"Of Monsters And Men" Mix/Production Review

[billhewett]

Hi Passengers,

I am working on a tune in the style of Of Monsters And Men, and I think it is getting close but I'm needing some help on finishing tweaks. I am hoping to re-record all of the lead vocals, so vocal performance critiques of this take aren't entirely necessary. I am mostly looking for thoughts on mixing and production.

Here is the track in its current state: https://soundcloud.com/bill-hewett/safe-in-your-arms

Here is a "Little Talks" by Of Monsters And Men for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghb6eDopW8I

Here is the listing:
COMMERCIALLY APPEALING INDIE FOLK SONGS with Male or Female Vocals are needed by the Owner of an active, successful Music Library for TV and Film placements. He needs well-crafted Mid-to-Up-Tempo Songs that could be found on the same playlist as acts like Mumford and Sons, The Head and the Heart, Of Monsters and Men, etc., etc., etc. Give them roots-y Songs that deliver an emotionally a melodically, lyrically, and vocally upbeat vibe. Your musicianship should be strong, with roots-based instrumentation, and a compelling vocal delivery that's in the wheelhouse of the referenced artists. Group vocals with harmonies are always welcome. Universal lyrics with an inspirational or hopeful message will work best for this pitch. Please avoid specific names, places, dates, times, brands, or profanity. Do NOT copy or rip off the referenced artists in any way, shape, or form. Use them only as a guide for tempo, texture, and tone. This company offers an EXCLUSIVE 50/50 deal, so please be sure your songs are NOT already signed with any other Libraries or Catalogs. You'll keep 100% of the Writer's share, and the Publisher gets 100% of the Publishing. You must own or control 100% of your Master and Copyright. Broadcast Quality is needed (great sounding home recordings are fine). Please submit one to three songs online or per CD, include lyrics. All submissions will be screened on a Yes/No basis - No full critiques. Submissions must be received no later than Wednesday, December 24, 2014.
TAXI # Y141224IF

Thanks in advance for your help!

-Bill

[cassmcentee]

Bill, I listened to the beginning of yours and also Monster's
I would buy the song if you don't already have it and drop it into your Project so that you could A/B your mix to their mix.
I noticed the richness/clarity/reverb/vocal levels were very different between the two...

Drop the Monster's tune in and...
Start by just looping the beginning and tweaking your drum mix till it sounds closer to the OG
it needs to be worked on first, that would start to add some warmth back in...
Then progress through all of your tracks...
I know it's a lot of work, your song is worth it!

2cents
Cass

[billhewett]

Hey Cass,

I can't believe I never considered pulling an MP3 into my DAW for A/B-ing! That is absolutely brilliant :)

And going back to the drums was a great suggestion... I think that got me pointed in the right direction, and the tune is much more "submittable" now, even if it isn't an exact match in production.

Thanks so much for taking the time to listen and help.

Happy holidays and may you have many placements in the new year!!!

-Bill

[andygabrys]

speaking of A/B'ing between your track and a commercial track, this plugin is pretty amazing:

https://www.samplemagic.com/details/184/magic-ab

it was on sale a little while ago too.

it sits on your master output in your DAW after all mastering plugins and lets you A/B against up to 9 different tracks vs yours - and you can pull the level of the commercial tracks down easily so that you can compare your unmastered track against the mastered commercial one.

You can do it in your DAW by soloing a ref track, but this plugin takes it to a whole different level.

[billhewett]

That's awesome, Andy! Thanks so much for the link.

[robbspencer]

Sounds a lot like it to me (instrumentation and arrangement wise). Good luck!!!

[remmet]

Bill, I think you have a really nice song here, but the mix is not doing it justice. The vocals are being buried by the instrumental backing track and a good portion of the lyrics are undecipherable. In addition, the overall mix sounds brittle, like a distortion plug on the master output was cranked up too high. I think all the elements are in place to make it a really good song if you can make the right adjustments in the mix. I hope you keep working on it; I definitely think it's worth the effort.

Good luck!

Richard