30-03-2015, 07:50 AM
Good job -- this is probably one of the most convincing versions of this song I've heard so far. It's clearly not the vision I originally had for the song, but I like your alternative take on it a lot, so that's really no criticism. Where I emphasised the graininess of everything and pushed the strings in the choruses, you've given everything a really warm, glossy sound which is very flattering (to my vocals in particular) and makes everything sound very professional and more mainstream than the preview mix's more trip-hop inspired vibe. Like this a lot.
My only criticisms within that context are fairly small. Perhaps the vocals become a little overbearing where the octave doubling enters during the choruses -- at least it seems to change its balance too much, so whether you turn up the vocals in the other sections or turn down the combined dual-lead-vocal in the choruses is up to you. The only other real complaint I have is with the viola solo. You've distorted it, as I did (which I have no problem with, of course), but tonally it currently feels like a refugee from my mix, rather than an inhabitant of yours -- it's small and a bit scratchy-sounding, where everything else I'd heard up to that point made me expect it'd have more body and warmth to it. It's also low in the mix, and from my perspective as the artist I'd certainly have requested it be more prominent in the balance from a musical perspective had I commissioned the mix myself, because I see that middle section very much as a duet between the bass and the viola.
Otherwise, though, as I said I love most of what you've done here. This is what I love about this forum -- it's so easy to presume that the vision you come up with for any given mix is the only viable solution, but a mix like this is a great reminder that there's so often more than one valid interpretation. Thanks for posting!
My only criticisms within that context are fairly small. Perhaps the vocals become a little overbearing where the octave doubling enters during the choruses -- at least it seems to change its balance too much, so whether you turn up the vocals in the other sections or turn down the combined dual-lead-vocal in the choruses is up to you. The only other real complaint I have is with the viola solo. You've distorted it, as I did (which I have no problem with, of course), but tonally it currently feels like a refugee from my mix, rather than an inhabitant of yours -- it's small and a bit scratchy-sounding, where everything else I'd heard up to that point made me expect it'd have more body and warmth to it. It's also low in the mix, and from my perspective as the artist I'd certainly have requested it be more prominent in the balance from a musical perspective had I commissioned the mix myself, because I see that middle section very much as a duet between the bass and the viola.
Otherwise, though, as I said I love most of what you've done here. This is what I love about this forum -- it's so easy to presume that the vision you come up with for any given mix is the only viable solution, but a mix like this is a great reminder that there's so often more than one valid interpretation. Thanks for posting!