Soooo Disappointed!!

Cullenszoo

New member
Being a guitar player I'm a rock/metal fan by nature. I recently heard new tracks from Night Ranger that left me broken hearted. The same band that wowed me in the 80s with edgy music now sounded like every other rock band out there. So tame, so compressed. Where is the edge. The angst.
I get the distinct impression that everyone from the engineer to the master are so preoccupied with sounding like everyone else out there that they forgot that music is an art. Rock is a statement. Where is something NEW??? A new sound? A new Voice?

I've posted a song link on here, and while I needed a few tips on some levels, it was all about "Make your music and mix sound like everyone else." I'm sorry, I don't want to be in a box.

How many legendary bands would never be excepted in today's market?

As future engineers and mixers, what do you think?
 
Being a guitar player I'm a rock/metal fan by nature.


.....music is an art. Rock is a statement. Where is something NEW??? A new sound? A new Voice?


Go for it then...make something new. :)

The system will always try to reproduce something it's familiar with....that feels like a sure thing.
It's up to the artists to break the molds, so don't expect that from the music biz system.
 
There are certain fundamentals and rules to how our ears and minds operate. Mixing for me is mostly about working within that rough framework so people can hear the instruments and vocalist. Exactly how you go about manipulating the sound field and create separation between elements in the music is the art form (with limits).

But there's a lot of wiggle room. Bands like Radiohead will tinker with their mixes as part of their "art", as an example of a successful band doing exactly what it sounds like you're describing.

Example of a good mix done creatively:

https://vimeo.com/173238457
 
I've posted a song link on here, and while I needed a few tips on some levels, it was all about "Make your music and mix sound like everyone else." I'm sorry, I don't want to be in a box.

Yeah, but no. That's not what happened. Your track was limited to hell and back and had audible distortion throughout, as exactly 100% (6/6) of the commenters pointed out. The waveform was nearly a single block. Also, the vocal melody was clearly not in a comfortable range for you. We tried to help you make your music sound "decent" - not like "everyone else" or "in a box". Your voice, playing style, songwriting style, and arrangement choices provide enough room for you to be creative.

Feel free to share exactly where anything anyone said could be interpreted as "make your music sound like everyone else". Here's the thread link:

https://homerecording.com/bbs/general-discussions/mp3-mixing-clinic/original-song-greetings-393422/
 
I had a similar experience with "hot thoughts" by spoon. It clips all over the place and sounds flat as a pancake. I love that band but they've gone full rick rubin with the latest one. :( Is it some ploy to sell vinyl, why are artists doing this after death magnetic? That really should have put a nail in the loudness wars coffin.
 
I don't remember Night Ranger being edgy. Possibly on the first album, but once you got into the second album with Still Rock in America and Sister Christian, it was just corporate rock.

I'm not sure that we can expect a bunch of guys in their 60's to come up with something new and different. The best we can expect out of Night Ranger would be more stuff that sounded like Night Ranger, possibly with an updated sound. Since rock music has gotten heavier, angrier and louder over the last 35 years (yes, Dawn Patrol came out that long ago), even if they were exactly what they were at that time, it would sound happy and tame, compared to what has become the norm.

Another thing to take into account, assuming they are trying to sound like everyone else, is the fact that they made the album in an attempt to sell and make money. Doing an album that does not sound like something their fans expect, and/or sounds different from anything else out there is a sure way to not sell anything. (which defeats the purpose)
 
Yeah, but no. That's not what happened. Your track was limited to hell and back and had audible distortion throughout, as exactly 100% (6/6) of the commenters pointed out. The waveform was nearly a single block. Also, the vocal melody was clearly not in a comfortable range for you. We tried to help you make your music sound "decent" - not like "everyone else" or "in a box". Your voice, playing style, songwriting style, and arrangement choices provide enough room for you to be creative.

Feel free to share exactly where anything anyone said could be interpreted as "make your music sound like everyone else". Here's the thread link:

https://homerecording.com/bbs/general-discussions/mp3-mixing-clinic/original-song-greetings-393422/

Okay, I think I got my wires crossed. This post was about the cookie cutter thing going one with mixing. I didn't mean to poo poo anything said before. I take all tips to heart. I don't recall the song I posted but I went through everything pulling compression off where it was stifling the track. It kinda reminded me of my wife when she gets home and takes her bra off. LOL
 
As an update, I listened to a track from the new Styx album as well as the new Warrant album. They both sounded great! very open edgy, like rock music should be.
 
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