You'd likely get more people to listen if you uploaded your file directly here on RO, instead of linking to an outside site.
There are some of us here who are hesitant to go to a URL that we aren't familiar with.
Click on the "upload a file" button, this will open your computer's directory; choose the file.
Upload times vary and will depend on the speed of your local IPS.
RO's media player supports up to 320kbps MP3's, and up to 15 Meg file sizes.

DonnyThompson, post: 456867, member: 46114 wrote: You'd likely get more people to listen if you uploaded your file directly here on RO, instead of linking to an outside site.

I'm making myself look like a typical noob. Good looking out Donny and thanks for stopping to let me know.

[MEDIA=audio]https://recording.o…

Attached files CTom.mp3 (11.1 MB) 

After listening a few times, my main critique in the mix would be that the vocals all need to come forward in the mix... and not just by a scoodge. It’s not at all uncommon for this to be the case, when you are the writer, the performer, the recording engineer. and the mix engineer; because you already know what the lyrics are, because you wrote them and performed them...
So, you’ll have a tendency to pull the vocals down in the mix a bit, because you’re already so familiar with them.
Mixing trends in the last decade or so have really brought the vocals forward in the mix, more forward than they were back in the 80s and early 90s, especially during the 80s, when everything seem to be drowned in digital reverb. Mix trends have really “dried up “quite a few of the tracks in commercial mixes, especially with the lead vocals. I’m not implying that you should follow any “trend”, it’s your artistic and sonic vision, so you should do what you want, or what you feel is best, but for other people listening to the song who have not heard it before, it’s pretty tough to discern the lead vocals - and lyrics.
I’ve been guilty of this more than just a few times myself, I’m sure plenty of mix engineers who also perform their own music have as well.
I learned a trick about 10 years ago, and what I will do is put the lead vocals where I think they should be, and then bump them up a few DB, to bring them more forward in the mix. This method seems to have served me well, for the most part.
The other tracks in your mix sound good to me, I like the tone you’re getting on the guitars.
But, keep in mind that opinions and suggestions are all going to vary, from a little to a lot, depending on whom you ask; I’ve had a saying around here for a number of years, that I’ve told other home engineers, and I’ll say it again now, somewhat jokingly, but a little serious too, and that is. if you ask five different engineers what they think of your mix, you can expect anywhere between 10 and 15 different answers, LOL.
I like the song, it’s intriguing, and not a generic, cookie cutter, pop song that is so typical these days. I like what you’re doing, i think it has a cool vibe, reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” ...I would just like to hear the vocals more. Tonally, they sound fine to me, I’m not hearing anything frequency wise that’s making me wince.
Just my two cents, FWIW.
-d.

DonnyThompson, post: 456876, member: 46114 wrote: what I will do is put the lead vocals where I think they should be, and then bump them up a few DB, to bring them more forward in the mix..
-d.

That's perfect. Gonna try that on my next mix. This is NOT the first time I've heard "up the vocals" on one of my songs. You'd think I'd do that automatically since I'm a singer, but somehow I tend to push myself back. So from now on, I'll put them where I normally would, then add a few more db like your suggestion.

The "opinions" comment literally made me laugh out loud...because it's SO true. I know because I'm guilty of it. Thanks a lot Donny.

Since they're so vague:

Lyrics
Cowboy Tom Buckles Down That Hatch

Time to hang that saddle up
It's too slow for this ride
But I'll keep my holster on
I like it by my side

Guess I'll head to Jesse's bar
and have myself a seat
Pearly Mae sits two stools down
Still the local leech

And like that cowboy on the radio
I've been shot up and been shot down
Better light another smoke
Time to find myself another town

Got this two-bit rocket ship
But I ain't got no fuel
Spoke to Reverend Massey Joe
And he told me what to do

He said, "Son get on that big tin can,
And buckle down the hatch"
Guess I'll say my goodbye now
Cause I ain't comin' back

And like that cowboy on the radio
Following that railroad trail
Better light myself another smoke
Time to take this thing to outer space...

Now hand me down my cane, boy
Glad you stayed to hear
Way too far past midnight
in this stratosphere

I won't be here tomorrow
Found another path
don't you feel no sorrow
when I buckle down that hatch

If I were mixing this - and not having heard it prior to the mix session - I would probably mix the vox hotter than what your ears would tell you to do. Again, this is common when you’re wearing all the “hats”... we become so familiar with things, and it’s difficult to remain objective.
I’d like to hear the vocals come up a few dB ... but I wouldn’t add any more gain reduction - which could result as you gain up the input, depending on which compressor you are using, how you have it routed, and how it reacts. I’m suggesting that if you are using a compressor where the input level adjusts the level of reduction - like an 1176 or similar plug), that this could happen ... it could add more reduction with an increase in the input, so what you may want to do is add makeup gain on the back end (the compressor output) as opposed to increasing your track level on the way into the compressor.
Try this... mix the vocals to where you normally would, then add a few dB on the makeup gain (output) of the compressor, more than what you’d normally feel the level to be.
If you’re not using any gain reduction on the vocal track(s), then simply up the track levels (or busses) by that much.
Also, don’t forget to adjust your compression (or limiting ) accordingly on your master 2 bus as well, if applicable.
Then, Post again and we’ll listen to it.
-d.

Gonna give it a go. Thanks again.

DonnyThompson
Crap! I use Reaper and also posted at Reaper forums. Someone wanted to make an alternate mix, so I stripped all the plugins so I could upload the raw stems project. Now here's the stupid part: I cleaned the Reaper project directory (to keep the file small), not even thinking that I was removing all my frozen files from my real (mixed) project. So now I have all the raw tracks, but my mixed version is completely screwed. I have to start again from scratch. I really wanted to upload a new version with Donny's suggestion for comparison, but I can't face completely re-mixing this right now. It's too close to the last mix. Still gonna try on whatever my next mix is though.

LeeDee, post: 456885, member: 51266 wrote: DonnyThompson
Crap! I use Reaper and also posted at Reaper forums. Someone wanted to make an alternate mix, so I stripped all the plugins so I could upload the raw stems project. Now here's the stupid part: I cleaned the Reaper project directory (to keep the file small), not even thinking that I was removing all my frozen files from my real (mixed) project. So now I have all the raw tracks, but my mixed version is completely screwed. I have to start again from scratch. I really wanted to upload a new version with Donny's suggestion for comparison, but I can't face completely re-mixing this right now. It's too close to the last mix. Still gonna try on whatever my next mix is though.

Reaper saves project backup files so your Mix should still be in there.... you just need to find the latest save (usually an auto save).

I too really liked the song and agree with Danny -- The vocals sound like they were recorded in a room next door to where everything else was recorded and need to be brought forward so they at least occupy the same space (or are on equal footing with it). What we miss with the softer vocals are what the hooks are -- it leaves the listener kind of searching for that hook -- at one point you think it's in the instruments, but really there are some great vocal things going on and lots of cool hooks all through them --- but they are just not featured enough to really grab the listener.

Thanks Dogs; I hear that now and appreciate your comment.
I have a habit of freezing all my tracks and buses during a mix, esp after finishing. Where I went wrong was cleaning the (raw exported) project directory, so all unused files (my frozen tracks) were deleted since they weren't needed. And to top it off, I didn't delete to recycle bin. Restoring an old version will still miss those files because they're no longer there. Really bad brain fart day.

BUT I did discover yesterday that all I really had to do was load a prev full project, and even though every track loaded "offline," all I had to do was unfreeze everything. The raw tracks were still there once unfrozen, and so were my track/bus plugins and settings. So what I have to do is go track by track, folder by folder and unfreeze/re-freeze to be back to my normal mix. Once I do that, I'll upload a new version with hopefully better balanced vox.
Thanks again.

EDIT: btw, since they're already uploaded, here is the raw stems project if someone wanted to mix the vocals differently as an example.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KTU...ew?usp=sharing
You get to hear my sloppy guitar playing flaws and all. hah! The octave vocals are merged, though. A lot of times I just commit stuff. But there are NO fx on anything except delay on the word, "space."
PS. Oh, it's a Reaper project file, so if you don't use Reaper, you can still load the audio files separately. Everything should line up at zero.