Milamber
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Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
Here is song number two. Once again I would really appreciate a review on the mix. I think I did a better job of mixing this song than the last one. The engineer that mastered the last song was generaous enough to give me a few tips on how to do some things correctly. Since I am sending this one off to be mastered too I would like to know what you hear. The ME is very good and picked up on a lot of what was recommended last time. Of course, he couldn't do much with the things that I screwed up but he did a great job with what was given to him. My daughter, Emily's voice has gotten better and now we are starting to work on mic technique. When she sings a verse she likes she starts belting it out without backing away from the mic. Her voice teacher calls it the Doris Day effect, I thought that was hillarious. I put a copy of the song up at soundclick again. Here is the URL: http://www.soundclick.com...ault.cfm?bandID=946002 Thank you for your help!
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Tap
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/05/17 11:33:35
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☄ Helpful
Nice song... I like her vocals, but that guitar / accordian is crowding the same sonic space with the vocals. The whole song concept is really very neat. I like the percussion, it drives the song well. Thanks for sharing this. I like the concept of the Doris Day technique. 
MC4 - M-Audio FW410 / Behringer UCA202 - Fender Strat / Jazzmaster / DuoSonic / Washburn / Peavy Foundation M-Audio Radium 49 Roland Juno 106 / JazzChorus / Seymore Duncan Convertible - HP A1230N ( AMD Athalon 3800+ 2G Ram + 200G HD ) http://soundclick.com/cut2thechaise
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Milamber
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/05/17 21:25:54
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Tap, thanks for the feedback. It's not an accordian, however, I can appreciate the comment coming from a guitarist (I just hazarded (is that a word) a guess on that). I used to feel the same way about electronic drums when I heard them. I am interested in the comment on crowding the sonic space. My ears aren't as good as they used to be so maybe you could shed some light on that. When I listen to the song I can hear pretty clear separation of the different instruments including the vocal. Is there something I should be listening for in terms of note overlap? Maybe a specific part in the song? Sorry man just trying to noodle this one out.
Thanks Again!
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Slow Marching Band
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/05/20 12:13:29
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I like the song and a good voice too! I would suggest panning the guitar a little off-center and take it down in volume slightly. It does interfere in spots with the vox, but only during certain passages. Good, upbeat tune.
Larry
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droddey
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/05/20 15:28:50
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Nice tune, and she definitely has promise for the kind of quirky and slightly sarcastic type of stuff that tends to do well with that younger crowd, and I like it myself though sadly not being nearly younger anymore. I like this tune. I agree the voice could have a little more space, but I'm not sure I'd want to be really out front. For this type of music, I think that a slightly buried vocal is not a bad thing.
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jedipunk
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/05/21 03:47:16
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I think these are great songs, but the electronic feel to the vocals for me doesn't do too much, if it sounded much more natural it would be much more appealing, don't know it you are using v-vocal, or melodine or something like that, but I think all together the song songs pretty good, and they have a great feel about them, thank for sharing and cant wait too hear more songs. Cheers
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No How
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/05/21 09:37:16
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I liked it. SHe's good. Guitars are really nice. I love those little breaks where they stand out. I think the mix sounds good (super compressed)...but the lead guitar over the melody was a bit grating at times.
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Milamber
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/05/23 02:32:59
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Larry,
Thank you for the feedback! That is helpful I will try your suggestion and see what I get. I am still working on my mix skill (obviously). I would be the first to admit that the guitar is not a strength of mine and appreciate your suggestions to make it better. By the way I have been listening to your stuff for the last year or so and really enjoy it. The quality of your work is incredible.
- Ken Q.
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Milamber
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/05/23 02:42:27
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Dean,
I appreciate your comment. I am not of the younger crowd either. Your comment regarding space for the voice seems to be consistent (that it needs more space). I have played it for several friends on other forums and have received similar feedback.
I am not sure if sarcasm comes close to this generation of musician. I don't think that they think it's sarcasm, she has about 8 other songs in the works and some of them have had to be how shall I say edited if you know what I mean.
- Ken Q.
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Milamber
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/05/23 02:54:07
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Jason,
Our first song I just plane screwed up. No excuses other than no real experience mixing. This new one, however, I can't explain unless I just plain over compressed the vox. I didn't have to use any vocal tuning, but all the chorus's were double tracked. In any case I will pass along your comments to the engineer. Thank you for your feedback!
- Ken Q.
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Milamber
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/05/23 02:57:16
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No How,
10x4.
Hey, where are the Boogie-Woogie Isles?...:)
Thank You!
-Ken Q.
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Milamber
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/07/05 15:52:03
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I wanted to let everyone that did a review of the new song "Better Off Alone" that the final is up on Soundclick now. I did some re-arranging of the instruments, and after a complete re-write of a pizzicato violin piece that I used I just decided to remove it all together. The ME cleaned up the sound quite a bit and just did an incredible job with the mix. Needless to say we are very happy with this song and how it turned out. If any of you live in the Dallas area Emily will be performing this Saturday at 1:00pm at "The House of Blues". She is only doing two songs but this venue is brand new for her and we want to see how it goes. I really appreciate your feedback and can't wait to get the next song done...Thank You!
-Ken Q.
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jhaugh
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/07/05 17:20:20
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Watch out Mylie. If you're gonna send this to be mastered, I would turn down the compression at this stage. It squashed the vocals into the band. The crash cymbals are clipped - that also might be from the compressor. Her voice is so cute, it should be more on top in the chorus parts.
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mgh
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/07/06 10:24:07
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Hey Ken
very good singer and cute little pop-rock tune, in that style which the Yanks love so much! i agree with the mix, it's far too hot. when you are finished tracking, aim to get the soundcard out buss around -3dB at its peak, this means turn it down! for example, i normally have the faders around -20 on the soundcard buss when i'm finished, cos it's so hot coming from the master buss. this avoids that horrible digital clipping you have here on the cymbals, and means you can increase the volume a lot in the mastering stage, especially if a 3rd party is doing that. right now, there will be nothing the ME can do, and you'd be wasting your money.
anyhow, what the vocals are cool, the guitar could be a better by being panned away from the vocals (generally you want vocals, bass, kick and any solo instruments in the middle, and everything else panned), you could run them thru an amp sim or use a bit of verb/delay/phaser to taste.
it's about 75% there, and if the mastering will be done by someone else, then that'll be 90%! what i would do is send a mix like you have, but also send some stems, so just the vocals, then just the guitars, then just the bass/drums, for example, this will give the ME more scope to fine-tune your song. Just my two-pennorth, and keep 'em coming! your duaghter has a lot of talent!
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Milamber
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/08/08 21:52:46
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mgh,
Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it! I think the song is getting some traction on our Soundclick site now. I Totally agree with you on the guitar, that's a personal failing I am working hard to correct.
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peggysuechan
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Re:Better Off Alone - New Song Feedback Please
2010/08/10 20:08:40
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The voice had a good ambiance, something I find hard to do with my own recordings. Her voice sounds at it's best when she's belting it out with instruments backing. I listened to her next song, "What You are to Me," and noticed this.
If I'm practicing a sin, I'm going to Hell. If I'm obeying Jesus, I'm going to Heaven. SusieChan.com
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