Feedback for my first mash up? :) (Ice cube vs. Flying lotus)

[theJetRodriguez]

Hey guys, I just started producing with Ableton and one thing I need to work on is mixing and mastering, especially with EQ levels. Here is the first of several mash ups I am working on. Any advice or feedback is appreciated!

[Patch]

Yeah - solid track. I like this a lot.

Keep 'em coming, mate.

[Jason Cerna]

tighten up the vox. it seems slightly off.

if you just dumped in the entire acapella and had a hard time warping certain parts, you will have an easier time of it if you chop everything up in parts.

[theJetRodriguez]

Thanks guys!

@Jason

I did chop up all the vocals and made em into separate clips, but I noticed that too, and I will re-warp em to fit better. Were there any specific moments where they felt off? I noticed it most in the beginning with the "Just waking up in the morning" but after that it feels like it fits pretty well.

[Jason Cerna]

i'm working, so i was listening to the track using my crappy virginia america airline headphones. but, usually if a track sounds good in these crappy headphones, then i know it was produced well enough.

when i get home i will take a listen through my 3 other headphones and computer speakers, then i will give you a more detailed answer.

overall the vox worked over the lo-fi sound of the backing track. i just felt if i had done this, i would tighten up the vox in a few spots. maybe it feels like the ice cube vox need to be slightly detuned for the tempo of your backing track. but, i will get back to you in a few hours once i get home.

you mentioned you just started producing. how long have you been working in live for?

[Patch]

The delay/echo/'verb on the vocal didn't really work for me, though...

[theJetRodriguez]

@Jason
Thanks man, much appreciation for your time! I definitely will tighten the vocals up and mess around with the idea of detuning them. By detuning do you mean the method of warping them? Re-pitching vs. key lock so to speak? Also, ive only slightly messed around with ableton up untill about three weeks ago. Once I learned how to warp I immediately started working on that. I have a lot of ideas regarding mash ups and making my own music, I just have a lot to learn about the production process as well as mixing/mastering. Its funny, its like DJ Techtools reads minds, they always post articles that are coincidentally relevant to what I am working on at the moment!

@Patch
Thanks for the note with the effect on the vocals. I did it to "thicken' them up a bit, however I feel like its a one trick pony type of thing since its used through out the entire track. I think Im gonna mess around with the delay and use it way less, just on parts that need emphasis such as the "I CAN MAKE THE ASSSSSS DROP!" and perhaps the chorus. But on the verses ill take it out. I still like the reverb though for thickening it up. If you have any techniques or recommendations for making them sound fuller please let me know!

[Patch]

If you're going to use a delay to thicken up a vocal, it has to be a MUCH shorter delay time than the ones your using (we're talking in milliseconds, here). The settings you're using now sound more like an echo/reverb effect.

Another way to thicken up vocals is to double track them. Just copy your acapella to another track in arrange, and nudge it forward, again, just by a few milliseconds (otherwise you're going to get phase cancellation - sounding like you've applied a Phaser/Flanger effect to the vocal).

The ASSS DROP line would be perfect for adding a delay to, though.

[Jason Cerna]

@Jason
Thanks man, much appreciation for your time! I definitely will tighten the vocals up and mess around with the idea of detuning them. By detuning do you mean the method of warping them? Re-pitching vs. key lock so to speak? Also, ive only slightly messed around with ableton up untill about three weeks ago. Once I learned how to warp I immediately started working on that. I have a lot of ideas regarding mash ups and making my own music, I just have a lot to learn about the production process as well as mixing/mastering. Its funny, its like DJ Techtools reads minds, they always post articles that are coincidentally relevant to what I am working on at the moment!

detune is underneath transpose in the clip view.

[theJetRodriguez]

Thanks Jason.!