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Song for songwriting contest - "Damage" - are lyrics quite legible?


nat whilk II

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I'm going to enter this one into a songwriting contest. You send in mp3s, and I want to make sure the judges can hear and understand the lyrics. I'm assuming a variety of playback systems, some less than optimal.

 

The judges I assume won't care much about execution and mixing, etc., but hopefully just focus on songwriting, so I want the lyrics to be totally understandable.

 

Any lyrics or phrases hard to make out what's being said?

 

and of course any other criticisms coveted....

 

https://soundcloud.com/natwhilkii1/damage-09

 

 

thx-

nat

 

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I could make out all the words if I stayed focused on doing so. I was listening on studio monitors.

 

If I was mixing I would bring out the voice a bit more just to be sure. I usually do that because when I know the words they seem clear even when they are not.

 

 

I started typing this after listening - then another seemingly louder version of the song started and the lyrics were much more discernable. What's the difference in the two versions?

 

btw, I like the song - good luck in the contest.

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I could make out all the words if I stayed focused on doing so. I was listening on studio monitors.

 

If I was mixing I would bring out the voice a bit more just to be sure. I usually do that because when I know the words they seem clear even when they are not.

 

 

I started typing this after listening - then another seemingly louder version of the song started and the lyrics were much more discernable. What's the difference in the two versions?

 

btw, I like the song - good luck in the contest.

 

 

thx for the feedback. I am working to bring the vox up at tad - or at least clear some other stuff out of the way, same difference.

 

I've made a number of mxes of this one - the vs 09 is the most recent. 09 has more instruments filling in the instrumental section and the last verse. Also, 09 has a bunch of tweaks to the vocal, trying to get it clear as possible. The louder version had a mastering loudness booster on it - it certainly made things louder, but I didn't like what it did to the overall sound quality. Could be user error - I'm just trying to learn to use the thing.

 

Yes - I know the lyrics of course, so I can easily fool myself into thinking everyone else can understand what words are being sung. Which is so very much not always the case.

 

thx again -

 

nat

 

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They sound very clear to me as well. One thing, though....as you process them for clarity you may be increasing the sibilance. You may want to try a de-esser.

 

 

Thx Leonard. Yes, I do have a de-esser, but I hate the way it sounds. What I usually do now is go back to the vocals and tediously draw envelopes to bring down the "SSS" stuff so when I compress or EQ for clarity, the sibilance doesn't go over the top. Then maybe a light application of the de-esser, not enough to mess with the sound too much.

 

I've yet to do that on the Damage track, 'tho, due to lack of time. But I'll get it done here before long -

 

nat

 

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