First real recording attempt

[Mornats]

Hi folks, this is my first real recording attempt that I'm using to learn how to mix properly.

I'm a bassist not a guitarist so the guitar bits are fairly basic. There's something not quite right about the mix in my opinion, I think it lacks some weight (if that makes sense?). Any and all advice and comments will be taken on board.

[attachment=78843:FunkinghellRemix.mp3]

Some details of how it was recorded if anyone is interested:

[b]Hardware:[/b]
Bass Collection SB315 5 string bass
Ibanez GRX70 guitar
Guitar Rig Studio interface
M-Audio Keyrig 49 midi keyboard

[b]Software:[/b]
GarageBand
Guitar Rig (custom settings to get close to an Ampeg SVX sound)
EZDrummer with GrooveMonkee midi tracks and Funkmasters addon
Kore Player

[Skol303]

Not bad at all for a first attempt!

Your bass sounds best out of the various elements in the mix - I'd expect nothing less from a bassist! ;-) - and generally needs the least work doing to it. The rest of the instrumentation could certainly be improved. The guitar isn't great and needs to be separated in the mix and given more space (if that makes sense?); a very simple way to do this would be to pan the guitar track slightly left or right to help separate it from the drums 'n' bass, which are currently grouped in the centre of the mix. The guitar also sounds very 'muddy' and perhaps needs re-recording or brightening up with FX.

Try choosing a different bank of drums, as those currently selected are a bit too 'analogue-sounding' and don't fit the track. I'm not sure what's available in Garage Band, but I'd recommend a heavier kick and a much brighter, sharper snare. Again, some FX might help here (maybe some reverb and/or a compressor, perhaps). The drum pattern itself also needs some work to give it a more 'human' feel. There are plenty of online guides for help with arranging drum patterns and creating natural-sounding rhythms - or try copying some of your own favourites! There's no shame in that and it's a great way of learning about drums, IMO.

Lastly, try adding some FX (in moderation...). Reverb, distortion, a compressor, etc. It's easy to overdo it with FX, but a few tweaks here and there can make all the difference and make a track sound much bigger.

Anyway... like I said, it's a good effort for a first recording! I'm still very much learning myself, but I find that copying the style and sound of your own favourite artists - and using their material as a reference point against which to tweak and test your own sounds - is a great way to begin with.

[Bankai]

The bass is too high in the mix and the guitar needs to be much much louder.

[Mornats]

Thanks for your feedback, some great advice in there!

I definitely think the guitar needs re-recorded. It wasn't a great sound and I've done what I could to help it but if you can't polish a turd as they say... I did actually try some panning by duplicating the guitar track and panning one of them 100% to the left and the other 100% to the right and I applied reverb and chorus to one of them. Will doing it this way (panning one track left and the other right) essentially put the guitar track back in the middle?

The drums were done using EZDrummer with the humanisation box ticked but I've tweaked the sound a bit so I'll go back and try and make them sound more like they belong in the mix. The humanisation in EZDrummer doesn't seem to do a great deal so I'll do a bit of googling on how to help this.

Sounds like I've got a few things to play with this weekend... I'll post the new mix once I'm happy with it.

Thanks again!
Paul

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='Mornats' post='1222113' date='May 6 2011, 12:00 PM']Will doing it this way (panning one track left and the other right) essentially put the guitar track back in the middle?[/quote]
Yes (assuming they're just straight copies), but twice as loud as just having one of them in the middle. One easy way to get a more effective doubling effect is to put a very short delay on one side, and if you can modulate the delay ever so slightly, the subtle variations in pitch can thicken it up even more.

Hard right and hard left might be a bit much, though. Experiment with more subtle panning variations.

[Skol303]

[quote name='BottomEndian' post='1222119' date='May 6 2011, 12:06 PM']One easy way to get a more effective doubling effect is to put a very short delay on one side, and if you can modulate the delay ever so slightly, the subtle variations in pitch can thicken it up even more...Hard right and hard left might be a bit much, though. Experiment with more subtle panning variations.[/quote]

^ Yup, good advice that.

Re. the drums, at this stage you're probably best trying to make the composition sound more 'human' by tweaking or even re-programming the drum arrangement, rather than relying on an automated feature within Garage Band to give it a less rigid feel. It's also a great way to learn more about arranging drums in general, which is a very useful skill to have. I can't say I've cracked it yet myself (!), but for a long time I didn't pay too much attention to my arrangements... now I devote a lot of time to this and I'm finding that it has a big impact on my music. So I guess those drummers do have a use after all... ;-)

Like I said, try copying the drum patterns from songs you like. "Plagiarism is the greatest form of flattery", and all that.

Anyway, good luck and fun with it.

PS: one of the best automated ways of giving drums a human feel can be found in Propellerhead's Reason/Record software (the "ReGroove Mixer"). You can download free demos of the software, but it won't let you open your projects once they've been saved (unless you splash some cash on the commercial copies). Still, might be worth a look and you could even record something simple and export it for use in your track, given an afternoon or so...

[lowdown]

[quote name='Mornats' post='1222113' date='May 6 2011, 12:00 PM']Will doing it this way (panning one track left and the other right) essentially put the guitar track back in the middle?[/quote]

Also try nudging one of the tracks a few milliseconds behind the other, nice natural delay sound.



Garry

[Bankai]

Or just play it twice, thus making it sound like there are two guitarists.

Solved? Like a pro....

Edited May 7, 2011 by Bankai

[Mornats]

I've taken a lot of your advice on board and have a remix that I'm much happier with - thanks guys, you rock.

I may still record the guitars and play two tracks as suggested. It may turn out to be a horrible mess but I can only try.

I need to look into humanising drums a lot more so I'm going to leave that for now. It'll be something nice to play with when the muse is off down the pub being elusive.

I have to give a big thanks to markesmith for the inspiration behind putting movie dialogue clips into a track. I watched his wonderful video ([url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=133415"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=133415[/url] and loved it. So I went and bought a pack of movie clips from Big Fish Media and added them in. I think the track was really yearning for a vocal element to fill an empty void.

So, here's the remix (with a new name based on the movie clips).

[attachment=79332:Base_12_on_Mars.mp3]

[Bankai]

The guitar is panned too far off to one side. I'd suggest moving it closer to the centre. Also adding more mid on guitar as at the moment it's not clear enough (although I know you're trying for that walls of reverb shizz).

[Mornats]

Yep, I think the guitars have improved a bit but still aren't punching through enough. I'll have a play with the panning (I think one of the guitar tracks is quieter than the other) and the mids.

I've had quite a few listens to the new version now and I might take out some of the dialogue as some of it gets a bit repetitive. Also, the scream near the end just isn't working for me so will have to come out. I'm going to play with the composition of the second half of the track, perhaps remove a section to make it less like the first half. I just copied the first half and repeated it in full before putting the dialogue onto it and it drags a bit halfway through the second part.

I have to say that it's been very enlightening putting this track together and reading all of your feedback. Jumping in and having a go is definitely the right way to learn.

[WHUFC BASS]

Drums sound much better. Guitars sound much improved but still not quite there. I would pan both guitars hard left and hard right - lay off the reverb on both, add slight delay to the tracks, add a bit more mids to one side. Definitely too much reverb on the guitar.