New song with Superior Drummer and Rock Solid EZX drums as of May 15th!

[CHRIS]

I put a new song in my music website called “I Heard You Say Those Words”, it is the song on top.  The drums are from Superior Drummer and Rock Solid EZX.   Please tell me how you like the song, and how it can be improved, and I can return the favor if you wish.  Here is my link:

https://www.soundclick.com/artist/default.cfm?bandID=224436&content=songs

https://www.soundclick.com/aaronaardvark

Cubase 10.5, iMac OSX 10.15.7, memory 8GB, Steinberg UR22 mkII interface

Topic

[Bear-Faced Cow]

I like the beat of the song, but the mix sounds unbalanced. I think the bass is a little too overbearing and the vocals are a little too far forward in the mix, however. The beat winds up getting lost as a result. It’s somewhat characteristic of mixing with your headphones loud.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

[CHRIS]

Bear-Faced Cow,

Thank you for listening and commenting.  It is true I mix with headphones, partially so I don’t drive my wife (and previously my daughter when she lived with us) crazy.  And for me, headphones sound way better than the built-in speakers in my iMacs.  I also like the stereophonic separation with headphones too.  Plus I hear most people listen to music nowadays with earbuds (which I don’t like) and headphones.  Though before I started working at home (due to covid), I typically listened to most music on my car radio.  Though my music doesn’t sound that good while driving (to me) due to motor, wind, and road noise.  I hope I don’t sound defensive; just telling you my feelings.  Do you use monitors when you mix?

https://www.soundclick.com/aaronaardvark

Cubase 10.5, iMac OSX 10.15.7, memory 8GB, Steinberg UR22 mkII interface

[Bear-Faced Cow]

I’m not attempting to beat up on you for using headphones. All I am really getting at is that you may be mixing in them a little too loud, thus experiencing the Fletcher-Munson curve (our ears act as compressors beyond a certain threshold). There are many people I know, myself being one of them at one time, that believe that loud music has to be mixed loud, which is not only false, but dangerous.

That being said, I do a lot of my mix work on headphones, main due to the fact that I have become more of a night owl during this lockdown. I will record guitars through my amp though, since it doesn’t bother my wife like the mixing does. She can’t stand the repetitive nature of mixing. However, I do listen to my mixes on a set of monitors as well as some consumer grade computer speakers, to make sure that the mix translates well to each of them. Once I am done, I will listen to it on my iPhone speaker as well as my laptop speakers to ensure that bass guitar is heard and the make sure that the hi-mids are not at cringing levels. After that, I give it the road test. Road factor is important because the music has to be able to cut through that. I’ll gladly make adjustments if it doesn’t survive that test. Only when it passes all of those tests, will I release it.

It’s just my opinion however… that and a two-dollars are worth a coffee and a doughnut.

jord

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Jordan L. Chilcott

Web Site: https://jordanchilcottmusic.com/

[Author]

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