

 

[bigmahon]

Tim has a good point, this is an excellent piece.

I can see where you're going with this and it may have a bit more compression than I would apply, it's probably approaching today's radio standard...

I love the telephone effect ever since I heard the Beatles use it....

I vote thumbs up for this (with maybe a tad less compression).....

Thanks ido! Always great to hear from you.

I didn't even realize I had achieved the telephone effect though. I have no idea what I'm doing!

Chris

 

[XLR]

Hope you post a mix with the compression taken off everything. It's not just the vocal. In fact, I'd imagine that most vocals benefit from a little broadband compression, but not acoustic gtr IMO.

 

[jpw23]

Nothing to say that has not been said before.....great tune, can't wait to hear a revised version!

 

[Freudian Slip]

Cools song with a good vibe to the mix

F.S.

 

[bigmahon]

OK then, here's the revised version!

Let me know what you think relatively speaking. I have taken everything off of the lead vox. No more fx, eq, compression, nada. Completely naked. Also took the compression off of the master bus, so the mix is dry now too.

Better?

When The Rain Comes Down (new version)

Cheers,

Chris

 

[XLR]

I like it a lot better.

I'd still really like to hear the song done without any effects on the gtrs - but this is nice and the nylon string sounds great. There's also a steel string in there doing some flatpicked bass runs that's really nice too.

What mike and preamp are you using for the vocal?

 

[bigmahon]

Hi Tim,

I thought I took all of the fx off the guitars. Just curious, but where are you hearing this? This is definitely the driest mix I have ever done.

I am using a Rode NT1-A through a Focusrite VoiceMasterPro. I am not happy with my setup for vocals, to be honest. I'm sure I just can figure out how to work the preamp though...

Cheers,

Chris

 

[XLR]

The strummed rhythm gtr sounds to me a bit like a 12-string tracked direct with a chorus and phase effect on it.

Re the vocal, it sounds WAY better without the processing but there's something just slightly odd about the sound - almost like phase cancellation from a stereo widening effect that's been summed to mono or like the mike was sung into way off-axis.

 

[bigmahon]

Hmmm. This one really has me mystified.

Thanks for the input, Tim.

 

[bigmahon]

The strummed rhythm gtr sounds to me a bit like a 12-string tracked direct with a chorus and phase effect on it.

Re the vocal, it sounds WAY better without the processing but there's something just slightly odd about the sound - almost like phase cancellation from a stereo widening effect that's been summed to mono or like the mike was sung into way off-axis.

Tim (or anyone else), I was thinking about what you said above and I have a question. My "technique" for making an mp3 involves first mixing down to a wav file, and then importing that wav onto a track in a new Cubase file. That new track is set up as a stereo track. Would that make a difference in any way? I know I'm really showing my ignorance, but should I set that track up in mono?

Thanks in advance.

Chris

 

[XLR]

Tim (or anyone else), I was thinking about what you said above and I have a question. My "technique" for making an mp3 involves first mixing down to a wav file, and then importing that wav onto a track in a new Cubase file. That new track is set up as a stereo track. Would that make a difference in any way? I know I'm really showing my ignorance, but should I set that track up in mono?

Thanks in advance.

Chris

A stereo exported file would go on a stereo track when brought back in. I suspect the source of the problem lies elsewhere. Can you post an mp3 of 10 seconds of the raw vocal track, alone, as it was initally recorded... no accompaniment, EQ, compression, no anything, just an mp3 conversion of the original vocal wav file?