ROCK tracks - How can it sound better?

[Wakena2003]

track 1 mp3
track 2 mp3
track 3 mp3
track 4 mp3

[Draw the Moral]

I'm assuming that you want mix critiques as opposed to composition, so here goes:

1) The balance sounds ok. This song sounds really dry. You don't have to make it 80's, but a hair of reverb would make this sound a little better. Use the "Can't tell it's on, but miss it when it's gone" rule to apply the reverb. Especially on the drums and vocals. Also, the vocals sound fine as far as recording quality, but they stand out and don't sound like they are part of the band. The bass guitar needs more umph.

2) This song has the reverb at the intro, and it's almost a little much. Then it goes away again. Again, vox have the same issue here.

3) The distortion was a little anti-climatic from your intro. The clean guitars sounded really good in the intro, and the distortion sounded like it didn't have balls.
On the "we all have to come back home" line in the first chorus, the guitar was a little out of tune.
Again, vox stick out too much from the rest of the mix.

4) The lead guitar in the intro sounds really empty. That seems to be a common thing in these mixes. Everything sounds too separate. It sounds like you mix with hard L-C-R. On this song, I think it kinda hurts it, especially in the verses. It just sounds too empty, and both of the lead guitar parts through the song just sound really thin, and they are both panned hard over. The solos should at least come a little more towards middle if not be centered for the solos.

Overall, the music's not my cup-o-tea, but for what it is, it's not bad. I can definitely hear the whole Weezer/Green Day/RxBandits influences. The actual recordings sound fine...it's just the mix that leaves a little to be desired.

[Wakena2003]

This is a full critique! Thank you very much. Do you think guitars are low?? The band want to get it higher.

[Wakena2003]

No more opinions?

[Draw the Moral]

Originally Posted by Wakena2003

This is a full critique! Thank you very much. Do you think guitars are low?? The band want to get it higher.

That's actually what I touched on in my critique. I don't think the guitars are too low, I think they are too thin because of their hard panning. Especially for the lead sections, I think you need to give them a fuller range EQ and put them a little more towards center so that it will actually have some "umph."

[Wakena2003]

The band likes hard panning guitars like "the strokes" albums. I've adviced to record rythm guitars twice and solos once, but they want this kind of guitars.

The amp is a valve combo Randall RG50. It sound quite good for this kind of rock songs. Good amp for the money (700$). The guitarist uses some pedals too (Ibanez TS7, fulltone ...)

[joeydego]

this is really good. I dont think the guitars need to come up on #1. Good job. I get why its as dry as it is, its the style. Maybe experiment with the verb as stated.

[allencollins]

pretty good

[sethh]

i think the songs sound very cool for their style too

though i myself... would compress the kick and snare a bit more, maybe add some low-mids to the guitars and also try out some reverb on the drums. maybe i'm crazy but just on the first song the bass sounded about 1-2dB too loud as well.

awesome band! what's their name?

[Wakena2003]

The reverb is on but bus compression eats it when the band is playing harder. Otherwise they like the reverb as it is. Yesterday we've been finishing the mix. I'll try to upload the final mix today.

The band's name is "The Albionauts".

[Wakena2003]

Hi again,

I've been changing drum compresion and fx and this is the result of track 2 and track 4. Do you like now? or is better as it was before?

Track 2.2
Track 4.2