Alice Sweet Alice - The Inevitable - WEDNESDAY "I'm In Love"

OK, I decided to start totally brand new with a new thread and everything. I was having some severe computer problems end of last week, and ended up having to replace my boot drive (C:). My machine was a mess, with frequent dropouts, and my project routing was all screwed up. So the last mix left much to be desired to say the very least! That combined with ear fatigue wasn't a good combo. So here it is:

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7278702

Thanks in advance!!!

I know this needs tweaking, but some fresh ears and superior speakers would be helpful. BTW, if anyone cares, my monitors are Behringer MS40's; they're all I can afford ATM, so keep that in mind when you hear my mixes!

Cheers,

OK!
LOL

Next?!

Just trying to get some technical feedback. "Swirls around like a gnat" doesn't help much.

But thanks for your time.

Again: NEXT?

Ron,

Yeah, you can't please everybody.

So my biggest challenge with this is the lead (SOLO) guitar. In the middle where it gets loud, I am actually using the first take because the second just didn't quite capture the spirit of this first one (as sometimes happens). It's kinda ear bleedy and I'm really focusing on that. I've tried EQ'ing a bit, but I think it needs a bit more. Any suggestions there? I'm just about to give up and just use the new track, but it just doesn't quite have the "oomph" of this one. But I'll get over it if I have to.

I'm also kind of struggling with the vocal level. The BG needs to come down more too, it almost sounds like it's in front now after I've given my ears a rest. I think the drums are sounding OK, and the bass you can hear the attack and there's plenty of bottom end IMO.

I'm also tweaking levels of the synths, so that'll be a little toned down as well. It's a tough balance as it started as a piano song, and then these killer guitars were brought in, and then the synths and, well, you know. So it's been a balancing act.

Thanks again!

ORIGINAL: notnat

Alice Sweet Alice... That's a band right? I've never heard them, but I thought this was very well done... Your vocalist is knocked out...
Great performance...

Thank you my friend!!! That's a huge compliment coming from you. I just loved that bluesy number you posted here recently. I just listened to it today. Was that a stand up bass? Such a nice "breathing" feel you have for that recording. I loved it.

Hey, if you want more info about ASA, click the link in my banner below. We have a snazzy new website.

Thanks for taking the time to listen!!!

LOL! Thanks James' yeah it's a tricky one for sure, and you're right about the guitars. I'm not exactly an EQ'ing genius, and it's a constant struggle for me. I did find today though that boosts in the SOLO part around the 600-800kHz ranges REALLY brought out the crunch and body, and MAN is it sounding good. Other things have been taking parts OUT which is a producer's job, but not one I take kindly to as a musician! However, I learned long ago, sometimes it's better to start stripping down, then to keep jacking up the volume.

I'm just about ready to post an edited version. The guitars are tough, but once I get them sounding sweet, they really DO. I have also emphasized the double tracked parts, there were some volume issues in this previous version, in the doubled, panned parts weren't equal so you couldn't get the effect. I hope I've fixed it.

Thanks for the props on the material. We're pretty darn excited about it for sure and having a lot of fun. I just wish it wasn't up to a "shoemaker" like me to produce it!!! 'Sigh" oh well, practice practice.

Thanks so much James, and NO negative stuff taken, I really appreciate and hope for comments like yours, they're a BIG help!!!

I'll be posting another version before early evening.

Cheers,
Scott

SHAMELESS BUMP!

Take that!

Alkie!
Yes, thank you for confirming that. This is a fairly common EQ problem for me, I was just waiting for somebody to call me on it. Fortunately, I have my bass parallel comped, and it's just a matter of me sliding down on the comp'd track to free up that bottom end a bit.

I will also slide down a little on the range you're talking about for the guitars, I think mostly the Rhythm?

I'll give it a shot manana, and indicate here the time I re-upload for anyone that wants to check it out.

Thanks a lot to everybody. Yeah, I"m a lucky man with Ali Kat on vocals. You know she's only been signing in bands for 1½ years max? But She's mine!!! Waaah ahhh ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

PS: dumb question time: can I route my 3 guitar tracks to a bus and do the EQ'ing there? Would that be the easiest way?

PS: dumb question time: can I route my 3 guitar tracks to a bus and do the EQ'ing there? Would that be the easiest way?

you could...personally i like to use my guitars buss for compression and eq each track...the guitars just sound little weak, too fizzy and digital distorted. i presume you're redoing this for the album? great great singing and song though, reminds me of a band calle Thw Whores of Babylon, who were a band from the early 90s from Bristol who had links with Portishjead, indeed Beth Gibbons sang on one of their songs...

Andy, yes, I've been looking for an excuse to use my HarBal. I found it!!! Thank you. More fun today!



you could...personally i like to use my guitars buss for compression and eq each track...the guitars just sound little weak, too fizzy and digital distorted. i presume you're redoing this for the album? great great singing and song though, reminds me of a band calle Thw Whores of Babylon, who were a band from the early 90s from Bristol who had links with Portishjead, indeed Beth Gibbons sang on one of their songs...


We get that Portishead / Beth Gibbons comparison a lot, but I didn't think for a song like this. Ali Kat has sort of that voice, that's probably what made her stick out from the pack to me.

I agree with your analysis and am working on the guitars today. I too usually use my buses for compression, but I had heard of doing it for EQ. I'll try it and then post a sample for everyone to hear. Yes, this is going to be the album version.



Hi scott, well if it were me, i`d run a spectrum analysis of each guitar track to decide if they were all close enough to Eq together, also i might eq them each then send them to a guitar buss and use a bell cut or boost at 2k to make guitars sitback a bit or push them forward in the mix. It`s all preference.



Good idea! Thank you. They actually are all sep. EQ'd. I just figured, since the bottom is a little muddy, I'd try to route them to a common bus and just EQ that and see what happened. The ideas of a lazy guy, no doubt!! I actually like the mix balance, but totally agree on the bottom. I think once that is addressed, the mix will really shine.

ORIGINAL: jamesg1213

Getting better Scott, vocals are much clearer now. Guitars are more distinct than the last mix, but still very fizzy.

James!! Hey I just posted a new one at 12:30 est, which would be 5:30 (17:30) your time, did you hear this one?

I def cleared up some of those bottom end issues; I A/B'd the mix to the old one. I actually tried sending all of the guitars to the same bus and EQ'd the bus, and it worked GREAT!! The bass I pulled down the compressed track and it cleared that up. So fizzy guitars, my guitarist loves the sound, and I don't think it's bad either. Whatever! Someday we'll pay the big bux for somebody to do 'em right, but for now I think the general public will be pleased with this. I know I am, and it does the most important thing - gets the point across.

Thanks so much!

Scott

Hi scott , well that`s much better, her vox cut through perfectly and the bass isn`t muddying everything up anymore, i believe the bass could still sit back more in the mix but that`s just personal preference. Great job.