Your thoughts are wanted & welcome.

[overseer]

Hello folks, I am working on an acoustic version of my song Small Town Portrait. I have mixed down a sample of the song that includes the first verse & chorus. I would like any & all opinions, comments, critiques, etc. Just let me have it.

Small Town Sample

I am trying to make all my recordings better, hence the reason I come here.

Thanks,

OS

[high five]

I would like any & all opinions, comments, critiques, etc. Just let me have it.

The vocal is a little buried, so maybe pull the guitar down a little when the vocal comes in. I would use less reverb, too. My rule of thumb with reverb is to apply enough that it sounds right, then use a little less than that. Of course if you're not aiming at sounding 'natural', then go wild. I think if you listen to songs with similar arrangements (strummed acoustic + vocal, I think of Beatles "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" or Dylan's folk stuff) you'll hear less reverb than you expect.

Lastly, a comment about the arrangement. The same four chords are repeated throughout, with no contrast. You did a nice job of changing the melody and rhythm of the lyrics, but the song overall is still a bit repetitive. Try breaking it up by using dynamics (quiet, loud, crescendos - into the chorus, decrescendos - back to the verse), playing style (fingerpicking, alternating bass notes, plain 'ol strumming), and try adding another guitar part to one of the verses, like arpeggiated chords up further on the neck. Maybe add a harmonizing vocal in the chorus. I think coming up with a different chord progression for the chorus would really set it apart, though.

[overseer]

kp,

Thanks for the words man. Yeah, right now it is in the early stages. I am looking to add in another guitar with an arpeggiated line throughout the verses and rock it up a notch or 2 on the chorus. I know that the song is repetitive, same 4 chords and all, but I doubt I will change the chords on the chorus.

I will definately pull down the reverb and bring the vox out more in the mix. I appreciate all your thoughts and suggestions. Once I get some more done I will repost another sample.

Thanks again,

OS

[glagola1]

Less verb on the vocals please. It makes it sound 80's.

The vocals sound pretty good though. I think the guitar is a little thin sounding. How was it recorded?

[overseer]

80's...wow...LOL.

Thin on the guitar huh? The guitar is an old Fender Elec/Acoustic and when I recorded it I did 2 tracks. 1 mic track and 1 line track. I mic'd the guitar with a dynamic Audio Technica (can't tell you the model...am at work) and just lined the guitar in thru its pick up (which I only have tone and vol control for).

I tried to work on it with the channel EQ's on my board and also some software EQ on the tracks once they were in. So any suggestions on making that better I am all ears.

OS

[bluesbaz]

Maybe compress the vox a little less, or give the mic some more room next time.
As for frequency response it seems like the guitar is all high end while your vocals are low-mid driven. Try using a little eq to even things out. I know its hard to play your stuff for a bunch of strangers, but good job. I wish my first recordings sounded that good.

No you cant hear them eather.

[ChrisCo]

So I'm at work.

And I'm listening to this on Windows Media Player through my harmon/kardon desktop speakers. I notice that your guitar is VERY midrangy in a way that I don't THINK was intended, but I could be wrong. Sounds like it was played through a telephone (to me)

And I've got the Graphic Equalizer on. So I automatically reach for the body of the guitar at 250Hz, and boost that to WMP's value of 11 (max 14). I pull down some of the bottom of the culprit frequency (1kHz) that is overwhelming to my ears, to a value of (-8 ). I put up 4kHz to 4 and 8kHz to 8 (coincidental since I did these to taste) so that I could get a little more of the glassy string sound. Later, I adjusted some of the more extreme frequencies to hear the overtones of both the strings and the voice (125Hz to 5 and 16kHz to 5).

If you've got Windows Media Player, plug in these values and try this out. I think it really gave a little more "sweetness" to the sound... which is where my preferences are. I think I like the way everything was recorded, and even the reverb sits well in MY opinion. I don't think the vox need to come out MORE, I think the Acoustic guitar's frequencies are taking up way too much energy in the vocals' frequency range. Adjust the eq setting on the guitar and the vocals will stand out more because they're not stepping on each other's toes.

I like the composition though. Good song (I think).

[overseer]

WOW...!!

That's really all I can say about that...wow!

Thanks ChrisCo, I can't wait to get home and try similar setting in Sonar.

OS

[ChrisCo]

Wow as in, what a load of shit??! j/k

Note that I fixed the 1kHz value to -8 because the little smiley fuck got in the way. Yeah, I don't think the values are going to be all that similar in Sonar. I use Sonar 4 PE, and I know that the dB ratings inside of the Sonitus Equalizer is no where near the same as the crappy Windows Media player, but check out how much of a difference there is when applying the equalizer values in Windows Media player, and see if you can aurally plug in those values. Remember, you're using a parametric EQ in Sonar, as opposed to the graphic eq in Windows Media... you can't plug in the values straight through.

[overseer]

The lil smiley fucks can get in the way at times. lol. Thanks again tho.

When I get a chance to sit down with it again, I will repost after making the eq changes in Sonar.

[overseer]

Well now...just over 3 months later I finally reply. You know...life can really get in the way of things at times.

Anyway, I sat down with my recording and played with one of the built in EQ's in Sonar. The EQ that I used allowed me to change the dB ratings and I was able to come very close to the settings that WMP has.

I made the suggested modifications to the track and things sound a whole helluva lot better. I wish I had a better ear for this stuff, but I guess that just comes with time & exp. When I get in this evening I will post a link to a new clip from the song with the changes for more C&C.

Thanks for everything so far folks. I really appreciate it.