K
K-dub
Well-known member
All comments are warmly welcome about anything that strikes you.
Best,
Kev-
Best,
Kev-
K
K-dub
Well-known member
My biggest concern is whether it sounds too compressed ... any thoughts?
K
K-dub
Well-known member
Yes, I have one. It was too compressed ... and although I repeatedly tell myself to never trust a headphone mix, I keep forgetting my own advice and fucking myself with my own laziness.
Final mix is now on the link above (and yes, I used the monitors this time).
Thanks for maintaining a respectful silence and not pointing out how obviously stupid I can be.
Best,
Kev-
Final mix is now on the link above (and yes, I used the monitors this time).
Thanks for maintaining a respectful silence and not pointing out how obviously stupid I can be.
Best,
Kev-
rayc
retroreprobate
It's still a little too compressed for my tastes. The crash cymbal seems to be a bit harsh as a result.
Things seem fine except when it gets too busy or the crash does its thing.
12 hrs isn't unusual for a minimal or nil response.
Take into account time zones etc & the fact the place is flooded with no return, no deposite drifters.
Lovely song by the way.
Things seem fine except when it gets too busy or the crash does its thing.
12 hrs isn't unusual for a minimal or nil response.
Take into account time zones etc & the fact the place is flooded with no return, no deposite drifters.
Lovely song by the way.
K
K-dub
Well-known member
Thanks Ray ... Listening to the crashes, I hear what you mean ... they're on the splashy/grainy side of things. I'll attend. This morning I'm also hearing a tiny bit of low freq muddle going on that I've got to figure where it's coming from. I should be more cautious using the word "final".
I wasn't making comment on the lack of comment. I'm used to and okay with folks just listening and not commenting. Yet being primarily a headphone mix, my first pass had a lot wrong with it, and folks could have easily said, "This kind of sucks" ... but they didn't -- and I thanked them for that.
K
K-dub
Well-known member
New mix is up on the link ...
dobro
Well-known member
Just before I listend to this, I listened to tunes by mixmkr and Greg. I had to turn yours way up. If yours is too compressed, then why did I have to turn it up? If you want it this quiet, you can afford way less compression.
However, I wish that guitar solo was more raw, more out front. Throw in a handful of fresh thyme on it or something. Rosemary. Cumin seed. Something. This one's about emotion. Make the guitar emotional.
I want to hear the vocal more clearly too - it's getting lost behind everything else. I'd bring it up a half a dB and have some serious parallel compression on it. I'd change the space on it - knowing me, I'd probably bring it forward by making the space bigger and the verb/delay shorter. There's something sounding slightly phasey about it, and whatever space you have on it, it puts it behind the keys, which are presently the star of the show.
More presence on guitar and vocal, in other words.
However, I wish that guitar solo was more raw, more out front. Throw in a handful of fresh thyme on it or something. Rosemary. Cumin seed. Something. This one's about emotion. Make the guitar emotional.
I want to hear the vocal more clearly too - it's getting lost behind everything else. I'd bring it up a half a dB and have some serious parallel compression on it. I'd change the space on it - knowing me, I'd probably bring it forward by making the space bigger and the verb/delay shorter. There's something sounding slightly phasey about it, and whatever space you have on it, it puts it behind the keys, which are presently the star of the show.
More presence on guitar and vocal, in other words.
Chili
Site Moderator
I think the piano should be further back in the mix. There's also a fill guitar that seems to come in over everything else. I think drums should be a little more prominent on this one, too. I know it's more of a ballad, but I think it would work better.
As always, performance and songwriting are excellent.
As always, performance and songwriting are excellent.
K
K-dub
Well-known member
When I was mixing, Chili, I thought that a "certain something" was missing ... and I found it by bringing the drums more forward. The point being your point is well taken. Thanks for the thoughts.
K
K-dub
Well-known member
I've got some subtle effects on the vocal, P, that are causing that ever so slight phase. I'm not certain if they're appropriate. Drying a vocal makes it more intimate and gives it more stand out presence in a mix ... so maybe I'll strip it down and see.
I've got almost zero compression on the main bus -- just a limiter trimming the top of the peaks ... and in viewing the results, there's only 1db of headroom being occassionally lopped off. Good comment on the comparison.
The guitar is probably too low, but part of the challenge is that the background swells at the end -- and what is being played sort of plays into the swell -- so it becomes less lead-ish, more rhythmic ... but I'll massage it a bit and see if I can make it more distinctive.
Thanks P!
T
TripleM
Well-known member
I never heard the first version, but I think the keyboard is still too compressed in this version. It's sharing a lot of 2k-5k space with the vocal. And the keyboard is winning. I think you should resolve that in favor of the vocal.
Now that I listen further, I think the whole mix is a bit too compressed.
Does the guitar on the right hit a bum note at 3:08 and again at 3:18? Seems flat to me. Happened again at 3:27.
Now that I listen further, I think the whole mix is a bit too compressed.
Does the guitar on the right hit a bum note at 3:08 and again at 3:18? Seems flat to me. Happened again at 3:27.
J
justinwhite
New member
nice song didn't hear it before you took back some of the compression. not that i know anything but seems to me the vocals need to cut through a bit more
good song
good song
K
K-dub
Well-known member
The most common points from all appear to be the vocals/lead guitar/drums/piano are all stepping a bit on each other ... so here's what I did:
I first brought all the levels of the individual tracks back 9 db. I was running everything a little too hot. I then reduced the compression on the individual tracks of the drum and the vocal, yet brought the track levels up. I thinned the piano sound so that it wasn't competing w/ the vocal so much in the same frequence range. I eq'd the vocal slightly differently to give it more cream. Finally ... now that the individual track levels weren't running as hot as before, I raised the compression ever so slightly on the two bus to bind it all a little more.
The result is on the link above -- and I hope I made it better.
I first brought all the levels of the individual tracks back 9 db. I was running everything a little too hot. I then reduced the compression on the individual tracks of the drum and the vocal, yet brought the track levels up. I thinned the piano sound so that it wasn't competing w/ the vocal so much in the same frequence range. I eq'd the vocal slightly differently to give it more cream. Finally ... now that the individual track levels weren't running as hot as before, I raised the compression ever so slightly on the two bus to bind it all a little more.
The result is on the link above -- and I hope I made it better.
T
TripleM
Well-known member
Sounds much better. Ear fatigue is gone.
There is that guitar on the right side that plays a simple lead lick every once in a while. I swear it has a string out of tune. I didn't read to see if anyone else pointed it out. But it really sticks out to me.
But that's it to me.
No wait... The thunder crash is too abrupt. Can you bring its volume up real quickly and have it still sound natural? Like fade it in over a half-second? Pretty picky I know.
There is that guitar on the right side that plays a simple lead lick every once in a while. I swear it has a string out of tune. I didn't read to see if anyone else pointed it out. But it really sticks out to me.
But that's it to me.
No wait... The thunder crash is too abrupt. Can you bring its volume up real quickly and have it still sound natural? Like fade it in over a half-second? Pretty picky I know.
K
K-dub
Well-known member
Dobro questioned whether it was out of tune over on RP ... so I isolated them to check -- and it is all bend-y and such, but although I found a couple off spots, most of it didn't sound off to my ears. What I didn't do is check the tonality in one of the "auto-tuning" programs. I should probably follow that up. I trust your ears better than mine. I'm the one playing the part and my guitar chops are "less than accurate".
mixmkr
we don't need rest!!
take this from where it's coming from...but your tunes are like mine, in that the drummer seems to be the best player and the most "precise"... yeah...I use the same drummer, you know that. But it kinda stands out with this listen for some reason. I think the fact that the drum kit is panned from extreme left to right and sounds great makes it stand out all that much more, and gets the "primo treatment"... and I don't think that's your intention at all. Have a couple glasses of wine and think about what I'm saying. ;-? Stepping back a couple of steps to listen as a listener, but got distracted.
PDP
There once was a note
Whatever mix is up now sounds fine to me, real nice tune, some very cool chord changes and arranging.
Great work, enjoyed the listen.
Great work, enjoyed the listen.
K
K-dub
Well-known member
You and Paul were absolutely right Trip. I must have been suffering from "skip in the record" syndrome. The guitars were ever so slightly off. They have been fixed.
I'm trying to upload the updated file now, but Soundcloud is being persnickety. I'll keep trying until I get it to go through.
I know I've said it a thousand times before, but you guys have great ears.
K
K-dub
Well-known member
Corrected mix took this morning ... and is now on the link in first post.