Walkin' Around

grn

grn

Well-known member
I've been posting songs from my upcoming record for mix advice recently, but this one is from a band I just joined. I did write, sing and play on this one too though. It's been awhile since I've worked with a band in this capacity so I'd really appreciate any feedback you might have. It's alternative pop rock with a bluesy twist. I'm particularly interested in hearing if the low end on the bridge is too muddy and any critique of the vocal. I'm trying to get this radio ready.

Here's a DropBox link, but I attached it to this post as well:



View attachment 4 June 2017 - Walkin Around (rough mix).mp3
 
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Just gonna bump this thread one last time to see if anybody has any advice before I call it done. Thanks in advance!
 
Sorry for the lack of response. I will give a listen this evening. Props for commenting on other mixes.
 
Nice retro style. What is that called, like 50s/rockabilly? Sounds very early rock and roll.
The vocal clarity is so good. It sounds like a little reverb on it yet so clear. The only issue is the vocal gets a little louder at times, lead guitar can come up like 1db. Otherwise I think this is a perfect mix, and it's a shame nobody commented on it.
 
You posted your song and proceeded to bury it yourself into the middle of the pack. Mix sounds great to me, though i'm not a fan of the drums they sound obviously fake which clashes pretty harshly with the vibe of the tune. Vocals sound great and well performed-guitars sound very good. Bass sounds good. Really it's only the drums-and specifically the cymbals that sound less than perfect. There's a cymbal hit in the last 10 seconds of the song that seems to distort...The ride in the first verse sounds a little out front to me and again during the choruses...that drum riff right before the guitar solo sounds a little funky-theres either an off time hit or just seems like something a drummer would not play...The song, arrangement and performances are all excellent just something about the drums....
 
I like it. A couple of things. First, the low end is weak. The bass is not very audible, while the hi hats are driving your beat rather than the kick and snare. Unless that's the effect you are looking for, I'd bring up the bass, kick and snare and roll the hats down. Second, the vocal is not sitting in the mix. It's quite loud by comparison to the backing tracks. Maybe drop the vocal level a little or bring everything else up. Not by much. You want the vocals forward and lyrics audible, as they are. But the voice could use more support. If you are interested in performance suggestions, there are places where the vocal isn't quite nailing your melody. It is suggesting a melody. I can get a sense of what you wanted the melody to be. But the vocal isn't quite on it. First few lines are a good example. Maybe it's an issue for you, maybe not.
 
While I think everything is clear and pretty....there is little-to-no low end. I would like to hear more driving from the bass and the kick. Cool song otherwise.
 
I liked the rhythm guitar sound. Lead/male vocal is very clear. There is a hint of pointy-ness. Maybe a slight EQ notch around 2500hz or so. Liked the lead guitar tone.

The female vox sound detached from the rest of the mix. Sounds like it's in a different space and there some sort of strange processing on it. Like a distorted-chrousy sound.

The low end isn't muddy in the bridge or anywhere else. There is very little low end at all. I think it needs to be beefed up.

Drums sound excellent. The open hat's get a little dominating. But overall the drums are very good.
 
Gave this a listen the other night, cool song. Performance wise, all is good. The mix is pretty close to being done. Everything is clear and has their own space. I'll echo the comments about lack of low end. I can hear the kick and bass, but they are on the weak side. Bringing them just a little would help a lot.

Nice retro groove. :)
 
Is this better?

I took all of your suggestions and combined them. There is a lot more low end as far as bass and kick go, but of course the more low end you add the more of a balancing act it is. Hopefully this sounds better.

View attachment 9 June 2017 - Walkin Around_mixdown (2).mp3

Nola said:
Nice retro style. What is that called, like 50s/rockabilly? Sounds very early rock and roll.
The vocal clarity is so good. It sounds like a little reverb on it yet so clear. The only issue is the vocal gets a little louder at times, lead guitar can come up like 1db. Otherwise I think this is a perfect mix, and it's a shame nobody commented on it.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't call this 50s or rockabilly. Maybe if there was more delay and an upright bass? That beginning riff is more based on blues than anything else, but it's just C and G and the rhythm when it comes to switching them is definitely weird. Maybe it's just an early rock and roll sound like you said. Anyway, I took the lead vocal down a touch compared to the rest of the mix. I also brought the lead guitar up about 1 dB.

Stratomaster said:
Mix sounds great to me, though i'm not a fan of the drums they sound obviously fake which clashes pretty harshly with the vibe of the tune. Vocals sound great and well performed-guitars sound very good. Bass sounds good. Really it's only the drums-and specifically the cymbals that sound less than perfect. There's a cymbal hit in the last 10 seconds of the song that seems to distort...The ride in the first verse sounds a little out front to me and again during the choruses...that drum riff right before the guitar solo sounds a little funky-theres either an off time hit or just seems like something a drummer would not play...The song, arrangement and performances are all excellent just something about the drums....
Click to expand...

I took the cymbals and ride down a little. The drums are triggered from an electronic kit - I kept the timing and the velocity hits of the drummer and the samples are from a real kit, so hopefully these small adjustments help make them sound more realistic.

Robus said:
I like it. A couple of things. First, the low end is weak. The bass is not very audible, while the hi hats are driving your beat rather than the kick and snare. Unless that's the effect you are looking for, I'd bring up the bass, kick and snare and roll the hats down. Second, the vocal is not sitting in the mix. It's quite loud by comparison to the backing tracks. Maybe drop the vocal level a little or bring everything else up. Not by much. You want the vocals forward and lyrics audible, as they are. But the voice could use more support. If you are interested in performance suggestions, there are places where the vocal isn't quite nailing your melody. It is suggesting a melody. I can get a sense of what you wanted the melody to be. But the vocal isn't quite on it. First few lines are a good example. Maybe it's an issue for you, maybe not.
Click to expand...

I boosted the low end as well as the kick and snare. I brought up the bass and rolled the hats down. I also compressed the vocal a little more. The suggestive nature of the melody is spot on and that's what I was going for. I wanted the feel and imperfections of a one take performance for this style of song.

TripleM said:
I liked the rhythm guitar sound. Lead/male vocal is very clear. There is a hint of pointy-ness. Maybe a slight EQ notch around 2500hz or so. Liked the lead guitar tone.

The female vox sound detached from the rest of the mix. Sounds like it's in a different space and there some sort of strange processing on it. Like a distorted-chrousy sound.

The low end isn't muddy in the bridge or anywhere else. There is very little low end at all. I think it needs to be beefed up.

Drums sound excellent. The open hat's get a little dominating. But overall the drums are very good.
Click to expand...

I tried to get rid of some "pointy-ness", but not too much. I kind of wanted a John Lennon vocal sound like on Hard Day's Night, but without double tracking for this band. There are no female vocals - that's all me singing falsetto and there is no different processing on it at all so I'm not sure what to do about that. I specifically made sure I got those "la la la" choruses in one take for the whole phrase. It's can be really difficult to jump from a low note to a high note so maybe that's why it sounds weird?
 
Fun song. I like the way the instruments come in. Nice tight unison downbeats - the mix balance there is really good IMO.

Like the guitar tones and the reverb on the guitar solo.

Drums aren't quantized? Some of the fills sound kinda like something someone would program but not natural. Like the one at 1:20. It's a cool fill that takes some skill, but you guys are doing a swing rhythm and he's doing a fast 32nd. The 32nd doesn't swing so it's a little out of place. Fills on swing songs are bastards for this reason.

Nice job! And thanks for commenting on other people's tunes also. Very cool.
 
ibleedburgundy said:
Fun song. I like the way the instruments come in. Nice tight unison downbeats - the mix balance there is really good IMO.

Like the guitar tones and the reverb on the guitar solo.

Drums aren't quantized? Some of the fills sound kinda like something someone would program but not natural. Like the one at 1:20. It's a cool fill that takes some skill, but you guys are doing a swing rhythm and he's doing a fast 32nd. The 32nd doesn't swing so it's a little out of place. Fills on swing songs are bastards for this reason.

Nice job! And thanks for commenting on other people's tunes also. Very cool.
Click to expand...

Thanks. That's all just the drummer - I think I only lined up one kick and snare hit on the intro and that was manual. Honestly the complex drumming throws me off sometimes live as I come from more of a pop and rock background, but this is just for fun more than anything else. But yeah I didn't quantize at all, he's classically trained and has done a lot of jazz.

I'm surprised actually because there are a ton of loose spots on the rhythm, but I guess everyone playing together masks that? When I solo the drum and bass the timing is all over the place. I did take one more stab at making them sound more natural though with a few more tricks I forgot about.

View attachment 10 June 2017 - Walkin Around_mixdown.mp3
 
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