My first shot at recording/songwriting

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:26 pm

http://www.coldsuzy.com/music/Cold_Suzy-Honeybear.mp3

Lemme know what your thoughts are as this is the first time I've ever tried to record something I've written.

Any thoughts on mixing or levels is greatly appreciated too, as I only did this by ear. Not really knowing the levels were "supposed" to be.

Will Robinson · Post by **Will Robinson** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:38 pm

Nice! Interesting arrangement and mix.
I'd go for a bigger sound (reverb setting) for the vocal chorus and try a bridge pickup instead of neck pickup on the heavy guitar tone...guitar sounds too muffled, needs some bite, not more distortion just some brightness instead of pillow-in-the-speaker-cabinet tone.

But hey, it has to make you happy before you can worry about others so take my suggestions with a grain of salt.

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:50 pm

Okay, I'll take a look at that.

Now one question I have for anyone who replies is how are listening? i.e. headphones, computers speakers, stereo.

Thx.

Tyranny · Post by **Tyranny** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:57 pm

Sounds like MTV or Vh1 material. Not my cup of tea but since you're part of the community I'll give you a pat on the back and say it sounds good, needs a little work like Will said, but overall not bad.

Listened to it with my speakers.

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:58 pm

If it helps, it's about a bj.

bash · Post by **bash** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 11:56 pm

First listen impressions:

-Compress the vocals more for more presence and spread
-A second accoustic guitar (mic'd, not line-in) would fill nicely in many places (a bit too sparse, imo)
-Electric guitar sounds too processed for my tastes (use a real amp/mic) and too up front during somehwat missing (vox get buried) chorus
-The instruments are lining up too closely (kick, bass, guitar...needs a little more human --inexactitude-- feel)
-Unimaginative bass lines
-Up the tempo 5 clicks (sounds a bit Dirge-ish, needs more spunk)

Other than those niggles

it sounds pretty damn polished. Very close-to-good. Just a little more instrumental depth and a little more recording/producing shine and you're there.

Post more when you get some.

roid · Post by **roid** » Sat Jan 22, 2005 11:58 pm

wow, that was really impressive mate. i don't want to give my suggestions coz they are probabaly just personal and i don't want to detract from how neat i thought that was.
but since you asked, the little fast A# C A# C A# C A# C A# C A# C A# C A# C A# C A# C A# C A# C etc part sounds wrong to my ear - somewhat bland, missing something, perhaps i was expecting some kindof "hook" to be in there.

and to be pedantic, when you stop on the overdriven guitar have you thought of doing something to make it stop cleaner, like quickly FADING it out, and/or sliding up or down the fretboard.

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 1:12 am

Bring up the volume of the distorted guitar on the chorus in addition to what Will suggested.

As far as the vocals go, Bash's suggestion for compression on the verses is a great idea, and those chants in the back DEFINITELY need to be compressed.

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 9:00 pm

I uploaded a different mix. I compressed the vox and the chant thingy. And fixed some other levels and stuff.

It's at the top and http://www.coldsuzy.com/music/Cold_Suzy-Honeybear.mp3

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 9:06 pm

Much better.

Very alt-rock.

Is that a live drum track or a sequencer?

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 9:11 pm

Live. I only have 3 microphones so I couldn't really play around with the levels too much, but I think I got it sounding alright.

Tyranny · Post by **Tyranny** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 10:41 pm

Vocals are much better, for the most part it sounds more crisp cept for the guitars during the chorus, they still sound WAY too muffled.

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 10:47 pm

I'm not sure what to do them. I mean they were recorded with a mic not a line in, and it's eq-ed to take a great deal of the lows out and bring out the highs and mids.

Maybe just got even higher on the highs and mids?

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 10:56 pm

Oh yeah, i forgot about this forum...

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Sun Jan 23, 2005 11:50 pm

Can't you ramp up the sheer volume level?

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 12:16 am

Yeah, I could do that, but after listening to the track in my car stereo it's got me thinking that there are waaaayyyy to many mid's coming out (maybe from the chants) and I think that that is what is drowning out the guitar. But I'll fidle around with it some more and see what I can get.

TheCops · Post by **TheCops** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:22 am

i like your voice. i like the guitar parts.

btw: you might find this primer useful...

http://www.dreampoint.co.uk/articles/howtomix.htm

TheCops · Post by **TheCops** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 7:44 pm

just listened to it at home a couple times. sounds way better on headphones... imho.

do you play live? you could get free beer and sex singing that. good job.

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 8:38 pm

i do play live and i do get free beer.

and i guess you could say i get free sex too

<-----married

And yeah it's sounds way better on headphones. Though for the life of me I don't know why...

TheCops · Post by **TheCops** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 9:13 pm

Unix wrote:<-----married

before or after you played live? ;-0

Unix wrote:And yeah it's sounds way better on headphones. Though for the life of me I don't know why...

well... i really suck rocks at engineering and production. but i believe that headphones are like the last thing you use as "reference" because it throws the bass off (like you'll go too heavy on the bass) and on speakers it will be off. listen to it real quiet on speakers, i think.

that primer has a lot of good basic techniques as far as reference is concerned... like listen to professionally mixed stuff in between... take breaks while mixing... etc.

but i am blumbling... because those days are over... i just make up smartarse, and or sexin' tunes that will get me drawers.

anyway good job.

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 9:48 am

Thanks Cops.

I've gotten simliar responses from other boards, which is really encouraging me. I am definetly going to be recording some more stuff. And I think as far as mixing goes, I'll do it much better the second time around.