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Good Friday song

A

Aeliron

New member
Hello, everyone! First post as I arrived on this forum quite by accident. Not sure what I clicked on vi-control to see a wholly unfamiliar forum, but glad to be here among songwriters!

Apropos to the season, here's a song I wrote a while back for Good Friday. Hope it speaks to you ... and feedback welcome!

 
Cool song. I can't help but offer some suggestions, with the caveat that this is just my opinion.

The vocals seem very out front, so I would turn them down, or else bring up the other instruments, especially the drums. I would also hit the compressor harder on your vocal. Mind you, I'm a compressin' fiend, so take this with a grain of salt, but I'd go way harder with the compression. It will make it sound more intimate, since it will bring out more of the air in your voice.

Also, just a matter of taste, but I'd go bigger with the drums, to give it more of a marching sort of effect. Slamming kick and powerful snare. I'd also lose the 1/16 note kick right before the forth beat of the first bar of the 2-bar rhythm. I might also simplify beat 1 of bar 2, so the drums have a more powerful feel to them. (I guess I could have just said I'd make the beat simpler. :grin:)

I'd also bring in the bass much sooner. Maybe even use a synth pad instead of piano on the first few lines, so it will have more of a building feel. Definitely keep the piano after that, though.

The lead guitar during the verses could be quieter. Right now it's a bit too out front for me. I'd also add a 1/4 note delay to it.

Dang ... now you know why people never ask me for my thoughts on their songs ... :grin:
 
Mike Greene said:
Cool song. I can't help but offer some suggestions, with the caveat that this is just my opinion.

The vocals seem very out front, so I would turn them down, or else bring up the other instruments, especially the drums. I would also hit the compressor harder on your vocal. Mind you, I'm a compressin' fiend, so take this with a grain of salt, but I'd go way harder with the compression. It will make it sound more intimate, since it will bring out more of the air in your voice.

Also, just a matter of taste, but I'd go bigger with the drums, to give it more of a marching sort of effect. Slamming kick and powerful snare. I'd also lose the 1/16 note kick right before the forth beat of the first bar of the 2-bar rhythm. I might also simplify beat 1 of bar 2, so the drums have a more powerful feel to them. (I guess I could have just said I'd make the beat simpler. :grin:)

I'd also bring in the bass much sooner. Maybe even use a synth pad instead of piano on the first few lines, so it will have more of a building feel. Definitely keep the piano after that, though.

The lead guitar during the verses could be quieter. Right now it's a bit too out front for me. I'd also add a 1/4 note delay to it.

Dang ... now you know why people never ask me for my thoughts on their songs ... :grin:
Click to expand...
Thanks much for your detailed feedback! All appreciated. I'll see what I can do about the vocals.

Interesting thoughts on the drums! I was worried about them overpowering the rest. But if the rest are brought up to compensate for the upfront vocals, that may work. Would have to see how that affects that 1/16th note.

The bass I started later to kind of build up, thus the intro with the bare drums, then the piano. Of course, this was written in the 80's (or something, I forget), so I may have overdone the buildup. You thinking around 0:30?

Lead guitar quieter, natch! I still have some balancing chops to hone ... thanks again!
 
Aeliron said:
The bass I started later to kind of build up, thus the intro with the bare drums, then the piano. Of course, this was written in the 80's (or something, I forget), so I may have overdone the buildup. You thinking around 0:30?
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Yep, that's where I would start it. That's just me, though. People who ignore my advice often wind up doing very well, so don't too much stock into what I say. :grin:

Listening again, though, I'd be really tempted to start the song with just kick drum and a soft synth pad. Something warm, like what they did a lot of back in the 80s, like the Motels "Only the Lonely," but with a softer attack.
 
Mike Greene said:
Yep, that's where I would start it. That's just me, though. People who ignore my advice often wind up doing very well, so don't too much stock into what I say. :grin:

Listening again, though, I'd be really tempted to start the song with just kick drum and a soft synth pad. Something warm, like what they did a lot of back in the 80s, like the Motels "Only the Lonely," but with a softer attack.
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OK, I can totally see that ... some things to think about.
 
Overall, the mix seems very AM radio to me... All midrange.

You could probably up the tempo on this also.

Nice Christian sentiment :cool:
 
AWWJ said:
Overall, the mix seems very AM radio to me... All midrange.

You could probably up the tempo on this also.

Nice Christian sentiment :cool:
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Thanks! Yes, the AM radio issue is unfortunately probably true of all my tracks at this time. They definitely need rework.

But I recently tried a “professional” mix and master (on a different song) by an engineer with many positive reviews, not cheap, and it was a nightmare. The initial mix I received was mostly very loud and bassy with important treble elements lost. I had expected something close to a “one and done” but so much hand holding was needed to not miss basic details in the rest of the mix.

Or maybe the fault lies in my own ears…? Feedback welcomed, if anyone has the inclination and time...

Original:


Revision 1:


(insert a few revisions here)

Final revision:
 
Wholy CRAP!!!!!!!

So sorry to hear you got tricked into paying for that...

Let's try something. How about posting your original "Drums n Bass" tracks here and maybe I can help you master them yourself :cool:
 
Everyone listens on something different. There is no magic solution. I get comments telling me how to “fix” my mixes all the time. I just say “ Thanks for sharing”. Mix to your own ears and just do your best every time.
 
Paulieworld said:
Everyone listens on something different. There is no magic solution. I get comments telling me how to “fix” my mixes all the time. I just say “ Thanks for sharing”. Mix to your own ears and just do your best every time.
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Thanks for your encouragement. Unfortunately...my ears actually do seem to be dialed in wrong, I admit it :laugh:
 
Yes...
The drums and bass cover the entire spectrum, so they "color" the entire mix. Once you nail down your rhythm section, the rest is fairly easy.

That's generally how "I" operate anyway :cool:
 
AWWJ said:
People usually just tell me to quit watching FOX News... 😁
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I’m not sure what that has to do with audio mixing, but since you brought it up… Personally, I listen to everything. Fox, CNN, MS Now, ABC, CBS, and whatever else is available. Sometimes the truth is somewhere in between… or neither. I would question the motives of anyone telling you to ignore something. I believe most people would just prefer to comply, rather than risk being an outcast to one side or the other.
 
AWWJ said:
Yes...
The drums and bass cover the entire spectrum, so they "color" the entire mix. Once you nail down your rhythm section, the rest is fairly easy.

That's generally how "I" operate anyway :cool:
Click to expand...
Interesting process! Let me think on it and maybe start a new thread or DM you on that.
 
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