Alan Evans Trio - I'm Coming Home

[mikej]

Hi.

Update: Added mix revision 1.0

[Roy]

I’m not familiar with the song but it feels like it comes in abruptly. I’m betting that’s pretty much how the mulittracks were to begin with.

I like it. It’s got a bit of grit but I like that.

The vocal feels like it’s almost too much just another element of the rest of the band. I’d like it to float on top of every thing more. Maybe if it were a little thinner it’d ‘subtract’ itself from the the instruments and be the focus for the song. It’s very much got a ‘dynamic’ mic quality. At least in the actual singing parts. The vocal interjections could step back, I suppose.

The guitar solo could be more in the for front. It feels static. It needs the spotlight.

Overall it’s a little thick. Which works for the song but the lower mids are a little blurry between the bass and organ and body of the vocal etc. Making some room in that area could help. I feel like that’s more in the mix than in mastering.

I dunno. It’s a bit hard to say, not knowing the tracks themselves. It still sounds good and works. I wish it could ‘breathe’ and be more open.

E: I downloaded and messed about with this one. It's a toughy. The guitar mics were out of phase! (If i remember correctly) You did a better job with it than I could. I still stand by all my notes but I see how they'd be somewhat more difficult to do.

[mikej]

Hi!

Many thanks for checking it out and for the critique.

I’m not familiar with the song but it feels like it comes in abruptly. I’m betting that’s pretty much how the mulittracks were to begin with.

The download is a 30 minute set where they blast through half a dozen songs.  I just chopped out this track.  The library mix starts with the two snare hits.  I quite liked the ad-lib vox that was just before that, so put that bit in.  I think I did (destructively) chop off the ending a bit quick though, hence the fade out.

I like it. It’s got a bit of grit but I like that.

Thanks.  I was basically trying to do as little processing as possible with this one, to avoid issues with the bleed. I just got a balance and went from there. 

I thought it was going to be much more of a nightmare than it was.  The recording is actually pretty good.  Not sure if it was recorded with compression or not - likely I guess.  I think the band's dynamics playing together are really good.

The vocal feels like it’s almost too much just another element of the rest of the band. I’d like it to float on top of every thing more. Maybe if it were a little thinner it’d ‘subtract’ itself from the the instruments and be the focus for the song. It’s very much got a ‘dynamic’ mic quality. At least in the actual singing parts. The vocal interjections could step back, I suppose.

Yeah, a good call.  Recently I noticed I have been leaving vocals a little thick, and I could high pass just a touch higher. 

I was a bit shy with getting the vocals on top due to all the cymbal and drum bleed in the vocal mic.  The cymbal high end in the mix comes from the vocal mic basically! 

I also usually spend some time automating the vocals to keep them on top, but I didn't think it would work with all the bleed...  I've raised the vocal volume a bit and tried to counter the raising of the high end of the cymbals from doing that with the new version 1.0.

The guitar solo could be more in the for front. It feels static. It needs the spotlight.

I did bump it up a few db, I agree I could push it up some more.

Overall it’s a little thick. Which works for the song but the lower mids are a little blurry between the bass and organ and body of the vocal etc. Making some room in that area could help. I feel like that’s more in the mix than in mastering.

I haven't searched to see if there is a video for this session yet.  The bass is a bit unusual.. it's a bass line played on the organ I think.  It might be organ pedals bass I guess, but more likely keys.  Anyway , yes - I think I did have that and the low end of the organ chords taking up too much space in the mix.

I dunno. It’s a bit hard to say, not knowing the tracks themselves. It still sounds good and works. I wish it could ‘breathe’ and be more open.

I think I get what you mean there.

E: I downloaded and messed about with this one. It's a toughy. The guitar mics were out of phase! (If i remember correctly) You did a better job with it than I could. I still stand by all my notes but I see how they'd be somewhat more difficult to do.

I didn't find it to be too bad to be honest.  Usually for me that is somewhat of a warning sign that I've probably missed something... as is the case here, so again many thanks for the comments, much appreciated.

Ok, I have attempted to address the issues you have rightly pointed out and have uploaded a new version.  I tried to open it up a bit, and have added in a touch of extra reverb here and there.  Nothing too drastic, but hopefully maybe just enough to make the difference.  First mix I just added reverb to the vocal and relied on the room mics for the rest.


Thanks again.

Cheers!

[Roy]

I didn't A/B the to mixes but the new mix feels really good. It just seems to have some life and energy and was fun to listen to. Nothing jumped out at me as being an issue.

[mikej]

Yeah, many thanks again for the tips. Second version sounds much better to me too.

Cheers!

[Roy]

I used the wrong "Two" in my post by accident. Plz don't judge me.

No I will not fix it.

Good job.

[mikej]

Ooh, so you did. Can't say I noticed it, until you kindly pointed it out.

Cheers!