clare_bear's Looking Back - new mix

[clare_bear]

Sorry for a 2nd thread, but due to the fact that I can't edit the title of the other thread, I don't know how else to draw your attention to my new mix

Here's the original thread (new mix link on there):

http://www.musicradar.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11741


Or here's the new mix (2 save several clicks!):

http://soundclick.com/share?songid=6398971


Thanks for indulging me.

[blucas]

Very nice Clare!

[Danny1969]

Vocal seems to sit better in the mix and the backing vocal bit is better now, been a while since I heard the original so not sure what else has changed. I don't remember the drums but what you have now seems to work ok.
There's no set rule to mixing or production, so there's no right or wrong way to tell you how to do things. But If I was working with you on this song then I would layer the backing vocals and pan them to give them some more presence. You have a great tone and attitude to your voice and I would make the most of that by recording multiple takes and getting a great final take by comping those bits.
For me a song like this relies on the guitars and vocals, the trick here is layering to get the power guitar wise and really working the vocal, to make it powerful and filled with attitude but spot on in terms of phrasing and delivery. There's a lot of singers I work with who don't know how good they can sound, as they just expect to sing a song all the way through and live with the imperfections. In truth though the stuff they hear on the radio and compare themselves to isn't done like that. It's comped from various takes and automated EQ'ed and autotuned to near perfection.
In terms of progress though this mix is better than the last. And the song is light years better than the first song I heard you post. In terms of focus getting better at playing guitar is important, and getting better at producing is important ... but nothing is more important than writing good songs. It's hard to juggle everything but your doing great

[clare_bear]

Thanks blucas and Danny.

Danny - thanks for yet more useful information, all taken on board. When you say layering the guitars, do you mean layering the same part, and/or playing it with slightly different tones? That's something I'll remember for the next song. As for comping vocals, that's something I really need to keep in my mind when I'm recording, so again, I'll remember that for next time. Each time I get more advice, some more of it goes into my tiny brain!

I should have said what I'd done to this version...beefed up the drums a bit with the Camel Crusher plug-in and added Tracktion's Final Mix plug-in with the drums preset, I think; brightened the main vocal with Tracktion's Final Mix plug-in with the 'female vocal' preset; increased the levels of the backing vocals (it's been pointed out to me that the panned BVs need a bit of chorus to help them blend it - cheers, Jay - I'll do that sometime, but won't bore you with the results!); I also raised the level of the bass a bit, I think. That was pretty much it, I think.

[Hypagen]

I gave you track a listen, I thought it sounded alright, then I turned it up and it sounded really good.

Bearing in mind I'm into electronic music, I thought the mix didn't sound very balanced with the guitar to the right and the drums over to the left, if you were to layer the guitars as previously suggested, I'd try hard panning the parts left and right and create a stereo effect, just a thought, it sounds good though!

[clare_bear]

Originally Posted by Hypagen

I gave you track a listen, I thought it sounded alright, then I turned it up and it sounded really good.

Bearing in mind I'm into electronic music, I thought the mix didn't sound very balanced with the guitar to the right and the drums over to the left, if you were to layer the guitars as previously suggested, I'd try hard panning the parts left and right and create a stereo effect, just a thought, it sounds good though!

Thanks for the listen and advice.

I think there were comments about the drums being panned before- they're panned dead centre on the software. I can't say I noticed on mp3, so I'll have to listen again. Most odd.

[ArDee]

the stereo image seemed off to me too up to about 1:46 or so then it balanced out a bit more

good tune though

[Hypagen]

Originally Posted by clare_bear

Thanks for the listen and advice.

I think there were comments about the drums being panned before- they're panned dead centre on the software. I can't say I noticed on mp3, so I'll have to listen again. Most odd.

The hats and toms seem to be in the middle, the snare is over to the left. As the snare is prominent in the mix that's what's making it sound unbalanced. I can hear the drums playing quietly in the right, maybe they are masked by the guitar part.

It's good to have drum parts panned about but the snare is usually something that sits central along with the kick.

[clare_bear]

Originally Posted by Hypagen

The hats and toms seem to be in the middle, the snare is over to the left. As the snare is prominent in the mix that's what's making it sound unbalanced. I can hear the drums playing quietly in the right, maybe they are masked by the guitar part.

It's good to have drum parts panned about but the snare is usually something that sits central along with the kick.

Thanks for that. The snare and kick are supposed to be in the middle! I'm very confused (easily done though )

[Hypagen]

Originally Posted by clare_bear

Thanks for that. The snare and kick are supposed to be in the middle! I'm very confused (easily done though )

If you solo the drums and they are playing in the middle (is it a mono drum track?) then the problem lies somewhere else.

If your drum track is mono maybe the guitar in the right is overpowering the drums, possibly due to compression or limiting you may have used over the whole mix?