Hello ALL! Just joined and looking for initial feedback

[dweismantel]

I have been lurking on Taxi for a while now and finally joined. I look forward to becoming part of the community.

To set a kind of a baseline from which I can grow and improve, I was hoping that some of you could give me feedback on my song "Never Wanna Come Down".

http://www.taxi.com/songwriterdon

Specifically, is the mix high enough quality to be worth submitting (I mixed this one myself)? Is the song appropriate for submitting to contemporary pop listings or does it fit a different genre? Is it more appropriate for TV and movie placement?

I appreciate any feedback as I see this as a learning process.

Thank you in advance!

[burpo]

I'd bring the guitars up.

Good work, so far.

-b

[dweismantel]

Thank you for your input! I assume you are referring to the acoustic guitar?

[burpo]

Whatever guitar(s) are there.

If there isn't, I'd add an electric, just to give it a current, indie sheen, a la Weezer.

Cheers.

-b

[SteveBaruah]

Hi Don,

Welcome aboard!

I'd bring your vocals down slightly (and maybe the piano), I think this will even out your mix a little.
There is a listing (if still open) for Alt Rock/Pop with that 'Shut up and dance with me' song (not sure of the true name) as a reference.
I'd mix more towards that genre/listing. Maybe add a heavier electric guitar. What you have now, a good as it is, sounds a little dated. At the moment it sounds a little like a 90s boyband.

Great start, keep at it!

[dweismantel]

Thanks Steve for the warm welcome and feedback.

Will give that reference a listen and will try your suggestions.

[bobporri]

Welcome Don. Just some personal opinions. The piano part that doubles the melody with the vocal I find distracting and maybe makes the vocal less than what it might be (sort of like when a teacher plays the melody on the piano in a class so the students can sing with it). Might even make the vocal harder to hear/understand lyrically. The section just before the breakdown I think could have a bit more going on, just sounded a bit empty to me.

Overall though, really, sounds like a good song.

Bob P.

[dweismantel]

Bob,

I appreciate your input! I get your point about the piano... originally it was in place for the vocalist to follow for the lyric melody. I will try a version without it.

That longer break does need something else. I was kind of thinking some spoken words like "[Apartment buzzer noise] [Woman's Voice]"Hello" [Man's Voice]"Hey baby... it's just me. I got about a block away and had to come back cause I gotta have one more kiss. Can you PLEASE buzz me back in?" or something along those lines. Or maybe a quick solo or something.

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

Cheers.
Don

[Gator]

Hi Don
First, really nice song. The panning of the backing vocals works well. I am by NO means in any position to advise...hell I couldn't advise a drownin man to grab on to somethin'. But if i might throw an opinion or two in? I found the lead vocal lost and very low in terms of volume. I'd also maybe EQ it or put on a "tube warmer" plug in to bring a bit more body into it. I'm getting a lot of sibilants also in it. This can be due to mic placement or the type of mic used. I had awful trouble myself with those SSSSSS sounds. No matter how I placed the mic it didn't help. It was a cheap enough T bone mic but i replaced it with a shure SM57. I've never looked back. There is something going on in the background creating a "rattling" sound. I think its an acoustic guitar and its rhythm seems to be interfering with the electric. If thats what it is, try taking the pace out of the strumming because the electric is doing a fine job on its own.
Like you, I have sang the backing vocal parts myself but the Taxi screeners have always advised me to lose the backing vocals. I think its because there is no difference in voice between the lead vocal and the backing. Perhaps in future, I should get a collaboration with someone to do the backing vocals. Apologies if all of this sounds like a real "I know everything" soapbox. Trust me...I am no expert at all at mixing but these are just a couple of things that hit my ear. Oh, jus tone last thing Don. You may already know this but dont regard the final mix via your DAW as the done deal. Always export the song and listen to it on you Ipod etc. What you hear in your DAW doesn't always sound the same as how your ITunes sounds. Really good song bro...well done
Xave

[dweismantel]

Xave,

I certainly appreciate your taking the time to give such detailed input.

To start, the vocals were a collaboration with a singer from Ireland and it was a long wait to get what I got and he does not have a home set-up so no likely chance for a re-record. My vocals are so bad that they can be used as an advanced interrogation torture methodology... and PETA would would be on my case for inflicting pain on the animals in the neighborhood if I sang.

The acoustic is meant to give a frenzied feel to the addiction aspect of the song. Originally the electric was the afterthought so I would really have to see how it would feel without the acoustic guitar. Truth is, I am not really a guitarist so my limitations there are what I am capable of producing.

I do output from the DAW (I use Reason) and then master in Audacity as I like the tools there for that purpose. I listen on my KRK Rokit 6 Monitors, KRK 8400 Headphones and on my iPhone through the iPhone headphones to try and achieve something that sounds reasonably good in all. I AM JUST A BEGINNER in mixing and mastering and know I have a long way to go. So all feedback is a great help in working to improve my mixes.

I will give thought to your input as I try additional mixes.

Thanks again!
Don