Slow Wave - (indie) by The Great Mistake

[guitfnky]

my band has finally released the first single from an upcoming album. this was done entirely in Reason, except for mastering (Ableton Live). it was probably the most complex project/song I’ve done, and we’re all really happy with how it turned out.

it’s just the first half of a longer song, but stands well on its own. been out on the major streaming platforms for a while, but we just got it up on soundcloud and bandcamp.

check it out and let us know what you think.

[Uman's]

Hi

The composition is quite good. The voices are great. I'm more skeptical about the sound quality.
It is attenuated and the voices are too indented.
Is it just a demo? the end ends abruptly.

[guitfnky]

Hi

The composition is quite good. The voices are great. I'm more skeptical about the sound quality.
It is attenuated and the voices are too indented.
Is it just a demo? the end ends abruptly.

thanks! it’s not a demo, although I suspect the file that was submitted to soundcloud and bandcamp is the same one we submitted to CDBaby—which is I think 2 db below 0, which may be why it sounds attenuated. not sure what you mean by the voices being indented though? it had to end with a more abrupt fade than I’d prefer because of how the full song is. there’s a few extra sections to the full thing that will be there when we put out the album (and no fade out). anyway, appreciate the feedback!

[Uman's]

thanks! it’s not a demo... it had to end with a more abrupt fade than I’d prefer because of how the full song is. there’s a few extra sections to the full thing that will be there when we put out the album (and no fade out).

I understand why in this case.
In the first place, I didn't have the impression of hearing a fade,
I had the impression that the end was simply cut off.

I suspect the file that was submitted to soundcloud and bandcamp is the same one we submitted to CDBaby—which is I think 2 db below 0, which may be why it sounds attenuated.

I would then just have to turn up the listening volume, but no, that's not it.
All frequencies are overwritten. (not distinct enough.)
For example, the treble is not clear.
Maybe a compression fault in the Soundcloud recording ?
(i accuse Soundcloud LoL)

not sure what you mean by the voices being indented though?

The voices are very distant, almost inaudible, I have trouble hearing the lyrics.

[guitfnky]

thanks! it’s not a demo... it had to end with a more abrupt fade than I’d prefer because of how the full song is. there’s a few extra sections to the full thing that will be there when we put out the album (and no fade out).

I understand why in this case.
In the first place, I didn't have the impression of hearing a fade,
I had the impression that the end was simply cut off.

I suspect the file that was submitted to soundcloud and bandcamp is the same one we submitted to CDBaby—which is I think 2 db below 0, which may be why it sounds attenuated.

I would then just have to turn up the listening volume, but no, that's not it.
All frequencies are overwritten. (not distinct enough.)
For example, the treble is not clear.
Maybe a compression fault in the Soundcloud recording ?
(i accuse Soundcloud LoL)

not sure what you mean by the voices being indented though?

The voices are very distant, almost inaudible, I have trouble hearing the lyrics.

interesting--not sure why it's cutting out for you. seems to fade out okay for me here.

yeah, it is a very dense arrangement (most of our songs are), so a certain amount of masking is unavoidable. that said, I don't prefer mixes that sound super carved up where everything feels like its in a different space. it sounds (to me) more like a band this way. a little masking isn't a bad thing! actually, some of my favorite songs have quite a lot of it!

vocals are a tricky thing, because everyone's got a different idea of how up front they should be. I grew up on 90s alt rock where a lot of the time you couldn't hear much more than the vocal melody, and had to rely on reading liner notes for lyrics (wow, I'm really dating myself here ). I try to keep vocals intelligible but usually stay far away from having them significantly more prominent than the rest of the music. I don't have any trouble hearing the lyrics in this song, but then again, that could be because I'm already familiar with it.

thanks for taking the time to listen!

[Uman's]

Yes, not everyone has the same reaction to frequencies
A question of perception.

I still really like this track !