My first Ever Recording -Bash ON!

[zoggy66]

Hi All,

Well, I am so new at this, here is my first attempt at a mix of my own song.
I wrote this orginally when I was 17, 43 now! Yep waited a while.
Anyway let me know what I can do to improve, really still learning.
All instruments are played, no samples. I use SONAR LE

Song is called - Follow your Heart

Thanks
Nick

[rtlane28]

I would move the bass to the center of the mix and I would also record a second guitar track and pan the guitars left and right. Good song.

[vyn]

Originally Posted by rtlane28

I would move the bass to the center of the mix and I would also record a second guitar track and pan the guitars left and right. Good song.

I second that. I really like the song. Just the bass that's annoying me because it's panned right. Snare is slightly loud. The drums seem a little monotonous. But I have to say that for a 'first time recording', it's really good.

[zoggy66]

Thanks for commenting. I didn't even notice the bass was panned to one side (inexperience showing). I have fixed that up, and added a 2nd guitar track and panned L & R. Thanks for that tip.

I find the guitars too "up front", but maybe that's just me! Is there a way to make them not so up front without making them softer - sorry don't know the technical speak... At the moment they just sound to much front of everything else...

if that makes any sense and you have any ideas would be great!- if not I'll keep turning knobs!!!

[PeterSimonRussell]

Yes, nice song Nick. And a good effort if that's your first attempt at recording.
You need to think about what to do with the guitars. You need to make sure that they don't get in the way of the vocals. There are two basic (recording/mixing) techniques for doing this - turn them down / play more quietly during singing AND/OR use a guitar sound that don't include much of the same frequencies as the voice. You could also change the arrangement - seeing as its your song you have that option.

Here's some more comments - take or leave...

Bass is tentative / out of time at times / could use some help with a compressor? / Is that a guitarist playing a bass he's not used to?

Drums sound nice - perhaps too clean?

At 2:52 to 3:10 you lose the plot and everything ends up on one side of the room, just like some giant has tipped it there.

Nice bass run at 3:25

Get rid of first 20 seconds

"Chase the fade" at the end - can you do that in digital?

There you go,

LOve

Tigs

[zoggy66]

Good advice, I am all ears I soak this stuff up.
You are so right about the guitars, I have been struggling to find a sound, currently, tried a pitch shift on 2nd guitar thats panned hard left and right.....

Bass you are soooo right, it IS a guitarist, playing bass for first time, who said "this feels weird, I am not used to this giant thing...." you are spot on.
I don't have a compressor, but could add compression from within the software??? Not sure if thats the same thing, I couldn't hear an audible difference when i tried it. Also I might get him to redo the bass line, he was very uncomfortable by his own admission.....

I fixed the one side of the room problem! That was inexperience!!!!
I will delete first 20 seconds! Good idea.

What does "Chase the fade" mean.........

Thanks for your help!!! Ill post new version soon!!

Originally Posted by PeterSimonRussell

Yes, nice song Nick. And a good effort if that's your first attempt at recording.
You need to think about what to do with the guitars. You need to make sure that they don't get in the way of the vocals. There are two basic (recording/mixing) techniques for doing this - turn them down / play more quietly during singing AND/OR use a guitar sound that don't include much of the same frequencies as the voice. You could also change the arrangement - seeing as its your song you have that option.

Here's some more comments - take or leave...

Bass is tentative / out of time at times / could use some help with a compressor? / Is that a guitarist playing a bass he's not used to?

Drums sound nice - perhaps too clean?

At 2:52 to 3:10 you lose the plot and everything ends up on one side of the room, just like some giant has tipped it there.

Nice bass run at 3:25

Get rid of first 20 seconds

"Chase the fade" at the end - can you do that in digital?

There you go,

LOve

Tigs

[PeterSimonRussell]

Chasing the fade was a technique used to get rid of tape noise as the note fades at the end of a recording, you followed the fade down, reducing the gain of the second recorder, having deliberatly recorded a fade it longer than wanted (Also allowed you to trim the record to 2mins 52secs). In this case I think the noise comes from the guitar set up; leave it, if you like, but it is one of the way you can tell a pro recording from "local" one.
LOve
Tigs

[Dakoom]

You're voice remember me Eddie Vedder.

[zoggy66]

Thanks all, I have done a new mix......
Nick Zografos / Steve James on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos

[rtlane28]

You need to turn the guitars and bass up, IMO. Did you record a new guitar track or did you just cut and paste the original track ? The reason I ask, is, they are still dead center in the mix which is exactly what happens if you cut and paste the original track and then pan the two identical tracks right and left. Try this just for fun. Cut the portion of the guitar track from the 2nd verse and paste it into the first verse... then pan them left and right. The song will sound "wider". Just trying to help.