Sitting in the Park

Burnsjethro · 08-15-2019, 02:33 AM

Would some of you mind listening to my song and offering some advice about improving my mix please?

You don't need to say I can't sing or play instruments for toffee (I am aware of my limitations) but I would appreciate some tips about mixing.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tnygvcp0q7...0Park.mp3?dl=0

Coachz · 08-15-2019, 06:50 AM

I like the style. I like the electric guitar sound the best though the timing needs to be much tighter with more confidence. Both guitars are up a bit too much in the mix. The acoustic guitar is a bit too bright on top and brittle. It's just not as strummy as I would prefer. Thrown some ADT on the guitar to get more spread.

https://www.kvraudio.com/product/adt_by_vacuumsound
I like 10ms delay with dry channel down about 5dB

On the drums, I don't know what that kick/snare/hihat sound is but I really don't like it. The snare/tom fills sound fantastic though. The bass sounds compressed too much and has no life in it. It's just a droning blob and it does these quick notes coming in on the 1 each time and it throws the timing off. Just play the note on the 1 and let it ring or then move it.

The vocals are good. The first thing is that the tone of the vocal is very pleasant. Your pitches are off in the higher register and the harmonies need to come up a tick and sustain longer and end together, use the media item faders for this. If you want some sweeter harmonies. Assuming 3 or 4 part, do a take for each part in each channel. For 3 part you'll have 6 takes.

L part 1 R part 1
L part 2 R part 2
L part 3 R part 3

No reverb is needed, just pan them left and right. It's how they did the 4 part harmonies on Michael Jacksons Off the Wall and it's a super sound and easy to do.

I can even here strings, rhodes, shakers and congas on this in my mind. It's got good potential. I would get the bass/drum/acoustic guitar rhythm super super tight and then add the vocals and electric guitar. Mute everything else.

Burnsjethro · 08-15-2019, 07:23 AM

Thanks very much for this feedback Coachz. Most instructive.

I plugged in the acoustic guitar, which might account for the brightneess and brittleness. I usually record my acoustic with two mikes to make it sound a bit thicker (one after the bridge and one on at the neck)but I must have been feeling lazy on that day.

Its not an electric guitar. It is the same guitar as the "acoustic guitar" but I used an amp simulator fx.

The harmonies are just one harmony duplicated and panned left and right.

The kick/snare/highhate is just a loop, with a tom-tom fill-in.

I copied the bass off the Georgie Fame version of the song, which I really like but I can't manage to get the same tone.

I am not sure I understand your:

Assuming 3 or 4 part, do a take for each part in each channel. For 3 part you'll have 6 takes.

L part 1 R part 1
L part 2 R part 2
L part 3 R part 3

Coachz · 08-15-2019, 07:39 AM

3 and 4 part harmonies are a staple of good tunes. Here is a 3 part example.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSn-Y1NvCIk

So you record each part so you have 3 tracks, then you pan them all left. Then you do the same and pan them all right. If you put them in a folder you can add reverb to the folder and put an eq after it that kills all frequencies below 300hz and pushes up 10khz as needed. Using the folder lets you adjust all harmonies as one.

If you are really kicking it, you can record each part 3 times ! So for a 3 part harmony you would have 9 tracks in the left channel and 9 in the right. Sounds so good.

msundh · 08-15-2019, 08:28 AM

Nice song and your voice is good.
There some off pitch in the vocals.
The main problem is off sync. guitars and BV are very often off sync.
The mix seems to be compressed too hard.

Burnsjethro · 08-15-2019, 09:03 AM

Thanks msundh. All your comments are very useful.

Coachz · 08-15-2019, 09:30 AM

If you get the groove tight then the rest can swing !

Burnsjethro · 08-15-2019, 01:28 PM

Thanks for all your advice.

Actually in my haste to get this finished (I signed up to Foxastaria's challenge to procrastinators to finish a project within one month) I posted an earlier version of my tune by mistake.

Which means my singing is not so off-key in the final version and I think the performance might be a bit tighter. I will see if my meagre technical skills will allow me to upload the ultimate version on Soundcloud and post the link here.

But your comments about the balance, tightness, ... are much appreciated.

I have to admit I am better at mixing soup, even cement, than tunes.

foxAsteria · 08-15-2019, 09:02 PM

Ha! See, not so bad eh?

Lemme know if you'd like me to update your link with the final mix.

Burnsjethro · 08-16-2019, 05:47 AM

Thanks FoxAsteria.

Quite painless, thank you.

Thanks for your offer of hosting the link. I will first of all see if I can upload it to Soundcloud, as apparently I am subscribed to the site (I can't for the life of me remember Why, Where or When).

Burnsjethro · 08-18-2019, 06:12 AM

Well, I think this later version is a bit less "off pitch". I will work on all your kind advice in trying to improve my mix and come back at a later stage.

By the way Coach, in reference to your "The bass sounds compressed too much and has no life in it. It's just a droning blob and it does these quick notes coming in on the 1 each time and it throws the timing off. Just play the note on the 1 and let it ring or then move it."

What do you mean by "Just play the note on the 1 and let it ring or then move it."
"

In the meantime, now I have managed to upload my tune to Soundcloud, can anybody tell me how I DELETE it please?

https://soundcloud.com/user-35111160...in-the-park-18

Coachz · 08-18-2019, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burnsjethro

Well, I think this later version is a bit less "off pitch". I will work on all your kind advice in trying to improve my mix and come back at a later stage.

By the way Coach, in reference to your "The bass sounds compressed too much and has no life in it. It's just a droning blob and it does these quick notes coming in on the 1 each time and it throws the timing off. Just play the note on the 1 and let it ring or then move it."

What do you mean by "Just play the note on the 1 and let it ring or then move it."
"

In the meantime, now I have managed to upload my tune to Soundcloud, can anybody tell me how I DELETE it please?

https://soundcloud.com/user-35111160...in-the-park-18

I mean that instead of the bass going "Boom Boom" at the start of each measure just have it play "Boom" to start the measure and then you can play more notes after.

Burnsjethro · 08-18-2019, 07:21 AM

Thanks Coachz