Please critique this song for me

[brianwahl]

Hello, My name is Brian.

I've browsed these boards a lot in the past and I've learned a bit in the process, but this is my first post.

This is the best sound I've got yet - which might not be saying much. . .

Tell me what you think of my latest recording: "Something Better"

It's right in the middle of the page under "Feels Like Friday - 13 Miles" on this site: http://www.feelslikefridaymusic.com/The%20Music.htm. Play the song "Something Better". If that page doesn't work try my soundclick page: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/fe...ridaymusic.htm. It's the first song on the page.

Rip it up - tell me what sounds good and what sounds bad. I just got a firepod, so this is my first song recorded with it, and I LOVE it over my old delta 44. I've got the same song recorded through the delta and it sounds terrible compared. Granted, it's all pretty much cheap stuff. I understand most people in here have single pieces of gear that cost more than the last 2 cars I've owned put together, and I'm just a poor just-out-of-college kid recording in a closet, but I'd like to do everything I can to get the best out of my gear. Any insight would be appreciated.

Recording Notes:
Electric guitars: SRV custom strat->original POD->firepod
Vocals: Studio Projects C1->firepod - and I'm not so sure about the reverb/delay I've got on them, sounds a little off.
Acoustic guitar: Takamine fd-360sc->pair of mxl 603s's->firepod
Bass: plugged direct into the firepod.
Drums are loops by Drums on Demand.
Recorded in Cubase.

Have at it! (By the way, hope you like the song - I think it's a pretty good one, in a poppy rocky kind of way).

[cage771]

Really cool song Brian! The main thing that grabs me is the stereo spread of the drums in comparison to the guitars. The guitars, bass, and vox work very well together. It just seems as if the drums don not have the same spread as the guitars do. Also, I might rcommend running the solo guitar parts up the middle, until towards the end where I might the solo bits either in stereo with a good pan to not detract from the vox and at a slightly lower volume. Unless, you want the vox to have that subdued tone.

But then again, maybe it's the cheap Edirol MA-10's I'm listening on.

Really great mix all the way around!! Great job....

Brandon

[brianwahl]

Originally posted by cage771
Really cool song Brian! The main thing that grabs me is the stereo spread of the drums in comparison to the guitars. The guitars, bass, and vox work very well together. It just seems as if the drums don not have the same spread as the guitars do. Also, I might rcommend running the solo guitar parts up the middle, until towards the end where I might the solo bits either in stereo with a good pan to not detract from the vox and at a slightly lower volume. Unless, you want the vox to have that subdued tone.

But then again, maybe it's the cheap Edirol MA-10's I'm listening on.

Really great mix all the way around!! Great job....

Brandon

Hey thanks for the compliments, Brandon. The drums are loops, so they are just dropped in and I don't really know much that I can do to spread them out any more. Maybe I could experiment with them. I alwasy assumed they were the best sounding part of the mix since they were professionally recorded/mixed/et. (Drums on Demand is where I got them).

I agree, the first time I sing the chorus up higher it sounds nice and full and in the front of the mix, but on the last chorus with the lead mixed in it sits more in the middle of the mix and not in the front - I'll work on the panning a bit.

Thanks again for the compliments and tips!

-Brian

[cage771]

Loops can be really fun and creative to work with. You could always bring the mixed loops (all the loops together on one stereo track) into a two track editor like Sound Forge, copy and paste each channel onto two seperate tracks, then re-import into Cubase on seperate channels. Using the pan controls, you could seperate everything out.

Just an idea though....

Good luck man....

Brandon

[brianwahl]

Originally posted by cage771
Loops can be really fun and creative to work with. You could always bring the mixed loops (all the loops together on one stereo track) into a two track editor like Sound Forge, copy and paste each channel onto two seperate tracks, then re-import into Cubase on seperate channels. Using the pan controls, you could seperate everything out.

Just an idea though....

Good luck man....

Brandon

Yeah, don't know why I didn't think of that - I could even pan it then export each pan to a separate track and have 2 mono tracks to pan. I'll try it out.

Thanks!

[brianwahl]

Well, I re-mixed it a bit. Brought the bass up, brought the vocals up a little, and re-panned the lead part. The lead and vocals aren't competing in the last verse anymore (at least to my ears) and it sounds more balanced.

I didn't really touch the drums yet, though.

Should be updated here: http://www.feelslikefridaymusic.com/The%20Music.htm or here: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/fe...ridaymusic.htm

The SoundClick site has both mixes so you can compare them if you want.