Elixer- Hard Rock song

[Wireneck]

I did some recording for a band in Athens Ga last weekend. I got everything transferred into Audition yesterday and started the mix. Im looking for mainly mix comments. I don't feel like the mix is finished but I want to see if anyone confirms some of the things I am possibly hearing.

I didn't play or write any of this, only did the recording/mixing

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/...d=3299&alid=-1

Elixer first song on the page

thanks in advance

[Dogman]

Listened and liked. Can't complain about anything, so am probably no help. Maybe that's good.

Ed

[Supercreep]

Maybe a little more string noise/growl on the bass. I don't think the song is ever going to rise above the drum performance. Other than that, it's very nice. Good mix of guitar tones. Solo maybe a little wet.

[gomp]

Great mix. Toms/floor in the beginning could use some more attack + volume. Perfect 80's hardrock for Iron Maiden fans.

[Wireneck]

Dogman thanks for the listen.

Supercreep thanks for checking this out. The guitars are a bit wet but if you compare them to some of the sounds from the time period these guys are emulating, they are fairly tame. Drums could definitely have been better but that was the best I was able to get from him. The band was satisfied and thats really all I can ask for.

Gomp you nailed it man. That was one of the main things I was thinking about. The toms are getting swamped by guitars in the intro. Definitely could use some enveloping. Thanks for taking the time to listen.

[7string]

Originally Posted by Wireneck

Gomp you nailed it man. That was one of the main things I was thinking about. The toms are getting swamped by guitars in the intro. Definitely could use some enveloping. Thanks for taking the time to listen.

I agree. I also think the guitar in the intro playing the single notes is a little more buried than I'd like to hear. Maybe just some definition.

[Wireneck]

7 string- I tend to agree. I think im going to envelope the rhythms down a little in the sections with the leads going. This should help the toms poke through a little better in the intro as well. Thanks for the listen.

[xfinsterx]

The guitars sound nice, good warm midrangey sound to them.
What setup did you use to track them?


Bass sounds as if it suffered from a low level di input?


Drums>>>>At times the drums just get completely buried.


You definetly mixed this like a guitar player.


Vocals sound fine.

[7string]

Originally Posted by xfinsterx

You definetly mixed this like a guitar player.

Hey! I resemble that remark!

[gomp]

Originally Posted by xfinsterx

You definetly mixed this like a guitar player.

I disagree:
1. it is a guitar band after all. The mix perfectly suits the style.
2. a 128kbps MP3 will put an accent on the midrange tones, like guitars. I presume that the original mix is more balanced with better defined low's and high's.
Gomp

[Wireneck]

Finster I agree that the drums get a little lost in places. The drummer was less than consistent with his hits. I warned him that if he hit like a pussy the drum track would reflect that. He had a case of the "I hit the cymbals and hats (which were 15" geez haha) twice as hard as I hit the actual drums". Im sure that some other guy would sit down and reconstruct/edit every single piece of the drum track but I try to stay away from that route.
The bass was a really cheap Ibanez w/ active pickups ran through a bass pod. The bass sounded like the battery was dying even with a fresh one in it. I tried to diagnose the problem but wasn't able. It could have just been a shitty sounding bass period.
Guitars were a peavey 2x12 combo mic'd with an sm-57. The guy originally had this terrible sounding digitech pedal that he wanted to run direct. After much debate I convinced him to try the distortion channel off his amp. He had a jackson flying V that we tried and the sound was ok but kind of thin. So ultimately I ended up letting him use my vintage 79 Les Paul custom. I think it did the trick.

You definetly mixed this like a guitar player.

I suppose im guilty of being a guitarist. Ultimately I was trying to have the guitars out a little more out front to de-emphasize the weakest link (the drums). At the same time im having to do what the band thinks is right (within reason) and these guys want there guitars loud. Not really what I would do on my own material but I guess it is what it is.

Thanks for listening to the track and all of my excuses.

Gomp thanks for the support buddy.

[metalj]

The only few things i can think of is on my computer the overall track volume seems low compared to other downloads ive done today. Id like to hear the snare out front a little more on a power rock song like that, that cant stop my head from banging to it, and the big scream at 3:38 sounds like it clips a little, but maybe that is the raspyness of his voice, i cant quite tell, again computer speakers.

maybe your still just in the mixing only stage and will master the overall volume later. Otherwise I think it all sounds great without changing anything. sounds like you did a really nice job on it.

metalJ

[Wireneck]

MetalJ- thanks for the listen. This file has not been mastered or had anything done to it to adjust the volume. So the volume will probably be brought up a little later.

[xfinsterx]

Originally Posted by gomp

I disagree:

ok...

Originally Posted by gomp

1. it is a guitar band after all. The mix perfectly suits the style.

I dont care if its a polka band.
If the drummer gets buried in amix, there are issues that must be addressed.

[xfinsterx]

Originally Posted by Wireneck

Finster I agree that the drums get a little lost in places. The drummer was less than consistent with his hits.

Yeah that shit drives me nuts.
I feel ya.


Altogether youre a talented guy though, i noticed that right off the bat.
Good work as usual!

[ecktronic]

Sounds good man, but theres a dodgy edit at 57 seconds. Ruins the mix. Not sure if alot of people would notice it but i noticed it straight away. The drums should be louder, they dont have enough punch or attack.
But apart from that sounds good.

[ecktronic]

Originally Posted by Wireneck

MetalJ- thanks for the listen. This file has not been mastered or had anything done to it to adjust the volume. So the volume will probably be brought up a little later.

How did you get that volume then without a limiter? Did you use a limiter on the kik and snare? or is it because the drums arent loud enough that you managed to get that volume of mix?

[Wireneck]

but theres a dodgy edit at 57 seconds

Care to elaborate on this comment. I have not done any editing to the parts other than Eq and some compression here and there.

How did you get that volume then without a limiter?

Im not really sure what your asking. I try and track everything pretty close to 0 db since im still sort of working in the analog domain (Adat). The file is pretty quiet compared to most mixes.
There is a little compression on the kick/snare and bass if thats what your asking?
Thanks for the listen.

Finster your opinion is appreciated. I totally understand where your coming from but at the same time I have to do what the band request.

[ecktronic]

I thought it sounded like you edited the drums or OHs wrong at 57 seconds but it must be something else, maybe a gate or drums out of time. can you not hear what i am talking about?
When i mixdown my songs they end up quite a bit quieter than your mix-down so i was just wondering if you used any techniques to acheive this. The kik and snare on my tracks always keep the mix-down level lower as im not using any limiters at mix-down.
You can have a look at one of my unmastered songs to see what i mean if you want.
"PHRANTIK unmastered"
link below.

[Wireneck]

Exktronic- im not hearing what your referring to at 57 secs. Might be something with the mp3.
You should still be able to get a descent level even with no limiting/compression on the drums. Maybe you aren't tracking hot enough? Just a thought....

[ecktronic]

Dont see how tracking has anything at all to do with mix-down level. I track all my stuff pretty well ensuring good levels, no peaks and in 24bit also.
I listened to the track again and the bit at 57 seconds that is grabbing my attention is the cymbal. It seems to come in unnaturally, as if the start of the cymbal has been cut off or something. It aint MP3 problems its something in the mix. Could just be a freak accident in the way the cymbal was hit but it does sound weird to me.
Nice mix though.

[Wireneck]

Ecktronic- more than likely its just a drum flub. There are plenty of those to go around in this particular drum take. He wasn't the worst drummer i've ever worked with but certainly was not the best.
Tracking "hot" isn't as big of a deal if your recording straight to digital but it can help with overall mixdown level. If you track everything at relatively low volumes you have to push the channels alot harder to get the mix level "up". When working with outboard gear it can result in alot of noise among other things.
If your tracking levels are consistent then you shouldn't have any problems with mixdown volume. Maybe your just mixing the parts at too low of a volume? Thats just a guess, I typically try and decide what will be the loudest instruments in the mix and then place them at the level I want the mixdown to sit around.
Thanks for the comments.