|
Fleetwood Mac - Dreams feat. Mandi Seekings (134BPM Dance Remix)
|
View this Thread in Original format
| Viking Pillager |
Hey guys I am an old TAhead back from the proverbial dead and have been very busy in the area of music of late. Currently putting together a couple of demo tracks with this vocalist to try and get some releases and need ya'll aural expertise in critiquing this track - do you like the sounds used/any issues with EQ you would like changed, etc. Any and all comments welcome as we want to put out the best product possible for prospective labels.
Thanks for your time in advance.
http://soundcloud.com/vikinghendo/f...mac-dreams-feat |
|
|
| Richard Butler |
Very nice mixing to my ears, the way a 'propa' engineer would do it.
So your'e just starting working with this singer from what I can gather. Mmmm I'll be honest mate she is sounding a bit off key in this track.
EQ and all that you seem to be well on top of, but you ask about sound choices, and my opinion is you should try use / make more up to date sounds. As an example the open hat and snare.
Anyway I'd say keep working with this singer and see how it goes. I know how difficult it is to capture a good performance from a singer! |
|
|
| Raphie |
This is allmost a RobinS / Fleedwoodmac mashup... good thinking Batman! So here is an idea, listen to the recent "Robin S show me love remakes"
And then this vocal lovely!
, bit more shapeshifters musically flava and you're set
I like here loungy type vocal, but find the low mid end of the instrumental very thin at this stage even when listening on my ipad. Don't weed the mids too much get some body back in the 300-800hz area. Klooking forward to an update! |
|
|
| Viking Pillager |
Yeah there's something missing I think in that region precisely - plus I think I need to bring in and out the various synth parts more to create more variation and add to the dynamic flow of the track.
You said theres a shapeshift remix of robyn s out now? |
|
|
| Raphie |
No, I mean listen to what the shapeshifters have done in the past years and apply that kind of production flavour to this track.
Also listen at some of the recent Robin S remixes of the past years and use what you hear there to beef up the synths that's now sort of playing the organ lead of that track.
BTW don't trust the Focusrite box too much as it does not compensate for your headphone, so you'll still have severe headphone colouring
i.e. things sound different on a Pioneer HD2000 than AGK701
I personally think your headphones are too bassheavy and then you can keep switching virtual setups but they will all be skwewed. something to think about ;) |
|
|
| Raphie |
No, I mean listen to what the shapeshifters have done in the past years and apply that kind of production flavour to this track.
Also listen at some of the recent Robin S remixes of the past years and use what you hear there to beef up the synths that's now sort of playing the organ lead of that track.
BTW don't trust the Focusrite box too much as it does not compensate for your headphone, so you'll still have severe headphone colouring
i.e. things sound different on a Pioneer HD2000 than AGK701
I personally think your headphones are too bassheavy and then you can keep switching virtual setups but they will all be skwewed. something to think about ;) |
|
|
| Viking Pillager |
I find mixing bass end with my sen 280-64 pros and the VRM pretty easy now just a lot of notch equalizing with tons of the various eq's avail in reason 6.5.1 with reracks. Although I do think it's time to upgrade my headphones. Not sure which to though. I want something designed for designing bass heavy mixes though.
When I design sounds I am flipping constantly thru three to five of the VRM modes especially and then mixing same thing - with overlaps in modes in both areas of production. So I get a vary rounded picture of the sound, so while my head phones may be "bass heavy" or not, they are as a stock control, being referenced and manipulated multiple times by different algorithms so I feel pretty confident in the potential for a clean mix as long as I take the necessary time to notch out all the prob freqs in each sound I make for each track with all of the VRM modes I have identified as overtly useful. basically even though you're right about the headphones themselves - I'm still picking up the various bad freqs per sound as I flip thru the different modes so it's just a matter of tedious listen loop sessions.
Btw to butler: lmao about the sound choices. I purposely picked the 90s highhat snare claps etc bc of Robyn s show me love had them. But yeah maybe I should leave the 90s... In the 90s. Hahahah you made me laugh out loud just now. So true. |
|
|
| Viking Pillager |
| Btw butler appreciate the engineer compliment that is legit bro. Thank u. We started this yr. She's in Vegas im in DC. Speaking of autotune what's ur experience w Neptune pitch correcting? |
|
|
| Raphie |
I hear what you're saying, but, again, you're judging based on what your headphones tell you, that it more or less sounds good in all aural EQ modes means that there is nothing "offending" left and that's the immediate challenge of the mix you posted above, it's too carved out.
Try this: connect your iPod earbuds to your headphone amp and listen and judge again, changes might be that you carve totally different.
if you have to much bass in your headphones, your mixes will be thin regardless, if you use this unit with earbuds, your mixing will probably be more bass heavy. So you need to esthablish a neutral baseline, WITHOUT this unit,that u can trust and where you start working from. Then using this unit to crossreference is fine.
But I forgot to further compliment your singer, she is great. loads of potential in the track. It's merely the "right" vibe and a bit fuller mix |
|
|
| Viking Pillager |
I always listen with the ol iphone buds as a reference - and on a regular tv too. I carve my frequencies alot. But thats how you get pristine sounds - I hear what you are saying though about the headphones. I mean they were 100$ headphones, its not like they are crappy at all. And I am aware of the 1.2khz bump in them so I attempt to mix with that in mind - its less than a 3dB bump anyway. My point is the weak point in this debate is not the headphones, its my experience (twelve years and change) vs. the sounds I designed which is in question. And to be honest, I am pretty happy with where the mix levels are at in this track and where I am at and where my equipment is at, although I could definitely go for a headphone upgrade now, to agree with you. My concern isnt levels and eq as much as actual choice in arrangement and perhaps one of the synths, I am not 100% sold on my choice yet.
I am a definite carver though, thats how I was taught by one of the best in the business, luckily happened to know a guy who is one of the best now, and he shared some magical pointers. So carving is definitely not the issue in my opinion. maybe perhaps choice of frequencies to carve - thats the artistry, but carving itself is good. |
|
|
| Raphie |
True carving is good, I do agree.
But just don't carve too much as there is a turning point from pristine to thin sounding ;) but then again a lot comes down to taste
The only thing I guess i'm trying to say is, check your mixes on decent monitors in a treated room, or anywhere else considered neutral and objective. |
|
|
| Viking Pillager |
Thats not realistic for me. I have my studio in the basement of our house. I have alesis 620 monitors. they are adequate but no Opals or Adams. Hence the VRM to compensate.
If money grew on trees I would be right there with ya - but I opted to upgrade my computer first before upgrading the monitors. So I'm 2k+ deep on this most recent upgrade. Ill prolly buy headphones in the next month - but monitors wise idk the next step up is a couple grand for a set so thats.. not gonna just happen overnight haha. Im trying to save some money for law school too lol. |
|
|
|
|
