Remix - Hope for some feedback

Well.. I like the song (and the next one) but.. this is the strangest mix I have ever heard. I confess, I do not know what is happening with the vocals at times. Is it a noise gate on the vox or guitar? Or is it pumping? in a bad way. I am not sure without knowing what you have in your chain and how it is set up. But the vox seem to go very wide with no center, and then very narrow with strange harmonic interplay with the guitar. I think you have EQed the vox and guitar too close to the same space.

It's definitely somewhat of a quirky sound, in terms of what's going on with the panning etc, but I have to say I really enjoyed it! The vocal is close and intimate and the guitars are pleasant. One thing though...is the bass panned a little to the left? 

I really like the balance between vocals and guitar. I think you have got that right. As far as the vocal sound is concerned here is a technique I use which might suit this type of vocal mix.

On the vocal track itself I don't use any vocal compression. Maybe a little EQ. I send the vocals to a vocal buss first and put the compressor there. That compressor does not have to be working that hard either. 2:1 ratio, 5 to 10 ms attack threshold set for about 2 or 3 dB gain reduction. 

Create the vocal reverb ambience. A nice convolution reverb with a smallish club or intimate room setting dialled up. You send to that from the vocal track however. Not the vocal buss. The vocal buss sound is compressed but the track is not so the signal going into the vocal reverb is uncompressed. You tend to hear it more on the louder parts of the vocal performance. It sounds much better. Obviously you are returning this vocal ambience low so it is in that you cannot hear it while here but if you turned it off it is like what has changed mode?

The vocal should be just beautiful and dryish up front and clear with a hint of ambience behind. The vocal performance is so nice and subtle that takes care of everything else, as it should be. Adding in any doubling should be occasional and subtle to just highlight important phrases perhaps.

I like to ride the vocal track fader now on mixdown for fine tuning. There is nothing like it really. And this level is feeding into the compressor on the vocal buss now so you are working the vocal signal into that compressor manually now. Vocal compression on a track is almost useless because it is pre fader and any fader movements are not seen by the compressor. It is just working the same all the time. Sends to effects are usually after any compression so you are always sending a compressed signal to your reverbs. (You do need to do this in other circumstances though)

I am talking the more intimate vocal and guitar thing here much more, not so for the other tracks which feature more instruments that you have done. I liked all the other tracks too very interesting and enjoyable to listen to.

Based on comments and observations I did some tweaks of Come and Be With Me (Sound Click). Did this sort of quick and dirty but think it has improved....if you get a chance please let me know. 

Thanx 

Thanks Lynn. I will give your songs a listen when I get home ---- my work computer will not allow me access to SoundClick or similar sites.....darn

Warren - thank you for the comments. That it what helps keep us going !!!! My voice is certainly not stellar but I try. I am really finding it true that on mixes, less is often more. Catch you later.

nice and clean, I like it.
levels are really nice as well.
good job man.

love the sound of a man and his guitar, theres no hiding behind the mask of distortion and effects.

I think it's great Charles. Only problem I had with the mix was the sibulence on the voc. I like the tone of the voc but maybe a slight cut in the 5k region would help. But then, I would surgically (with gain envelopes) reduce the s's, t's, and any other striking sounds.

I probably over compensated after some reviews a version ago of too much bass....so cut that quite a bit, and pulled up some upper frequencies to get more crispness. I will take a look at that 5 k region. That is why these reviews help us get better --- it is like having some human plug ins....!!!