someones monitors/ears wanted!! Help!

> > > someones monitors/ears wanted!! Help!

Posted on

www.dorian-music.co.uk
Member Since: Apr 04, 2008

hello everyone,

I could really do with some help regarding the quality of my recordings!

Being "questionable" in the first place, I wanted to improve my sound without having to go to a professional studio. Through joining this community (which is great!) I have tried to add in more processes and plugins into my mixes and have spent the last 2 weeks trying to get a chain sorted which works for me - using nuendo, ozone, harbal and various plugins etc.

But! after spending two weeks of trying to get as best a sound as I could out of them, I am not still not getting anything better than what I had originally!

So! I was wondering if anyone would be so kind as to listen to one of my tracks to see if maybe I can just stick to what I was doing originally, and maybe just get away with just using a limiter/compression to pump up the volume slightly.

My tracks were originally clipping when i mixed them down in order to get as loud a volume as I could to match commercial music - I was told in this forum to use more limiting etc.. but I also found information on a lot of amazing plugins and software which I just had to try out! Maybe this was the wrong thing to do, but I assumed I probably could do with them as i only use nuendo, and its own compressor (which is pretty crap Ive been told).

But anyway, I have really basic monitors.. some edirol things I got for less than £100.00 so I assume they arent the best, so If anyone could have a wee listen and tell me what they think should be doing, that would help me out a lot! Ive been hitting my head of a brick wall the last few days!

I have uploaded a track to my account:
www.homerecordingconnecti...sic&id=7143

or www.skeg0.homerecordingconnection.com if that doesnt work

there is more at www.dorian-music.co.uk just if you feel like it though!


thanks VERY much!

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Member
Since: Mar 03, 2008

Apr 14, 2008 12:10 pm

Ok. Take into consideration that I'm listening on crappy computer monitors at work right now. I thought that track sounded great. Love the song. I think the Vocals could use a bit more compression. Yeah. I figure you've probably got them compressed already but maybe if your rendered the vox with comp and compressed them again, it might help to even out the levels and bring the vox up front a bit more. A bit of eq might help. There's something there bugging me but I can't really tell on these crappy speakers. The backgrounds sound a bit too wet to me. The reverb washes out and causes some odd phasing in the background. But that's just my opinion based on what I can hear on these crappy little speakers.

Otherwise, it's a great track.

Member
Since: Mar 03, 2008

Apr 14, 2008 08:46 pm

Okay. Listening on my monitors now. The crash in the chorus section is really overpowering. Are those samples? Anyway, you could really bring those back in the mix. The reverb on the bg vox don't sound as bad in these monitors but you could still bring them back a bit. The lead vox need some body. There's not a lot going on in the low end in general.

A performance note: The lead vox sound good but would sound better if they were entirely laid back or full on punch. Not aggressive but sung like you're out to make a statement. They're kind of in between. Neither lazy nor in your face. Give it a bit of melodrama and this would be regular on my playlist. It's a great tune.

www.dorian-music.co.uk
Member
Since: Apr 04, 2008

Apr 15, 2008 05:12 am

Hey thanks for the advice!

The drums are samples - its a zoom rhythmtrak 123 im using... come to think of it the cymbals and hihats are fairly loud compared to the drums - i may take them down on the actual unit. Otherwise I will EQ them in nuendo - they are all as one track you see as I play the rhythmtrak and record as one.

When you say theres not a lot going on in the low end - any tips? As i constantly find it hard to get good bass sounds from my mixes without overpowering my speakers.. should harbal help this?

Also, thanks for the tips on the vocals, i recorded these over a year ago and since then my voice has improved somewhat so ill do it again!

Thanks again for the tips! tis a great help

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Apr 15, 2008 09:58 pm

Hey there skeg0

Welcome to HRC by the way.

I had a quick listen and liked what I heard. I do have some advice that I think might help you out in the mixing department in the long run. Though I would like to have a better listen before I stick my foot in my mouth. :-)

I will give it a bit louder listen tomorrow and let you know what I hear. I only had a quick listen but it honestly sounds pretty good, and with maybe a couple of minor tweaks you might find a happy spot to satisfy yourself as well as others.

www.dorian-music.co.uk
Member
Since: Apr 04, 2008

Apr 16, 2008 04:48 am

thanks!

man i love this forum - everyones so nice!

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Apr 16, 2008 09:30 pm

Glad your liking it here. I know I do. :-)

I'm running a bit late but I'll still try to fit in another listen tonight. If not it'll be tomorrow late afternoon.

But indeed, enjoy your stay here. Its a great place to be.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Apr 17, 2008 07:31 pm

Well, had a nice listen tonight a bit louder. While I love the tune itself there is a bit much going on in the high mids. The vocals are cutting through so that is not a huge issue there. But the guitars and what sounds like synth parts or keyboard parts are really meshing during the parts that everything is playing at once. I think on the guitars there might be a bit much reverb which is really giving off some high end sparkle that is interfering with the cymbals and drums a tad. It almost sounds as if there is a delay as well added. This is on the main guitar sound itself. The other guitars could use with a bit of EQ that might cut some of the high mids down a little. Also if they are reverb drenched as well back off a bit on the reverb there as well.

The drums sound like they will stand well in the mix if the guitar and synth parts are fixed. The synt/keyboard parts as well could benifit from the same treatment as the guitars.

On the bass I might suggest a little EQ in the mid section and give it a good hard bit of compression to give it its own life. It is present but a little soft to really drive the song along to its fullest.

Otherwise very good tune for sure.

www.dorian-music.co.uk
Member
Since: Apr 04, 2008

Apr 18, 2008 05:13 am

Thanks for that! these comments are a great help and I shall implement them immediately!

thanks very much for taking the time to listen.. my monitors are rather cheap and the room i listen in is like a box so i dont really hear these things much.. I will maybe re upload the track after i make changes if that is cool.. just if you fancy another listen!

Thansk again!

Czar of Turd Polish
Member
Since: Jun 20, 2006

Apr 18, 2008 03:18 pm

[quote] thanks!

man i love this forum - everyones so nice! [/quote]

Indeed, an oddity on the ole intertubes :)

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Apr 18, 2008 10:33 pm

No problem skeg0

I'm always glad to give a listen when time permits. Might take a day or two to catch up but I always try to get to them all. Several others here do as well.

www.dorian-music.co.uk
Member
Since: Apr 04, 2008

Apr 23, 2008 07:00 am

cheers for the tips guys, i have implemented most of them (apart from new vocals track) and uploaded the track again to

www.homerecordingconnecti...sic&id=7143

feel free to have a listen or not! or provide any further comments... i have reduced the reverb on the synth and guitars and backing vox, as well as eqing the guitars and synth to reduce the high mid's, ive also increased the bass level and slightly increased it in harbal (i hope thats not a bad way of doing it - but most tracks i have seen in hb have a large peak at around the 100Hz mark).

Hopefully from your comments i can use this as a reference track and not bother you anymore!

thanks again!

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Apr 24, 2008 09:22 pm

skeg0, I'll try and catch it tomorrow.

Frisco's Most Underrated
Member
Since: Jan 28, 2003

Apr 25, 2008 02:55 pm

I feel like this song sounds pretty good. I did hear some pitch parts in the singing. But aside from that, I think if in your mastering stage, you gave a nice gentle rolling boost to the lows and the same with the highs, you'd be looking good. Not as much with the lows as the highs, I guess, as I keep listening.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Apr 27, 2008 06:02 pm

Yep, I can hear a big difference now with the fixes implemented. Sounds very good with the guitars able to be distinguished now as individual parts.

I will agree with coolo on the final stereo mix getting a slight roll up of the low end, very slight I must add. And the high end s tiny roll up as well so as to bring the brass and a little sparkle to the vocals and you will be all good to go.

www.dorian-music.co.uk
Member
Since: Apr 04, 2008

Apr 28, 2008 04:57 am

thanks for that guys, thats helped me out a lot!

now i can hopefully use that as a reference track for other creations!!

cheers

> > > someones monitors/ears wanted!! Help!

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