Ian, I just did the vocals like you suggested. I think it made a big difference. Thanks again!

New mix up 3/7

Interesting song. Not my cuppa char, but nicely written. Sounds like 3/4 on the chorus but the verses were really tugging in an odd time signature, or seemed to be, which I quite liked. Piano was well played but sounded a little boxy and muffled to me. Vocals sounded OK, although I'd widen the backing vocs a bit more, they're kind of hanging over the left ear listening through phones.

James

i'm getting some distortion on the piano in the beginning. i quite like the unusual phrasing and harmonies. the piano could be a little more rock/pop and less classical i think. but i like this tune, you have recorded it well Janet. vox could be a little more smooth and a little more verb may be advisable on them.

For me the vocals are lost in the mix.

What I could hear does sound good though.

First can you say what you are doing in detail?

Panning, channel tools, FX, bussing, EQ, Verb, etc... 

@ 25 seconds "Path" the P has a nasty POP on it...

This should have been recorded with a POP filter!! and proper technique to reduce this dramatically!!

Alternately, now that it's in there, you can split it right there and zoom way in, and use \ / clip ending and beginnings to try to clean it up... He does this several times throughout the song, and it's very tedious to do what I'm describing.

1:23, 1:26, 1:28 is a bad one... He's "S'ing very badly. You have probably compressed this per Ian's recommendation, the problem with compressing vocals, is that it can exacerbate the S'ing :-( So what'S needed is a de-esser... Or that nasty process of splitting the clip and doing this \ / with the clipS. Maybe you could iSolate the naStineS of  his S'ing with an EQ and try to scoop it out to make it less noticeable? 

1:43 MY! for My death? Needs a volume envelop "big time" it shoots up WAY higher than any comparable volume. There are other places where a volume envelop is called for as well, this is the 1st and one of the most pronounced...

2:05-6 oPENed the door, envelope, it jumps "way up" 

Also I don't hear her and him separated at all, is there any panning on them? I would separate them a little bit. 

2:31, where she sings lift you UP! Her up is slightly off from his? I would split her clip and adjust it forward or backward as appropriate using the 1 and 3 numeric "nudge" keys. Be sure to split right before up, and also right after so you're only moving that syllable. 

And there's some noise at the very end that I would edit out.

Another "must" when recording with a singer is to comp them...

Have him sing it all the way through, then mute that clip, select the clip and hit q.

Have him sing it again, all the way through, then mute THAT clip...

Do this at least 5 times... Same for her.

Then when you're going through, listen to the 1st phrase of the 1st take?, mute it, 1st phrase 2nd take? mute it, 3rd take? mute it... And so on. As you do this, you'll find that you like the performance better in different takes, for different phrases? So you split those out and "build" the single vox track? 

Same for her... Yes, it's work.

OK, I did what I could with it.  (short of getting rid of all the s's)  Thanks again!

Thank you. :)

Hi, Janet,
 
How are you?  Doing well, I hope!
 
I didn't get to hear the first two mixes, but I just have to say that this mix sounds fantastic!  The sound of the piano and strings sort of reminds me of early Bruce Hornsby CDs.
 
Really nice work on the whole production, and they did a wonderful job on both the songwriting and performances.
 
Great job!
Bob

 Great job Janet nice tune, talented youngsters.

Thanks Grant.  Yes, they are!

Beag:  Did I say it was?  I actually haven't ever thought about the meter.

Much better Janet, I think you've got it.

Thanks, Mathew!  :-)