acoustic pop(?)/rock ballad - mix critique please

Author
Post
Essentials Only Full Version
jacktheexcynic
Max Output Level: -44.5 dBFS
  • Total Posts : 3069
  • Joined: 2004/07/07 11:47:11
  • Status: offline
2005/02/20 22:09:26 (permalink)

acoustic pop(?)/rock ballad - mix critique please

since i got my echo mia midi, i've spent some time re-recording my songs in 24-bit. this is the first one that i've gotten anywhere on. i will probably add background vocals and perhaps a piano later, but i'm more interested in a critique of the mix itself, as well as the structure. i think the song is just a tad too slow, which makes it drag a bit in places.

here's what i used on the song for those who want to know:

sonar 3 producer for all tracking/mixing/etc.
echo mia midi soundcard
ovation celebrity deluxe guitar
shure sm58 for vocals
presonus tubepre for both of the above
edirol dxi for bass guitar
some free soundfont by an italian named guido for drums

lexicon pantheon room reverb (very little) on the drums
a little more on the snare (noticeable i think, pleasant i hope)
sonitus multiband and a spheris-inspired "pre-flight eq" for final mix

mixed on a sony stereo receiver in two-channel mode with some 3-ft high sony floor-standing speakers in a basement with hollow walls and a hard linoleum floor covering solid concrete. =)

i know the lead acoustic guitar is not right on the money rhythm-wise, and the vocals could use some re-tracking for clarity. i always appreciate any constructive comment, but mostly i want advice on the mix - what's right and what's wrong.

because i love you.mp3

- jack the ex-cynic
#1

5 Replies Related Threads
    Gray Crosby
    Max Output Level: -87 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 196
    • Joined: 2004/01/21 00:38:53
    • Location: Chicago (Suburbs)
    • Status: offline
    RE: acoustic pop(?)/rock ballad - mix critique please 2005/02/21 01:06:29 (permalink)
    Had a listen. You are right on your own critiques. Vocal is a little pitchy at places. The drums are a little choppy. Kind of throws off the flow of the song.

    As far as the mix goes...Id either pull back the acoustics a little...or pull up the bass and drums. Acoustics are really out front.

    As far as the song....I like shorter intros.....especially when a strummy acoustic is involved. The melody/verse could really use some more changes....its a bit predictable.

    Pretty good though. I think if you shortened it....got a little better groove going (drum wise) ...and re-track the vocals...it would be nice.

    Gray
    #2
    jacktheexcynic
    Max Output Level: -44.5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 3069
    • Joined: 2004/07/07 11:47:11
    • Status: offline
    RE: acoustic pop(?)/rock ballad - mix critique please 2005/02/21 08:44:19 (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: Gray Crosby

    Had a listen. You are right on your own critiques. Vocal is a little pitchy at places. The drums are a little choppy. Kind of throws off the flow of the song.

    As far as the mix goes...Id either pull back the acoustics a little...or pull up the bass and drums. Acoustics are really out front.

    As far as the song....I like shorter intros.....especially when a strummy acoustic is involved. The melody/verse could really use some more changes....its a bit predictable.

    Pretty good though. I think if you shortened it....got a little better groove going (drum wise) ...and re-track the vocals...it would be nice.

    Gray


    thanks for the listen. i think the song is just a touch too slow, but then i want to re-record all the live tracks anyway. a little more speed and a little less "groove quantize" might tighten things up. also it would help the acoustic solo, i usually am off on that because i want to play it faster, or i feel like i'm waiting to go to the next note.

    i'll mix the acoustics back a little and see what it sounds like. the song itself is predictable but then i find most pop/rock stuff tends to be. i remember once at a karoke bar most people had left and me and a few friends were making up words to songs we didn't know. on one song i accurately predicted the bridge and the re-entry into the chorus (no instrumentation for a second, then everything). i hate writing predictable music but there's always a trade-off between artistry and accessibility.

    thanks again for the listen.

    - jack the ex-cynic
    #3
    jacktheexcynic
    Max Output Level: -44.5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 3069
    • Joined: 2004/07/07 11:47:11
    • Status: offline
    RE: acoustic pop(?)/rock ballad - mix critique please 2005/02/22 09:33:24 (permalink)
    any more mix critiques? please? =)

    - jack the ex-cynic
    #4
    Dazed
    Max Output Level: -77 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 665
    • Joined: 2004/09/06 17:11:37
    • Status: offline
    RE: acoustic pop(?)/rock ballad - mix critique please 2005/02/22 19:29:12 (permalink)
    May want to double up on the vocals in the chorus. Sing it exactly the same way on another track. I can also hear some harmonies on this piece as well. If you can't hit the notes, do not take them as high. The other question is are you holding back? People around you when you sing and you feel uncomfortable? Try putting headsets on and blasting it and singing. You will sing louder to hear yourself and it may help you hit the notes.

    Nice piece!

    Music
    #5
    jacktheexcynic
    Max Output Level: -44.5 dBFS
    • Total Posts : 3069
    • Joined: 2004/07/07 11:47:11
    • Status: offline
    RE: acoustic pop(?)/rock ballad - mix critique please 2005/02/22 23:31:27 (permalink)
    ORIGINAL: Dazed

    May want to double up on the vocals in the chorus. Sing it exactly the same way on another track. I can also hear some harmonies on this piece as well. If you can't hit the notes, do not take them as high. The other question is are you holding back? People around you when you sing and you feel uncomfortable? Try putting headsets on and blasting it and singing. You will sing louder to hear yourself and it may help you hit the notes.

    Nice piece!


    thanks for the listen and comments. very good suggestions here that i will definitely try to add. right now the song is pretty bare and yes, i hear the harmonies too. some of them are pretty high. i've had a hard time deciding what to do with that. i performed this with a friend of mine while at a summer camp in california, and she sang a beautiful harmony (she has a great talent for bgv). unfortunately no one i have been able to find around here (tennessee) has that quality i'm looking for in female bgv. i'm looking for a folksy type harmony like caedmon's call - plain and unpretentious but with a good feel for harmony. not too many people i know (and none anywhere near me) who can do that. i've tried doing them myself and while i can hit the notes it doesn't always sound good. also, in the chorus, i want to do an echo that ties into the last word of the phrases to keep the vocal parts moving but the harmony by itself sounded pretty bad... =) maybe a full chorus mixed lower might sound better, so experimentation is in order.

    i am holding back somewhat, and the reason is that i have a hard time getting the levels in the headphones where i can hear the music, hear my own voice (they are over the ear studio headphones and do a great job of damping outside sound), not go deaf, and be confident at the same time. i will try it louder though and see if that helps. it's also just being comfortable with recording. i record vocals very rarely because i simply don't have a lot of free time. it is evident in my guitar playing as well i fear.

    again, thanks for the listen and advice. i like this piece and see it going somewhere when i have a little more time to add some proper tracks and bgvs.

    - jack the ex-cynic
    #6
    Jump to:
    © 2024 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1