Hi All,
This WIP is pre-master. In fact, I'm not sure how close the mix is to being finished.
 
Since 1981, I've done a total of seven mixes, most of those in 2008 when I was totally green to all this digital stuff. I was totally baffled until I realized (very recently) that 0db means something completely different now compared to my days mixing live sound. Since then, I've lost a significant part of the upper range of the hearing in my left ear (from standing too close to on-stage monitors, so I'm told) so I might be way off.
 
I've spent the last few months hitting the books trying to regain ground long lost knowledge-wise, figuring out how to compensate for my hearing loss and understand the new environment of audio engineering. This song, How Do You Know, is a work in progress and I really need to know:
- Is the mix balanced or close to balanced (and how far away is it from being balanced)?
- Are the FX overstated, especially on the lead vocal and finger-picked guitar?
- Does the arrangement build the way it should for a more-or-less commercial song?
 
Any feedback will be very much appreciated, even if you completely ignore my questions.
 
-Ron T.

Sounds balanced to me, fx seems to be in the right places and the vox is right up front in the mix being just in the right place and the build is gentle and not to extreme. Sounds good to me. Nice song.
 
Peace and Blessings, John

theguitarplayer
Sounds balanced to me, fx seems to be in the right places and the vox is right up front in the mix being just in the right place and the build is gentle and not to extreme. Sounds good to me. Nice song.
 
Peace and Blessings, John

Thanks, John. Further along than I'd expected.

theguitarplayer
Peace and Blessings, John

Since you included such a handy link, I followed it to your music and listened to Prelude of Grace.
I love what you do with horns. I'm assuming these are done with one of the orchestra packages, so I have to ask: where did you learn to make orchestral instruments sound so amazingly good?
I also really like the way you threaten to mess with the tempo as each change up comes along, but then you don't. And of course, the bells are a nice touch.

Sounds good Ron. Nice song, gave me a Gordon Lightfoot vibe. Nothing much in the mix stood out to me as being awry, it all seems to serve the song. I liked the little acoustic guitar solo very much. If I had one crit it would be that the song seems to run out of steam by about 3:15 I would perhaps take out a chorus to shorten it, but that's just a personal preference.

nice one! it sounded a bit to me like as if the Dandy Warhols are releasing an acoustic album. I particularily like your voice when you are hitting the lower notes. For I only listened now on PC speakers, I will re-listen later with headphones and might have more to say about the mix...

Works here for me liked what my furry ears were telling me.
 
Thanks for sharing

Very nicely balnaced between instruments and vocals.  Really like when the harmonies kick in...

jamesg1213
Sounds good Ron. Nice song, gave me a Gordon Lightfoot vibe. Nothing much in the mix stood out to me as being awry, it all seems to serve the song. I liked the little acoustic guitar solo very much. If I had one crit it would be that the song seems to run out of steam by about 3:15 I would perhaps take out a chorus to shorten it, but that's just a personal preference.

Okay, thanks, James. That was a concern, that it was a bit long and perhaps a bit repetitive, too.

speedtom
nice one! it sounded a bit to me like as if the Dandy Warhols are releasing an acoustic album. I particularily like your voice when you are hitting the lower notes. For I only listened now on PC speakers, I will re-listen later with headphones and might have more to say about the mix...

Thanks, speedtom. I'll have to look up Dandy Warhols; never heard of him.