Whoa ... slow down. Don't everybody talk at once. LOL!

Somebody say something - good or bad, no ugly, please.

Thanks!

Sounds outstanding. Rich vocals and harmony. There are maybe like, 2-3 minor vocal notes that sound slightly out of tune, but other than that I can't find any imperfections. Sounds completely professional. How was it mixed/recorded?

Wow, thanks!
I recorded and mixed this in my bedroom studio. I also did the "mastering" on it myself. I put "mastering" in quotes because what I do is more like using a sledge hammer vs., the precision scalpels of a real mastering engineer.

I've been a member here at RO for a long time and have really learned a lot. "RO" is my secret sauce for recording!
I'll go back and check the tuning on the vocals.

Thanks again!
-John

It sounds nice John.
The drums sound artificial to me.
Also, there is a lot of energy in the low mids. But if it sounds good to you, that's what is important ! ;)

Well, I want it to sound good to everybody; I'm looking for a transportable mix.

I'll check those low mids, also. I have a "problem" with low-mids in this studio and am still struggling to tame them.

Do you think the BGVs or rhythm guitars are contributing to this problem?

pcrecord, post: 448726, member: 46460 wrote: there is a lot of energy in the low mids.

I'm listening in a fairly well-treated room, ( not perfect, but fairly decent in comparison to most home studio spaces) through both Alesis M1's and Presonus Eris E8's, and like Marco, I'm hearing this as being very low-mid heavy... in the "mud" frequencies of 250hz -400hz ( or thereabouts). Are you adding any frequencies in your "mastering" process? Have you tried analyzing this visually using something like Voxengo's SPAN, or other frequency analysis program?

What are you mixing through monitor wise, and are you using any treatment methods at all in your space?

My monitors are a pair of Altec Lansing spkrs that I have used for years and constantly compare with pro music to calibrate my ears.

As for the treatment of my space, we've got sheetrock, paint, and a few pillows, mostly behind the monitors. All I can do for now.

As for mastering (and mixing too), I think I should go back and use viz plugins to "see" the sound. At least they are dealing with an absent room for measuring frequencies.

Great tips, folks! Thanks and keep'em coming!

Thanks again;
-John

JohnTodd, post: 448728, member: 39208 wrote: I'll check those low mids, also. I have a "problem" with low-mids in this studio and am still struggling to tame them.

Knowing it is the key... I know my small room has too much 200-300hz so I always make sure I don't have too much of it in my mixes.
I use Fabfilter Pro Q2 which has a great analyser built in. Even if I don't hear anything wrong I always make a sweep at +6db and if I hear something jumping at me I lower those frequencies a bit. Sometime it's ok by itself but it adds up quickly with other tracks.

A quick turn in Wavelab has revealed a noticeable improvement in the low-mids by cutting at 222.9 hz. But it's a 9dB cut!

Make me think a remix is in order?

9 db is a lot !
I'd definetly try to modify the room, the spot were you record or the mic placement to record less of those frequencies...

All that low mid frequency mud is actually laying a heavy carpet of fog on this song and killing all the transitions between the sections (you lose all your levity and lightness). Check out the transition at around 1:00 and see how it just fails to lift off (when it should literally soar like a released balloon).

Also - quick question. Did you slow this song down to change the pitch? or tune down? I ask because there's something unnatural in the note attacks and there's a warble in some of the notes that strikes me as unnatural. I might be wrong here but it's just a feeling.

Depending on your answer above, I'd love to hear your thoughts if you speed the song up (and pitch up) a semi-tone in your DAW. This mix needs more energy - that might do it for you.

There is no pitch shifting or time "tweaking" at all. I recorded it with a slower tempo and a 1/2-step transposition.

I think the main culprit is the keyboard pad I have in there. I put it in to provide "heft", but it now seems "obese". Shame, I really love those Prophet-5 sounds.

I'll try to notch it, or pull it back, or dial in a new sound. It's MIDI, so it n/p to work with.

Thanks!
-John