Sorry for the Stragglers song spam! Coming in thick and fast! 
So, here’s yet another one… 
And yeah, I know… the snare needs work! But aside form that???
Hi Ian
Not listened on a ‘proper’ system yet but my first impression, after three listens, 
is that with the bass jumping about low end needs anchoring in places, possibly a more bottomy sound from the kick.
I might be way off the mark. 
Cheers
Lots of energy.
Perhaps just a single drum beat to open, rather than two?
I’ve listened quite a few times and the opening throws me
with the music. Dunno.
I’m hearing a lot of subterranean bass wooliness in the mix,
and the drums seem really squashed with a weak kick drum.
Bottomy but no punch? 
Personal taste, but I’m not keen on the phased acoustic.
That opening ac.gtr motif seems lost at the song’s end?
I like the energy of the EP.
Maybe shorten those long, long vocal sustains? A bit too long?
I know it looks like a long list of nits, sorry. 
One of my fave songs of yours though. Plenty of drive here too.
Jet
i have to disagree with you, i like the long notes , seems like a good style going on ,sort of instant recognizably sherz. whats with the stragglers is it a homage to the stranglers, because the bass guitar does sound a bit like the stranglers ,like it. the mix does sound like you`ve rushed it a bit .this tune is a bit popier but with your style of singing and tone it sort of brings it back down to earth again , nice one.
Cheers Jet. 
1 hit or 2 to start off? I’m just wondering what difference that would make actually? Did you find a double hit off-putting? I’m not quite sure what you mean by the opening “throws me ith the music” ?
I opted for the phasey acoustic partly because every other tracks (so far) have a straight uneffected sound so I guess I was looking for a point of difference. It doesn’t bother me.
The drums are the same kit with similar treatment as in past songs… can’t say why it sounds compressed this time other than, based on suggestions in a previous thread I’ve upped the snare compression, but still quite conservative I think to what some would use. 
Overall compression on all these tunes is definitely less than past projects. So, you can imagine I’m scratching my head a bit over several comments now about these tunes sounding compressed
I’ll check for that bass ‘wool’. The kick has my usual multiband treatment - maybe just a few punch-enhancing adjustments required.
Maybe shorten those long, long vocal sustains? A bit too long?
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! I’m gonna leave them aloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooone! 
And I have backup!
Thanks Jet. Always happy to have your ears on my mixes.
The name is Shayne’s idea. It seemed to fit. In the context of where we play we’re the ‘old guys’ for starters, and based on the definition: “A scattered or disorderly group” - well it seemed perfect because while Shayne and I are the core, other guys come and go - joining in and jamming along as and when. No of the other casual members feature on the recordings though I had thought of inviting guitarist James to do a few ‘feature’ solos. Except there’s a bit of a ‘thing’ between Shayne and James…so that might not happen.
this tune is a bit popier
I thought most of them fell more into the ‘pop’ catagory actually, we’ve mostly gone for the shorter catchier tunes. But like you say, maybe my voice and perhaps the arrangements too help take the pop edge off them.
Listened again, that makes it five times, maybe six.
The bass wooliness is during the slap parts, plus on the occasional other note throughout.
Thru my main monitors and under cans it is a pulsing, bottomy sound on certain notes.
The kick lacks punch.
But the entire track, to my ears, still sounds starved of dynamic range.
So, if there’s little compression and zero limiting at your end, I’m lost.
Maybe I’m just llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooooossssssssssssssssiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng it. 
You’re absolutely right. For this one, as a bit of an experiment on vintage/retro sounds I used the “old Zep kit” from the Steve Slate library. Well, as it happens the kick sounds more like one of those big bass drums you see in a marching band BOOOOOMIER than a very BOOOMY thing! The boomy wooly overtones are massive. 
Was Bonham’s kit REALLY like that back in the 60’s??
Anyway, I’ll be swapping that out, but not really sure where to go re: dynamics overall. Ironic that it lacks dynamics given it’s called “light & Darkness”
Hi Sherz,
Another cool song, I think im becoming a Stragglers fan!
Not really hearing the kick in me canz!
Whats wrong with the snare? I like it!
Cheers
Sav
NOW I can die happy!
Can you sort the kick out 1st please?
Hi Ian
Had a few ‘proper’ listens now. Another good song with good energy.
What I am hearing in the low end is similar to Jet. The woolly rumbling is coming from the LF of the bass IMHO. That really needs to be cleaned and tightened up. Compare the bass to something like some earlier Level 42 stuff. I think the bottom end in this song needs to come from the kick.
Regarding dynamics, what I am not hearing in this track, and the others from this project, is the open sound you got on the mix of ‘You’re Free’. Everything seems to be fighting for attention and to be at the front, almost as if the arrangement is too crowded. I think that is why I keep complaining about the 500hz area in these mixes. Something needs thinning out a bit. I think that is also contributing to it sounding like it lacks dynamics, although I’d be interested to hear these songs with you hitting Magneto a little less hard and not have them quite so loud.
You could create some light in the darkness by making the band in the drop down at 1:20 more subtle. ATM the chords are as loud there yet you sing softer.
Cheers
Dave
Sure, nothing’s TOO much trouble.
Yeah… THAT’s what we’re after!
What I am hearing in the low end is similar to Jet. The woolly rumbling is coming from the LF of the bass IMHO. That really needs to be cleaned and tightened up. Compare the bass to something like some earlier Level 42 stuff. I think the bottom end in this song needs to come from the kick.
Regarding dynamics, what I am not hearing in this track, and the others from this project, is the open sound you got on the mix of ‘You’re Free’. Everything seems to be fighting for attention and to be at the front, almost as if the arrangement is too crowded. I think that is why I keep complaining about the 500hz area in these mixes. Something needs thinning out a bit. I think that is also contributing to it sounding like it lacks dynamics, although I’d be interested to hear these songs with you hitting Magneto a little less hard and not have them quite so loud.
You could create some light in the darkness by making the band in the drop down at 1:20 more subtle. ATM the chords are as loud there yet you sing softer.
Cheers
Dave
If it’s TOO loud…why don’t you turn down the volume a tad? And I never thought I’d see the day when Mr Rocker Dave S complained it was TOO loud
Actually… all these tunes have an RMS of -12dB more or less.
Anyway, you’ve got some good points and as a consequence of all the valued feedback here I’ve upped another mix which I hope is more agreeable to your highly discerning ears
(except probably not Jet of course, 'cos of kept the phasy guitar sound and the really really looooooooooooong ‘aloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooone’ that he didn’t like )
Hi Ian,
the same bass issue, sorry.
In particular, the bass C (of the second chord) each time just
pulses and @ 1:22 with “sand and stone” my main monitor
cabinets resonate.
What is actually happening to the bass in this project,
in terms of EQ and processing?
Let’s crack this sucker!
Jet
I don’t mind loud. 
This mix is one hundred percent better IMVHO. I actually could turn this up loud and it was enjoyable to listen to loud and can hear a lot more detail. Previously all the instruments were blurred into each other.
I hear with bass issue, sounds a bit like sub bass. Not as bad as Jet is experiencing but my monitors don’t go all that low so I can’t comment too much. I’d like to have more kick still though.
I’ve upped another mix which I hope is more agreeable to your highly discerning ears >
(except probably not Jet of course, 'cos of kept the phasy guitar sound and the really really looooooooooooong ‘aloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooone’ that he didn’t like >
Well that should make it all the more meaningful when we say it’s good. I know it’s disappointing to get negative feedback after putting in lots of work, I’ve experienced plenty, and not just with music. Personally it would be easier to just say ‘nice tune’ or something along that lines but would that be right? I am guilty of that at times I have to admit, usually because I don’t have the time to listen in great detail and then follow up when a new version has been posted.
From my own view point I often feel that much of the feedback given here is nice but often too positive when it comes to technical aspects. There is some wonderful music posted here though. I know when I revisit my some of my own tunes with fresh ears I am often not happy with them even though the feedback has been generally positive. I try to take both negative and positive with a pinch of salt. That’s one reason I lived Ethyl’s place. Even though the old girl was pretty hard on me sometimes.
All the best
Sounds “phasey” here Ian, the upfront band (incl vox) sounds fine. Must be the drums…
Song itself is good, structurally sound I’d say
Cheers
Phil
I know it’s disappointing to get negative feedback after putting in lots of work, >
I don’t mind well-delivered negative comments - in fact arguably it’s those comments that can be the most benficial. I guess when you’re sifting through the feedback you have to sort out what makes sense and seems relevant, and also sort out the stuff that is clearly ‘personal taste and preference’. Jet and others like yourself offer feedback which is oftenreally good, negative or otherwise - when it’s specific thats when its actually really helpful. Sadly my ears aren’t as sharp as some so many mixes will often sound just fine to me… I don’t always detect the finer flaws that some, like Jet for example seem to spot with ease! (Man, it must be a curse have hearing that sharp! )
And cheers too Phil for your listen and comments.
Another well constructed tune, and again, thanks for sharing. And I don’t want to complain about the snare, it sounds fine to me on this song. The bass, though, would just echo what the others have said. It muddy mushy and undefined on my speakers.
The bass, though, would just echo what the others have said. It muddy mushy and undefined on my speakers.
Yeah… I do seem to be having a few challenges with the bass on these We’re recording Shayne’s bass DI’d straight into the mixer and then I’m using Amplitube UNO, compressors, EQ etc etc. It could be a monitoring issue maybe… ?
Thanks for the feedback
Ooops! Sorry Jet, I completely missed this! I wasn’t ignoring you!
I do now wonder if my issue is a monitoring problem - i.e. I’m simply not hearing the issue because my system isn’t capable of reproducing the offending frequencies. I may well return to my past approach which was to simply HP everything at 40-50hz. At least that way I knew there was a good chance I’d avoid issues if there was anything dodgy happening down low that I couldn’t actually hear.
And, it’s likely I’ve updated the mix since you posted this so…
Thanks for taking the time. Always appreciated