Struck a Match by Ghosts of 48
- Thread starter BTStudio
- Start date
BTStudio
Active member
Thanks Bulls Hit. Will definitely look at the timing issue. I’ve been feeling like the vocals didn’t quite sit properly in the mix but they are only a scratch track With not too much processing added. We are recording the final tracks tomorrow and I will be looking at your suggestions when mixing them in.
cheers. Guy
cheers. Guy
I like the tune a lot . Very catchy.
What you’ve got there is a decent rough demo. In my opinion it needs a lot of polish to make it great. Drums are all muffled, main guitar could be recorded a lot better, backing guitar doing all the fills is almost invisible.
I’d study some Tom Petty and figure out how they recorded as well as the production. Your tune definitely could be something Petty would have done.
Sorry if my comments seem harsh, but the song has the potential to be a great tune.
Step back, figure out some production aspects then go re-record it.
What you’ve got there is a decent rough demo. In my opinion it needs a lot of polish to make it great. Drums are all muffled, main guitar could be recorded a lot better, backing guitar doing all the fills is almost invisible.
I’d study some Tom Petty and figure out how they recorded as well as the production. Your tune definitely could be something Petty would have done.
Sorry if my comments seem harsh, but the song has the potential to be a great tune.
Step back, figure out some production aspects then go re-record it.
BTStudio
Active member
Picture me curled up in the corner sucking my thumb and calling for my mommy….lol.
I can’t thank you enough for the honest review, and advice, that is both flattering and revealing all at the same time. I am pretty well surrounded by people who are very positive about the music we are making, but I know that it is lacking in places, which is why I joined this forum in the first place. Also I’m pretty happy you picked up on the Petty parallel as that’s what we were going for, so mission accomplished there. And on the plus side we have been upgraded to “decent rough demo” quality of recording. Also in my opinion I think my first post here was better sounding than this latest one. Looks like a band meeting is in order now. Thanks RFR,
Guy
I can’t thank you enough for the honest review, and advice, that is both flattering and revealing all at the same time. I am pretty well surrounded by people who are very positive about the music we are making, but I know that it is lacking in places, which is why I joined this forum in the first place. Also I’m pretty happy you picked up on the Petty parallel as that’s what we were going for, so mission accomplished there. And on the plus side we have been upgraded to “decent rough demo” quality of recording. Also in my opinion I think my first post here was better sounding than this latest one. Looks like a band meeting is in order now. Thanks RFR,
Guy
BTStudio
Active member
Well here’s the update on what happened with Struck a Match.
we had the band meeting and they voted to release it so I spent a few more hours on it and did the following,
took the flab out of the kick,and toms with an eq cut
tightened up the bass with a gate and rounded out its tone with eq
gave the snare a bit more snap with eq
removed excess compression from acoustic guitar which filled out its tone nicer and let’s it breathe a bit better
brought the electric guitar up in the mix
put some reverb on lead vocals and the ride cymbal
did some volume automation to reduce noticeable variations as needed
cut and trimmed and dragged to master track where I adjusted eq a bit and squashed it to get the volume up overall
added a limiter to the master to top off a few cymbal crashes
well anyhow that’s all I can remembe, here it is
we had the band meeting and they voted to release it so I spent a few more hours on it and did the following,
took the flab out of the kick,and toms with an eq cut
tightened up the bass with a gate and rounded out its tone with eq
gave the snare a bit more snap with eq
removed excess compression from acoustic guitar which filled out its tone nicer and let’s it breathe a bit better
brought the electric guitar up in the mix
put some reverb on lead vocals and the ride cymbal
did some volume automation to reduce noticeable variations as needed
cut and trimmed and dragged to master track where I adjusted eq a bit and squashed it to get the volume up overall
added a limiter to the master to top off a few cymbal crashes
well anyhow that’s all I can remembe, here it is
DM60
Well-known member
My two cents, and I am listening on far from reference speakers. But I understand them.
Over all not bad, my nits:
Kick is muffled (I like to notch the bass around 90 to let kick punch through, also need to feel kick hit)
upper area, above 4K-6K, is a bit much on my ears.
Vocals are at the right level, but doesn't seem to hit the pocket. Maybe look at EQing guitars in the vocal range to give the vocals some space.
Not an expert, so take it as you see fit.
Over all not bad, my nits:
Kick is muffled (I like to notch the bass around 90 to let kick punch through, also need to feel kick hit)
upper area, above 4K-6K, is a bit much on my ears.
Vocals are at the right level, but doesn't seem to hit the pocket. Maybe look at EQing guitars in the vocal range to give the vocals some space.
Not an expert, so take it as you see fit.
BTStudio
Active member
Thanks DM60.
I did notch the bass but probably a bit lower than 90.
more than likely guilty of giving a bit too much in the 4-6k zone trying to brighten it up
Its so heavy in the acoustic part just doesn’t stop strumming and definitely collides with vocals but the writer wants that acoustic to be a major part So running out of options there
Guy
I did notch the bass but probably a bit lower than 90.
more than likely guilty of giving a bit too much in the 4-6k zone trying to brighten it up
Its so heavy in the acoustic part just doesn’t stop strumming and definitely collides with vocals but the writer wants that acoustic to be a major part So running out of options there
Guy
Much better.
BTStudio
Active member
Check out my thread West coast newbie for the back story.your mix sounds so small (and it leans left for some reason ???)
here's your mix
View attachment 129375
compared to another acoustic guitar pop tune (america - sister golden hair)
View attachment 129372
i realize we're not all george martin and geoff emerickand we all don't have api and neve consoles laying around... but it doesn't hurt to compare mixes to references
just curious... did this artist pay you?
What plug in or program am I looking at here. I’m surprised it is as close as it seems lol.
Guy
BTStudio
Active member
Hello riffs,nah.
lufs meter and goniometer. you're not familiar with these tools but they're very useful in keeping one from whipping up a mix that sounds tiny and bush-league.
what seems 'close'? your mix isn't even in the same galaxy as the sister golden hair mix.
View attachment 129378
this amount of density and width differential at the same lufs-m is a lot (and that's putting it mildly).
well if you had taken a small amount of time to look at my introduction thread you would have found that I am new to recording, and this forum, and came here to gain experience from those that are much wiser than myself. As you can see this thread we are on now is MP3 mixing clinic where I have posted some music for advice. I have received several comments and advice from users of the forum and I am grateful for they’re comments and helpful suggestions. While you seem to be able to provide large amounts of negative and sarcastic feedback, I’m not seeing any constructive suggestions that may help in my journey. Possibly you are better at complaining than getting in there and fixing things. One thing for sure, after I post this I’m going to tryout the ignore feature that I haven’t had to use until now. I DO have a choice in what kind of people I want to collaborate and be part of the community with,
looking forward to hearing your next perfect #1 hit
lol.