What do you think?

Vocals sound kind of muffled. Until that weird effect comes in - then they sound over processed.

Drums and bass are way too low.
 
Whatever you've done to the vocal ruins it for me. Sounds like badly applied autotune on just about every note. The volume control needs serious attention too, popping in and out a fair bit as far as I listened. Vocal got on my nerves too much to spin it all the way through, sorry...
 
Yeah, this is really heavily processed in a strange way.

I can't be sure, but it sounds like the actual tracks and the performance could be ok, but I'd recommend you strip all of those layers of whatever has been added and start over with something more subtle.

If you like that effect on the voice for example, you could try keeping it, but maybe adjust the level to just 10-20% of what it is now. It is overpowering. The backing tracks as a whole are muffled and lack definition. I'm thinking you could do something with these tracks that you'd be much happier with. Keep at it.
 
Okay now tell me what you think of the edited version please! I tried to make all the effects less subtle....what I had done before was double the vocal track and move one of the two a smidgeon behond the other so as to create a thicker sounding vocal. But all that came out of that was "over-processing" I suppose. I also tried to raise the volume of the backing tracks, and kinda fill everything in around the vocal. Any feedback on the new version is appreciated!
 
Take 4 is better vocally. More natural, although a couple more takes will be needed to comp a better vocal imo. Way too pitchy in spots. Also some timing issues. Another issue I hear is the battle between lead guitar and lead vocal. Either has got to give some up. They should have more of a complementary relationship, working off each other. Probably not layered together so much.
 
Acoustic - too much reverb. Mids seem to be missing.

Vocals - bad effects, then they get really loud when everything comes in. Volume is all over the place.

Electrics - too much reverb too...maybe too many parts too...it gets really busy.


Before getting too deep into the mix you need to get all that reverb off, all those effects need to go and start the mixing process over again.

Arrangement is too busy and nothing really stands out...it's just a bunch of mush.

I'd go back to the raw unmixed sounds and figure out the key parts of the arrangement and get rid of some distracting stuff. Then I'd mix from the ground up (kick and bass, add some rhythm guitars, add vocals, add leads etc...) and see how it sounds with no effects. Maybe then post it again for some critiques and you'll have a better idea of where to mix from there.
 
whoops my first post was listening to the original.

but i stand by all of what i said minus 25%.

still a very indistinct mix...also i noticed the vocal performance was a little off on timing and pitch in a few places. Bass needs to get tighter with the kick and overall rhythm. electric guitars are way too overdriven.

There are also a few things that sound like someone bumped the mic, and there don't appear to be any fades when instruments come in and out.

this is a classic example of what most of us do with our first few mixes. all the bells and whistles in a DAW are fun, but, man they get abused and overused.

mix it with NO EFFECTS, NO PLUGINS and post it, I'd be interested to hear.
 
I thought the singer had a nice voice. But there are pitch problems here and there.

I'm noticing timing problems too.

Guitar tone was OK. I thought the distorted guitar on the left had a little too much gain.

The lead guitar is buried. The snare was buried too. Cymbals sound kind of washy and indistinct.

I thought the reverb was too heavy.
 
Effects city-not sure they really help-some of the echo tails seem to be out of time, the rhythm of the vocal phrasing is off. Sounds like some more pre-production would have been good to get the vocal melody and phrasing into shape. I like the singers voice and the voice sounds recorded well though. There's a good song here somewhere, but if you're going to record a song with vocals, they gotta be the star of the show, here they are loud enough but it's just accenting the phrasing issues. The drums are kinda buried and the bass is not very defined as far as the mix goes imo.

Strat
 
Ok so I've gone back and redone some of the mixing...
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Actually, the singer is a friend of mine who wanted to try recording a song or two, and so I went along. Like I said, I'm very new to the ballgame, about 4 months maybe in my free time? I really appreciate all the feedback I'm getting. Thanks again everybody!

So anyways, I brought the snare drum up a little more. For the bass, since I don't own a bass guitar I was using MIDI, I can't seem to refine what I've got without making it sound choppy and not-bass like. Any suggestions there?

Tom
 
Sounds a lot better without the effects on there. Tuning of the vocal is off and the choppy guitar riff in the chorus makes it tough to follow. Could be a really great tune I think with some more work. If possible try with less busy lead parts and straight strumming in the chorus. The timing needs to be super tight for that choppy thing to work and it isn't quite there. I like most of the sounds and the singer sounds good and well recorded so you are on the right track.
 
In short, the vocal was recorded with a soft headphone mix (I can tell because of how you're singing), the vocal is too loud, the vocal dynamic and compression isn't managed, and there are timing issues throughout the song. Use your daw's time stretcher (I use Sonar, but I think most of them have it now), and re-track the vocal with the music louder and you softer.
 
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