Music! The Food Of Love! [Rock On]

Mr Bubbles

Alright so, my band has been working on some recordings over the last few days and we've almost finished recording the instruments, but I think we need some feedback on mixing the songs now, before we start vocals.

So, criticisms?

http://snd.sc/hZfITR

http://snd.sc/dMgDWz

http://snd.sc/eSwSou

http://snd.sc/ib3qTv

2 Marcus 2 Ravens

Sounding pretty awesome man!

Something seems a little off, but I'm not sure what. I like your various tones, but together it sounds kind of thin. I'm guessing it's very vocal heavy music so that's not much of a problem, but to me it's screaming second guitar or something to fill it all out.

The mix seems pretty solid though. I don't have very good speakers where I'm at, but the levels seem good to me.

I definitely want to give it a listen when you get vocals on it. When are you thinking of doing that?

ninjai

So I'm digging the sound. Very solid, sounds like you guys have put a lot of thought into it.

2 critiques from me, both for guitar.

1: Reverb much? I like the tone, seems a little too compressed still I like it, but kill some of that reverb. You're not arena rock like acdc or the zep. (completely opinion, but it makes you sound a little amature)

2: Your guitarist could use a little basic pick practice. Ask him if he plays regularly with a metronome.

I'm not saying he sounds bad, but there are a few parts (i.e. beginning of track 6) where I'm not sure if he's unconfident in his picking or if that was completely intended. When you play live you'll be expected to identically recreate the sounds you've made on your record, so if there's any wishy washy (unconfident) picking it will show in your live performances. (IMO you could use a little distortion as he opens up and stops palm muting in the intro there)

I loved them overall, really great kinda blend of blues, pop punk, and you definitely have the punkier tone down, sounds like early NOFX tone (+ kilatons of reverb :P, ) Keep it up, and can't wait to hear the vocals

Quick edit:

2 things: LOVE The bass player. He doesn't get stuck playing the same thing guitar is playing. Good for him (though bass players can always stand to do it more and more and more)

And the other thing is, your guitarist may want to pick up some EMG's or Duncan Designed humbuckers... I hate the sound of single coil, coming from playing for 7 years on a Squire... XPPPPPPP Single coil tone is absolutely terrible unless its a tele, and is also the worst pickup design for using effects.

Mr Bubbles

@ninjai
Our guitarists main guitar is a Telecaster, so the single coil tone just kind of... sits. Do you think it might be worth re-recording the guitar parts to make them a bit beefier with a Les Paul or something similar? We initially tried using a Rickenbacker 360, but it feeds back so much it's a horrendous chore to get it sounding even moderately good

Theres about three overdubbed guitars per track now too, since we are only a three piece, trying to emulate our live sound without it sounding weedy is probably the most important thing. The pick technique thing has also come up as he has a weird way of holding the pick between his thumb and middle finger, instead of the index.

Also, cheers about the bassist thing, thats me

@MAHBOMDR
The vocals will probably be coming into the mix in a week or two, we want to make these mixes sound good before we start on that section

ninjai

I think re-recording with WAYY less reverb and playing around with the amp tone to bring out the mids a bit may help. The reverb just accentuates the horribleness that is single coil.

I personally thing that single coil is only good for stright up distortion. Punk and metal, no effects, just distortion IMO

Nothing should feed back with gain that low. What sort of rig is he using?


Also, pick teqnique (sp?) does vary a lot per the player. Matt theissen (relient k) doesn't even use a pick, he uses the callous that's developed on his thumb as a pick. What is important is that he practices with a metronome. All the time. Every time he plays. It will develop confidence in whatever pick style he uses.

Nappuccino

I would never use the phrase "horribleness that is single coil"- so many great rockers have used them to sound badass. Hell, Jimmy Page and Jeff beck recorded a lot of their studio material on telecasters so its definitely not just the instrument.

That said, the re-verb isn't adding anything but making the guitar seem less precise.

ninjai

I would agree that there are people who can use it well, but they're using orange, marshall, vox, and other aspensive rigs. Also another band that uses single coil well, but with no effects (no pun intendid :P)

I guess I should retract my statement of single coils being terrible. They aren't, I just hate the sound of clean (ish) single coil.

Another example of it used well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmTBCAUfYkY

Mr Bubbles

3am last night. We were bored and not planning on sleeping. So we arranged, recorded, mixed and mastered a song. We shot a video at lunchtime the next day, having had no sleep, then edited it and put it on Youtube.

The entire process of the next song from nothing, to final finished video was about 12 hours. We don't think its too bad, considering

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rLDqJ5AR20

Iruka

Your friend there has no rhythm :P but the video is cute. I'm not a musician so I cant really give you any useful feedback on it, but I think you guys are off to an awesome start.

devilkin

this music is great, Does your band have a webpage, or a facebook page?

Mr Bubbles

Only http://www.lostmorals.co.uk. but everything else is linked there

The music currently on there is terrible, which is why we're re-recording everything now, in a semi serious way. I've also just been informed that we have blagged 3 days of recording time at Pinewood Studios in March, which doesn't make sense to me at all

Mr Bubbles

Right, so we've now recorded some more stuff and have a few with vocals that need mixing. So here's some new bits

http://snd.sc/el0KX9
This is the most complete track we have so far, I'm pretty pleased with it and might actually be happy to release this somewhere soon

http://snd.sc/fBznxY
Not quite so happy with this one, the EQ is still all over the place and more backing vocals need to be finished

http://snd.sc/hwFjfm
This one we had to recover track by track, when the studio computer crashed but it doesn't sound bad (I hope)

What do you fine people think?

Naphthol

good mixing in those first four you posted. everything sits well.

how was the drum mic'd? it's tone is great but I it might benefit from a wider stereo image. I love when it sounds like the listener is sitting right in the drum throne in recordings, mind you that is not suitable for all kinds of music.

Mr Bubbles

If I remember right we had two mics on the snare, one inside the bass drum and a sub outside the shell, three mics on the toms, hihat on top and bottom and two overheads.

There was nothing for sort of ambient recording because the room wasn't big enough, otherwise we would have stuck a few behind the kit, but otherwise we more or less used all of the microphones we had available

Mr Bubbles

Hooray!

We have a finished track from the sessions of recording at Pinewood! Tell me your opinions!

http://soundcloud.com/lostmorals/rkid-5th-april-2011