Updated - Movin to Sante Fe with Fruition - Mix 5

[Mixinthecloud]

I listened to your 5th mix.
Hmm okay, I'm really biased here! In my head I hear the song way more intimate and it's all about her vocal. That said the balance between the elements is fine except that I would want to hear the leadvocal a half dB louder. Also when she comes in and sings the first words her voice should really catch the listener 100%, so vocals up there! You're after that "empty warehouse sound" okay, I think the overall feel could benefit though if you put less reverb at least on the Organ, perhaps some chorus instead and also less reverb the rattles of the snare. Right now it seems that the whole band plays in one row in the depth of a warehouse, okay except of the bassguitar. The kick could also benefit from some sub in the 60Hz region to feel more warm.

Just some thoughts, cheers!

When I approached this song and listened to the individual tracks, what most defined the environment for me was the 1st guitar (panned right in my mix). The embedded reverb on this guitar kind of defined how the rest of the ensemble would be presented. I went through several levels of intimacy for the guitars and the lead vocal. In the mix with the most intimate lead vocal a very good friend and respected mixer told me he felt the lead vocal was disconnected from the mix and I had to agree. As a result I worked very diligently on finding the right environment to place her voice into which is mostly early reflections and limited reverb with a relatively short decay of 2.08 secs. in a narrow and diffuse field (so as to limit interference with the background vocals and drum effects). Hardly an empty warehouse. And I feel it holds on to the intimacy while connecting her to the rest of the ensemble. The supplied chamber and room tracks were also a very good clue on how to present this. Did you refer to or use it in your approach? The drum reverb is less than a half second in a medium studio. As for the organ, yes, it is defined by the added reverb which is panned opposite the dry mono track. I know many mixes treated this very differently than how I did, but I like the way it lays in the back, is highly defined but never gets in the way of the guitars and vocals.

I'm not saying it is right but it is pleasing to my ear and fulfills what I think is the character called for in the song. There is a melancholia about it, almost a surrender to fate that I wanted to try and instantiate.

Thanks for your listen and comments.