8x10

[rockerdude]

Here is a country tune.I am trying to re mix this for my studios demo reel.I need some HEAVY bashing.
I need input on the mix,nothing can be re tracked so just the mix.
This is the only country song I have recorded so far so it's all I have to work with.
I don't think I am ready for Nashville.........[ATTACH]7270

[jjb]

Seems like a pretty damn good mix to me. Two things I'd tweak. Harmony volume seems too low for country venue, as is the guitar volume. Other than that, nice song, nice mix.

jjb

[zhavoney]

Originally Posted by rockerdude

Here is a country tune.I am trying to re mix this for my studios demo reel.I need some HEAVY bashing.
I need input on the mix,nothing can be re tracked so just the mix.
This is the only country song I have recorded so far so it's all I have to work with.
I don't think I am ready for Nashville.........[ATTACH]7270

Good song and good mix. Very clear.

Which recording program are you using?

I can hear a pedal steel in your song. Other than that I think you are ready for Nashville.

[paul999]

Can't wait to hear it. I will listen in the morning.

[paul999]

This is a good mix. The frequencies are well balanced, I can hear everything and if it was anyone else I would say good job don't touch it. I think you are looking for more then that though.

I know nothing can be re-tracked on this. The timing issues that the piano player and the drummer have are on the edge of extreme and interfere with the vibe of the song.

I don't think I would recommend using this as a demo reel song.
Reason. 1. In a song with profound lyric's like this the producer wants to get out of the way usually and not get noticed so the lyrics take center stage. You did this well but the musicians took the vibe away. On demo stuff that I show people, a good performance almost always make them smile more then better quality mixing.

I agree that the harmonies could be a little louder. I think the mandolin and guitar fills in the intro should be more distinct. The drums definitely have the over the top drumagog thing going on, especially the kick. The song is almost verging on too dry but not quite. The overall high end doesn't have the crispness that I would like. I hear some clipping on the piano at times especially at the end of the song. The high end on the bass is showing some not so nice for country pickup slap. The bass is good but I would automate this out. I think the 2nd buss compression is making the song sound a bit mono. I also don't like the fade at the end because I clearly hear an ending so I am wondering why it was turned down. Some of the out of tune harmonies may benefit from auto tune. Can you do some robo timing editing on the piano and drums? I would like the keys under the end of the chorus the first show up a 1:11 to be a bit clearer.

I am trying to be picky for you rockerdude because I know the level of stuff you want yours to compete with. So after all this criticism can I say good work because it is good work.

Cheers
Paul

[TonyB]

Living so close to Nashville, I deal with a lot of "Nashville" demos. This one is pretty good.

Previous comments are on target.

Today's modern country tends to have a more prevalent counter melody going on (usually with a pedal steel, mandy, and/or fiddle).

Since you're not re-tracking and using what you have, I recommend bringing up the counter melody a bit. I think I hear it peaking out every now and then.

Also in modern country, the bass and kick are very present and full. However in this song it's easy to overdo it. You did not overdo it. (Listen to some current tunes on country radio -- especially Zac Brown Band, Lady Antebellum, etc -- to get a flavor]

Kick and bass are present and complementary to the overall song. I'd be tempted to make the kick fuller, but once again, it's subjective at this point.

Yes, make sure the vocals are prominent. It's the story first as Paul stated. The story (8x10) needs to be clear. Agree, maybe that the harmony should come up maybe a dB or 1.5 dB. Try it and see. In country it's kind of a hybrid between backup vocal and a duet.

As far as EQing, it could be a little crisper (not as crisp as 90's country though), but it's not distracting.

BTW, Nashville A&R, labels, etc don't expect to hear a mix that is as full as a Blackbird, Massenberg, etc studio. But what you got with a few tweaks will be nothing to be ashamed of if/when the song is pitched.

[rockerdude]

Thanks guys!Things have been slow for me all year then in the last few weeks I have had several people wanting to get in to record so I am putting together a demo CD to hand them when I meet them.

My studio is in my home so I pre screen all the people that I bring here.

Paul,I herd all the things you were hearing on there piano clipping,backing vocals pitch and the rest.
This was my first Pro tools session about three years ago.The drummer was very safe on this.
I can fix some timing hicups,pitch problems,I will mess with the drums to get them bigger.This is my first go around on this mix in a while so I will make the changes you guys suggested and see.

This is the only country type song I have for a demo and there are lots of folk/country guys up here where I live so they would want to hear somthing along those lines.

Paul, what did you mean by the musicians took away the vibe?

I haven't tried the two buss compression thing, as far as crisper I thought the lead vocals were on the edge of sibilace so I played it safe.
I clearly chose the wrong vocal mic and pre for this guy cause the vocals sounded mid range harsh in the mix too me, but I can fix it.
I tried to go with a more upfront intimate sound like on Keith Urbans "Tonight I wanna cry" for this tune and stay away from too much reverb and effects.

I will work on this......Thanks again!

[TonyB]

Originally Posted by rockerdude

I tried to go with a more upfront intimate sound like on Keith Urbans "Tonight I wanna cry" for this tune and stay away from too much reverb and effects.

I will work on this......Thanks again!

Good idea. Yeah, too much reverb is a big no-no in Nashville. Mostly try except for a little, and I mean a little, "love" on the vocals.

"Love" is N'ville slang for a little reverb on the lead vocal.

It's the ole "you shouldn't notice it until you remove it" concept.

[rockerdude]

The singer handed me a cassette tape with the tune recorded on it it was just piano and vocal and sounded really bad and the arrangment was different and slower so I had to find a piano player that could learn the tune from the cassete tape then I put down the bass,mandolin,guitars,synth and produced the whole arrangement so It's the producers fault that the arrangement is a little shakey(Thats me)

We had a session drummer come in that was a friend of the singers.I think I could of done the drums much better but oh well.......

I will re post after I make a few changes.

[paul999]

If you re-tracked the drums yourself if only for your own purposes here it would go a long way to improving things.

What did I mean the musicians took away the vibe? The piano/drum timing issues draws my attention away from the lyric's because I start trying to fly the plane for the pilot. There is also a clear difference in the playing ability of you and the others so the band ends up sounding a bit like they are fighting.

My reverb/ambience complaint. This is funny I thought of the Kieth Urban as an example of the problem. I hate it when I listen to a recording and I notice that a recording feels wet or dry.

For crispness yes the vox bordered on sibilant but you did keep it in check. The rest feels a bit dark. Clear but dark. Do you remember me saying in the worlds biggest drum mic shootout that I thought if I came to your studio and brought my km84's they would tend to sound darker there as well. That is the feeling I get with your recording style here to. It wouldn't take much to balance out. Maybe a bit brighter eq on the solo instruments and cymbals. I can't tell with out doing it.

Cheers