[CaliaMoko]

Thanks, Boydie and Doodles! Some really good feedback I can use as I continue to use this track to try to teach myself some better techniques. And I'll be watching for the video mixing series...if they're downloadable. ?? 

One thing I think I need is more ways to listen to the results...at present I've only been using headphones. I need to break out one of my little speakers to hook up and get another perspective. As soon as I can clear out a space to set it....

[digger72]

Hi Vicki,

I really can only ditto many of the other's observations. The bass sounds a bit too dominant in what I would imagine is a genre led by the vocal. (Which is very well delivered by the way). Perhaps that and the reverb muddy the track up a bit - a battle I often have as Katja loves her vocal soaked in reverb also.
The song itself has a nice melody. Reminds me of old black and white movies for some reason - sort of nostalgic.

Digger

[montydog]

Hi,

I've not heard the previous versions so I'm coming to this with fresh ears.

The vocal is too low in the mix and the bass is too prominent are the 2 things which jump out straight away.

That out of the way - let's focus on what this song has which is something so hard to write and which so few songwriters grasp the importance of - melody! This melody has a timeless quality - it's fairly predictable but only in as much as you think it must have been there for ever. There are some great intervals which catch the ear and make it really shine.

The vocal lacks punch and variety in the delivery. I think you need to modulate your volume levels and timing to add interest. At the moment it's too predictable and samey all the way through.

Great song.

M

[Wolfini]

This is a very nice country-style walking song. Beautiful lyrics (had to look for then in the other forum though...) and really nice melody. The bass sounded a bit cheap and too simple for me.

The mix sound generally quite good to me, but yes too much bass and too little vocals. One mixing tip I read online that helped me a lot: the basic of each song is bass - drums - vocals. These three parts have to be in the right balance, and importantly: at different volume levels. Try your mix loud, try it silent, and then see if the balance is ok. Here when I turn down the volume the vocals almost vanish, while the bass is still very strong.

Mixing only on headphones is hard, since it often will sound completely wrong on other systems, even though it sounds good on your phones. Try to download and install the "TB Isone" plugin (free!), if that is possible with your mixing software (should be, it is VST). With this you can simulate different listening environments on your headphones, like big and small studio monitors (the small monitor setting is extremely helpful!), etc. (Beware, the plugin is only for checking your mix, remove it before the final mixdown!)

Bye Wolfi

[MartynRich]

Well this is a songwriting forum as opposed to an Audio Engineer´s forum so I won´t comment further on the mix. You´ll get better the more you practice at it. I´ve heard lot worse though so well done.

As for the song itself, it is really nicely put together. The melodies are quite traditional and folky and work well with the backing. Your voice is really good and suits this type of tune perfectly...moving from section to section effortlessly. Not so keen on the string section at the end but that may be the VST you are using, maybe something more minimal like a violin would work better. However, really nice to listen to.

[Neil C]

Vicki,
Nice traditional tune. If it was me I'd try to learn to trust your ears, have you a thought in mind what you want it to sound like?
For me the bass sounds good just a little too loud compared to the drums, and I always think they should go together. And for me the vocals have a bit too much reverb, I'd like to hear your voice and the words and not have it hidden by reverb.
Good luck
Neil

[CaliaMoko]

Thanks to digger, montydog, Wolfini, MartynRich, and Neil C! I agree that the bass is too prominent and my voice has too much reverb. I actually know nothing about mixing and I'm okay with the idea of trusting my ears. My obstacles are:

1. When I open the reverb, um, what is it...plugin? It just comes on a list in Audacity. Anyway, when I click on Reverb, a window pops open a bunch of choices. I've spent some time experimenting with those choices, trying to figure out how to get what I want, but I'm pretty much just shooting in the dark, so it's time-consuming.

2. For this first serious attempt at mixing, I chose not to try to set every instrument separately. Instead I used a pre-programmed accompaniment pattern from my keyboard. So I don't think I can do any real mixing on the instrumentation. Perhaps there is some way to manipulate the sounds, relative to each other, to at a least a limited degree by using EQ? I've looked at the EQ thingy in Audacity and, again, what to do with it is a mystery to me. I think there are some pre-designed settings, though, so I plan to try messing around with them to see if that will help at all.

If anyone already has experience with either of these two areas in Audacity and has any advice for me, I would be thrilled to receive it.

Thanks again!

Vicki