Originally Posted by JAPOV
Finally, someone seriously interested in "overall sound" smile

I've recently discovered "space designer" and "vintage console EQ" in LogicX. They've caused me to completely re-think the way I mix/master. So, currently, overall sound is at the top of my list lol... I've even scrapped my old drum kit.

True story... I came across a movie in Tubi, a re-vamp of "Charlie's Angeles". High energy action flick with lots of 70s/80s rock. Of course, I actually own a lot of the original recordings of the tracks in that movie... So, I immediately heard a major difference. The sound track in that movie is awesome! It motivated me to try and figure out WHY?

Anyway...

What I immediately hear in your current recording is a focus on everything "mid-low to mid-high". I'm not surprised it doesn't sound good through your Bose system... Mid-lows are also kinda' saturated and "muddy". Overall, the recording is very lo-fi.

I recommend listening to some of your favorite music through your home system (not your computer). Then, without making any EQ changes, play this recording for comparison.

Also... DON'T TRUST A SUB-BASS WHEN YOU'RE RECORDING! Unless you're a rapper, a sub will totally screw with your ears!

Good song BTW, hope this helps wink

Thanks for the feedback Tony.

My biggest problem was dealing with sibilance. pass,dance,blast,fast.
When I brightened the vox, they sizzled and became harsh and brittle. And worse, my voice is nothing great and when I try to project it, I get a non-musical raspy-ratchet sound from my vocal chords. That produced some ugliness in the upper mids, which was also hard to tamp down.

Additionally, my voice happens between roughly 500 and 1500 hz. The song is heavily layered with several overlayed instruments. That frequency range was loaded up. I tried all of the things that you suggested and still struggled to find some kind of acceptable balance. EQ, clip gaining and automation were the most effective tools that I had. Clearly I was out of my depth on this.

The song sounds fairly clear and clean through the Yamaha monitors and in my truck cab. But both of my Bose systems and my headphones sound muffled. I don't know which ones to believe. wink

On my next song, I'm going try to use fewer instruments that naturally spread out in the frequencies and see if I can get a better result.

Thanks again for your input.

Marty

https://soundcloud.com/sunset-poet-of-texas