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Bob, I love the music and vocals. I also love the production of the song. I have one question. I have tried for a long time to get a song to sound big and full, what do you use to make that happen? The song sounds huge.

Steve



Hey Steve...how are things down in Razorback country? I'm from La. originally and lived around Alexandria, LA most of life until moving to Colorado. Great folks (and food!) down there!

BTW, I've listened to some of your music and I think you're doing some fine work. Sometimes there are only a few small things that take your sound to the next level. I don't know what software and hardware you're using to create your music but regardless there are some things I can tell you that may be of use to you in getting a fatter sound. To begin with, the most important thing you can do is to give each track, whether instrument or vocal, it's own "sonic space" in the stereo spectrum. Basically that means "panning" all your tracks around the main vocal. There are really no big secrets to the way we produce a song. No special hardware or software, just an awareness of what's possible sonically. Basically we put the main vocal in the middle of the mix, with any harmonies close by, say no more than 10-20% off center. Next, bass and drums occupy a similar, but not exact, center position usually only 5% or less off center. After that come the backing instruments like fingerstyle and strummed guitars, or keyboards, steel, etc. I always like to pan these instruments to the far left and right of each other, as much as 75-100% left or right. While we have some pretty nice studio monitors, I find the best way to evaluate "sonic placement" is to use a decent set of accurate headphones to listen to the placement (Sony MDR 7506 work great). When you do this type of listening, see if you can hear each track distinctly in the mix even though it may be quiter than the main vocal. And finally, effects such as reverb and compression. Reverb is "musical spice" and needs to be used sparingly. We do not use reverb on bass or kick drum. We do apply it to most other sounds but in varying degrees. I prefer "plate reverb" to most other kinds because it sounds more like the old studio hardware "plates" you find in analog studios, and to me more natural. I put more reverb on vocals than on say, keyboard, or acoustic guitar, and a bit more on electric or steel guitar. But hardly ever enough where it's obvious. You'll hear what seems like a lot of reverb on the solo drums at the beginning of "Summertown" but notice how it seems to decrease after the song starts. We didn't reduce the reverb it's just blended in with the other sounds. I usually start the mixing process with the vocal volume normalized, that is, set at "0" DB, and add everything else below it. For example, add a guitar to the mix, and listen, add a keyboard, and listen, etc until you build the mix, giving each track it's own space. There are no hard and fast rules here. It's really just practice and listening...a LOT. Ear training. There's more to tell you, but this should keep you busy for a while. Email me directly or call if you'd like to discuss other aspects of recording, mixing, and mastering. I'd be happy to help you.

In the meantime get some headphones and listen to this song for some serious lessons in "sonic placement": Faithless Heart


Bob

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