Yes, it's Country time again..

chuckduffy

Well-known member
This is a cover of an old Ricky Nelson track in my patented goofy faux country style. I could sure use some ears and advice cause it is driving me batty. You guys were a big help with my synth and garage rock crap, so why not country :-)

Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions whatever would be most welcome. I already tried half a dozen times to recut the lead vocal. I realize its pitchy, but all my vocals are, and I couldn't get a substantially better take. Dropbox link below.

THANKS!

EDIT 04/30/2013 - I posted the initial version with SERIOUSLY screwed up BG vocals, so I uploaded a new version.

MIX 2


EDIT 05/05/2013 - Made a bunch of changes over the past week. Primarily got rid of the horrible maximizer (live and learn) that was making everything harsh and in face. Adjusted bass levels and slight EQ, Raised BG Vocals A TON. Panned the Lead a little more right. Smoothed out the rhythm guitars a little, took the stupid drastic scoop out of the acoustics.

MIX 7
 
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Perfect timing! I was just about to wrap up my reviewing for the evening, but now I get this.

That lead guitar line is just awesome...plenty of verb and tremolo I guess, but it's so full and round sounding. Cool.

I really like it. I think the vocal track should come up some. It doesn't have to be super in yer face or anything, but can it come forward a little? I like the soft snare sound for this. I get the plucky part of the bass guitar sound clearly, but maybe it could use a little more fullness to anchor everything a little more? I dunno - just some initial impressions. The mix has the right kind of airy atmosphere to it for this. I'm on my 3rd time through already. Thanks.
 
cool.

Not so sure if vocals come up or guitars come down a little. I'd like ot hear more vox, especially the BGV's and I think lowering the rhythm guits a little will help bring them out without disturbing the balance with everything else.

Nice voice, I didn't notice any pitchiness.

Thanks for sharing.
 
I'm gonna go with Chili on this. Maybe back off the rythym guitars a tad, i do think it will let the vocals stand up a little more. All and all, sounds very good. Nice work!!
 
Thanks Heat! The lead is my standard Gretsch/Ampeg thingy. I did add a hard panned plate verb in the daw this time. Normally I just use the verb and tremolo from the amp. I realized I had uploaded a version with seriously fubar BG vocals. I did add a 3db bump @ 90 on the bass based on your comment. I didn't use any compression @ all on the bass, so I will probably go there next if this doesn't fatten it up enough. I will not live with wimpy bass :-)

I will try to figure out what to do with the vocal levels now that I have the BG sorted out.


Perfect timing! I was just about to wrap up my reviewing for the evening, but now I get this.

That lead guitar line is just awesome...plenty of verb and tremolo I guess, but it's so full and round sounding. Cool.

I really like it. I think the vocal track should come up some. It doesn't have to be super in yer face or anything, but can it come forward a little? I like the soft snare sound for this. I get the plucky part of the bass guitar sound clearly, but maybe it could use a little more fullness to anchor everything a little more? I dunno - just some initial impressions. The mix has the right kind of airy atmosphere to it for this. I'm on my 3rd time through already. Thanks.
 
I'm gonna go with Chili on this. Maybe back off the rythym guitars a tad, i do think it will let the vocals stand up a little more. All and all, sounds very good. Nice work!!

Yeah - I find it impossible to get vocal levels right :-) When you guys are talking rhythm - do you mean the acoustics or the electrics or both. I have two acoustics, one left and one right. Two electrics, one left playing the stabby kinda chords with a pick, the other right with a finger picked part.
 
do you mean the acoustics or the electrics or both.

Yes and yes and yes. But actually, listening to it again, maybe just bring up the all the vocal tracks a little; lead and bgv's. I would leave bass and drums alone and the other low level stuff. Try to find a better balance with vox and rhythm guitars where the vox is more prominent than the guitars.

I think it's really close to a nice mix. You're squeakin out the last few millimeters here. :)
 
Fuck, that twangabilly lead guitar tone is sweet. Well done there. I'd listen to a whole song of just that guitar sound. I think the mix is pretty good. I have no problem with the vocal level, but I'd like more backups.

Just for shits and authenticity, give this a mono mix treatment and see how it sounds.
 
I do love me a country cover.
I think we should start this thing up again. I did a few a while back and you've sorta got me tempted again.

+1 on the guitar tone. Just fits perfectly. Really enjoyed the listen. :)
 
Man my bass change was total fail. I did a car listen and the low notes totally bloom and get incoherent with that boost. I will have to tackle it another way :-(
Thanks Heat! The lead is my standard Gretsch/Ampeg thingy. I did add a hard panned plate verb in the daw this time. Normally I just use the verb and tremolo from the amp. I realized I had uploaded a version with seriously fubar BG vocals. I did add a 3db bump @ 90 on the bass based on your comment. I didn't use any compression @ all on the bass, so I will probably go there next if this doesn't
fatten it up enough. I will not live with wimpy bass :-)

I will try to figure out what to do with the vocal levels now that I have the BG sorted out.
 
Man my bass change was total fail. I did a car listen and the low notes totally bloom and get incoherent with that boost. I will have to tackle it another way :-(

Sorry. I think I was the only one with the bass comment, so maybe I was wrong?

3dbs sounds a little much way down there though, unless it was a really narrow Q filling in some gap that you found in the bass tone...

Did you try the sweeping trick? You set the boost to maximum, set the Q as narrow as possible and sweep back and forth listening for either an overwhelming/offensive tone to cut, or a nice one to boost.

I guess that's kind of basic, but I'm just starting to get good at that myself, so I thought I'd throw it in there.
 
It was weird cause I haven't had that problem in AGES. I had been able to detect those blooms/incoherent stuff really easily with my sub. I took a look and it looks like I accidently bumped the sub volume knob down on my controller :-) I need to glue it in place.... First I'm gonna re-adjust my sub until I get the same bloom I got in the car. Then go from there.

Sorry. I think I was the only one with the bass comment, so maybe I was wrong?

3dbs sounds a little much way down there though, unless it was a really narrow Q filling in some gap that you found in the bass tone...

Did you try the sweeping trick? You set the boost to maximum, set the Q as narrow as possible and sweep back and forth listening for either an overwhelming/offensive tone to cut, or a nice one to boost.

I guess that's kind of basic, but I'm just starting to get good at that myself, so I thought I'd throw it in there.
 
Fuck, that twangabilly lead guitar tone is sweet. Well done there. I'd listen to a whole song of just that guitar sound. I think the mix is pretty good. I have no problem with the vocal level, but I'd like more backups.

Just for shits and authenticity, give this a mono mix treatment and see how it sounds.

Thanks Greg! I love that guitar tone. I got the part recorded in a few minutes, then sat and played along with the song for about an hour lol. I criminally f'd up the backup vocals (dropped them in 3 beats off!), and corrected that and re-uploaded the track.

I still got to get the levels right for the backups cause there are some bits in there I think are cool that can't even be heard right now.

Playing around with a mono mix is a cool idea. It also reminded me that I didn't even check this mix once with the mono button on my controller, something I normally do looking for funny business in levels.
 
I do love me a country cover.
I think we should start this thing up again. I did a few a while back and you've sorta got me tempted again.

+1 on the guitar tone. Just fits perfectly. Really enjoyed the listen. :)

Thanks Steener! I am gonna take another pass at getting the BG vocals to the right level, but I am liking the way this one is coming out.
 
Very nice - yep - lovely solo tone.
I like it - bass sounded fine in my headphones with a mix of definition and bottom end.= - I usually start with the Motwon bass thing -3 @ 100 & + 4 @200 both with narrowish Q and then see what I need from there - with the overlayed/overly layered stuff I do I usually have to add some definition a 3Khz but yours sounds JUST FINE!
 
Plenty of really nice tones going on in this one chuck. Love the fullness of the guitar sounds and those backing vocals seem like they're going to be nice and lush once you get your levels sorted. I didn't hear any problems with the bass tone or definition either.

Looking forward to hearing your updateds mix.
 
Nice. The BGVs make a lot more sense now!

Haha - um yeah, I can't believe I got them so boneheaded wrong :-) I'm playing with the levels, creeping them up mix over mix. I'm SOOOO not used to any kind of BGV going on while I'm singing, which is throwing me off mix wise. I think I will get there lol
 
Very nice - yep - lovely solo tone.
I like it - bass sounded fine in my headphones with a mix of definition and bottom end.= - I usually start with the Motwon bass thing -3 @ 100 & + 4 @200 both with narrowish Q and then see what I need from there - with the overlayed/overly layered stuff I do I usually have to add some definition a 3Khz but yours sounds JUST FINE!

Thanks Ray. I noticed that the bass is nice in all the headphones I have, including my daughters dreaded BEATS BY DR DRE lol . But it was blooming bad on the car speakers on the low notes. I had read the Motown thing a while back, but it got buried in the sands of time. I gotta try that on a track some time soon. Thanks for checking it out!
 
Plenty of really nice tones going on in this one chuck. Love the fullness of the guitar sounds and those backing vocals seem like they're going to be nice and lush once you get your levels sorted. I didn't hear any problems with the bass tone or definition either.

Looking forward to hearing your updateds mix.

Hey thanks for checking it out Rob! I think I am closing in on a mix. I was gonna post last night, but I heard some dreaded clicking in my HD and literally RAN TO THE STORE and got a new drive and cloned it. Also picked up a 3 TB external for backup. I can't believe I actually am a seasoned IT professional of over 25 years and I had NO BACKUP even though I had lost entire albums in the past. WHOO!!
 
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