Hybernate!!! (me)

[Elwood]

this started out as a nice little acoustic thing, morning calm, coffee....

1st remix: https://dl.dropbox.com/s/2f7hqtzsi7wsgvl/Hybernate x2 no-tope.mp3?dl=0
(per converstion below)

as first submitted: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5eaeo0czixreeyv/hybernate!!!.mp3?dl=0

and then all this happened.

Doing my part to make ya look good!

(my spelling skills are OK, my sense of humor needs work)

 

[Many Moons]

Yeeeeeeeehaaaa!!! Great little gallop Elwood. Your recording skills are improving every song brother.

 

[CaptainMoto]

I like the driving rhythm against the other guitar parts.
Some good bass work to!

I'm hearing a little Reverend, "La Grange" in that vocal.

 

[sdbrit68]

dig that main riff

 

[Elwood]

Thanks guys! This is the flip side of my hit 45 "Here With You". Appreciate the recording comment MM , you and Moto know my "comfort level" with that stuff. I used the 29 bucks worth of Isotope stuff on this one, they are pretty plug ins anyway.

My e-drummer skills are way behind my recording skills, so I set the Casio kbd to channel Charlie Watts and left it alone. Mini did the rhythm, skinny (thinline) did the other guitar stuff. Dusted off the JB for some bottom. I could not, for the life of me, set my voice to channel Wayne Cochran though. Too bad about that. Wayne got cool!!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me1HrlU7Ymw

 

[Elwood]

I was listening to this and decided to try not using my new plug ins. This is doing the mixing more "manually". The isotope stuff I was just using pre-sets, got sounding fuzzy to me.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2f7hqtzsi7wsgvl/hybernate x2 no-tope.mp3?dl=0

Different, any better? original is still above. (@CaptainMoto , @Many Moons , you guys have been suffering through my learning, which rendering do you prefer?)

 

[Many Moons]

Yes, the second one is better. The first one is a bit muddy with low end in places, the second one breaths a lot easier. I listened to it the first time on my phone, and the muddiness didn't come through on it. Enjoyed listening to it again.

 

[CaptainMoto]

OK, my 2 cents:
Version #1
-A little heavy in the bottom
-Drums need more power
-Vocals got too much low end
-Guitar fills are too far back
-Vocals are rather dry
-Instruments are lost behind the vocals

Version #2
-EQ is better balance overall
-Drums need more power
-Vocals are cleaned up nicely
-Vocal reverb is better but maybe just a tad too much.
-Guitar fills still are too far back
-Bass sits well
-Once again, vocals overpower the rest if the track.

My reco.
Dial down the vocals a bit
Roll off the bass on the vocal, use a high pass shelf in the EQ and cut everything below 100-150hz
Dial up the guitar fills just a bit
Try a compressor on the drums
Bring up the total mix track volume
If you get clipping try a compressor on the offending track or a limiter on the final mix.

 

[Elwood]

school is in! This time I have all the parts. I will try to make some changes. Thanks for the Bass comment uptop Moto, one of those things, I just am not all that pleased with my bass efforts lately. The drums, I bet I kinda hid those because the track is so rudimentary, still need to be heard, good tip. Maybe while I am in there I'll try to light a fire under Charlie. Vocals, for so long they were not present, I agree it is overpowering. I was seeking verbal clarity, probably use another tool besides volume. Reverb is like perfume, it's easy to use too much, good tip.Up guitar and overall volume, check. Here is the thing there, I have developed an aversion to red on my meters. I am still trying to get/keep all the plates in the air without red. This can be difficult for the uninitiated. Appreciate the considered reply Moto!!!!

Thanks MM! You can guess I liked the second better too. I just get some serious audio confusion going on. It was that muddy distortion that got me to tackle it again.

I'll give it a rest and try some patient tweaks, with fresh ears. I build on version 2! Maybe tonight I will sleep with my New C.C. Riders album under my pillow and see if it helps my vocals.

 

[CaptainMoto]

It's a learning experience for sure.
I'm not qualified to be teaching though
My head is full of stuff but, actually putting it into practice is the challenge.

I believe you've told us before but, what DAW you using?

 

[Elwood]

Running Reaper Moto. It does way more than I do and if I ever buckled down there is a ton of support stuff. The first pass i did with some new (to me) IsoTope sw, the 29 dolla special from Sweetwater. It will probably be OK if I get past the pre-sets. I will try your suggestions soon, I have a punch list. Your help has always been great!!! Thanks!!!

@sdbrit68 , Thanks for the "groove" comment! I got lucky and stacked a few things and it worked, most of the time.

 

[Elwood]

Hey @CaptainMoto I ran the punch list...
vocals, down, less reverb
drums, up, changed comp (and eq)
mini & skinny both up
OA vol up

Here is what I got
https://www.dropbox.com/s/14k65lmt5h3ogsq/hybernate x2 4moto.mp3?dl=0

Really appreciate the tips. I ran about five iterations of the changes. The visualization during rendering looks way smoother and higher amplitude. I do believe I hear some distortion creeping back in though. Maybe I'm just not real sensitive to the mixing nuances. Maybe my ear will get wiser with time, most likely deafer though.

I think this one is about ready to kick the stool over. Thanks again!

(hey, "hybernate!!!", not hibernate. Like the hypo-clorox jazz they put (or don't) in the tide pods)

Take care,

 

[CaptainMoto]

Thanks for having some confidence in my suggestions.
Please keep in mind, I'm really not qualified to be giving guidance, as I'm just a novice myself.
I do like to share the little knowledge I have if it can be of some help.

This mix is defiantly different.
I listened on headphones that boost the bass and it almost blew my ears out.
On my studio monitors it was much smoother sounding.

I was concerned that I may have given you too many things to consider but, It's obvious you're learning as you go,.. are't we all!

Sent you a PM on the topic.

Bottom line.
I like this song and I hope you don't give up on it too soon.

Moto

 

[Elwood]

I like this song and I hope you don't give up on it too soon.

That is very nice of you! Not much to "give up". I just get a silly idea, play with it for a while, and move on. I guess the "grand plan" if there is one, is that by law of averages they should improve.

headphones that boost the bass and it almost blew my ears out

sorry, sounds like nice cans, or they were.

Not too much, I can run a punch list.

I have heard, and accepted that photographers and artists (painters and such) see better, see more, than most of us. If this were true an advantage could be had, If they are able to represent, say 30% of what they see in their work, but they see much more than I to start with, the outcome should be that I appreciate the work tremendously. An abstract, but my point is that either by natural gift, repeated immersion, considerable training, or all of the above, you and some others here, hear things that are obvious to you, yet virtually oblivious to me. I can appreciate the difference in mixes, but not always sure why.

I do appreciate the tutorial and as you have mentioned in the past, I believe I will save copies of this as they evolved (yours included, it sounds the best, and you were working with the mp3) to maybe help my ear in the future. I believe you called it a reference or something. Good idea.

If I could have played this well enough, most of those parts are timed to be done by one guitar. Not the lead fills of course, but the mini with the call and response going with a beat under it. I think that is where my heart will lead. This type of thing on either the mini or the 522 is great, the hardwoods delight the ribs! I seem to really like tunes I can't play well, ha!

Thanks again!!!

 

[CaptainMoto]

Funny you should say:
" you and some others here, hear things that are obvious to you, yet virtually oblivious to me."

I really feel that some people do have that ability, I'm pretty sure I don't.
I'm just winging it trying to apply what I learn from more talented people.

I do agree with you about artists, I think that's one reason @Many Moons delivered such deeply developed songs.

BTW, the cans with the bass boost are nothing special, just a set I use on my laptop.
Picked them up at Best Buy, needed to replace my old headset with built in mic.
They can be annoying.

Keep'm coming

 

[BigMike]

Now that there is one fine song, really enjoyed it. Big up for CM for his constructive suggestions too.

 

[Elwood]

Thanks MIke! That is one lucky outcome of chord noodling. Good on the kudos for Moto too, he tries to help anyway he can, good stuff!

@BigMike , hey, you tip your hat to Moto and I realize I didn't put up the track he massaged. This is Moto just working from my MP3. Not fair! (just not much fun to say that anymore). This is his tweak with nothing to work with, back to school for me https://www.dropbox.com/s/gfzw95345ch2vc4/Hybernate,motomix.mp3?dl=0

 

[WimVD]

@Elwood
I enjoyed it, well done. I hear J.J. Cale in your guitar playing, and I like it.

Wim.

 

[PapaRaptor]

I really feel that some people do have that ability, I'm pretty sure I don't.
I'm just winging it trying to apply what I learn from more talented people.

I disagree with your self-assessment. While I think there are people who naturally see or hear more, I also believe it's a skill that can be developed through appreciation and application and you more or less state that in your sentence about winging it. It rubs off on you. The greatest thing about that (in my opinion) is you are able to articulate what you've learned and are sharing that with others! Kudos to you!

 

[LeftyJohn]

Enjoyed listening to that, thanks!