The Songwriter Forum - songwriting reviews, tips and chat
Songwriter Forum => Feedback on Finished songs => Topic started by: JHoos on November 02, 2016, 03:44:56 PM
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Hi,
Just finished another tune and in particular struggled with the final mix/balance. Would appreciate any comments/help on that.
Happy to return review.
Cheers
John
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Hi John,
Not an expert on production, but it sounds good to me.
Maybe the vocals need to be turned up slightly....it would be good if you publish lyrics on the forum.
There is some great guitar playing here....especially the guitar interlude.
Great drums here as well.
Good song.... Like the theme
Sandeep
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Hi,
Nice listen from the start and some nice guitar in there. Maybe would've liked to hear a longer guitar solo but just a minor thing.
Like Sandeep said if the lyrics were posted up it would be good...
Anyway it holds the interest and there's a fair amount going on in the arrangement which is good I think, overall well executed.
phil
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Production seems pretty good to me. I think the processing on the vocals could be improved a bit and perhaps some harmonies would thicken it out a bit. It seems a bit distinct in the mix from everything else at the moment.
Song wise, enjoyable but I think you bottled the chorus a bit. It seems to step down, into a minor chord and loses the rhythmical preciseness at that point, the bass seems to wander off a bit.
So it doesn't feel like a chorus, feels like a bridge or a middle eight.
Guitar playing is great throughout and really enjoyed it. Would be great to hear a bit of tight playing of the sort where the drums, bass and guitar all work and rhythm together, rather than picking and straight beats behind it. Just to get some contrast. That kind of thing works really well in the rock genre.
Good track! Would love to see the lyrics as well.
Tom.
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Many thanks for the feedback, all really helpful. I have a tendency to keep vocals lower in the mix when I've sung them myself - I guess I need to get over that !
Cheers
Hoos
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There's a lot of good in this. The guitar tone is sick, the bass guitar is awesome! Piano is subtle and brooding and the vocals remind me of early Pink Floyd. Maybe the guitar can use some more low end in the EQ but that's preference. Also the solo could have been crisper. It feels somewhat muffled, a trick would be to have the solo in two tracks, if you know what I'm saying. Have one panned all the way right and the other all the way left, that makes the solo feel wider.
The ending took me by surprise, so maybe figure out how to make the song have more closure. Otherwise, this is a very good entry
Good job!
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Hi there,
Nice track, I'm no expert when it comes to production but I think you've done a pretty good job here. There's particularly a nice clarity to the drums.
Maybe a bit more depth to the low end I think. Maybe some eq and/or multi band compression could help with this. I'm sure others can givemuch better advice.
If I could tell you what to do to add that professional magic and sheen to it I would. Actually no I wouldn't, I'd do it to my own songs instead and make them sound stellar. Unfortunately I can't. If you're after the next level in production you may need to turn to a pro mix/master engineer if you feel you've reached your limits.
If you hadn't mentioned the production though, I wouldn't have either. It sounds like a very good non-professional mix to me.
Yodasdad
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There's no need to be shy about your voice - it comes across really well, and for me I would like it a little further up in the mix.
I love playing the guitar as well, but for most people the vocal is the focus. I think the mix is pretty well balanced actually, but it could do with some magic "fairly dust" by being mastered. Did you get it mastered, or if using a DAW, what did effects did you put on the master bus?
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Really like it .. great guitar playing and love the vocals
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Hi,
Many thanks for the continued comments - and I'm really impressed at how constructive they all are, so thats appreciated. Some more info based on some of the comments:
- the drums were produced using ezd2 - i find it excellent for sound quality of the samples, and not too bad for editing once you get the hang of it
- I tend not to add too many effects. There are none on the master bus (other than some standard compression), and I've added nothing to the vocals or guitars once recorded. So for this song all I really used after recording was EQ and panning to create space fro everything, and then master bus compression
- I mixed/mastered this myself, on my DAW (PC running an oldish, but stable, version of cubase SX). I do know some people that can offer some very good mixing/mastering, but I'm always keen to try and learn each time myself - and the feedback here has helped with that !
Will definitely post more here !
Many thanks
John
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Hi JHoos.
This has a very late 60s/70s sound and feel.
Overall the song draws in the listener and it's one of those tunes you think you've heard before.
My only niggle is the sudden end,it lets down the song.
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Happy to return review.
That´s not quite how it works...review anyway as it´s good for the forum and will be much appreciated ;)
I like this, I think it´s well put together and the mix isn´t too bad. It could do with a lot more punch which you can get from EQing the overall track, but as a demo it´s well put together. Your guitar playing is excellent, as is the bass as well...maybe the song could do with some harmonies added to the chorus or some extra layers on the vocals, just to make it stand out a bit. The guitar solo is very good indeed.
Overall a good song.
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Hi,
I like the flow of the tune....I'd push the vocal out front more and play a bit with the phrasing so it bridges that "four on the floor" drum groove....But that's just my opinion...lovely harmonies! The ending doesn't fit the song for me.... But these are minor nits on a very good song .....!
igg
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Hi All,
Yet again this feedback is top notch, and right on the money - really appreciated.
Cheers
John
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Hi John,
the guitar and piano reminded me of mid-70s Bowie, definitely a good thing. I felt the crashes and the drums could have become a little louder as you move into the choruses and outros to highlight there's going to be a change. Other than this I thought it was a well play and produced song.
Keith
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Many thanks Keith. Yet again, some very good feedback !
Cheers
John
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John,
Enjoyed that mid paced rock. Like the delicate piano bits, worked really well. Liked you vocals too. Solo neat. Perhaps the drums which are great need to a little less prominent in the mix.
Shades of chillies perhaps?
:)
Neil
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Thanks Neil !
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Hi!
Actually listened twice. Liked the overall vibe. Slow, grungy rock with emotion in it. Nice guitar parts. Nice bass parts. Good work.
-I would definitely up your vocals a bit. Make them a bit more wet, because they sound a little bit dry to me. Or maybe they sound dry because they don't sit well in the mix.
-I would also give the guitar a little bit more of the low end because it doesn't sound as "full" as I feel like it could.
Other than that, I think the mix sounds good. WOuld need just a little more thickness overall in my personal opinion.
It was a good listen!
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Many thanks !
John
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Loved all the elements here - drums, bass and guitars all working together well. Vocal worked well too though perhaps could be a little more expressive with a little more light and shade? I really wanted to see the lyrics...
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Many thanks Adam - and I agree with the light and shade comment, which it needs.
Lyrics as follows:
V1 - how do I say this, the words to find
It gets so hard to ease my mind
The things you want to hear from me
I express them now for you to see (the things you want to hear from me)
Ch - Things to say, things to hide
People who want inside my mind
V2 - Now you see my quiet side
My feelings are a from to hide
Between the lines is what you see
And what you think is not for me
Last Ch - Things to say, things to hide
People who want inside my mind
Tryin to pry, you scare me away
What is mine, is mine to stay
Cheers
John