04-01-2014, 09:37 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-01-2014, 09:39 PM by Pedaling Prince.)
(03-12-2013, 03:26 AM)MystycalFanfare Wrote: This is my first try to mix a country song. Based on my love of old country music, here's my try.
I would love to hear words from you guys!
Myst
Outch! Not bad but there's a BIG problem here. What did you do to that snare drum? It felt like I had a guy whacking me over the head with a mallet; it just PUNCHES the ears. Drums should have SOME punch, sure, but there's such thing as too much of a good thing...
Personally, I liked the way you panned the banjo left and what you did with the overall stereo image; it came in nice and wide and pleasant from the get-go, but it seemed to collapse a bit as the song progressed. Did you use compression in the mastering stage? If so I'd try this mix again without it; it'll have more "space."
Speaking of processing, it seems that either you applied too much de-ess processing on the vocals or there's too much EQ boost in the 8-10 kHz range on some tracks that's masking sibilants. This is a star vocal performance; it deserves more up-front presence, and sibilance in the original recording is not a problem.
BTW, I feel this would also sound better if you panned the fiddle to one side the way you did the banjo. I personally prefer the fiddle on the left but that's personal taste really. I think if you put the banjo on one side and the fiddle on the other it would sound a little wider and more "live" stereo-wise.
I'd say dial back on the EQ processing, particularly on the vocals, and if you're using any compression at the mastering stage try taking that out as well.