[jonboper]

Wow, lots of good notes this month.
I don't know if mine will add, but I'll pour em on anyways. Listened with studio monitors while throwing back a few pints...and then a few more. The first notes will definitely be more helpful than the last few and I apologize for that. I struggled with liking the vocals, but some of you did quite well, and I gave extra points for fade-outs because the ending was just begging for it.

ID01: The bass balance is nice, bGuitar line audibly carrying the song along until things get the most busy, then it struggles against the din, but not in a bad way. The initial chime of the shakers is a bit too much, too metallic and shrill, after they drop out it's a relief. Backing vocals are lost, but the lead vocal line sounds pretty great. Needs a fade-out.

ID02: The musicality of the panning, especially with the mandolin-sounding thing to the R, and the backingVox and banjo on the L, super cool. It's a very airy sounding mix, a lot of genteel-sounding instrumentation, and a lowly-mixed, fuzzy bGuitar. Pretty cool overall, but I'm not crazy about the main vox. A little dim with the verb or delay or something, would prefer them dryer. Shaker way too loud by the end. Gets sounding empty when it maybe should cut out.

ID03: The musicality of the panning, especially with the mandolin-sounding thing to the R, and the backingVox and banjo on the L, super cool. It's a very airy sounding mix, a lot of genteel-sounding instrumentation, and a lowly-mixed, fuzzy bGuitar. Pretty cool overall, but I'm not crazy about the main vox. A little dim with the verb or delay or something, would prefer them dryer. Shaker way too loud by the end. Gets sounding empty when it maybe should cut out.

ID04: This is a louder-sounding mix, has more boom on the low-low end and more action up top while beign scooped, but with that i'm loosing some of the definition of all the instrumentation that I know is there from other mixes. Still, not a bad take, and I like the main vocal treatment. Backing vocals are way back, but still kind of there. Gets to sound empty when it maybe should fade out.

ID05: I was so excited to see how short this was. But. Last month's song.

ID06: Low end is punctuated by a hard bDrum bap. But that's not bad, tries to hold together the low end and rhythm, but I feel like the melody of the bGuitar is a little lost in it. The overall mix is pretty good, maybe too much verb or space leaking through, clouding things up, and could use more instrumental definition with panning, not super-spatial. LOVE the fade out.

CONTENDER

Wish the accordian wasn't so loud.

Winner. Best all-around.

ID07: The bGuitar has a nice presence, really audible here. But the vocals have a strange sibilant thing going on that's distracting, I think because of a delay and the naturally spitty quality of the singer's singing style. The little breakdown section has a really nice bounce to it, due to that low end, audible bGuitar and pumping (too loud? almost, or just slightly) bDrum. Needs a fad-out.

ID08: It's a busy song, and this mix doesn't clarify things for me. The overall balance is really pretty good, but the differentiation of parts isn't quite there. But, the bGuitar sits well with the drums, and the stringed things are sitting pretty well. If there wasn't that space on the vocal, muddying up an already muddled performance (not bad per se, just mush-mouthed to the point that spaciness just hurts the situation), I would have enjoyed it much more. Thanks for the fade-out.

ID09: This mix goes at it hard, hard with the bDrum, and hard, unfortunately, with the vocal reverb. All the vox are too wet and muddy, but aside from that, the mix tries to kick it. The drums overall are a little too quiet maybe, but I like the sound of the percussion, well-eqd. Why no fade?

ID10: Really pretty good balance. CONTENDER. God, I hate this song. I'm hearing too many parts in the L speaker, not only the strings, but also the flute-fife-recorder thing. But good interplay of parts. Those shakers, so much metallic bite. Wish the backing Vocs popped a little more. Drums are great.

Thanks for the fade out.

ID11: Bguitar tone a little out-of-control in the verse sections. Main vocal sounds pretty great, considering how much I hate that vocal, really good stuff there, it's stuffed back, unintelligible, but clear. Musicality is pretty good. Bass booms along.

Why no fade-out?

ID12: Good mix with the vocal out front, the low end mixed pretty well, the instruments panned out. CONTENDER(?). Thie main vocal has a distracting spatial effect that is horrible, highliting the most aggravating aspects of the vox.

Fades, but verrrry slowly.

ID13: Not a bad mix at all. Or have I just been beaten down by the song? I think this is a good one. Thanks for the fade. WINNER? That shaker, pretty bitter.

ID14: Pretty sweet beginning, but the vocal is so fuzzy. Sounds like the vocal has a blanket over it.But the high end has a generally favorable sheen over it. Fades out a plus.