New Album Release - 90 Miles an Hour

[topgun1]

Another year and finally another album is finished. Most of this album was recorded using reason 8. Some songs were started on reason 7. Written, recorded, performed, arranged etc etc by me. With thanks to sites like this and Matt for information , ideas, techniques that all helped make my music better and the realization of my second album. Thanks Matt!

https://soundcloud.com/producer_greg/sets/90-miles-an-hour

 

[vocoderboy]

the first track was quite beck like. i found the tune interesting but had issues with how tinny it sounded.
queen C is a grower reminds me of hall and oats. again the guitars sounded (too) thin and the vocal had too much reverb
i've been dreaming is the single.
walk in the park is really smooth and laid back a lovely example of surf(?) kinda like link wrays kinda contemporaries
shining thru is a lovely romantic epic ballad in the vain of brian adams / bonjovi kinda feeling. some big ole crying guitar in that one but i felt it didn't resolve well/faded to early.
just to be with you, another bombastic ballad rocker nice use of reverbs to accent the snares.
its a good body of work with well conceived and considered song writing and great guitar solos.
i had some issues with the amount of reverb (did detect neptune on the harmonies?) used on the vocals in general and the lack of lows and mids thru out the mix.
i personally feel you could reconsider how you have mixed these tracks but if you are happy (why shouldn't you be) with it then stick to what you know.

 

[topgun1]

Thanks Vocoderboy, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to listen to all of the tracks AND critique each one. After leaving it "in the can" for several weeks, taking a vacation and coming back to a new listen I have to agree with most of your sonic observations. I am tempted to remix/remaster but I've already started on a few of the new tracks for my 3rd go at it. For now I'm going to leave album 1 (Another Day) also on soundcloud and this one as is for reference of my progress (or lack). Perhaps when the creative well runs dry and I have the time I will pull out the sessions and remix them with fresh ears and perspective. Creating, recording and mixing are definately 3 separate beasts and its tough to tame them all but that is the challenge that attracts me to this one man show thing.
Thank you so much for helping me along the way with your generosity of time in reviewing my work.
If I can reciprocate I'd be pleased.
Greg

 

[vocoderboy]

hey man we one man bands gotta stick together !

 

[topgun1]

Amen to that....gonna throw up a remix of title track tonight....try to lose the tinny....

 

[vocoderboy]

have fun mate.
consider this:
if you cut the bass guitar's lowest freq you have more room for kicks/toms and vice verser. (there is a reverb combi called the Kong room or some such that i use as a aux send for drums and bass)
the ear perceives guitar and vocals at the same dominant freq range as such i suggest you cut the green knob out of your vox and drop the blue out of your guitars.
piano is tricky as its range is a few Hz off either end of the scale so that needs some really careful placing in the mix.
as for vocals... again quite tricky i don't think you'll need a lot at the top so cut that green fader (don't spare the Q) cut all the low frets (black fader high Q freq knob at between 7/9 o clock)
be sparring with your reverbs, possibly think of using a LPF to shave off the top on every track except drum overheads, lead guitars and backing vox.

 

[topgun1]

Thanks Vboy. I'll give all of those suggestions a try.

 

[vocoderboy]

i listened to 90MPH on my monitors just now and realised why the i felt the reverbs on the vocal and instrumentals were sitting wrong: its because they are completely different the vocals sounds like they are in a different space from the instruments and then superimposed over. try using only one or two similar kinds of reverbs as sends.
remember you are trying to emulate a studio environment when recording, most studios only have one or two hardware reverbs at their disposals and most effects are sends.

 

[topgun1]

Cool, thanks I'll give that a listen.