Haven’t fully tweaked it, so the reverse reverb on the pick scratch is a little strong, but see what you think. I’m learning lots of semi useful tricks on this one.
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I’d say I like it better. I think I can hear the B3 on the right side strongly right away, then the guitar slides kind of blend in with it but it seems like there’s a bit more separation now with the guitar slides more towards center-right. (?) This version of that section gives more clarity of the different parts, the synth patch is far left on my speakers, the B3 on far right, and the guitar as I said kind of center right but yet diffused all over the sound-stage a bit.
I’d love to know more! Maybe you could post that at some point?
I rarely get into fully detailed mixing; if I think it’s worth getting it done, I let my pal Aaron do a full drum track, and then Andrew does his magic.
Now that I have the time, I’ve fleshed out my demos a bit better. I’ve also used Scheps Omni channel judiciously, and the presets work great with minor tweaking.
I’m getting a little better with eq as a side benefit, since I can use it more for mud removal and slight emphasis here and there.
Andrew’s recent ideas about using limiting at various stages has been helpful. I have a little better idea of how to keep levels from being mangled.
Beyond that, anything I can dream up is usually available as a 5 minute YouTube clip. Reverse reverb, for instance, is very easy once you realize you don’t have to snip and tape a 2 inch master tape to do it.
To answer your question as it relates to this snippet, I automated muting to bring each part in at a specific time, so the bells start 4 beats after the organ, to which I added a “Church Lady” lush hall reverb, then the plucked 12 string comes in on a trill, then the 2 slide tracks, then a reversed pick slide pans into a panning pick slide. Nothing difficult, probably took 25 minutes including the YouTube clip on reverse reverb.
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Thanks for the details! I really miss fiddling with stuff like that, trying and learning new things. The recording bug may be starting to bite me again, we’ll see. I think I even have a plugin that does reverse reverb straight out of the box.
I have a lot of respect for the old days when they came up with those innovations … but only after having turned the studio upside down to do it. Kind of like actually climbing the mountain instead of just taking a cable-car to the top.
[quote=“Stan_Halen, post:24, topic:6410”]
Thanks for the details! I really miss fiddling with stuff like that, trying and learning new things. The recording bug may be starting to bite me again, we’ll see.
Sorry for bustin in here, but that put a big ole smile on my face 
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Thanks for the encouragement Paul! It’s definitely been tugging at me, and hearing Bob crank out some tunes lately, really rocking things out, has had an impact. I spent years studying and practicing this stuff and then kind of lost the drive and momentum for songwriting and the rest. Especially when the world turned into an upside-down fruitcake salad. 
There should be tons of songs to write about that subject! 
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I like it!
For those about to rock, we salute you! Sometimes life, the universe and everything is so much it is distracting and frustrating instead of being inspiring. It’s easy to come up with all kinds of ideas you can’t be sure will stand the test of time.
I read what you say, Bob, and I hear what you played, and am amazed by how packed with nuance everything is. This is a great rock song for serious lyrics, which I am still digesting.
I received some sage advice by an esteemed colleague, who said to compare the main vox volume with the snare drum to get it to sit properly. Along with that, I made a few tweaks to the background vocals and changed the intro a touch. Here’s where I am with it now:
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FWIW, I think it’s a nice improvement 
… but I’m not sure if that counts 
Just focussing on the the snare, another tip I could mention is to try to get the snare attack to match the attack of the other drums. Notice that when the toms hit, they have a little “snap” at the beginning? That little bit of attack goes a long way toward improving their audibility in the mix.
Now, the snare has a nice roundness and sustain, but the transient “snap” just needs to match the other drums a little better IMO…
Of course, once you improve that attack on the snare, you might find you have to review the level again, because it may actually start to overpower the lead vocal
…. BTW, on another subject, how’s that new song of your’s coming along… what’s it called? “Threadkiller”? 
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I like the intro and that you pulled everything together for an update! It may be the power of suggestion, but I think Andrew is onto something with the drum critique, they just seem more squirrely than before. I think the performance of everything is great. It’s just that last mile of mixing tweaks to get everything to gel together. Personally, I think this is a fantastic song and I hope you get it exactly how you want it to be.
Thanks. At this point I may try to get a proper drum track and a great singer involved. I might be able to sing it better, but it deserves a good production.
Yup, the drums are uneven dynamically, and I could edit it note by note, or let a real drummer have at it, which would be my first choice. I’ve done an okay job with the voice, but I also hear my limitations. I hear a lot of melody out of my range that would sweeten it, and a little more variation in the production that would help.
I think the vocals are awesome just the way they are! The drum arrangement is great too IMO, just some mix tweaks possibly to tighten them up.
I think you underestimate yourself man. That vocal can hang with most of the Blues/Rock artists out there. As I have said, it reminds me of the guy from Three Dog Night and Glenn Hughes - legendary singers. It’s the grit and emotion that drives that, but your intonation is fine as far as I can tell. And when the harmony vocals kick in with the chorus (0:39 etc), it’s like ear candy. I don’t think you can improve on that!
Just get the drum transients all situated, sprinkle on any magic fairy dust, and call it a day (or night).
Hey Bob. This track is just total killer. Ther lyrics are a powerful read on their own. You put some serious time in this and it shows, or rather hears. kudos to you. This progression has been amazing to follow with the tweaks and all. There are three here on this forum with amazing talent and a knowlege base to take tracks to a very high level. I am so fortunate to witness this. The chorus could be used on my fav news channel. just sayin. so happy for you
Wow, Paul, thank you very much.
If you’re determined to re-do some parts and expand the production, I’d suggest you finish this mix to your satisfaction, then you can “Save As” the project as a new project and continue with those other things you want to do. This current version is so great, I think it would make sense to have something “in the can” that you can have for posterity, and you can still pursue further production and see where you can take that.
I’m guessing on the snare I should slow down the attack on the compression, and maybe find some top end snap in the eq? I did add a little saturation that might be rounding it off. I tend to try to get rid of the ringing on the snare, but I might have overcooked it.
Trying both approaches would be my recommendation.
Yes sensei.