Mix Critique?

S

Shiznizzle

New member
Me and my friend have been writing a song that will have vocals and everything. We are using my gear to record everything. This is our song so far as it currently sits. I was wondering how the mix sounds to other people and am looking for advice. Obviously this is a metal song, so I am trying to achieve that kind of sound. Any advice? This is my first post and I am happy to have joined your community. https://soundcloud.com/shane-smothers/hot-cosby-oct-7
 
Hey, first I really liked the music of the song so far! Now the first thing that jumped out at me with your mix was that the kick had a lot of low end. Maybe high pass the really low frequencies. Also it didn't seem like there was a lot of midrange. Maybe you were going for that but it seemed to me at least that there was a really low sub kick and the guitars were boosted a little bit too much in the high frequencies. Sounded like the bass riff at the beginning could be louder too. That's all I can really think of. Other than that, you got something really cool there. Can't wait to hear with vocals.
 
Great ear on the bass riff! I will probably automate that part after the entire song has been recorded. I am just kind of mixing as we record, tweaking things hear and there. Since everything has been recorded DI, I will be able to swap out tones and amps before the final mix. This is basically me trying to see if we can record this at my house rather than paying somebody else. Thanks for the advice on the kick, I am trying to blend a couple different kick sounds, i'll check that tomorrow. I will definatley keep you updated as the song gets written!
 
I was thinking that intro bass could come up too.

I think the mix overall is pretty over-compressed. There's a lot of cool tones, but it lacks punch. Where the kick rolls should be kicking you in the chest, they're just making the guitars duck, weakening the whole thing.
 
My biggest point is the same thing VHS said - there is a lack of punch in the mix. I think it's compressed/limited pretty hard. But also, the guitars have a bunch of gain dialed in. And they're kind of mushy.

The bass is lacking a little low-midrange. It's a bit sterile.

I liked the playing and energy. That was good.
 
Thanks guys! Its hard sometimes to hear what compression is doing to a mix when your a noob. I'm gonna work on these issues, maybe I will upload the tracks so others can take a swing at it.
 
On headphones I like the bass tone tone on the intro, but the guitars are sounding very harsh in comparison
 
Hey,
Very tight stuff over all! Lot of great performances.

Kinda dizzying to listen to, though. Sounds like there's a lot of compression going on and the right side guitars sound harsh and thin.
There's a constant imbalance that was melting my head. I think it's mostly the panned-right lead.
Is there a left side counterpart that's, comparatively, really dull or a panned reverb or something?
That's what it sounded like. It 'felt' like there was some pseudo stereo technique at work.

Anyway, I think it's really cool but I think a few precise tweaks could make it a lot cooler.
 
Thank you so much, it seems I am having trouble hearing the effects of compression. I am going to really work on that. I will also pay more attention to the balance of the arrangement and mix. This is really good advice from all of you. It is so helpful to have this stuff pointed out believe me.
 
Not a big metal fan, but that was cool. Very tight playing, and the way you mixed it (heavy compressed sound) almost makes it sound more like lo-fi punk.
The kick sounds like it's popping out of the mix (i.e. the lows), and it also sounds like machine gun drum programming, too. Kick is louder than the snare by a wide margin, which is fine by me, but I'm sure it will bother some listeners so you should know that.

Overall, cool stuff.
 
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