Midnight - alternative pop rock

andrushkiwt

Well-known member
Well, here's my third mix on monitors. I think they're helping a lot and it seems easier to do many things, including balancing levels, EQ, and compression. Everything seems more rounded, to me, and balanced. I really like having these speakers to mix through and although I wish I had them sooner, I think learning the basics on headphones helped me along.

So, I'd appreciate any thoughts on this mix. Here's some things I did different this time around, if you're interested:

-punch exciter on snare. Thought that since the snare was pretty dominant in this song, it needed a little jolt of excitement and something to make it interesting. It's the stock exciter in Superior Drummer 3, and I hadn't used it before this song.

-API2500 on master bus, just a touch, maybe 2-3 db of GR. Also 2db on drum bus. Got from Waves for $59

-overdrive (TSE-808) on bass. Switching that thing on, without a lot of drive even, just seemed to take away low mid nasty stuff and enhance the upper mids. I like what it's doing to the bass here, a lot.





I'll turn this off, whatever I must do
to break you down, and hide away the whole truth.
"Too late", I said, something you can't prove.
Before my end, walk a mile in my shoes.

It's midnight, we're closing in, I see you now.
It's midnight, they're in my head, the last to fall.

Take this pain and leave me in my womb.
We're miles away from everything that haunts you.
So far beaten, something I must prove,
before blackened, so tell me what should I do?

I'm burning in my skin, I'll wait my whole life...
(I'll wait awhile til then...)
I'm drowning in my sin, I'll wait my whole life...
 
For me the coolest thing about this song is what your doing with the floor tom. Its subtle but i really dig it. The song itself is really cool, lots of change up and well structured. The only thing I didn't care for was the snare honestly. I think its too "blammy". You said you wanted it to be the focus so maybe just some EQ...but its subjective and opinion...think it is just too much the focus if that makes sense.

Regardless great tune. Great job.
 
For me the coolest thing about this song is what your doing with the floor tom. Its subtle but i really dig it. The song itself is really cool, lots of change up and well structured. The only thing I didn't care for was the snare honestly. I think its too "blammy". You said you wanted it to be the focus so maybe just some EQ...but its subjective and opinion...think it is just too much the focus if that makes sense.

Regardless great tune. Great job.

Describe "blammy" more... I thought it was rather bright and glistening, no? Those rolls happening throughout should be like a bright, shimmery gloss over the tune. What I was going for anyway. Especially with what the bright reverb is doing to it. Thnx for the comments brother.
 
Everything is much more cohesive, as a composition and sonically (mix-wise), than many of your earlier tunes I've heard here.

I must say I am listening on headphones, but this mix sounds teriffic. That snare sounds like a snare wire on my phones. I like it. The whole tune has a very commercial sound.
 
I must say I am listening on headphones, but this mix sounds teriffic.

Ha ha! Psych! We all told you to get monitors, but we're listening on cans! :D

I'm on my work headphones, so the noise floor is way too high to critically assess anything, but I'll try to give it another listen this weekend.
 
Describe "blammy" more... I thought it was rather bright and glistening, no? Those rolls happening throughout should be like a bright, shimmery gloss over the tune. What I was going for anyway. Especially with what the bright reverb is doing to it. Thnx for the comments brother.
Oh I love the snare buzz and what your doing with the snare....goes very well with the song. As far as the "blammy"...the initial hit on the snare sounds a little dull and almost like there is cloth on the head. I will say that it does sound better coming through my monitors than it does through my cans. Again all personal taste here so take it with a grain of salt.

BTW, I use the TSE-B.O.D. all the time and it really causes the bass to sparkle and level out. I really love it.
 
It's coming along man. Intricate arrangement with lots of cool interplay between guitars etc.

The soung is offputting. It's is pushy and aggressive, not at all inviting. You have too many things bashing the listener in the face: snare, kick, bass, loud guitars. It's way compressed. It needs some breathing room and to be more inviting. The guitars could be 1-2 dB lower. The kick and snare could go lower. Leave more space for the vocal. Work on making the lyrics intelligible.

Good work.
 
It's coming along man. Intricate arrangement with lots of cool interplay between guitars etc.

The soung is offputting. It's is pushy and aggressive, not at all inviting. You have too many things bashing the listener in the face: snare, kick, bass, loud guitars. It's way compressed. It needs some breathing room and to be more inviting. The guitars could be 1-2 dB lower. The kick and snare could go lower. Leave more space for the vocal. Work on making the lyrics intelligible.

Good work.

Intersting. Your previous three pm's stated the opposite. Nothing regarding compression was changed since then, only an edit to the vocal intro.

I prefer vague and lower leveled vocals for rock music. I don't think they need to stand out where every word is clear, in a rock song. Thanks for listening.
 
Ok. Good cans on.

Sounds good as always, but one can always find nits:
The hats are cutting through a little too much in the verses. It'd make sense in a live arrangement, but in the studio the constant metronomic click doesn't add anything.
The lead vocal sounds a little alone in the chorus. The side-panned harmonies sound warm and full, but they're not gluing to the lead as well as they should. Maybe move 'em en closer or add a mid-range harmony in the center?
 
Ok. Good cans on.

Sounds good as always, but one can always find nits:
The hats are cutting through a little too much in the verses. It'd make sense in a live arrangement, but in the studio the constant metronomic click doesn't add anything.
The lead vocal sounds a little alone in the chorus. The side-panned harmonies sound warm and full, but they're not gluing to the lead as well as they should. Maybe move 'em en closer or add a mid-range harmony in the center?

Thanks Steve. There's a double in the chorus, as there is throughout the song. A fault of mine I guess, for always wanting to have a double running underneath. It's prob just getting lost or buried, but it's pretty obvious when it's muted. I'll look at making sure the doubles are thickening it up enough when it's called for.

By chance, any thoughts or comments on the overall compression... did you notice anything in that area, or did it seem to have too much compression, for your taste?
 
It's probably good if it's not obvious that your vocal is doubled. It's presumably adding thickness without drawing attention to itself. If it's going the whole song, you probably need something additional in the choruses.

Nothing leaped out at me re: compression. You tend to have fairly compressed mixes in general, but this one didn't stick out as more so than normal.
 
I like the contrast between the dense soundscape and the sparser parts. You've done a good job on balancing all the elements, I can hear everything in the louder passages. Vocal performances are great and I like the effects you've applied to them. Nice composition and a cool jam
 
Nothing leaped out at me re: compression. You tend to have fairly compressed mixes in general, but this one didn't stick out as more so than normal.

Can I take that a step further and ask, is there an instrument that tends to sound more compressed than another? Or is it the entire mix in general? For other tunes, if not this one.
 
I like the contrast between the dense soundscape and the sparser parts. You've done a good job on balancing all the elements, I can hear everything in the louder passages. Vocal performances are great and I like the effects you've applied to them. Nice composition and a cool jam

Thanks man. Anything lacking to your ears, or anything that could be better? Give me something to work on. :guitar:
 
Thanks man. Anything lacking to your ears, or anything that could be better? Give me something to work on. :guitar:

I'm on headphones and no nothing stuck out as distracting or needing attention.

I was wondering about the distortion on the occasional word in some lines 'off', 'down'...- is that an effect? Sounds cool
 
Ok. Good cans on.

Sounds good as always, but one can always find nits:
The hats are cutting through a little too much in the verses. It'd make sense in a live arrangement, but in the studio the constant metronomic click doesn't add anything.
The lead vocal sounds a little alone in the chorus. The side-panned harmonies sound warm and full, but they're not gluing to the lead as well as they should. Maybe move 'em en closer or add a mid-range harmony in the center?

I agree with this ^^^^.........especially the part about it sounding GOOD. To add just a small nit pik........the snare does seem to stand out too much. Probably needs a db or two reduced volume. I love the tone/sound of the snare.......but it's right there in your face just a bit too much for me IMO. Love your writing by the way. Nice work.
 
The hats are cutting through a little too much in the verses. It'd make sense in a live arrangement, but in the studio the constant metronomic click doesn't add anything.

Ok gotcha. Yeah the stomping, I get it now. Damn, I bet it'd sound better without that...good call. What happens is I take a pretty close loop from Superior Drummer and then edit it to be close to the exact thing I want. But some of the loops have those hi-hat stomps built in there and I sometimes overlook them. I do like them in the background a touch, every once in a while, but I agree that these are much too loud. Just realized it's going throughout the entire tune... jesus.

Seriously though, now that you mention it, I think it's taking away from the verses and even the chorus. Thanks man. I'll pay closer attention next time. Can't believe I missed that.
 
I was wondering about the distortion on the occasional word in some lines 'off', 'down'...- is that an effect? Sounds cool

No purposeful effect added there. I think it's actually a flaw in the recording exaggerated by the two vocal bus compressors.
 
Back
Top