Peer review please!

[SoundGuyDave]

I'm looking for any and all feedback on the tones, arrangement, mix, and if you hear any glaring issues. This is a PRE-production track, mostly to work out parts and create a template to take into the studio with "real" musicians (as opposed to a hack like me doing most of the parts). None of the performances are perfect, and I'm aware of that, but the real question is: Is this good enough to distribute to pro-level players as an example of what I'm looking for? My intention is to provide a full mix, plus a mix-minus (their part) and an ISO of their part in addition to a chart.

LINK: https://www.dropbox.com/s/re49l7wb4h...1a-14.wav?dl=0

And just for formality's sake: Lyrics: J. Friedmann Music: D. Lowum, (C) (P) 2020, all rights reserved...

So, your thoughts? Tonal balance, instrument tones? Mix balance? Arrangement? Glaring problems?

[synkrotron]

Originally Posted by SoundGuyDave

I'm looking for any and all feedback on the tones, arrangement, mix, and if you hear any glaring issues.

Hmmm... I don't think I'm up to that particular task. I am only a listener when it comes to this genre.

Is this good enough to distribute to pro-level players as an example of what I'm looking for?

Yeah, I'd say so.

So, your thoughts? Tonal balance, instrument tones? Mix balance? Arrangement? Glaring problems?

As I alluded to above, I ain't really qualified to comment on the likes of tone and mix. Arrangement? Well, it sounds like a good song to me and well worth pursuing.

[toleolu]

Personally I thought it was pretty good, the guitar solo at about 2:40 in was really good, love that tone.

Mind if I ask what your setup was on that guitar?

[Judders]

Yeah, totally acceptable as a pre-production track, I'd say. I'm sure they will have worked from far worse!

[SoundGuyDave]

Synkrotron: Thanks for taking a listen, I appreciate the support!

Toleolu: The guitar solo is FAR above my technical ability to execute fluidly, so I hired out! That's Jimmy Kosta, who I found on Fiverr. Nice guy, (obviously) great player, and really "gets" what I'm looking for. I wrote the solo, Jimmy played it, and I was very happy with the result. I MAY fly him in for the "real" session. It's actually three tracks total, the first, main solo (neck pickup, I think PRS), is his Kemper track blended with a bit of my own chain (raw DI-LePou Lecto head-Marshall 1960A cab IR with a 57 on-axis and R121 at 45*. The DI track is just BARELY in there, and is more for texture than anything else. It's 90% Kemper, and in mono. Right at 3:15, where the solo "splits" to the harmony line, I added a Waves PS22 splitter, and automated the width to match the pan positions of the harmony lines. Those are DIs through my chain as above,bridge pickup. The two harmony lines are both lifted slightly at 1k7, with opposing filters at 3k5. The low harmony is cut 1dB, and the high is boosted 0.5dB just to accentuate the separation. All three tracks are bussed (is "foldered" a word?) and there's a pile of shite on the buss. CLA Guitars (no reamp, slight upper-bass, touch of bite, and spreader), H-Delay for the ping-pong echo, 2.5s verb, Neve-ish "vintage" EQ (mild 33k3 hi-Q dip, slight 6k8 lift), then a V-Comp at 3:1, showing around 3-5dB GR. All the "analog" nonsense is turned off. None of the processing is really that far forward, it all just nibbles in on the tone to shape it to what I thought fit.

The outro solo is also my chain, suitably adjusted. I can give you details on that if you want them.

[SoundGuyDave]

Originally Posted by Judders

Yeah, totally acceptable as a pre-production track, I'd say. I'm sure they will have worked from far worse!

Thanks, Judders! And yes, I'm sure they have, BUT, I really don't want to be "that guy." Particularly since I do have the skills to do a bit better.

I never question my own judgement on a client project, but on my own? I'm just too invested, and I second-guess everything and usually wind up mixing myself into a corner.

[Judders]

Originally Posted by SoundGuyDave

Thanks, Judders! And yes, I'm sure they have, BUT, I really don't want to be "that guy." Particularly since I do have the skills to do a bit better.

I wouldn't worry, you're not going to be "that guy". It sounds good.

[sammydix]

I think it's fine. Not a thing to be worried about.