Folk Pop Song - Please Critique

paulnowo · 10th June 2006, 07:31 PM

I am an 18-year-old singer/songwriter in training and this is a little pop folk song that I wrote and recorded today after being inspired by a djembe drum that my sister just brought back from Africa for me.

It's mixed in Cubase SX3 with Reason bass/toy piano and the main gear is a Behringer B-1 Condenser Mic, Behringer Tube Ultragain Mic200 Preamp, RNC, and the Waves Diamond Bundle.

Please critique the mix and the song. Thank you very much for your time!

skip bitmin · 10th June 2006, 10:12 PM

Just an opinion ,The intro is too long cause the bells are not intresting enough
I would try beefer drums and maybe pan the bells alittle more to one side and
perhaps add a cello and bass. An electric gutiar and some dubbling of the
vocals in the chorus might sound better. The vocals sound very good to me.

APOHStudios · 10th June 2006, 10:23 PM

Your arrangement is really good. Good job on the song writing, too. I would agree that a little more separation (panning) would help and the djembe needs a little more meat to it. On the engineering side, I found the song a little too bright. Maybe tone down the highs a bit.

Doc

paulnowo · 12th June 2006, 03:37 AM

Thanks for the comments.

I'm gonna play around with the arrangement and maybe make the drumming funkier at the start to combat the boredom there.

I need to make that bridge grungier so electric guitar may work but I don't want it to be cheesy.

I agree that the djembe needs to be beefed up, I will push the Vintage Warmer harder.

How does the singing (not just the vocal sound) sound to you folks?

skip bitmin · 12th June 2006, 07:24 PM

I like your vocals they have a lot of feeling and are well sung.

ando · 13th June 2006, 01:28 AM

cool,
what effects did you put on the vocals. just reverb? and do you have a soundproof room for vocals or is this in a regular room?

paulnowo · 13th June 2006, 02:11 AM

Vocals were done as follows:

- Recorded sitting down right in front of my monitors and computer with a Behringer B-1 (monitors providing the mix and monitoring vocals, lots of bleed!)

- PSP Vintage Warmer with lots of gain but not too hard compression

- Little bit of EQ to remove lowend and a touch of highend, took a bit off of the low-mids

- RVerb Room reverb

- RVerb Plate reverb

- ModDelay slight 1/8 delay

That's all! Nothing too special.

pour the cure · 13th June 2006, 06:19 AM

I like it.... do you listen to Dispatch a lot by any chance?

ando · 13th June 2006, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulnowo

Vocals were done as follows:

- Recorded sitting down right in front of my monitors and computer with a Behringer B-1 (monitors providing the mix and monitoring vocals, lots of bleed!)

- PSP Vintage Warmer with lots of gain but not too hard compression

- Little bit of EQ to remove lowend and a touch of highend, took a bit off of the low-mids

- RVerb Room reverb

- RVerb Plate reverb

- ModDelay slight 1/8 delay

That's all! Nothing too special.

Thanks!

paulnowo · 14th June 2006, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pour the cure

I like it.... do you listen to Dispatch a lot by any chance?

I've never heard of Dispatch in my life :)

Oddly enough, I listen to a LOT of hardcore:

Underoath
Alexisonfire
Boys Night Out
The Reason
etc.

This is just the music that comes out of me :)

babelfeesh · 14th June 2006, 07:47 AM

you've got a great voice. "i'll be there for you" was repeated waaaaay too much imo. i must disagree, though, with an earlier post saying your vocals have a lot of feeling. they sound monotonous, like you are going through the motions. don't take this the wrong way, please.

the intro is a bit long. all in all, a good effort, though.

paulnowo · 14th June 2006, 09:28 PM

Thanks for all of the comments - negative and positive! I am continuing to work on the song with all of your suggestions.

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10th June 2006, 10:23 PM	#3
APOHStudios Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Upland, CA Posts: 1,068	I like It Your arrangement is really good. Good job on the song writing, too. I would agree that a little more separation (panning) would help and the djembe needs a little more meat to it. On the engineering side, I found the song a little too bright. Maybe tone down the highs a bit. Doc __________________ Bengal Productions Facebook http://www.myspace.com/apohstudios http://www.myspace.com/bengalvideoproductions

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10th June 2006, 10:12 PM	#2
skip bitmin Gear nut Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: canada Posts: 141	Just an opinion ,The intro is too long cause the bells are not intresting enough I would try beefer drums and maybe pan the bells alittle more to one side and perhaps add a cello and bass. An electric gutiar and some dubbling of the vocals in the chorus might sound better. The vocals sound very good to me.

12th June 2006, 03:37 AM	#4
paulnowo Gear maniac Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 161	Thanks for the comments. I'm gonna play around with the arrangement and maybe make the drumming funkier at the start to combat the boredom there. I need to make that bridge grungier so electric guitar may work but I don't want it to be cheesy. I agree that the djembe needs to be beefed up, I will push the Vintage Warmer harder. How does the singing (not just the vocal sound) sound to you folks?

12th June 2006, 07:24 PM	#5
skip bitmin Gear nut Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: canada Posts: 141	I like your vocals they have a lot of feeling and are well sung.

13th June 2006, 01:28 AM	#6
ando Gear interested Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: California Posts: 4	cool, what effects did you put on the vocals. just reverb? and do you have a soundproof room for vocals or is this in a regular room?

13th June 2006, 02:11 AM	#7
paulnowo Gear maniac Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 161	Vocals were done as follows: - Recorded sitting down right in front of my monitors and computer with a Behringer B-1 (monitors providing the mix and monitoring vocals, lots of bleed!) - PSP Vintage Warmer with lots of gain but not too hard compression - Little bit of EQ to remove lowend and a touch of highend, took a bit off of the low-mids - RVerb Room reverb - RVerb Plate reverb - ModDelay slight 1/8 delay That's all! Nothing too special.

13th June 2006, 06:19 AM	#8
pour the cure Gear Head Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 42	I like it.... do you listen to Dispatch a lot by any chance?

14th June 2006, 07:47 AM	#11
babelfeesh Gear interested Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 8	you've got a great voice. "i'll be there for you" was repeated waaaaay too much imo. i must disagree, though, with an earlier post saying your vocals have a lot of feeling. they sound monotonous, like you are going through the motions. don't take this the wrong way, please. the intro is a bit long. all in all, a good effort, though.

14th June 2006, 09:28 PM	#12
paulnowo Gear maniac Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 161	Thanks for all of the comments - negative and positive! I am continuing to work on the song with all of your suggestions.