Ok guys, here are my comments. I wrote them as I listened to each track, so it's kind of a ramble as the song goes on. In general, I point out what jumped out at me, and in most cases it's the "bad" stuff ... it usually takes a lot longer to notice the brilliant details, so keep that in mind as you read! I did find that a lot of the mixes were much fuller (low-mid) than mine, which does lead me to think that maybe my room is not showing me the low-mids properly (exagerated) :?
I had a great time on this, doing something unconventional for me! Great learning experience! In order of submission:
j.hall - Strange resonant low mid fq in the beginning (and other quiet passages) ... result of some boosting? Definitly more body in both pinao and vocal than my mix. Nice reverb on the vocals, but I do hear just a tad of "whistling" on some vocal notes. This could probably be tweaked with some reverve eq. Overall a great mix!
tigeba - Pinao shifted to right slightly, which is nice, leaves the vocals for the middle. Was that deliberate? Maybe just a tad too wet for my taste (maybe the predelay?), but I can't complain too much ... nice mix. Just noticed the delay when the vocals come back in for the outro. A bit distracting, but not overly so.
TheViking - Nice full piano, with plenty of dynamics ... love it! I can really feel the keys being hit! For me, The vocal is too "tubby" Just feels too round compared to the pinao, which is nice and open. Also, the delay (predelay?) seems a bit too pronounced ... it sounds too much like a gymnasium to me.
cerberus - Hmmm ... sounds inverted to me, in that the Piano is narrow, and the vocal is wide. I'm not sure it works for me. The plosives are a bit too untamed as well. I do like the tone of the vocal (maybe a touch heavy on the bottom), and the dynamics of the piano! Sounds a bit dry though ... like a very small room instead of a big open church
garretg - Vocal levels are a bit too uneven ... not sure if that's compression or too much fader riding. piano starts distant, then seems to come forward, but very subtly. I like the effect, but maybe it's too subtle almost? Vocals are a bit too muffled for me (not enough sparkle)
mattrussell - bright full piano, nice. Vocals very up front and dry (similar to my mix), but fuller sounding ... maybe a bit TOO close? Vocal has a bit of a harsh edge after listening for a while, though nothing major.
TPolce - I like this one ... The vocal sounds full (I'm starting to think my room is accentuating the mid lows!). 2:50 ... some weird phasing on the vocal? Not sure what that is. I'm hearing some kind of slap-back during quiet pinao passages (3:30) as well. Maybe too much compression on the Pinao.
ATOR - Definitly different! Creative for sure. Not to my taste (too much of the pad) but great venture into the unknown :-) I think it's too eerie for this song though. Woah ... the doubled line comes out of nowhere (and the timing is off maybe?) The main content (vocal, piano) sounds nice though, but piano level is a bit low. The ending is nuts :O
chrisj - low end reverb too much (needs eq on the return? Kinda boomy). Vocal sounds nice, but a bit too much sizzle (again, on the reverb?) ... the Sssss's are distracting. Plosives need more control. Overall nice mix, but the reverb is bugging me somehow!
gatino - The vocal delay is too prominant for me, sounds like a cave. Piano is a bit low maybe (too compressed?), but it's got a good tone. The vocal does not seem to "sit" well with the piano.
maxim - Another experiment mix :-) Some clicky artefacts right at the start. The vocal is VERY thick. Sounds like someone is whispering on the left??? Plosives need fixing. Yup, the chorus vocal is definitly not right, but kuddos for the experiment :-) Piano level changes in a few spots and jumps out suddenly (2:41). I suspect what you were after just is not possible without additional tracking, but I can get behind the idea!
rankus - so far so good ... great balance of the tracks. Might need a high pass (at 30Hz maybe) ... sounds like there is some very low rumble to me?? Need a bit more control of the plosives (2:01). Good mix, and great dynamics!
rattleyour - Vocal sounds like it's in a well ... very closed in and muddy (but with echo ... does that make sense? maybe a very deep well, lol). Defninitly not bright enough for me. The piano has a good tone, but maybe missing some dynamics? I can hear the vocal level changin during the climax ... a little too obvious.
UnderTow - Love the piano ... bright and clear. Vocal is definitly out front, and sounds like a bit much on the bottom for me ... just a bit too thick (it overpowers the piano in some places). Good aggressive mix. The vocal may be just a much though. I like the idea of the delay on the second last line ... timing might be off a bit, but it works!
iCombs - some hiss during the intro (from the room track?). Vocals are nice and clear ... maybe a bit thin? The delay is distracting in places. Good dynamics on the piano! Good mix, but vocals could go up a bit ... sounds like the singer is behind the piano. Again, like the delay on the penultimate line ... really punches it (wish I'd though to do that!)
Scotch (hey! That's me!) - I can see how my mix is brighter than most. Also, very dry (relatively). In hindsight, I would try out more reverbs to expand the space a bit. I can also see how more low end would add weight to the track. Maybe my room is to blame ... new mixing room (to me) and it's as of yet untreated. This was actually a great excercise, since there aren't 5 guitar tracks to hide behind :-)
fantomas - Piano sounds a bit muffled. The vocal is a bit too muddy as well ... just too much overall bottom maybe (or not enough top)? The plosives need more control. Can definitly hear the mp3 artefacts ... I hesitate to comment since a lot of it may be based on the crapy compression! The delay timing sounds off to me.
starscream2010 - Can difinitly hear the hammers on the pinao ... nice! The vocal is huge as well, but not out of place. Plosives need a bit more control. I like this mix a lot, though it is very convetional, but agressive (kinda like mine!). Nice reverb ... very unobtrusive. During loud passeges and hits there seems to be a weird clanging/ringing on the piano (3:10). maybe the comression is bringing this out? Now that I focus on it, it's pretty annoying :-)
Great job everyone, and I look forward to the next "lesson!"