donkeyt-Trials-Electro-indie-rokk

[wagtunes]

Glad I waited for the new version. A DT track always makes my day. Any critique of this from me is pointless because this track is simply you being you and you being you is great. You really raise the bar around here. Almost makes me want to stop posting my crap but then I realize we gotta have some crap posted so that we can appreciate the really great stuff.

Anyway, wow, what a haunting tune.

Don't do yerself down Wags, you're making money, I'm just making noise!

Interesting how a lot of crap makes money these days.

[donkey tugger]

Sounds more like U2 to me...

U2 meets Talk Talk in a really reverby hallway.

Perhaps overdid it a bit (more delays than reverbs, but same difference)..but I do have a plan.

Going to try experimenting with ducking some of the stuff (guitar delays, backing vocals etc) so it's more immediate where it needs to be. A job for the morrow methinks now.

Don't misunderstand me, I very much liked it. Would listen again!

Hehe, nah was thinking on how to make the mix more focussed where it needs to (the bits with the singing basically) but keep the overall 'big' reverb-y sound.

Updated it now (same link), think the new version is more clear, hopefully..

[elxsound]

This is great! The vocals are loud though... Cutting some space for the vocals would be better. It sounds like you turned up the vocals so they could be heard, but they're competing with the guitars which could be dialed back when the vocals are playing. They're even competing with the snare. I would look for a snappier snare.

Great song and I hope you finish mixing this it!

[seismic1]

Something about the first drum "stutter" before the "drop" at 1:06/1:07 threw me off a little. I thought it should have been cleaner.

I really enjoyed the song and the vocal melody and performance. I didn't hear the earlier versions, but the vocals sound loud enough here.

I can also understand the Hollis/Evans comparisons.

Good work

[donkey tugger]

This is great! The vocals are loud though... Cutting some space for the vocals would be better. It sounds like you turned up the vocals so they could be heard, but they're competing with the guitars which could be dialed back when the vocals are playing. They're even competing with the snare. I would look for a snappier snare.

Great song and I hope you finish mixing this it!

Cheers.

I'll leave the snare because there's a lot of transient shaping already on it (automated through the song) and any more and it gets into the realm of nasty modern metel 'clicky' ones - always like a more old-time thwack..

Good call on the guitars though, now cut a bit more of the mids with a broad eq centred around 2khz, and the vocal sits in more nicely.

[donkey tugger]

Something about the first drum "stutter" before the "drop" at 1:06/1:07 threw me off a little. I thought it should have been cleaner.



Good work

Hehe, it got caught up in the usual 'automation frenzy'...if it moves, automate it..

I've changed that one back to be a more straight roll with no eq or stereo field automation to distract.

[elxsound]

This is great! The vocals are loud though... Cutting some space for the vocals would be better. It sounds like you turned up the vocals so they could be heard, but they're competing with the guitars which could be dialed back when the vocals are playing. They're even competing with the snare. I would look for a snappier snare.

Great song and I hope you finish mixing this it!

Cheers.

I'll leave the snare because there's a lot of transient shaping already on it (automated through the song) and any more and it gets into the realm of nasty modern metel 'clicky' ones - always like a more old-time thwack..

Good call on the guitars though, now cut a bit more of the mids with a broad eq centred around 2khz, and the vocal sits in more nicely.

Do you have Pro-MB or something like it? You could use it to side chain the snare when the vocal comes in (specific frequency) without losing the sound you want.

[donkey tugger]

This is great! The vocals are loud though... Cutting some space for the vocals would be better. It sounds like you turned up the vocals so they could be heard, but they're competing with the guitars which could be dialed back when the vocals are playing. They're even competing with the snare. I would look for a snappier snare.

Great song and I hope you finish mixing this it!

Cheers.

I'll leave the snare because there's a lot of transient shaping already on it (automated through the song) and any more and it gets into the realm of nasty modern metel 'clicky' ones - always like a more old-time thwack..

Good call on the guitars though, now cut a bit more of the mids with a broad eq centred around 2khz, and the vocal sits in more nicely.

Do you have Pro-MB or something like it? You could use it to side chain the snare when the vocal comes in (specific frequency) without losing the sound you want.

Hehe, whilst I do use side chaining/ducking for less mix critical things sometimes (e.g cutting low end on acoustic guitar in passages where it's not required), the drummer in me balks at messing with a snare for a vocal. Plus, my philosophy has always been that a little bit of frequency overlap is not necessarily a bad thing - things that are too clean and defined sound a bit sterile for me and there should be a bit of 'fight' - this is the indie rokk after all! Too much My Bloody Valentine in the formative years...

[elxsound]

Haha. Drummer here too!

It’s not the hit though and it will sound imperceptible (like no sacrifice to the snare) but the vocal will cut through.

You have room to cut frequencies without losing what you want.

[donkey tugger]

Haha. Drummer here too!

It’s not the hit though and it will sound imperceptible (like no sacrifice to the snare) but the vocal will cut through.

You have room to cut frequencies without losing what you want.

Just to show that I'm not closed minded, I've had a go and it's worked quite well actually..

Speak up man....

Big chunk coming out of the snare between about 400-1k, and if I didn't know, I probably wouldn't think it sounded weird or anything. Same link

If yer don't try....

[elxsound]

You've been putting in some work! On the (previous) first listen, the drums in the intro were weak (intended, but seemed too weak) but now the kick sounds nice and hints at the bigger reveal.

Did you push this harder through a limiter? It sounds a bit loud and distorted. I had to turn it down from my (gain) sweet spot.

Either way, the vocals sound much better. Good choice on reverb and the vocals have a very good presence.

There's a vocal throw in there that I think you could play with a bit of low pass filtering (this is a 100% personal preference thing) to make it stand out a bit more.

-If you don't know which part (for the vocal throw), I'll post back later with the exact time it comes in, but I think it was the only one.

[donkey tugger]

Did you push this harder through a limiter? It sounds a bit loud and distorted. I had to turn it down from my (gain) sweet spot.

.

Hmm, not changed anything else I don't think. Comparing it to my other recent stuff it can come down a db or so on the limiting anyway for the final version, so won't be an issue.

Let me know on the other vocal bit and I'll have a look.

[elxsound]

Let me know on the other vocal bit and I'll have a look.

At the 1:57 mark

IMO I think it should be slightly louder and just needs to sound different enough from the main vocals.

[TribeOfHǫfuð]

When I sing higher up it does a bit like Hollis, in tone if not quality. Nasal...and this is probably right at near the top of my range these days, without doing some kind of injury...

Nice to know I am not that far-fecthed. Well, Hollis enthralled me, and so did Talk Talk. On the new Romantic side, I came from Simple Minds and Roxy Music mainly (while despising Duran Duran)l on progressive rock, it was mainly Manfred Man and Saga. Talk Talk blew my head off as somethng powerful in between tho tipping to New Romantics. Of course, recognizing some of this mood in your voice, makes me a bit nostalgic, an extra dimension to it. Very nice work regardless.

[donkey tugger]

Let me know on the other vocal bit and I'll have a look.

At the 1:57 mark

IMO I think it should be slightly louder and just needs to sound different enough from the main vocals.

Nice one. I'll have a think, see what I can come up with, without being too daft..