For this one, acoustic or electric, without or with kick and snare?

[SweetDan]

Today after work I re-did a short part of a tune I posted a while ago, but different instrumentation. I'm curious on opinions for or against each arrangement.

The old arrangement, mostly electric instruments, and with kick and brushed snare, is over here --> viewtopic.php?f=20&t=3154

The new, with 100% acoustic instrumentation, and without kick and snare, is attached:

nothingLeftToDo_2020_acoustic.mp3

Yays/nays? Pros/cons? For or against?




EDIT: Mix two attached, added brushed snare, increased the volume of the solo part in the busy, chorus-like section, and otherwise very minor tweaks to the mix.

nothingLeftToDo_2020_acoustic2.mp3

EDIT 2: Mix "2c" attached; bass down and scooped a bit, brushed snare up a touch

nothingLeftToDo_2020_acoustic2c.mp3

[Armistice]

Can't decide... seeing you have all the tracks you could do some mix n matches too - acoustic guitar rhythm with electric melody and vice versa.

I'm tending towards the electric version but I'm not overly fond of the stratty/tele-ey melody guitar sound - bit too clean for me.

[musicturtle]

I agree with Armi, maybe a blend would do this tune justice.

I like this better than the other but I also think the lead guitar performance is better on this one.

I would like to hear the electric guitar come in for the lead on the B section, right around the :55 mark in this recording.

Catchy tune, fun to listen to. Definitely like the acoustic bass better.

[vomitHatSteve]

I'm leaning towards the acoustic version. I don't really like the bluesy tones of the electric.

Your noise floor is really high on both tho!

[Alison]

Man, nice tune! I think my foot filled in the kick and/or snare! Didn't really miss it. Love your playing.

[SweetDan]

Thanks for the comments @Armistice, @musicturtle, @vomitHatSteve and @Alison. I made some minor alterations to the mix and added a brushed snare to the instrumentation in the acoustic-only version (new mix in first post of this thread), but haven't tried doing a mix of acoustic/electric guitars or bass. Not sure if I will; I didn't play the electric version against a click, so the timing is way off and I'd have to re-track. Plus, with the addition of the snare, I think I really like the acoustic-only version, though I'm receptive to other feedback.

vHS, I have a theory on the noise-floor issue. I've been lazy of late, and had unplugged my interface a while back while re-arranging my desk and computer components. The interface is still on the shelf, unused; instead, I've been making recordings with a dynamic mic (Audix f2 or SM57) and an XLR-to-USB cable. I'm guessing that the conversion components in that chain (XLR-to-USB cable, DAC/ADC on the motherboard) are noisier than the interface would be. (I'll have to start being less lazy, though, to prove or disprove this theory. )

[TripleM]

I went straight to mix two.

The acoustic guitars sound great. Very full. The lead guit is crystal clear.

I thought the bass was a bit heavy for this mix. A bit too much low end for me.

The drums were way back. I think that, for a tune like this, they shouldn't be very far forward. But maybe a nudge more than what you have.

[SweetDan]

I went straight to mix two.

The acoustic guitars sound great. Very full. The lead guit is crystal clear.

I thought the bass was a bit heavy for this mix. A bit too much low end for me.

The drums were way back. I think that, for a tune like this, they shouldn't be very far forward. But maybe a nudge more than what you have.

Thanks. I had already started tweaking the bass, scooping out a slight bit of low-mids mud masking other stuff, and I agreed with your comment that it was a bit much. Likewise, snare has been nudged up a bit as well. New mix (2c) up above.

[vomitHatSteve]

vHS, I have a theory on the noise-floor issue. I've been lazy of late, and had unplugged my interface a while back while re-arranging my desk and computer components. The interface is still on the shelf, unused; instead, I've been making recordings with a dynamic mic (Audix f2 or SM57) and an XLR-to-USB cable. I'm guessing that the conversion components in that chain (XLR-to-USB cable, DAC/ADC on the motherboard) are noisier than the interface would be. (I'll have to start being less lazy, though, to prove or disprove this theory. )

I'd definitely vote for investigating. Only KISS can get away with that much noise floor and only once in the 70s.

[WhiskeyJack]

Coming in on Mix3 or "Edit 2" SD!

I MUCH prefer this song this way over the other one. And mix three is heaps better than Mix 1. I'm teetering on wanting to say that the bass is a bit much and in my face but then the song kind of keeps going and it's fine. Maybe all it needs is just a bit of bump down in some of the way deep low end? things on the upper notes end sound amazing when they are in play.

I really quite enjoyed this.

2nd vote for that noise floor though. holy. Feels like i am at the beach when i hit play. I would be interested to see what the difference could be using the interface.