This is the final track of an album we have been working on for nigh on three years (on and off of course - you know how it is, peeps).
I think young Ben has surpassed himself this time.
As ever, don’t hold back in coming forward.
It is sounding good. I am just wondering if the chorus is over compressed, I think you need to pull everything back so that there is more room for that section without hitting the wall. That is my take on first listen. Otherwise balance between instruments is great and there is good movement.
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Thank you. In fact there is very little compression on them - just a smidgen. I guess I could take them up a little in the mix and/or drop some of the instrumentation.
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Sounds great Adrian. Nice balanced mix with a ton of dynamics (yea !).
Good job.
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Thank you!
Interesting, I am wondering what is giving me the feeling like the whole thing is being pushed up to a glass window on the chorus? do you have a limiter on the master bus?
I do, but again it’s not doing any major squashing. The integrated LUFS (LKFS) of both the track and the chorus is -10.
Just thinking - there are thirty two voices in the chorus, and there is no actual lead vocal, so could the the contrast between the chorus and the single lead vocal in the verse be what you are hearing? I mean, it’s never going to sound particularly dynamic with that number of voices.
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Hey Ade, this is sounding pretty darned good to me. Perhaps another element leading to Eric’s impression is that there is a pretty huge bass note going during all those voices – sounds like a synth? Between that and the many voices, there’s a definite difference in those dynamics. I don’t find it untoward, personally.
Great stuff! Excellent material and a pro production!
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Good tune, great sound I enjoyed it. The break at 2:40 is very effective. My only complaint is that it’s too short, something this epic should have more of an extended arc to it with rise and fall etc., just my opinion of course. Good work!
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The intro sounded a touch like pinball wizard? Great vibe. Beginning vox was slighty flat. Got a little busy later on. Nice work overall
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No it’s just the bass guitar that’s in the rest of the track. He was playing the note an octave higher and I encouraged him to play it an octave down for more gravity.
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Agreed! At the very least that chorus at the end should be a double chorus with Ben improvising over the top. Still, it’s better to leave people wanting more than the other way around…
For the chorus, I encouraged Ben to go for a NightRanger feel - only one harmony line but massively tracked up. He’d never heard of NightRanger but he trusted me so I if it doesn’t work it’s my error.
Mission accomplished!
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Or Doobie Brothers Without Love, but it’s cool either way. This is a very happy ending, and perhaps its shortness is better if the story arc in the previous songs has already gone through other emotional phases.
I especially enjoyed the brass, not so often used in pop and rock anymore. Makes me curious about the rest of the album.
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Yes there is a fair sprinkling of brass and strings throughout the album.
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Hey, very cool song with great verses and chorus, with some radio-ready stuff in it, very easy to listen to and to “read” (understand?, each section is well defined).
I really like vocals during chorus as they work great that way and sound powerful to me!
Regarding the first comment about the overcompressed chorus (and the answer you gave), I fell like there is less energy during that part and I found the bass guitar way quieter, which also gives a lack of strength to my taste.
By the way, very great work!
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