Member Dana Nielsen
MemberForum Replies Created
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Nate!! Stoked you’re here, man – thanks so much for sharing this awesome track with us! And, wow, this has come a long way since I last heard it – excellent work!
I agree with lots of @-PT‘s instincts (tho I am not as anti-whistler as he, lol). The main overarching things I hear are:
- Heck yeah, louder vocals please! You sound great – let those vocals be loud and proud
- The delay on the vocal is cool, but you could probably a) automate the delay so it’s louder in some areas (based on featured moments and lyrics) and more subtle in others, just for variety and clarity; and b) like Paul mentioned you could try EQ’ing out the high frequencies of the Delay FX return so that the delay is darker/mellower than the raw vocal. This is a common trick to allow the vocal to remain clear and intelligible even when swimming in delay effects.
- The clap backbeats feel like they’re the loudest thing in the mix at the moment. I’d try turning those down and turning the vocal up.
- LOVE the low vocal bass stuff and octaver vocals – very unique production and sound!
- As Paul mentioned, I agree it’d be cool to experiment with a simpler beat or backbeat for the verses. I have some ideas but too difficult to type – much easier to demonstrate on video or audio (perhaps later when I’m back in town – on fam vacay at the moment w laptop trusty Audio Technica headphones)
- Also as Paul mentioned, the track might come on a bit too loud in the intro. I mean … loud is good! … as long as the arrangement can sustain it through to the end. What I mean is, just make sure IF the beginning of the song is hella loud, make sure the end of the song (or wherever the climax occurs) is EVEN LOUDER! For more info on how I structure loudness and build it into a mix, check out the “Find the Drama” tip in my 5 Mix Power Tips pdf. 🤘
Lastly, your one-mic drums are cool! Check out the replay of our recent compression zoom for some fun things to try, smashing those drums up even more, if u want.
Awesome work, Nate!
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Bar! What a beautiful recording, song, performance, mood, and mix! Brava, and thanks so much for being here and sharing this with us! I really enjoyed listening to this. I’m away from my studio on a quick family trip, listening to this on professional headphones and laptop while sitting on a balcony surrounded by palm trees. Not a bad soundtrack!
Here are my realtime notes I jotted down while listening. These are just “what-ifs”, not actual issues or anything like that, so as always, feel free to disregard!
- 1:09 would be a great spot for a new element to enter (structural, subtle. Like single-note or two-note “chords” holding whole-note or half-note pads that u barely notice but that help the listener feel like the arrangement has become slightly thicker, more complex, even if they can’t pinpoint what’s been added. Could be a mellow electric organ or a pump organ or anything pad-y and unobtrusive)
- solo at the end – could have some subtle long spacey verb. like, mostly dry guitar in the mix but behind the guitar solo there could be some kind of wide spacious ambience to add a new flavor just for the solo to set it apart from the rest of the song.
I also love the mix and song exactly as it is right now! So, again, take these ideas with a grain of salt! 🧂👏👏👏
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Jeremyyyy! I listened to this on my earpods on my walk today and LOVED it! Bravo, dude! My one and only micro-thought that occurred to me was this lil nugget I always put into practice:
Make sure the very first word of the very first lead vocal entrance is clear and proud. Often times I’ll give that initial vocal entrance some extra fader love to ensure it’s not lost at all beneath the beautiful track production. This isn’t something the listener should notice at all like a wild fader move. But more of an assurance QC checkbox for me while im mixing: can I absolutely understand the first word, first line of the lead? ✅ Does the lead vocal make a grand, memorable, definitive entrance? ✅
Whether you decide to update your mix with this in mind or not, you have crushed this production, song, performance, and mix, my man! Way to go!
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Woomp, there it is! Hope you fabulous “stooges” can join us!
mixprotege.com
👂 How To Dial In Perfect Compression Settings By Ear
Come hang with Dana and your fellow Mix Protégé community members as we talk compression - specifically (but not limited to) stereo bus compression!
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@Bigchrizzle comin strong with the great questions again! Love this. I definitely do not have specific ratios or other compression settings I always use for mix bus glue. But what I do have is a method for deciding on settings which I’d be happy to demonstrate via video!
If you (or anyone else here!) are interested in that lemme know and I’ll either record a demo or schedule a livestream or member zoom. Great topic!
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Paul! Sorry I didn’t see/hear this sooner! Fun track, man, and great pix too. For me, the picture that best fits the mood of the track is a “comp” btwn the two: giant rock-lizard riding that sweet hog into the dusty desert B&W sunset!
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Homey! So good! And so sync-able (naturally, you sync gem!)
My only thoughts are:
• More kick in intro. I know you’re kinda waiting to reveal the kick when the whole beat drops, but maybe try letting the full kick be in the intro but low-pass it or band-pass it? So it feels loud enough and knock-y enough on small speakers while still letting the listener know “this is just the intro beat … just you wait .. this track about to knock your head off when the REAL beat drops!” (which it DOES! 👏)
• Intro lead Vocal feels a bit loud against the track and also a bit “spitty” on the tippy top end. “Spitty” has nothing to do with literal spit in my learned lingo FYI, it just means sibilant and/or a bit too hype-y or shrill on the top end.
• The level and tone of the chorus vocal when the whole beat comes in at :30 is GREAT. I would use that as a guide to level/tone the intro vocal.
• Hi hats throughout the song – I would tuck these in a bit. They feel too out in front of the track to me.
• 1:07 I’d try a bone dry vocal here till 1:30
• 1:50 Vocals here starting to feel spitty again – not sure if u boosted the top end here for these chorus vocals or if it’s just that there are more harmonies stacking up compounding their top end, but I might try dialing it back a touch. U could even try leaving the lead voc alone but dialing back the top end boost on the backgrounds to see if that does the trick.
• Final lyric “the top is like wuh” could be boosted so u can really hear it and it doesn’t get too swallowed up by the cool swoosh fx. (also, sorry, I’m sure I don’t have your lyrics correct haha – just typing fast)
BRAVO dude! What a super banger! I can hear this track with all it’s sections and drops and twists and turns being a commercial AND sync hit! ⚡️
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Heck yeah, homey, my pleasure!
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Sure thing, Bar! Can’t wait to hear your progress!
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Yes, Nate!! Excellent work!
Here are a few final things that caught my ear:
- 0:35 check tuning on “inside out”
- 1:12 check tuning on whistle
- 1:36 when the live drums enter, try supplementing the backbeat with a snare sample (wanting to hear louder, more defined backbeat to match the ramped up energy/excitement of the track here)
Awesome stuff, man!
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Haha – excellent and true stuff right there! Love it, Obi Wan!
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Amazing – love it, man! So glad I/we could help! Can’t wait for this super hooky jam to be out in the world! Great work, homey!!
And heck yeah … the ear pod walk-n-listen is the ultimate test! No note-taking, no over-analyzing, just listening and experiencing in the wild … like an animal.
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@-PT I agree with @shimmerisland – I hope you’re writing and/or interviewing people publicly somewhere (in addition to Mix Protégé)! The wider world needs more of your spirit and turns of phrase.
And @shimmerisland, Vonnegut is right on the money 😂
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Hahahaha!
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UNREAL @Nate! So beautiful. Fantastic job on the song, the production, the singin’, and the mix!! And thanks so much for sharing your journey with us! 🥇