Recently we posted about our new weekly feature, Workshops. This is how it works: you upload your tracks, and each week we publish one here and step away from the podium. The floor is yours to talk about the track and how the artist can fix problems in and improve upon the mix and the song. Here's our third, New to the Family by Lone Locust.
There are a couple of rules:
- Friendly, constructive criticism. We’re talking about people’s creative work, and anyone who is destructive and offensive will find their comments deleted — if they slip through moderation, let’s just hope we can catch them before the artist comes around to see your feedback. Negative constructive criticism is welcome. Since we’re only weeding out the offensive stuff, you only get one shot — if you use the comment box to insult people, you’ll find yourself unable to comment at AUDIOTUTS again.
- These comment threads can get pretty darn long. Have a quick read-through of the feedback that’s already been given, and try not to double-up too much.
Easy rules for civilized people to follow. 
Without further ado…
New to the Family by Lone Locust
Andy writes: “Written and recorded @ the Rockerie in Windsor, Ontario by the duo 'Lone Locust'."
Check out more Lone Locust at their MySpace page.
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Have a listen to the track and offer your constructive criticism for this Workshop in the comments section. Submit your own tracks using this form.
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Kas Witana February 9th
OK this may be just a personal preference, but I feel the vocals are a little dry/lacking in dynamics compared to the guitars and backing.
In my experience this is the hardest bit to get right, making them stand out without resorting to dated sounding effects
so interested in learning how others would approach this.
Perhaps a stompbox/amp sim set to kil mixed low alongside the main vocal track?
Other than that, liking the song mate…
( )Stephen Schappler February 9th
Good overall balance, I like the drum sound. But, here are a few changes I would make…
The vocals seem to lack any power or punch to me. They sound too thin and a little unconvincing. Especially before the doubling comes in after the first half of the first verse. Could use some EQ.
Same with those rhythm guitar tones. Give them more meat and power. I really want to feel that verse rhythm. Now, it kind of sounds like the guitars are going through the motions. Toughen ‘em up! Try a little EQ in the low mids (maybe a little higher), and run those suckers through a Distressor if you can to give them some more color and oomph.
Drum panning sounds a little too narrow to me. I know you’ve got the guitars hard left and right, which works, but I think you can afford to spread the drum imaging out a little.
Last suggestion. Something needs to be done to that lead guitar line during the chorus. It needs to scream a bit more. Maybe try moving it around a little to separate it from the vocal and try riding it up slightly, maybe 1dB.
A lot of these are nit picks, the track is sounding good. But I think if you make a few adjustments, you could really take it to the next level.
(Listened through Genelec 1030a’s at Dubway Studios, NYC)
( )Gabriel Sharp February 10th
Listened through some PMC Speakers with Roksan amp and power amp. And then through some Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones.
First impression that it sounded very professional – A lot of tracks I’ve heard in this workshop thus far have been blatently home-produced.
I definitely agree with Stephen Schappler, but with a further emphasis of guitar – It doesn’t kick me and leave me for dead when it needs to.
( )I’m not really good enough to tell you -how- to fix that, but Stephen had some good sounding ideas.
Scott Warren February 11th
Great comments guys, looking forward to hearing more! We’re always learning…
I tracked my vocal to this using an Apex 460 through an MPA Gold Pre, (probably used an API EQ and API comp too, probably a little Waves RVerb, VST’s of course). Admittedly, I felt it was dry and a pinch thin, but I didn’t mind it enough to change it prior to final. Believe it or not, I actually hand held the mic while tracking while reading the lyrics as I sang in a seated position to work the Edirol surface. Pfft. Can you say self-imposed deadline? LOL!
Interesting comment about the panning on my drums. These are PDP CX’s. Mic’s on snare top/bot (57’s), kick inside (Audix D6), rack (Audix D10), floor (Audix D12), o/h’s (Apex 125’s), and one room (Apex 460). Kick, both snares, and room are up the gut, rack @ 50% right, floor @ 70% left, and o/h’s 100% L&R. I play with Vic Firth 2B’s and LOTS of good Zildjian’s and Sabians (14″ AA Sizzle Hats, 18″ A Custom Crash, 16″ Z Custom Crash, 20″ HHX Ride, 18″ Paragon Crash, 18″ China Trash, 18″ Z Rock Crash).
Keep the comments comin’, guys…good or bad!
( )The Bobby Quine Experiment February 12th
I’m not an ardent rock fan, so I have a different perspective on the track, I think. First of all, the song is cool and the arrangement is slick. IMHO the Rhythm guitar sounds great.
I thought the panning on the drums was cool to me, I could discern panning on your cymbals, open hat and a little on the toms. The kit was a little weak in the bass and mid departments. Some parallel compression on just the kick and snare might be all you need to beef them up a little.
Also the mix seems to be built around the guitar which I think is not best for this song. The vocalist can actually sing, so the voice doesn’t need to be hidden and what I could catch of the lyrics was pretty solid too. I would have built the mix on vocals. Maybe even some very subtle delay on the vocals would add to the feel (SUBTLE
)…
Overall I thought this was a cool track…I actually enjoyed listening to it and that’s really what it boils down to in the end…
Peace.
( )John Mansfield July 3rd
Cool tune! Pull the vocals in front a bit more, EQ the guitars for more edge and this is killer. Nice drum work, too, by the way!
( )