Thank you Ivan. I’m glad you like it so much. I tried building the volume but I couldn’t seem to lift the voice up out of it. I might experiment with that idea some more.

Quote: debbizoI couldn’t seem to lift the voice up out of it.

Instead of lifting it up putting it down might work?

Quote: Abstract AudioI couldn’t seem to lift the voice up out of it.

Instead of lifting it up putting it down might work?

Can you try listening to Amelia Walker’s audio poem ‘City, Lover, Self’ on my web page: http://www.debmatthewszott.... (about half way down the page) and let me know if this is what you mean when you suggest putting the voice down. In the middle of Amelia’s audio poem, the music almost completely drowns out her voice…there’s just a trace…and it seems to make a point about the self in the city.

Thanks,
Deb

Let me cut my answer in 2: artistic and technical

A: Yes that is the idea I had. But with that poem I would use your approach because I feel that the music gets in the way of the poem (because of the busy piano part).
Listening to otherwise silence again I feel that my “problem” is the room you placed the vocal in. It sounds like your in a little booth. Both the soundscapes on the other hand are placed in a larger space, like a hall or even outside. Plus the fact that your story takes place outside, well most of it then.
Here you can find a zip with 2 processed versions of your voice, 1 clean version and 1 wet version What I’ve done is some noise removal and I removed a lot of the lower frequencies to clean up your vocals. That also helped to give the vocal a bit wider feel. Then I put a Medium Hall reverb and some creative delay on it to give it some space.
Have fun with it!

T: Something proberbly allready know but nonetheless let me begin with it. When dealing with frequency or volume problems its allways beter to lower the parts that are to hard and raise the volume of the entire mix. Otherwise you get the problems you rever to.
In this case I think you could lower the volume of the voice proberbly by a 1/4 without losing it in the mix.

Well that ends my review hope it could help you. Remember it’s only a artistical advice on how should do it, right now its also a great work.

PS beautifull blogsite

I don’t know about Deb, but I found this advice immensely useful.

thanks thats nice to know

Thanks again. I have uploaded 2 alternative mixes - one with reverb and one with a chorus effect on the vocal…and also a slight delay on both. I used the “without noise” file and fiddled with volume, panning and shifted the second train sound..as well as lengthened it. Let me know what you think - better? or worse?

Thank you A.A.!
I will download the file after work tonight and come back to this advice. This is something I need to learn more about.
I did lower the pitch for this track, intentionally but will see what I can do after listening to your changes.

looking forward to it! If you need additional specific info on my changes drop me a mail.

Thanks again. I have uploaded 2 alternative mixes - one with reverb and one with a chorus effect on the vocal…and also a slight delay on both. I used the “without noise” file and fiddled with volume, panning and shifted the second train sound..as well as lengthened it. Let me know what you think - better? or worse?

Yes I like them the chorus one the most. I like the train that is now running right by you, also the volume changes work nice. its funny that in your reverb version I don’t hear it (the reverb) but it doesn’t bother me.

I’ve uploaded one more version which has both the “no noise” and “wet” samples you sent. And I panned one left / one right. It is the one labelled reverb and chorus.
Thanks again.

Thank you for listening Admiral.

Thank you Speck.

Thanks M

Thank you A.A. I might have a go at an alternative mix on the weekend and try building the volume.

Thanks for listening Susan

Thank you

Thanks Gurdonark. I’m glad you appreciate what I was trying to do.