Request for comments/advice - Jazz ballad mix (vocal, drums, piano, gtr, upright)

StudioR · 11th October 2008, 04:33 AM

I recently just finished one of my first jazz recordings and would love to hear comments/advice on this ballad mix. I would certainly welcome all comments, but I'd especially like to hear from anyone with experience recording/mixing this type of material.

My main question at this point lies with the sound of the string bass. I've heard this instrument mixed so many ways - from really "wood" sounding to less defined/more round. I've tried to approach this recording somewhere between the two. So what do you think?

Any other thoughts?

http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/10...ercy%20Now.mp3

maartenl945 · 11th October 2008, 01:30 PM

Sounds very professional to me. Nice voice for this type of stuff. This being gearslutz, I'd be interested to know what you used for this recording.

Maarten

StudioR · 11th October 2008, 03:54 PM

Here are the mics I used for the session.

Vocal: AKG C-12
Guitar Amp (Fender Twin Reverb): DI to board, then out to amp, Blue Baby Bottle
String Bass: SM7, AKG C-28 (figure 8 to reject drums)
OH: Oktava MK-012 w/Red capsules
Snare: B&K 4004 (omni)
Kick: not used on this track
Hi Hat: Shure SM81
Piano: Blue Blueberry

Everything went through a Neve 8068 Console.
Everyone was in the same room, except for the vocalist, who was in a booth.

Here is a picture of part of the room.

StudioR · 13th October 2008, 11:50 PM

I should also say that we tracked this at Pachyderm Studio in Minnesota.

maartenl945 · 14th October 2008, 08:25 PM

Looking good and using some nice equipment I see.

Can't really say anything more than good job, well done,

Maarten

StudioR · 15th October 2008, 03:05 PM

Awesome. Thanks for the feedback Maarten.

john caldwell · 16th October 2008, 04:58 AM

Excellent results, as others have said. As an another possible interpretation, I'll suggest that the vocal sound is slightly clinical - possibly owing to the dry booth treatment. I'd be interested in a mix that might more simulate what would have occurred had the vocalist been tracked in the room with the band - faults and all.

No problem with the upright sound, although I'd not object to it being more present in the mix.

Very fine here.

John-

StudioR · 17th October 2008, 02:49 AM

I can see your point on the clinical nature of the vocal, but don't really know how to fix this after the fact. Any powerful ideas? I think I'm going to back off on the Waves Renaissance reverb regardless - maybe a different setting here would help give it the same sound as the main room.

The vocal was actually tracked live with the band (no overdubs), but I guess I wouldn't call it a booth per se. The vocalist (who is also the guitar player) was in the room normally used as a drum room (same room used to track drums on Nirvana's In Utero album).

It's a medium sized room with 3 granite walls and one glass wall. It's not as lively as you would expect, so I didn't put any room mics up. We tried having the vocalist sit in the main room, but the drum bleed in the vocal mic was not favorable and this limited my ability to control vocal dynamics without changing the sound of the entire mix. The drum bleed WAS very favorable on the piano mics however.

I'll turn up the upright too. What a bugger to record that was.

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11th October 2008, 04:33 AM	#1
StudioR Gear interested Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 12	Request for comments/advice - Jazz ballad mix (vocal, drums, piano, gtr, upright) I recently just finished one of my first jazz recordings and would love to hear comments/advice on this ballad mix. I would certainly welcome all comments, but I'd especially like to hear from anyone with experience recording/mixing this type of material. My main question at this point lies with the sound of the string bass. I've heard this instrument mixed so many ways - from really "wood" sounding to less defined/more round. I've tried to approach this recording somewhere between the two. So what do you think? Any other thoughts? http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/10...ercy%20Now.mp3

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11th October 2008, 01:30 PM	#2
maartenl945 Gear Head Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Netherlands Posts: 34	Sounds very professional to me. Nice voice for this type of stuff. This being gearslutz, I'd be interested to know what you used for this recording. Maarten

11th October 2008, 03:54 PM	#3
StudioR Gear interested Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 12	Here are the mics I used for the session. Vocal: AKG C-12 Guitar Amp (Fender Twin Reverb): DI to board, then out to amp, Blue Baby Bottle String Bass: SM7, AKG C-28 (figure 8 to reject drums) OH: Oktava MK-012 w/Red capsules Snare: B&K 4004 (omni) Kick: not used on this track Hi Hat: Shure SM81 Piano: Blue Blueberry Everything went through a Neve 8068 Console. Everyone was in the same room, except for the vocalist, who was in a booth. Here is a picture of part of the room.

13th October 2008, 11:50 PM	#4
StudioR Gear interested Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 12	I should also say that we tracked this at Pachyderm Studio in Minnesota.

14th October 2008, 08:25 PM	#5
maartenl945 Gear Head Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Netherlands Posts: 34	Looking good and using some nice equipment I see. Can't really say anything more than good job, well done, Maarten

15th October 2008, 03:05 PM	#6
StudioR Gear interested Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 12	Awesome. Thanks for the feedback Maarten.

16th October 2008, 04:58 AM	#7
john caldwell Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 502	Excellent results, as others have said. As an another possible interpretation, I'll suggest that the vocal sound is slightly clinical - possibly owing to the dry booth treatment. I'd be interested in a mix that might more simulate what would have occurred had the vocalist been tracked in the room with the band - faults and all. No problem with the upright sound, although I'd not object to it being more present in the mix. Very fine here. John-

17th October 2008, 02:49 AM	#8
StudioR Gear interested Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 12	I can see your point on the clinical nature of the vocal, but don't really know how to fix this after the fact. Any powerful ideas? I think I'm going to back off on the Waves Renaissance reverb regardless - maybe a different setting here would help give it the same sound as the main room. The vocal was actually tracked live with the band (no overdubs), but I guess I wouldn't call it a booth per se. The vocalist (who is also the guitar player) was in the room normally used as a drum room (same room used to track drums on Nirvana's In Utero album). It's a medium sized room with 3 granite walls and one glass wall. It's not as lively as you would expect, so I didn't put any room mics up. We tried having the vocalist sit in the main room, but the drum bleed in the vocal mic was not favorable and this limited my ability to control vocal dynamics without changing the sound of the entire mix. The drum bleed WAS very favorable on the piano mics however. I'll turn up the upright too. What a bugger to record that was.