Lend me your ears

I'm getting down to the wire on the move, and I need to finish some projects. response is slow at my other forums, so I'm asking you to help out here.

I have retracked a song called "What's The Story?" that is posted here. Click "hifi"...clicking "mp3" is a downloader, and might ask you to register (not sure). I'd like your opinions on the sound/mix.

The biggest issue is the clean rhythm guitar strumming during the verses. I really want that part there, but I can't tell if it's cluttered, irritating or needs to be booted altogether. Since I wrote it and it's stuck in my head, I can't be objective about it.

Remember, it's not about whther or not you like the song...it's sortof adult contemporary/alternative, and some of you won't like it. But I'd like to know if it sounds okay in your systems.

Thanks!
AV

 

Hmm, overdrive...could be good...
Brian plays that part in distortion after the lead break...I stole it from him...he plays that all the way through the song, but that sound was waaay too much for it. But mild overdrive...hmmm...
I'll experiment with that...I forget I have that plug.

 

BR, I just did a remix...got rid of the obnoxious booming at 120-250HZ..jeez, didn't realise how bad it was. The bottom is still a little thick, but much rounder and cleaner than it was.
I followed your suggestion and added some overdrive to that guitar...it's not much---doesn't scream or anything---just enough to take that Andy Summers clang out of it. After this long, you may not even notice it.
A lot of EQ tweaks to bring out the leads and tame the drums.
One thing I've noticed: that Soundclick player hammers the mixes with distortion and overcompression. I gotta find me a file hoster.
Check it out again and see what you think.

 

Man, I'm with you on that...but you wouldn not believe how complaints I get about vocals not being "out front" enough. I don't get it...I can hear them fine. They are a little stronger here, but it's because everyone insisted that they were too weak before. Some examples:

"Donny singing his butt of on this, I just not hearinging it."

"I'm wondering if maybe the vocals are just a bit too compressed? If so mayber back off on the threshold a bit to give back some dynamics. I think Donny is singing more agressively than it sounds like he is in the mix."

"I feel there's a fight as to who's leading the parade. For me, it's no contest -- the vocals are being performed with a gusto that isn't beginning to come across in the mix."

I'm hoping that now I'll hear the same complaint that you have. But OTOH, mixing vocs is a very difficult task: the range and dynamics trip you up hard.