The Road Less Traveled (DEMO) by me playing all the instruments

[ButchA]

This is a rough demo recorded on my new Tascam DP-03SD, 8 track digital multitrack recorder. Keyboards, drums, acoustic guitar, bass, vocals & harmony vocals, all done and mixed by me.

Edit: Sorry if my vocals are a little sour... This was way up at the top of my vocal range - you figure I wrote this when I was like, 18-19 years old back in the 70's, and tossed aside for 40+ years because I thought it sucked...

Track 1: Alesis Nitro Mesh electronic drums.
Track 2: Alvarez 6 string acoustic.
Track 3: Yamaha DGX-505, full size keyboard (piano w/ string quartet mode in the background).
Track 4: Samick 4 string bass (a cheap P-bass copy)
Track 5: Harmony vocals.
Track 6: Lead vocals.

What do you think of the mixdown and/or overall rough demo of a 70's singer/songwriter type of ballad?

Stream The Road Less Traveled (DEMO) by Butch Ammon | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

 

[Mark Richards]

What do you think of the mixdown

First impression:
A good starting point. Nice tone on the keys. I hear some distortion at the end from the cymbals.

Things to try:

• Pan the acoustic guitar to a position on one side of the sound stage and the keyboard to a position on the opposite side of the sound stage; balance them in relation to each other. This makes more room in the middle for the vocals and gives the mix more of a stereo image.

• Place the vocal further back in the mix, forward of the drums and bass, prominent but not dominant, sitting between the guitar and keys.

• Make the bass more prominent and balanced with the drums. Then pan the bass slightly left of center and the drums slightly right of center. Also creates a bit of center space for the vocals and gives the mix a more stereo feel.

• Adding some reverb in moderation can give the mix a bit of depth.

Hope this helps some.

 

[ButchA]

Thank you!