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Hey guys I made this recording and I know it is not really finished. I wanted to know what you guys think, the instruments are a backing track and the vocals are all me. What do the vocals need? Is the eq good? compression good? Basically I want constructive criticism on how I can make this the best it can be. Thanks
http://snd.sc/xRNIhb"]Drive final by Adam Mishan on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/]="http://snd.sc/xRNIhb"]Drive final by Adam Mishan on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/]

Comments

Guitarfreak Fri, 01/27/2012 - 15:34

Mix seems lacking in lows and has a lot of midrange. The vocals need much less tuning, to the point where you can't hear the clamping on held notes. The vocals are seated very high in the mix and I would prefer to hear it seated in the mix. If you look at the waveform on the website you uploaded to, you can see that the largest peaks are due to the vocals, for all intents and purposes, this should not happen in a pop/rock style mix. Otherwise a good effort.

RemyRAD Sat, 01/28/2012 - 12:45

I liked it from the standpoint of its mellow rich tone overall. Like as has been mentioned, the vocal is a bit too predominant. You've also got some kind of gourde like percussion scratcher that sounds more like a scratched record than a percussion part. I really didn't like that at all. Something worthy of elimination totally. It only adds the feeling of a scratched record which I can live without since it really doesn't enhance anything. Unless that is, if you're trying to make it sound like some kind of hip-hop track that was based upon a sample of a scratchy record?

I love this song without scratches
Mx. Remy Ann David

highriser Sat, 01/28/2012 - 15:43

Guitarfreak, post: 383514 wrote: Mix seems lacking in lows and has a lot of midrange. The vocals need much less tuning, to the point where you can't hear the clamping on held notes. The vocals are seated very high in the mix and I would prefer to hear it seated in the mix. If you look at the waveform on the website you uploaded to, you can see that the largest peaks are due to the vocals, for all intents and purposes, this should not happen in a pop/rock style mix. Otherwise a good effort.

So should I add more bass to the eq of the backing track? What do you mean tuning on the vocals (not sure what you mean by clamping)?

All right so I gotta drop the vocals volume down and compress more.

RemyRAD Sat, 01/28/2012 - 22:43

Tuning on the vocals generally refers to pitch correction from software.

Clamping refers to what the compressor/limiter does to the excessive dynamic range of the vocal. Sometimes that clamping can be made too obvious by too fast an attack time on the compressor/limiter. You may obtain better results by slowing down the attack time. Clamping can be desirable on certain broad dynamic range singing voices. Sometimes it's utilized as an audible effect. Plenty of hits have had their vocals heavily clamped by compressors/limiters since there are those folks that go from a whisper to a scream in the same line. Brutal hard knee limiting can accentuate that clamping effect. Sometimes it's desirable and other times it's over the top. It's a highly subjective adjustment. If you're getting 20 DB of gain reduction on an overly emotional vocal, clamping from compression/limiting is all too often an evil necessity. Basically because natural dynamics on vocalists never sound natural on recorded material. So we have to perform unnatural acts in order to tame them and make them more listenable. Adjusting attack & release times can make a vocals sound more aggressive or more natural depending upon your settings. Some compressor/limiters kick into action via a hard knee where others have a slow knee where the action of the limiter/compressor acts upon the gain reduction in a smoother way rather than a brutal hard knee. Both types have their place & applications and are not necessarily universal on everything. That's another reason why I have optical, RMS & peak sensing limiters & compressors. They pretty much all work the same but provide different audible & inaudible results on the same signal source. So you have to match the sound of the device to the application or source. And with software types, all three types are generally offered in different emulations. So it's not a question of what is best but what is best is what you decide is best, given the source material being acted upon.

You can never have too many different types of dynamic range controller devices.
Mx. Remy Ann David

highriser Fri, 02/03/2012 - 11:17

It will rain is not an original. It was originally performed by Bruno mars. Where would I find the stereo mix of it?

Here is another attempt I tried to incorporate all of ur guys suggestions. Let me know what it needs. If you do hear pitch issue I am missing then soundcloud has unique feature that allows you to comment on the exact spot where you hear the issue so anyone who would be so kind, it would be much appreciated. All your constructive feedback is welcome Ty.
[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.soundclo…"]Drive2 by Adam Mishan on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/]="http://www.soundclo…"]Drive2 by Adam Mishan on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free[/]