dehowa
Chart-Climbing Member
Posts: 10
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Post by dehowa on Jul 13, 2004 18:33:26 GMT
Well here it is. I spent an hour yesterday getting the song down, so its a pretty rough demo. I mainly wanted to learn how the PS5 works. All instrument are played by me (except the drum track, done by the PS5). Its a song that we've played in my church praise band recently, which is why I picked it I guess. Anyway, I've had some experience playing, but no experience mixing down or applying eq'ing and effects. All of the tracks are straight recordings; nothing has been added in terms of panning, eq, reverb, etc. I was kind of hoping that people here could give me a few pointers on how to go about that. Yes, I know the vocals stink. I'm really nothing but a guitar player. Thanks for taking the time to listen. The link: www.soundclick.com/bands/8/deanhowardmusic.htm
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Post by mcarp555 on Jul 13, 2004 20:13:44 GMT
Everybody has to start somewhere. Your best guide in mixing is always your ears. Listen to other people's mixes and see what works and what doesn't. This specific recording has the usual problem with lack of volume all new users experience. The drums are much louder than the rest of the music, and the vocals are buried under it all. But as a first attempt, I've certainly heard much worse. You'll be amazed what a little EQ and reverb can do. Don't be afraid to experiment. Nobody here can say they mastered mixing the on the first try.
I'm adding your Soundclick link to the list in 'Member Music Sites'.
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BiblePiano
Superstar
Me in my 59 Sprite
Posts: 203
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Post by BiblePiano on Jul 13, 2004 21:43:22 GMT
We also sing this song in our praise at my church. Technically, the mix is not perfect. As Mike said, the vocals are buried. But what I like about it is that you did a great job on your first try. Nice guitar, and the PS5 pattern programming was right for the song style. And don't beat yourself up on your vocals. You were on key and sounded better than some we've heard here on their first song. Nice job!
Welcome to the group, brother.
Collin
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sgulley
Superstar
If you really like music and recording it then never stop trying to get better at it.
Posts: 3,000
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Post by sgulley on Jul 13, 2004 22:09:09 GMT
Welcome Dean, Good choice of song to begin with.
Already mentioned, lower your output on the MIDI drum instrument, and increase vocals... I sometimes try my best to cover up my voice with double-reverb effects, or lower it in the mix, etc. Little more recording practice and your vocals will come along just fine.
Curious as to how you are recording vocals? That might open up some good suggestions.
Stan
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dehowa
Chart-Climbing Member
Posts: 10
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Post by dehowa on Jul 14, 2004 4:20:12 GMT
Thanks for the comments, they've been really encouraging. I used an SM57 for the vocals, the bass was plugged straight in, and the guitar had a sound hole pickup for the input. I've been experimenting with the eq and reverb a little as well as panning. I've dropped down the midi a bit and now the vocals are much more prominent. I'll be reposting the song with the new changes soon. I'm looking forward to putting my own songs together. The only thing I can't seem to do is write lyrics, but the instrumentation won't be a problem. Thanks again.
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Post by mcarp555 on Jul 14, 2004 7:25:02 GMT
If you're running the SM57 straight into the PS5, you might want to consider getting a preamp or some sort of mixer to pump up the volume somewhat. The PS5 is designed to accomodate a wide variety of microphones, but at the cost of actually losing volume with a quality mic. A preamp or mixer will make a huge difference in level.
See also the essay marked 'Volume' in the 'Archive' section of this forum.
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Post by mattl on Jul 15, 2004 3:06:53 GMT
sounds great to me.. if you put as much time into it as i have starting from here you'll be getting job offers in a year on the mixing part .. i like the bass good sustain.. what kinda bass?
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dehowa
Chart-Climbing Member
Posts: 10
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Post by dehowa on Jul 15, 2004 11:12:45 GMT
The bass is a Dean Edge Q5 5-string bass. I was very surprised on how well the bass sounded myself since I haven't changed the strings in over a year.
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Post by mcarp555 on Jul 15, 2004 12:17:11 GMT
Heh. I'm not happy with the way bass strings sound the entire first year. The strings on my Precision are probably 12-15 years old. At least it's been so long I can't remember.
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