Need feedback on a new song.

[warfighter67]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10679993/WIP%27s/AcousticSad7-1-11.mp3

I made that a couple days ago and I have not been able to get any feedback from it yet, so I was wondering if anyone here wanted to give it a go.

Thanks.

[MaiaLead]

At the start of the song, the sound you've got for the instruments is okay, because they're all getting exposure. Once the electric rhythm guitar comes in, though, problems arise.

The piano playing the main melody is barely managing to voice itself with the rhythm guitars. But, actually, the piano problem isn't as big once the lead guitar comes in. You can barely hear the lead guitar, right? You want everything important (especially leads!) to be legible, so raise the volume on things to even them out. The rhythm guitar, piano and lead guitar all fight for pretty much the same space in the mix, so to have them work together, you've got to EQ and pan them appropriately.

The choir works out all right as a pad, so it's good as it is.

The drums are generally well mixed, but I think you could spare the cymbals some lower frequencies as well. Compared to the snare and kick, they don't hold the same.. power? Though, sometimes, like at 1:38, the kick is too strong for how the rest of the instruments sound.

Also, there's a lack of bass throughout. It's okay for the softer sections to be missing it, but it's definitely needed during the "upper" parts of the song. It could be covered by a bass guitar or maybe deep strings or something. It'll help the overall mix a lot.

The acoustic guitar always sounds good as far as I can tell.

I really like the drop at 2:43, though. It sounds very "epic," even when it's using the same progression. The solo seems like it'd be pretty hot, as well.

Just keep comparing your mix to a song with the sound you want. Keep changing volumes, EQing and panning until everything feels just right. ^^

[AngelCityOutlaw]

Well, it's definitley a damn good song. However, your drums are way too loud. The melodies also sound very distant and quite. I can not clearly hear it at all. Perhaps the piano has too much reverb or something?

Like I said, it's a great song. I just think if you balance the volumes out it'll really be great. I like how you've thrown in some real nice choir and how you used both acoustic and distorted electric. The metal sound is great fun to listen to but it can be very limiting musically. You worked around that though!

Excellent

[warfighter67]

Thank you for your comments guys. The leads were quiet because I foresaw adding vocals on this track, but also because a lot of people tell me my leads are too high (when in reality, they're not much louder). The thing about the drums being too loud, that's what everyone's been telling me to do! Make drums louder, louder, louder, so i finally did and people don't want them so loud, lol. There is a bass guitar but it may not be loud enough. If you listen closely, the bass guitar IS there, lol. I will mess with it later as I am at my Dad's while the flp is at my Mom's.

It should also be noted that I can hear the piano and lead parts loud and clear, but I guess apparently that's just me.

[MaiaLead]

Just remember to consider the whole mix.

The drums are too loud.. for this song.

Say you dropped those drums into a crazy loud, compressed-to-death song.. Those drums might actually be drowned out by the rest of that particular mix. Then they'd be too quiet!

So, it's not that your drums are simply too loud; it's that you've now got to bring the rest of your track up to the same level as those drums.

I know there's a bass guitar. I was saying there was a lack of bass in the EQ spectrum.

[warfighter67]

Ah, thanks for letting me know. I will boost the bass a bit, turn down the drums a bit, but in all honesty, I think I will keep the leads (piano + lead guitar) the way they are. I think they will be better heard if the drums are lowered.