Posted on Mar 03 2013 12:37 PM
VerboSaurusRex wrote:
So, hat in hand, I solicit your opinions.
Does "hat in hand" mean "be brutally honest"?
To be honest, there are so many other problems with the mix (and the recording) that the issue you're speaking of is minor.
The drums (toms) sound like wet paper towels.
Someone commented that the bass is too loud - must be another guitarist 
I'm listening on my laptop but I'd say the bass is too quiet (compared to the guitar). What was it? A P-Bass? Sounds like the split pickup because the E and A strings are quieter than the D it seems. At any rate, it's too loud sometimes and not loud enough other time - was it compressed to the track? The tone also, well, to put it bluntly, sucks.
Now, this is an artistic opinion and much more subjective, but I personally like to hear a rhythm instrument holding down the harmonies in a piece like this. This is why the bass is too quiet to me because with the lack of a chordal instrument, I feel like the bass needs to fill up that space, either by playing with more motion (hitting more chord tones, etc.) or, given the part here, by being louder.
In other words, IMHO, the arrangement is a bit "empty".
Another artistic "criticism": What's with the intro? Is it REALLY necessary. I mean, REALLY? I find it superfluous (not to mention what I'd consider a "mistake" in there - some unintentional string noise/notes, right before that last chord). Again, purely a subjective thing. What I'd do, even though it's super cliche, is put some waterfall sounds behind the intro. If it were me. You're not me, so do what you want 
Just a suggestion.
Is the guitar compressed? At the end of the first phrase I find those high notes (the first plain string notes?) at the end of the phrase to be annoying loud - they "stand out". (and there's another "mistake" in there). Also, the 2nd set of harmonics - not coming through. Sounds like a mistake. Dump them, overdub them, play fretted notes, etc.
Those kinds of things are all the more noticeable because there isn't any "filler" in there - in other words, this is a "laid bare" arrangement and as such the details are less likely to get covered up by other sound.
Everyone's got an opinion on these sorts of things, and there's no "right" answer, but there are some "standards" (other recordings, mixing styles of various periods, etc.) you can go by.
If any of us were to hear this on the radio, we'd all happily assume it's the "right" mix because that's what people do. I've heard plenty of songs I could pick apart (the ride Cymbal in the beginning of John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change" for example) the mix but the fact of the matter is, once the general public hears them in a "presenter" context, they accept that mix as the correct one. Most of them have no clue.
I agree that the part in question could be louder. But it sounds like you're intentionally playing quieter, which isn't a bad thing either. And I agree with a previous poster that, had you not mentioned it, I don't think anyone would have noticed.
But like I said, personally, there are many more things that bother me than the volume of that bit.
Obviously, these are my opinions and as far as you know, I'm just some guy on the internet, so you can choose to ignore my opinions if you like. I'm not saying them to be condescending, degrading, or to poo-poo the huge amount of work you've put into this, but to be constructive, so I hope you'll take it that way.
By the way, the melody is really catchy! Nice!!!
The guitar tone is fabulous. In fact, I'm going to add, this mix sounds to me like a guitarist, with some recording experience, cut the basic tracks, and/or a guitarist with some mastering equipment did the mastering. The guitar tone is great, but it doesn't seem like the same care was taken in getting a good bass and drum tone (I don't like the looseness of the snares personally, but the sound is good so I wouldn't touch it). Surf-style music is of course "guitar forward" and that's OK - it should be the focal point - but that's a balance thing that's easily handled with volume fader. But not to the exclusion of all else. The other stuff should still sound good, even if it's playing a "supporting role".
Steve
Last edited: Mar 03, 2013 12:49:01
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