UPDATE Need Mix/Style comments on "Old Timey" song

[shellsings]

Hey Folks

UPDATE: Here is an updated mix. Should I take out the needle skip that is set to 3/4 time? and just use the varying skip and noise in there now? https://soundcloud.com/michellelockey/t ... ft/s-SpRgV

Draft production here, trying things out. I am trying to achieve a vinyl record type sound , old school etc mix on this song. This is a draft right now as I work through ideas. For the violin, I would obviously get someone who could play it for realz. And also imagine a guy harmony around V2, but in terms of sound, mix, etc is this working? Any tweaks to make it believable that it came from an old vinyl/vintage record? Any other ideas for instruments, like Old Time Piano or something? https://soundcloud.com/michellelockey/t ... ft/s-SpRgV


thanks!

[cassmcentee]

Really cool one Michelle!

Here's what I would try:
In Cubase I have a "Stereo Widener" plugin, with that I can increase or decrease the Stereo field (from Mono/right down the middle, to Hard Left/Right with nothing in the middle)
I would take everything and force it real close to mono, bring the fiddle in tighter towards center, and Mono the Static. Right now the static represents a very Wide Stereo sound, I don't think you would have that if this is meant to be an Old Time Record that I would expect to be in Mono.
Then I would play a little more with a High Pass filter on your vocal to see what less Bass/Midrange would soundlike, looking for a more nasal sound? And/Or... play with a little Tube Distortion on the vocal... Clarity isn't as important as Feel!!! I keep thinking of the old Satellite looking Microphones...

Really Nice Tune!
Cass

[cassmcentee]

I took the tune that I worked on this morning and just now did a quick experiment...
Here is this morning's FULL mix: https://soundcloud.com/robert-cass-mcen ... ar-new-mix

Here is the very quick experiment: https://soundcloud.com/robert-cass-mcen ... 7-mono-exp

What I did:
To the Main Bus, added a Grungelizer/Static Machine, ran the song through in Read/Write Mode and automated the static so that it wasn't perfectly the same all of the way through...
Added a Tube Emulator/Distortion and gave it about 40% drive
Added a Rotary Emulator, did the same Read/Write Automation through the tune trying to induce a slight Wobble
High Passed the Low End 48db cut starting around 250, Tight cuts in the entire mid range.
Added the Stereo Widener plugin and cut it from 100% down to 62%, Pure mono didn't feel right to me...
Then ran one more Read/Write to automate the Main EQ adding a very wide cut in the 2/3k range, up and down to further to get a slight Wobble feel...
Cut out almost all reverb
Exported, Dropped into WaveLab.
Saw that It was a very quiet export, low db, so processed the loudness to about -11 LUF
Then cut the midrange further with an EQ and bounced it out as an MP3 for Soundcloud.

Hope this in some small way helps!
Cass

[steveboy]

I think you're pretty close! In addition to Cass's ideas you might also think about varying the vinyl noise. Currently the click in the the noise track stays the same throughout. On an actual record that would come and go (unless you had a perfectly uniform scratch across the entire track ), louder softer, tonal change, etc If it were a stereo recording it would drift from side to side. You could automate that in your software.

These records were usually recorded around a single mic with the players adjust the mix but moving around the mic for balance. You might re-amp any virtual instruments and capture the sound in your room with some distance on the mic to simulate that aspect.

I recently had good luck getting a vintage-y vibe by recording a track with the mic in my laptop. Fairly roomy and low-fi.

Have fun!

Steve

[shellsings]

I took the tune that I worked on this morning and just now did a quick experiment...
Here is this morning's FULL mix: https://soundcloud.com/robert-cass-mcen ... ar-new-mix

Here is the very quick experiment: https://soundcloud.com/robert-cass-mcen ... 7-mono-exp

What I did:
To the Main Bus, added a Grungelizer/Static Machine, ran the song through in Read/Write Mode and automated the static so that it wasn't perfectly the same all of the way through...
Added a Tube Emulator/Distortion and gave it about 40% drive
Added a Rotary Emulator, did the same Read/Write Automation through the tune trying to induce a slight Wobble
High Passed the Low End 48db cut starting around 250, Tight cuts in the entire mid range.
Added the Stereo Widener plugin and cut it from 100% down to 62%, Pure mono didn't feel right to me...
Then ran one more Read/Write to automate the Main EQ adding a very wide cut in the 2/3k range, up and down to further to get a slight Wobble feel...
Cut out almost all reverb
Exported, Dropped into WaveLab.
Saw that It was a very quiet export, low db, so processed the loudness to about -11 LUF
Then cut the midrange further with an EQ and bounced it out as an MP3 for Soundcloud.

Hope this in some small way helps!
Cass

Thanks CASS! I will check them out, meanwhile I have an update in the main post

[shellsings]

I think you're pretty close! In addition to Cass's ideas you might also think about varying the vinyl noise. Currently the click in the the noise track stays the same throughout. On an actual record that would come and go (unless you had a perfectly uniform scratch across the entire track ), louder softer, tonal change, etc If it were a stereo recording it would drift from side to side. You could automate that in your software.

These records were usually recorded around a single mic with the players adjust the mix but moving around the mic for balance. You might re-amp any virtual instruments and capture the sound in your room with some distance on the mic to simulate that aspect.

I recently had good luck getting a vintage-y vibe by recording a track with the mic in my laptop. Fairly roomy and low-fi.

Have fun!

Steve

Thanks STeve, yeah I tweaked the needle scratch to be 3/4 time but maybe that is too much. I used isotope vinyl to dirty up the new mix, (in main post) but may take out the 3/4 time scratch Thanks!

[cassmcentee]

Great Michelle!
Don't change the scratch!!!! sits perfectly
The Overall tone is fantastic
Banjo could be a hair brighter but not necessarily, sounds authentic as is
Just thinking that HighZs weren't as much a problem for Old Records as LowZs were (How deep and wide the needle would cut into the Licorice)
Just to make sure... The midi Harmonica is just a placeholder for the alternate live instrument/fiddle/harmonica? I hope so!
I even heard how it could be an Accordion/Squeeze Box and possibly fit another Genre when needed!
I love the tune
Cass

[shellsings]

Great Michelle!
Don't change the scratch!!!! sits perfectly
The Overall tone is fantastic
Banjo could be a hair brighter but not necessarily, sounds authentic as is
Just thinking that HighZs weren't as much a problem for Old Records as LowZs were (How deep and wide the needle would cut into the Licorice)
Just to make sure... The midi Harmonica is just a placeholder for the alternate live instrument/fiddle/harmonica? I hope so!
I even heard how it could be an Accordion/Squeeze Box and possibly fit another Genre when needed!
I love the tune
Cass

Hey There, I actually played the Melodica live in the new mix, not midi, LOL I played it Quickly without much thought. Will see if I can play it better or get someone better than me to do it. but yeah squeezebox or accordion would be good there.