please critique this song

[hofmann]

This is from our new EP....please review it for us
http://www.secretlifeofpainters.com/fastblackrats.mp3

[glagola1]

It seems like I'm on my own here with this opinion judging by all the music I've heard lately but I think the stereo field is too wide. I go and see a lot of shows and I close my eyes and pay special attention to the staging. When I listen to stuff I like to do the same and I try to envision the band playing live on stage.

In your mix I picture a singer in front of me, a drummer with a kick slightly to the left of me and a snare slightly to the right. There is a tamborine guy standing to the right of me and to his right there sits an amp playing distorted guitar. On the far left of me stands an acoustic guitarist.

Now I realize that this panning allows for the clarity of various instuments but it's slightly disconcerting in its unnatural blend... especially on head phones.

Now this is just me and I may be weird. The sound quality of the instruments sounds good although the electric guitar may be too loud but I'm just nit picking.

Overall, it sounds good. Reminds me of The Shins meets Sebadoh, meets Elvis Costello. Has it been mastered?

Matt

[hofmann]

I agree with the whole "stereo field" thing. We were just arguing about that recently. This is an old recording and we have since remedied the issue, but, yeah we were pretty "pan crazy" when we mixed this EP.

Yes we had this mastered at SAE mastering here in Phoenix. It was recorded on a 1/2" Otari 8tk.

Thanks for the review, It's always nice to get some feedback.

[wayne kerr]

Sorry dude, we don't work for free. A review's gonna cost ya $39. And that's a bargain, as you'll discover if you shop around!

SMH

[glagola1]

I was thinking about it on my walk from the office to the parking garage... about the panning thing. It's relative. What I mean by that is you have to take into consideration how the music will be listened to. Unfortunately, I do most of my listening in the car or on earphones. This exagerates the stereo effect of a mix compared to the home stereo type of deal where the speakers can blend a bit in the air before the meet your face. I think a mix like yours would fare better in a home stereo environment which is to say it's not bad. Just in my ears directly routed through earphones it's a little extreme.

Matt

[logancircle]

So feedback for what it's worth... The song is pretty cool. The vocal harmonies are way too loud and all the vocals are a bit off-pitch, but so are a lot of vocals and it's fine in certain contexts. I like the way it ends abruptly, too--it makes it different when the rest of the song is pretty common (which I'm fine with because it's good). It's just a few steps away from some of Frank Black's more acoustic solo stuff. All in all it's good.

[eeldip]

personally, i am not so bugged by the wide stereo field.

i like that shit. i guess the problem is that so many people listen to music on headphones these days, and some may get bugged by it.

umm. re the background vocals, for me i dont mind them being loud, i just thing that the timbre could be more different. run it through something that makes it sound distinct, like a different color compressor or something.

re the ending. i like endings like that, but that fade thing... maybe cut do a more abrupt cut. if you are gonna do an abrupt ending like that, might as well say ABRUPT all over it. dont pretend to make is smooth.

the singing is flat in parts which i find endearing. other people may be bugged by it. if you want a wider audience, i might fix those bits... if you want your music to sound more "real" keep it.

[hofmann]

Thanks for the feedback. It is very helpful. Unfortunately, this thing is already mastered and going to press in a few days. But on future recordings, I will keep the Ending suggestions in mind, and think more about the overall presentation. The vocals are indeed flat and the harmonies too loud..I file this under, OOPS, Maybe too much alcohol that night...... This was recorded over a year and a half ago and since then the singing has improved quite a bit. Once again, thanks a ton for your kind and helpful words, people.