1st time producing... Gimme some advice please

[Mr. Samos]

It sounds pretty bad. The reverb on the vocals is too much, and the delay timing is off, it sounds like you tried to do a certain effect, but it failed, so you just left it. I'd work on your reverb, it needs to be done differently (properly) to be effective. Vocals sound a little too loud/harsh also, and there is a grungy distorted sound still coming from the track, not sure if its coming from the percussion or something in the beat, but, sounds bad dude.

Later.

 

[HERESY]

Somewhere along the way something is causing the file to be loud as fuck. If you are using itunes to create the mp3 that could be the problem. Maybe it is using some normalization or eq curve to boost the output of the file, but this shit is loud as fuck and going nowhere fast.

And yes, take the FX OFF. Turn off ANY and ALL fx that have nothing to do with dynamics. Reverb, chorus, delay, tremelo, modulation etc etc etc. Turn these things OFF but leave on any dynamic processing (eq and compression) and concentrate on making it sound good that way.

1. Where do you have your master fader set?

2. Where are the faders on your 5 loudest tracks?