Typical bedroom hobbyist mix

[mr. torture]

So i sent a song out for mastering and asked the engineer for an opinion on my mix. The title pretty much sums up his response. He told me it sounds good, but it’s the level of what he usually gets today. My question is after years of working with audio, advances in technology and my own growth as a musician, how do i break from this?

Nobody would ever say the Eurythmics, who recorded their album in an attic on a small reel machine sounded “bedroom quality” or countless other bands and solo artists that produced themselves.

I used the Eurythmics as an example, as I primarily write hard rock. But I certainly have access to way better equipment today and even pro studios all use digital recording and the same plugs, outboard gear we use. So why is it they can sound “Professional “ and we sound bedroom? I mean there is only so much you can do with guitar sounds and units like the Kemper sound as good as pro guitars right out of the box.

So how do I get to that level? Or does it come down to song writing ability and most of us never achieve it? Just frustrating after years of hard work to get a response like that from a mastering house. Not his fault, he’s just being honest.

 

[Random dude]

Almost impossible to answer without handing out cliches: Experience, good ears, good arrangements, good room, good monitoring chain, good decisions, good performances, etc...

Is your room treated? Like, not with "foam" but with actual proper materials? Are you objective enough to mix your own music? Do you make the beginner mistake (not calling you a beginner, but sometimes we continue to make beginner mistakes years after we've passed the "beginner" phase) of adding too much effects like reverb, delay, etc...???

Without hearing your stuff, and even WITH your stuff, it might be a hard one to answer.

 

[mr. torture]

Yeah, I have panels in a treated room. Aurlex is consumer crap. I will throw up a sample soon so I can get some opinions, thanks.

 

[drtechno]

So i sent a song out for mastering and asked the engineer for an opinion on my mix. The title pretty much sums up his response. He told me it sounds good, but it’s the level of what he usually gets today. My question is after years of working with audio, advances in technology and my own growth as a musician, how do i break from this?

It sounds like to me the ME is saying the production of the song is like everyone else's production of the same style. Which is really the difference between a hit or the same boring stuff in a genre of music.

 

[mr. torture]

This is what was actually stated:

“It’s a very typical sound of a “bedroom producer”, I get sent a lot of music to master and most people who are hobbyists mix at this “level of quality”. It’s not a professional sound but also not bad at all”

I have attached an MP3, how do I reach professional?

 

[jimmys69]

That doesn't sound any more 'bedroom' than Bon Jovi 'Runaway'. LOL

If it worked for Mr. John Francis Bongiovi Jr, then I don't see why its not good enough for you.

​

 

[mr. torture]

Thank man!

 

[drtechno]

This is what was actually stated:

“It’s a very typical sound of a “bedroom producer”, I get sent a lot of music to master and most people who are hobbyists mix at this “level of quality”. It’s not a professional sound but also not bad at all”

I have attached an MP3, how do I reach professional?

I think its because of the drums, they sound like generic. Mix is slightly boring mono like a Terry Date mix.

 

[mr. torture]

Th

I think it’s because of the drums, they sound like generic. Mix is slightly boring mono like a Terry Date mix.

Thanks, who’s Terry date and how do you make a mix less mono boring if most elements are placed correctly in the stereo field?

“Edit” Terry Date did metal church, I’m in good company!

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

Th

Thanks, who’s Terry date and how do you make a mix less mono boring if most elements are placed correctly in the stereo field?

volume?

That mp3 is pretty tight, man.

 

[mr. torture]

volume?

That mp3 is pretty tight, man.

Hopefully tight means good, lol.

 

[Papanate]

I have attached an MP3, how do I reach professional?

The Song is alright - the Synth Tones are average - the Vocal timing is off - the Guitars are rushed - especially the lead - it’s played in front of the beat - you’ve got to pick something to be the Master - and then bring that into time - in this case I would pick the drums - to my ears it is not even - or a groove - so you need to lock those in - that’s often the difference between Pro Sounding Stuff and whatever you want to call this - I’ll just say Semi Pro - the Timing of the Track - also the Backing vocals are dry to me and not mixed in - they sit right on top.

 

[mr. torture]

The Song is alright - the Synth Tones are average - the Vocal timing is off - the Guitars are rushed - especially the lead - it’s played in front of the beat - you’ve got to pick something to be the Master - and then bring that into time - in this case I would pick the drums - to my ears it is not even - or a groove - so you need to lock those in - that’s often the difference between Pro Sounding Stuff and whatever you want to call this - I’ll just say Semi Pro - the Timing of the Track - also the Backing vocals are dry to me and not mixed in - they sit right on top.

Thanks for the input, just out of curiosity do you have any produced stuff I could hear?

Mainly concerned about the vocal timing? I mean the singer is singing to the song which is basically on the grid. Would you move words or phrases around in time?

 

[Papanate]

Thanks for the input, just out of curiosity do you have any produced stuff I could hear?

Yeah - let me look around - I’m working at the moment on a couple of tracks - and will get back to it.

 

[mr. torture]

Yeah - let me look around - I’m working at the moment on a couple of tracks - and will get back to it.

Thanks!

 

[Papanate]

Thanks for the input, just out of curiosity do you have any produced stuff I could hear?

Mainly concerned about the vocal timing? I mean the singer is singing to the song which is basically on the grid. Would you move words or phrases around in time?

Well it might be a style thing - but sometimes he’s a little ahead of the beat and sometimes he’s behind the beat - it’s just stood out to me is all.

 

[rob aylestone]

I expected it to be bad. It's not. It's just sort of a bit out of control. Are you a guitarist? it seemed that care and attention to the guitar tone were given more time than the rest. Take 10 of the guitar, take 1 or 2 of much of the other stuff. The thing that got me is that you have the very obvious left right panning on the voices, and then just a huge mass of sound that's squashed to hell and mega loud. The synth does seem to have a time of itself - and the voices are as others have said - behind then ahead, and with all the syncopated rhythms the singers get out of the groove, and both differently, so the clarity suffers. It's also MEGA loud. I loaded it up and there is no headroom at all, and everything is stuck to the maximum level. Look at the waveform - just slammed from just after the start, and the spectral display shows every single bit of spectrum available is full. There are also quite noticeable sharp EQ where quite hard EQ cuts and boosts happen. All this just makes what could be a great song really hard to listen too - for my ears, just hugely squashed and slashed.

 

[Random dude]

I expected it sound a lot worse than that!!! This happens all the time. I read comments and expect something to be way worse (or way better) than it is based on the OP's comments, and/or other people's comments.

Don't forget, people are just people. Just because this "mastering engineer" said something about your music being a "typical bedroom recording", you don't know this guy. He might be one of these guys, and there are way too many of them in this business, who never gives a compliment to anyone about anything. There are a lot of insecure musicians who go to a show, stand there with their arms folded, and never seem to be impressed with anything. He could be one of those guys. If you like the job he does, then pay him for that and take everything else with a grain of salt. It's just one guy's opinion. And that applies to some of the opinions in this thread....mine included.

Don't get me wrong. It's always good to keep an open mind when it comes to other people's opinions. That's how you improve. But I wouldn't put too much stock in the opinion of a bunch of random strangers. You don't know how "honest" those opinions are, or how much those opinions are driven by ego and insecurity. Some people just want to show you that their balls are bigger than yours. Sometimes, they'll do it nicely, which leads you to believe they're being sincere.

I don't know what the post above me says because I have that person on ignore. But, either way, take everything with a grain of salt.

This sounds pretty damn good to me. There are a lot of "pro" recordings that sound worse than this.

 

[LazerBeakShiek]

I expected it to be bad.

Hey man, its almost a perfect bar. Nice job.

Right on, go fer zero.

 

[Random dude]

That doesn't sound any more 'bedroom' than Bon Jovi 'Runaway'. LOL

If it worked for Mr. John Francis Bongiovi Jr, then I don't see why its not good enough for you.

​

LOL! I can see why you posted that. The intro reminded me of this tune, too. Just the intro.