Pop Rock Song with Female Vocalist

[Noize919]

Let me know what you guys think!

[hanuman]

Think it is a good song, really great voice. Give the girl a bit more space though in the mix and try to make it cleaner. Have the accompanying voice done by the girl too. (I know he is the brain, the arechitect, the one who pays everything ;-) but just 1 opinion here....

[Noize919]

cleaner?...can you ellaborate

thanks!

[hanuman]

Less raw, taking away instruments (frequencies or volume) to give the vocalist space, less solo-guitar. (specially in the bridge) Maybe it is enough to up her volume. Maybe you want to experiment with the one-two/one-two rhythm.
I consider Peeder a true master in mixing, maybe you can ask him. i think you really got something. Also like the acapella! PS You might want to insert some accents in the introduction to catch more attention. (Maroon/Rihanna)

[Noize919]

awesome!

thanks man, you give great advice.

I've been poking around in the mastering forum as well...how do you feel about the overall sound..to squashed? loud enough? etc.

[peeder]

Well thanks hanuman.

This isn't my style of mixing, but I still find it very impressive...punchy and loud and clear and very discrete. It might be a bit too caffinated...I dunno, maybe some people would find it not caffinated enough.

It does get a bit cacophonous and the elements do distract from each other, and beat up on the voice. I think a problem is the stereo field isn't being used as much as it could be...that portamento synth is like 40% left or something, and that's not enough room for the voice...but you don't really have a balancing element to the right to let it move out. Maybe an echo of it could go on the right. It goes over there, quietly, in the bridge...but it's dry rather than set back...

The s's on the voices may push us away a bit...part of the caffeine I'm mentioning. There is also a bit of an excess of sub bass that is trying to balance those highs. The acoustic could be equalized a bit better.

It is a bit loud for me but not too loud for today's market. I am not getting annoying distortion from the limiter. It would be cool to find out whatever details about how you did it...this is slutz.

Overall I'm really impressed! What I haven't criticized you can assume I think is awesome!

[Noize919]

Thanks a lot..

I'm getting some great responses and will definitely at least try to give everything you guys said a shot!

As for what I did...Everything is mixed in the box

As for tracking, I used a couple of really cool sounding Neve Pres from an old 8101 with some NT5s for the overheads...Chameleon Labs pre with 57 for snare...Beta 52 through LA610 for kick....and Toms with 421's

pretty standard

Bass i just ran through the LA610 with some pretty big compression.

Guitars are a Gibson SG with an Orange Head going to a Marshal cab miced by a 57.

All Vox were recorded with a U87 going through my LA610 (I love that thing!)

As for mixing...I love the SSL plugins, especially the EQ.I have them on just about everything I can put them on (TDM of course)

RBass gives me a good boost around 80HZ (that could also be me going overboard with the "sub bass" you are talking about)

Again, everything in the box.

[hanuman]

Noize,
Kindly let us know how you proceed, but do proceed! I am not so frequently on GS and from what i have seen not so many people react on music, so sorry you have to do it just with me (however I dragged peeder in....)

[john caldwell]

Nice, as others have said. The lead vocal has a lot of competition; the mix is too dense. In this pop genre, ask your self the question does each element either support the lead vocal or does is add some ear candy that a typical listener will identify. If the answer is no to both of those questions for a given element, eliminate that element. I know you've heard this before, and I do know it can be hard as a producer to eliminate elements you're proud of, but keeping it cleaner around her voice will serve you best, I believe. She is truly buried at 3:00, prior to your a cappella section.

I like the male voice on the choruses, and I see no need to eliminate the male accompaniment. What I would do is have her double x 2 her lead part on the chorus, and consider a 3 an 9 pan for those two doubles. I'd wet her voice down on the chorus as well, and pull his vocals back a bit. I'm a little less sure about the a cappella section. The male voices are numerous and poking out of every nook and cranny, as you intended naturally, but she is overwhelmed. Perhaps mixing her more prominently is worth a try there.

Again, nice work here.

John-

[andrea19837]

nice, but nothing special.

elaborate:

-no great voice inside

-no hook who people remember

-a bit too boring in the arrangement

-no punch in drum and bass (specialy Kick)

-i don't like the sound of the drum also

-too messy in the mid no separation between instrument.

-too old armony like mid 90'

IMHO , don't worry maybe you have got a hit in your hand and i am dumb

peace and keep on

[twilight]

my advice is to double-track the guitar to open up the sound stage. The Guitar is panned center, so it interferes a lot with the lead vocal, if you double track guitars and pan them hard left/right the whole center opens up and your vocal will shine more.