New song, and as usual a question...
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Posted on Feb 08, 2010 12:55 pm
Adam Mutschler
Abomb Muchbaby
Member Since: Jul 02, 2009
Hey guys, new song in my profile 77 bridge. The singer wanted a filter on his vox, but I am not sure that it works or if I have a good choice for a filter on this one. Any thoughts? Thanks,
Adam
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Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Feb 08, 2010 02:01 pm I think this filter sounds pretty cool on the vocals. I think it's subtle enough and not annoyingly lo-fi. I think if I were mixing this voice I would try to make it sound a little more up front. Not sure if that would happen best by bringing up the level on the vox or compressing with gain. Personally, I'd compress with gain and see how that sounds. I'd be going for a Beck on Odelay type vocal presence. Maybe have him double track vocals or use a little 25ms delay on the existing track. In fact, I'd take off the filter and see what the vocalist thinks about the compressed version of his performance. Smacking that vocal track around should filter some frequencies too, right?
I think the lead guitar tone could sound a little more amp-driven; as the song is now I don't think the rhythm guitar tone is thick enough to put that kind of distortion on the lead. I'd get the lead player to redo the first licks starting at 0:22...sounds forced to me.
I believe the rhythm guitar is out of tune. I'd double/triple track it to make it a little chunkier too.
Drums sound good to me.
Bass is kinda dry to me but could definitely work.
Feb 08, 2010 02:15 pm Do you think that I should just get rid of the existing rhythm track, or would you keep it and double it? seeing that it might be out of tune, and it's pretty simple to just redo. That's my part, so no biggie for me to redo. I tuned the damn thing right before that too... haha.
When you say the bass is dry, can you explain that for me? not sure if I know what you mean. I think all I have on there is a bit of compression.
Glad you think the drums sound ok, that's usually my downfall. just put some new coated heads on and they sound much better than the clear ones I am used to...
But sounds like you understand what I am going for on the vox. Kind of a dark scratchy, old school sound. Problem is I am not sure what the proper way to get that sound is. I have the waves Rvox plug, that's what I typically use, but maybe I should compress the hell out of it, and then leave it kind of scratchy/clippy almost so it sounds kind of rough?
Thx man
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Feb 08, 2010 02:26 pm I can hear something on the vox, and I think it works pretty well. It's like an 'added effect' type thing, making it different. But in a good way.
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Feb 08, 2010 04:51 pm I'd personally redo anything that isn't in tune; but please don't see me as any more expert than yourself. Most of my recommendations are subjective but I'm hoping that pointing them out to you might help you realize what it is that you're unhappy with about the mix. A lot of times when I'm listening to other people's critiques something clicks in my listening and I think 'Ah yeah! Now I hear that lawnmower running over cinder blocks in the background!'
So back to my opinion:
I'd re-track the rhythm guitar and then when I got a good take re-track it again to thicken it up. To get the thickness I think you need to set the panning to about the same position (someone yell if I'm wrong).
It does sound like the bass is present and compressed well, but I don't hear much about the bass tone that distinguishes it. For instance:
What I consider really good tone (at really BAD quality)
What I consider really mediocre/dull/generic tone.
In my most recent project (in my profile music section) notice how my bass tone, while admittedly not the best ever, has a really growl-y quality to it that stands out especially when the bassist slides up and down the fretboard. I first ran bass direct in through my API pre-amp and compressed it using built in Pro Tools software without any amp modeling or bass amps. It sounded a bit more like the tone you have on your song. To bring out the 'growls' I sent the bass signal to my tube guitar amp and used an sm57 to capture the "tube'd" version of the same bass track (had to mute all the other instruments in the mix while recording). I mixed the two tracks so that the "tube'd" version was slightly higher in level than the direct in. I'm not thrilled with the result...but I am less pissed, hah!
Yeah drums sound cool to me, good work on the snare.
I don't know that I would compress the HELL out of the vocals; I would compress the 4:1 out of it with 2.5-3 dB gain and see if that sounds good by itself. If it does I'd put that filter on and see how it sounds.
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Feb 08, 2010 05:24 pm Oh god Geddy has amazing tone
Feb 08, 2010 05:26 pm P-Bass to me is an overdone, dull, lame sound, give me a jazz bass any day!
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Feb 08, 2010 05:38 pm I think the Rick 4001 is my ideal bass tone. I had the privilege to lay my plinkity pink spindlies upon a 1974 RI model 2 summers ago. It was definitely fat with a p-h (pee-aytch).
Pho reel. (the affirmative statement; not the Vietnamese soup)
Feb 11, 2010 02:10 pm oh man, this is driving me nuts. My internet is screwed up at home, and my speakers are screwed up at work. Haha. I can't listen to this to save my life. I will have to fix one or the other I suppose...
Anyway, I would never take this criticism as anything more than positive helpful advice and experience. Hell, if I didn't want your opinion, why would I ask right? This is why I love this site, people are really cool and what better way to get better than by getting the opinion of people who are doing the same thing, regardless of experience right? Music is all opinions anyway, don't believe me? Just listen to the radio... Thanks man.
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Feb 11, 2010 05:33 pm No problem. This is the only forum I've been to where people in general don't get "competitive" with their mixes. Seems like a lot of forums have trouble thinking outside their genre and judge mixes accordingly. I come to this forum because the members (most members) understand that a mix can (and should) be critiqued independently of the songwriting. Apples and oranges.
This community is really strange when compared to the big ones like Harmony Central, GearSlutz, Future Producers and the like. Lots of uncaught misinformation on Harmony and Future Producers (especially future producers; and there's NOTHING I hate more than misinformation). GS is pretty OK. There are some really knowledgeable members but there are also some overly opinionated members that aren't ostracized like they deserve. Lots of accessible experts here. On HRC, almost every BS attitude is met with someone calling it out. I like that :)
olddogMember
Since: Jul 02, 2003
Feb 13, 2010 02:52 pm I pretty much echo what Quincysan has said, Iike the filter gives the vox a cool sound, I wouldn't overcompress them, just work on the EQ of the guitars, and a small amount of compression on the vox to get them sitting a bit better in the mix.
Dan
