# I need an honest opinion



## Crispyfresh95 (Feb 11, 2015)

What do you guys think of my vocalist and the song as a whole. Yeah I know we suck lol, but I just want to hear other opinions

https://soundcloud.com/matthewiannuzzi/final-draft-b-milk-room-pre-production

It's a pre-production and we're still working with mixing and all that.

Thanks in advance


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## Ben.Last (Feb 13, 2015)

How much editing is going on with the guitars here?

Overall, there's some good passages, and I'd focus in more on those and expand them. Right now the song seems a bit schizophrenic and disjointed. The vocal style isn't specifically my taste, but it's not bad at all for the type of thing you guys seem to be aiming for.


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## PlumbTheDerps (Feb 13, 2015)

Your vocalist is trying to sound like Rody Walker from Protest The Hero but he's significantly off-key. I just don't think he's capable of doing that vocal style, and it's accentuated by the production- the vocals are much too loud and dry, guitars are too low-passed, mix is too dark overall, and the glitch editing is way overdone. That sort of stuff should be used sparingly and to accentuate certain parts of the song, not as a constant production tool.


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## Jmat (Feb 13, 2015)

I like the instrumentation but I'm not feeling the vocals like not at all


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## Noxon (Feb 13, 2015)

There are some cool riffs and moments, but those vocals...


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## Solodini (Feb 20, 2015)

But if you guys have fun together, stick at it, just advise your singer that their vocals could probably use some work. If you're not doing it pro, you're probably best to focus on having fun, not upsetting someone and jeopardising a friendship for trying to be pro. You're all learning, are you not?


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## Crispyfresh95 (Feb 22, 2015)

Yo guys... Can you check out this now?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXgek5xlmfc

We changed up the vocals...
Intro is up till 1:42 and song starts at 1:43... Hopefully you guys comment back on this change


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## Crispyfresh95 (Feb 22, 2015)

Solodini said:


> But if you guys have fun together, stick at it, just advise your singer that their vocals could probably use some work. If you're not doing it pro, you're probably best to focus on having fun, not upsetting someone and jeopardising a friendship for trying to be pro. You're all learning, are you not?


 Ya thanks, we are just having fun but we want to find ways to just improve overall.


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## Crispyfresh95 (Feb 22, 2015)

PlumbTheDerps said:


> Your vocalist is trying to sound like Rody Walker from Protest The Hero but he's significantly off-key. I just don't think he's capable of doing that vocal style, and it's accentuated by the production- the vocals are much too loud and dry, guitars are too low-passed, mix is too dark overall, and the glitch editing is way overdone. That sort of stuff should be used sparingly and to accentuate certain parts of the song, not as a constant production tool.


 Hey, can I get your opinion again with these changes? Song starts at 1:43 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXgek5xlmfc


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## Ocara-Jacob (Feb 22, 2015)

Vocals are definitely better in that one^ 
Mix is still eh. Too dry sounding.


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## Crispyfresh95 (Feb 22, 2015)

Ocara-Jacob said:


> Vocals are definitely better in that one^
> Mix is still eh. Too dry sounding.


 Sweet thanks for responding. Yeah I know, its just because of the equipment we have. It's all done at home.


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## fr4nci2c0 (Feb 22, 2015)

first off this vocalist does not shut the .... up which is part of why he is so distracting. His clean singing style fits into your guy's music rarely. I would say 90% of his clean vocal style does not work in the context of metal. Honestly this song is more enjoyable from instrumental aspect. But some of the different guitar passages do not flow into each other which just makes it sound like I hit the skip button on accident and am listening to a different song. But your guy's vocalist needs to either be fired or COMPLETELY rework his style. and when I say completely I mean like posibly over a year or 2 before he achieves a style that is relevant to your guys music.


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## Ben.Last (Feb 22, 2015)

Honestly, I don't get where the views that the vocals are that bad are coming from. Again, they don't even work for me personally, but they're not bad enough to justify suggestions to dump the guy (he's not incredibly off key or anything. It's not far off from a lot of what's being done in tech death, or stuff like Scar Symmetry, for example). 

This seriously just strikes me as production problems. His vocals are too up front and way too dry. He needs some reverb or delay and some compression. 

It's all done at home, so what DAW are you guys using to record and mix?


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## Leuchty (Feb 22, 2015)

His cleans give me a System of The Down vibe.

I actually really like the vocals. Its a unique style and thats entertaining. I think his main let down in the track is his lack of dynamics in his clean singing.


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## Crispyfresh95 (Feb 22, 2015)

fr4nci2c0 said:


> first off this vocalist does not shut the .... up which is part of why he is so distracting. His clean singing style fits into your guy's music rarely. I would say 90% of his clean vocal style does not work in the context of metal. Honestly this song is more enjoyable from instrumental aspect. But some of the different guitar passages do not flow into each other which just makes it sound like I hit the skip button on accident and am listening to a different song. But your guy's vocalist needs to either be fired or COMPLETELY rework his style. and when I say completely I mean like posibly over a year or 2 before he achieves a style that is relevant to your guys music.


Are you speaking on the behalf of the soundcloud song or the one on youtube? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXgek5xlmfc 
The intro is different and he has redone some parts.. But ya we get the same comment from people a lot. We'll keep that in mind and try our best to improve


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## Crispyfresh95 (Feb 22, 2015)

Ben.Last said:


> Honestly, I don't get where the views that the vocals are that bad are coming from. Again, they don't even work for me personally, but they're not bad enough to justify suggestions to dump the guy (he's not incredibly off key or anything. It's not far off from a lot of what's being done in tech death, or stuff like Scar Symmetry, for example).
> 
> This seriously just strikes me as production problems. His vocals are too up front and way too dry. He needs some reverb or delay and some compression.
> 
> It's all done at home, so what DAW are you guys using to record and mix?


We use cubase 6. Yes I fully agree with you, I know he has potential and can improve so I don't want to drop him off completely. 
We'll consider that as mixing needs some touch ups


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## Crispyfresh95 (Feb 22, 2015)

Leuchty said:


> His cleans give me a System of The Down vibe.
> 
> I actually really like the vocals. Its a unique style and thats entertaining. I think his main let down in the track is his lack of dynamics in his clean singing.


Thanks dude!


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## fr4nci2c0 (Feb 22, 2015)

Crispyfresh95 said:


> Are you speaking on the behalf of the soundcloud song or the one on youtube? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXgek5xlmfc
> The intro is different and he has redone some parts.. But ya we get the same comment from people a lot. We'll keep that in mind and try our best to improve


I was critiquing the soundcloud version of the song is where the "vocalist doesnt shut up" comes from. I listened to the youtube vid. I am sticking by my opinion. Part of what your vocalist does that doesn't fit is the intensity of his clean singing style. It is better suited to a softer style of music. He is not belting out and being powerful. He has like this operatic pretentious style that is reminiscent of Dream theater. My ears don't like it. If you have doubts that's not good. You gotta proceed with your group with confidence.


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## Ben.Last (Feb 23, 2015)

Crispyfresh95 said:


> We use cubase 6. Yes I fully agree with you, I know he has potential and can improve so I don't want to drop him off completely.
> We'll consider that as mixing needs some touch ups



If you're using Cubase then there's nothing that needs to be done here that you don't have plugins for already.


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