Hello everyone,
This is a new simple song trying to find a better overall glue, using compressors.
Any feedback is appreciated.

 

Sounds like one of my mom's old gospel CDs. Not a criticism just an observation

The drums sound midi based and like every hit is the same velocity. Maybe try adjusting the midi velocity for those if you can to add "groove." Imagine a real drummer making harder hits on a build-up and quieter hits after the chorus when they're tired. VSTs like Superior Drummer 3 have midi patterns that account for groove already. DAWs like Ableton have groove presets you can drop on existing midi.

Vocals have a nice reverb. They might be slightly too loud. Not sure if that's a mixing issue or needs compression. Songs of this genre usually have like a background chorus too. Not sure if you can get her to record a few echoed verses for the background or just double the vox track and reverb one hard.

I'm still learning compression and glue myself. If you want to experiment, try using a tape plugin on the master or try different types of compressors. I always use an 1176 on drums for example because that compressor adds awesome, unique texture and lively energy to the sound.

Anyway, good job and good luck!

 

Last edited: Jun 17, 2023

Next song I will try some groove presets.
Thanks.

 

It sounds really good, like listening to an 80s song on Spotify. However, there's something strange in the voice, it moves from left to right in the stereo panning on some phrases. But overall, it sounds really good.

 

This is a little bit less about your song mix, and more just about "the glue trick". Sometimes the trick to good use of Compression is not to jack the ratio way up, it is to lower other elements so the compressor actually does "More Work" to more of the audio. The louder elements cross the threshold you have set and trigger the compression, with the quieter/less transient elements just ending up with a different amount of compression on them. You can also tend to do this with drums hitting the same compressor, because the faster/louder transient material trigger the compression before it may have with elements where you may have selected a slower attack, or maybe picked an Opto for it instead of a regular VCA, etc.

The original "glue trick" when I first read about it many moons ago, was using a compression ratio of only ~1.25:1 because the material being "glued" was already very similar in amplitude. I know people have pushed this into 5:1 type territory these days. I only listened once, and it sounds good already. I think the level of your Toms is maybe why I mention it. You just may notice more "glue effect" if the material hitting the compressor already has less dynamic range.

 

Song sounds a bit like "The Neverending Story" theme song by Limahl, my kids loved and played the movie so much it's embeded in my brain forever. Yours also sounds very nice I like the style, keep it up.

 

A real part 'B'
to your 'A' part ..is what`s needed most..
change the rhythm and the feel for the B part... but try to compliment the previous part
and continue telling some sort of story...songs are usually stories

 

The overall 80s vibe of the track is dead on but it does need more ear candy and some kind of differentiation between sections. But to me the vocal seems completely random, the melody doesn't settle into anything and the harmonies don't seem right in a lot of places. And it's not sitting in the mix. So track, going places, vocal needs a do over imo.

 

Many thanks for your advices!