It Isn't Easy

[Greg_L]

The vocal performance isn't as good as it could be, but I think the vocal mix/production is worse than the performance. You don't have to be Celine Dion to sing this kind of stuff, but it should be clear and easy to decipher. If you're gonna try to be clever with words and some kind of message, then mix it so it's intelligible.

[ido1957]

Or...sing 10 tracks and comp the $%$# out of it....

[JD01]

This was only 3 tracks and some of them on here are first takes. I'm gonna pause writing for a while and have a bit of a practice with this and try and learn something new about vocal processing. I'm sure I can do a better performance once I've spent a week listening to it too. I should have chance to try another few takes next Friday.

[paulman]

Great band sound, fat and meaty. I think your vocal performance is fine, it's just the mixing of it. I'd tell you some of the stuff I do, but the last time I told someone what I put on a vocal, the whole thread forgot about the song and just gave me shit about how many plugins I used, though before I divulged that information everyone loved the sound of it (it wasn't on this site). Although that was a long time ago, and I've gotten more efficient with my plugin usage since then. But again, I think your performance is good. If you're going to do more takes, I would suggest doubling rather than replacing.

[JD01]

Cheers, mate. I'm hoping to have another pop at the vocals tomorrow. Gonna try and capture them drier and process them differently - want to do some experiments on this with vocal processing.

[WhiskeyJack]

Right off the bat with out even trying to listen for things my ears are struggling to hear your vocal tracks. Seem like they are sitting underneath everything in the verses and the come to life and come forward in the mix at the pre chorus and the carries thru into the chorus.

There is some pitchy stuff going on vocally. Looks like other more trained ears here have commented on.

I am going to do something i never thought i'd do ever and i'm going to echo Miro on this one. I think you need to do something with the snare. I cringe with each hit. not because it is canned, but more because i know it is canned i 100% know how hard it is to work with a canned snare drum and make it not suck. "It's not easy" (see what i did there?) Maybe just dialing it back a wee bit might help maybe. I can hear that is in fact somewhat humanized but also feels mechanical if left just beating there for too long.

I like this one JD. Most of your stuff id stuff i would find myself listening to anyways. But i am sucker for ska influenced tunes. Your tunes are really growing man. There is a confidence being translated each time i hear a new song of yours.

3rd listen I am digging the bassline and tone. Feels like a guest appearance from the Specials Bassit.

[JD01]

Right off the bat with out even trying to listen for things my ears are struggling to hear your vocal tracks. Seem like they are sitting underneath everything in the verses and the come to life and come forward in the mix at the pre chorus and the carries thru into the chorus.

There is some pitchy stuff going on vocally. Looks like other more trained ears here have commented on.

I am going to do something i never thought i'd do ever and i'm going to echo Miro on this one. I think you need to do something with the snare. I cringe with each hit. not because it is canned, but more because i know it is canned i 100% know how hard it is to work with a canned snare drum and make it not suck. "It's not easy" (see what i did there?) Maybe just dialing it back a wee bit might help maybe. I can hear that is in fact somewhat humanized but also feels mechanical if left just beating there for too long.

I like this one JD. Most of your stuff id stuff i would find myself listening to anyways. But i am sucker for ska influenced tunes. Your tunes are really growing man. There is a confidence being translated each time i hear a new song of yours.

3rd listen I am digging the bassline and tone. Feels like a guest appearance from the Specials Bassit.

Cheers WJ. Fortunately this one is going to get some pretty significant remixing when I get a better environment for tracking vocals so I'll look into that snare too.

I'm loving the new bass - its really added a new dimension to my tunes 'cos I can be a load more creative and still be able to play. Actually, mate, if you like the tunes can I send you a link to a completed set (7tunes) to just listen to at your leisure and tell me what you think

[JD01]

OK, finally got a few hours spare to work on my vocal recording, setting up the room so I have as few weird reflections as possible and actually taking the time to try out all of my mics in different ways. I actually settled on on Audix i5 on the end, I know that's not a common vocal mic but it seemed to give the best result. Both of my condensers were quite dark sounding. Haven't re-tracked the guitars at all yet, so this is all prior to me getting the new cab, they sound alright though.

Sounds better to me, but still not quite right.

It Isnt Easy - Mix 2.mp3

[einstein magoo]

Noice!

Much more clean and clear. Like you pulled the blanket off of the first one.

I'd be very happy if I had produced anything sounding this good. And I like the song too.

[JD01]

Thanks, OneCup. "Pulled the blanket off" is exactly what I was after

[rayc]

The blanket's off but there's something very aggressive in the vocal - a freq that is hitting the unpleasant button. I can't pin point it but something's a little hot or hyped. Good song.

[JD01]

The blanket's off but there's something very aggressive in the vocal - a freq that is hitting the unpleasant button. I can't pin point it but something's a little hot or hyped. Good song.

I know - I couldn't find it either, there's definitely a bit of whineness getting through there. Its probably normally dialed out with that weird Line6 sim I was using before.

Jesus - I just listened to this through again. There's something pretty high up and very nasty there, my ears must have been a bit fatigued to not spot that yesterday!

[JD01]

Ray spotted a really obvious one there so I've had another bash at this:

It Isnt Easy - Mix 2a.mp3

[rayc]

Improved.

[JD01]

Improved.

Cheers - it certainly hurt my ears less

[7String]

Definite overall improvement from mix 1 to 2a. I can't really find any nits with 2a. Cool song!

[JD01]

Definite overall improvement from mix 1 to 2a. I can't really find any nits with 2a. Cool song!

Cheers mate

[WhiskeyJack]

+1 Vocals aren't as mumblefussed. Good mixing buddy. Might possibly be sitting a little too upfront. But not enough that youd have to go back and fix it. Just a personal thing i'd do is all.

Like the improvement.

[JD01]

+1 Vocals aren't as mumblefussed. Good mixing buddy. Might possibly be sitting a little too upfront. But not enough that youd have to go back and fix it. Just a personal thing i'd do is all.

Like the improvement.

Cheers Shan, I'm hoping to get a bit of time to listen to this through again on my home system (I've been away for two weeks) and decide if I want to put a tiny bit more verb on the vocal.

[WhiskeyJack]

+1 Vocals aren't as mumblefussed. Good mixing buddy. Might possibly be sitting a little too upfront. But not enough that youd have to go back and fix it. Just a personal thing i'd do is all.

Like the improvement.

Cheers Shan, I'm hoping to get a bit of time to listen to this through again on my home system (I've been away for two weeks) and decide if I want to put a tiny bit more verb on the vocal.

it is well worth looking into. not lots of verb just a lil bit to round it out. Worth a try for sure buddy