Let You Down - alternative/rock

andrushkiwt

Well-known member
hey yo,

Feedback on this mix, please? Worked the mix for about 2 weeks, if not more. Still not the new AT4040 - that'll be on the next track. Since mixing is very subjective, i'll just say that I wanted to do a combination of a live feel with something more produced and electronic. So the vocal delays are there for the second part, while the ambiance in the vocal and airy presence at times is for the former. I hope this combination translates the way i was hearing it.

The bass has some extra saturation on the amp head. The is the first track i've added the smallest amount of verb to toms. I usually leave them dry, but i liked how they sounded with about 4% wetness on a "small studio" setting with minimal pre-delay and a very short (<500) tail. i don't think it clogged anything up, but my verbs do not have EQ built in, although they are individually eq'd and as a bus (more aggressively individually and less aggressive as a group). This is also the first track I used the TDR Feedback compressor. I used it on the vocals at about 4.0:1 for 5dbs reduction at most, and on the master bus mostly to increase volume with only .7 dbs reduction there. A/B'ing it on the master bus provided very pleasurable results.

I only referenced this on my car stereo and work buds, and I'd say I'm 93% happy with it...good enough for now anyways. what do you think of the mix?



I can hear the raindrops falling down,
as I lay my head to sleep.
And I can see the shadows all around,
the bed is empty next to me.

I wish I didn't chase it away...
I never thought you'd turn around and leave.
But I'm the one who made mistakes,
and now I can see...

I'm the one who let you down. (for all the world to see)
And I'm the one who's angry now.

I can taste your tears on my lips,
in the nighttime loneliness.
I can feel my hand on the back of your dress,
as we dance to the Lady in Red.

So far away. it's hard to sleep tonight,
but I can't stay the more we feel alive.
In the dark, the hours turn to days.
You'll run so far, for the last time.

And as we're falling apart, won't you fall in my arms?
 
Okay, I'll bite :)
Are the swirlies in the vocal on purpose? (not echo, phase).
I like the guitar effect.
You echoed on "away", but not on "mistakes". Minor point, but it sounded out of place without.
Your bass still sounds like a Rick to me...:)
The lines in the mix with For The Last Time are hard to understand and possibly a bit too low in the mix.
Really great song! Still love your voice!
 
Okay, I'll bite :)
Are the swirlies in the vocal on purpose? (not echo, phase).
I like the guitar effect.
You echoed on "away", but not on "mistakes". Minor point, but it sounded out of place without.
Your bass still sounds like a Rick to me...:)
The lines in the mix with For The Last Time are hard to understand and possibly a bit too low in the mix.
Really great song! Still love your voice!

Yes. I like a stereo chorus underneath the main line. I don't care for dry vocals much. Definitely intentional.

I debated throwing in another delay in that intro line - decided against it. I wanted less delays in the beginning since there are a lot of vocals in the end.

Yeah i went back and forth on moving those lines up and down a couple db's; finally settled on that volume. I've never been a fan of understanding every word clearly...too much focus on lyrics that way. More on the melody. I don't care, personally, what the lyrics to any song are. I've always gone by the melody alone. It can be hard to break that habit and mindset with my own music. it's good to know those things though-thanks Broken. that helps alot
 
You have a very commercial voice. However, it sounded tuned to me. I understand perfectly well that that sound is what is expected in modern pop production techniques, I have a good mate whose stock-in-trade is this kind of thing and I have to say you did it pretty well. If that is the kind of production sound you're after, then you're well on your way. :) The mix was good, if not quite up to the standards that you're trying to emulate. The drums are a little weak-sounding for that style, but well-programmed. Good, overall - I can't offer any mix pointers because that style is alien to me!
 
You have a very commercial voice. However, it sounded tuned to me. I understand perfectly well that that sound is what is expected in modern pop production techniques, I have a good mate whose stock-in-trade is this kind of thing and I have to say you did it pretty well. If that is the kind of production sound you're after, then you're well on your way. :) The mix was good, if not quite up to the standards that you're trying to emulate. The drums are a little weak-sounding for that style, but well-programmed. Good, overall - I can't offer any mix pointers because that style is alien to me!

Thank you sir. Yeah the stereo chorus under the vocal plus the melodyne touch-up definitely edges it toward a commercial pop vocal style, for one. Good ears. :)

I was looking forward to your mix specifics, but no worries. Can I ask, what was the big giveaway on the drums being programmed? Afterall, and this discussion has been had before, Superior Drummer is most definitely real drums in a real room with a real drummer and real mics.. The beats are well-humanized before I select them, and then further after. I write much of them by hand, however. What was it about them? Not programmed drums in general, but this specific track. I'd like to improve that aspect, or least make it a little more difficult to catch.

thanks!
 
Thank you sir. Yeah the stereo chorus under the vocal plus the melodyne touch-up definitely edges it toward a commercial pop vocal style, for one. Good ears. :)

I was looking forward to your mix specifics, but no worries. Can I ask, what was the big giveaway on the drums being programmed? Afterall, and this discussion has been had before, Superior Drummer is most definitely real drums in a real room with a real drummer and real mics.. The beats are well-humanized before I select them, and then further after. I write much of them by hand, however. What was it about them? Not programmed drums in general, but this specific track. I'd like to improve that aspect, or least make it a little more difficult to catch.

thanks!

I can listen more closely and try to give you mix specifics if you want, but this really isn't my genre. From what I gather from my pop-production guy, some of the major vocal tricks are boosting the high mids, high-passing the lows and cutting the treble quite a lot. The "air" is obtained by the multi-multi-tracking of the lead vocal. This is what I've been told, I never tried it because it's not the effect I'm going for.

Likewise with the drums, you have to decide what you're going for. If you're going for a pop production, then just go for it. Don't worry about humanising, trying to convince people that you're recording a real kit and everything else - that shit don't matter in mainstream pop production. It's not my thing, but I kind of understand it.

Quantize the fuck out of it, multi-sample the various kit voices and blend to suit what you're going for. You cannot serve two masters. Either record a real kit and try to get the best out of it as I am doing, or use the techniques that are appropriate to the genre you're trying to get into. A real kit, or an approximation of one, no matter how well programmed, isn't going to cut it. Pop needs that synthetic, hyped stuff. That's just how it is.
 
Sounds good. You've got a bit of boominess on the bass. Drums could come up during the driving part of the song. Seems like your kick and snare are getting pushed down. Very nice arrangement. It's good to be able to hear your vocals clearly. What is the Lady in Red?
 
Hey man,
Interesting reading Bubba's comments about drums. It's true enough.
I mean, I quite like the sound of the drums here but you are straddling that pop/rock line where someone mixing this for radio would probably be using big ass pop samples and worrying not a jot about how real it sounds.
I'm in that boat myself with the guy I'm working with..You've heard some of that stuff. We're gearing up to have a drummer do sessions for the next album but I'm wondering if it's worth it, for that kind of music.

We just had some remixes done for the first set of tracks. The drums on those sessions were recorded by a great drummer with the absolute best of gear in a beautiful environment. Seriously...no expense spared kinda stuff.
The first thing the radio-remix guy did was replace with, or overlay with, pop samples. lol

As he says, it's all about deciding what you want though. That's what's important.

Anyway, the timing really bugged me when the drums came in at first. I think it might actually be the guitars that are early but it makes that whole instrumental section hard to enjoy.
It seems to sort itself out once the vocals come in; do you hear it?


I think you should give that 4040 some time. These are the nicest sounding vocals I've heard from you. Very smooth and enjoyable throughout.
The guitars sound really good too, referencing older tracks. I mean, they're very smooth and unobtrusive but it's working for me.
 
Hey man,
Interesting reading Bubba's comments about drums. It's true enough.
I mean, I quite like the sound of the drums here but you are straddling that pop/rock line where someone mixing this for radio would probably be using big ass pop samples and worrying not a jot about how real it sounds.
I'm in that boat myself with the guy I'm working with..You've heard some of that stuff. We're gearing up to have a drummer do sessions for the next album but I'm wondering if it's worth it, for that kind of music.

We just had some remixes done for the first set of tracks. The drums on those sessions were recorded by a great drummer with the absolute best of gear in a beautiful environment. Seriously...no expense spared kinda stuff.
The first thing the radio-remix guy did was replace with, or overlay with, pop samples. lol


Anyway, the timing really bugged me when the drums come in. I think it might actually be the guitars that are early but it makes that whole instrumental section hard to enjoy.
It seems to sort itself out once the vocals come in; do you hear it?


I think you should give that 4040 some time. These are the nicest sounding vocals I've heard from you. Very smooth and enjoyable throughout.
The guitars sound really good too, referencing older tracks. I mean, they're very smooth and unobtrusive but it's working for me.

Argh, I'll listen for it tomorrow. I'm sure you're right. I think the guitars were the scratch take that I use for vocals. Kept them for whatever reason instead of taking my time with it. Hopefully its not too bad, I can fix it in the future if it's necessary.

Yeah pop drums. I need a separate pop kit and I'll keep this one for heavier stuff. Perhaps SD's pop line?
 
Argh, I'll listen for it tomorrow. I'm sure you're right. I think the guitars were the scratch take that I use for vocals. Kept them for whatever reason instead of taking my time with it. Hopefully its not too bad, I can fix it in the future if it's necessary.

Sounds like they fell out of line somehow, just in that section. Maybe there's a pre delay messing things up somewhere?
IDK..Doesn't sound hard to fix.


Oooh, I misread...these vocals aren't the 4040? Well, whatever you did different sounds good! lol.


Not De Burgh?
 
Not De Burgh?

the "lady in reeeeeeeeeeeed...dancing with me"? nope, not that one! lol. i completely forgot about that song. This was meant to be the Clapton one. Damn it, now that other one is stuck in my head whenever i try to think of clapton's.
 
Weird. The internet thinks Clapton wrote or performed Lady in red (cheek to cheek!lol) but he didn't.

What song are you thinking of? I bet it's Wonderful Tonight.
 
damn it. it's called "wonderful tonight". lol. ok....maybe i did mean the other one then. i can't even remember. lyrics are a few years old. whatever, haha. oh that's funny. i'm a clutz.

so, uh, yeah i meant the OTHER one! The dehamburger one. that one. that's it
 
I thought the mix was your best yet, and i disagree the drums sound fake. I think they sound real and wouldn't have known if i didn't know your past recordings and that you admitted to using fake drums. Maybe bc i'm not a drummer i can't hear it. when you asked specifically why they're fake nobody gave specifics. i'd like to hear specifics, too, because i program drums and knowing why people think they sound fake could help everyone make more realistic drums. andru, i'd be specifically interested to hear how you created the drum/tom rolls.

the mix had good space, and the arrangement has a nice build up. if you don't want to derail the thread with that topic maybe you can pm me about it. thanks
 
I thought the mix was your best yet, and i disagree the drums sound fake. I think they sound real and wouldn't have known if i didn't know your past recordings and that you admitted to using fake drums. Maybe bc i'm not a drummer i can't hear it. when you asked specifically why they're fake nobody gave specifics. i'd like to hear specifics, too, because i program drums and knowing why people think they sound fake could help everyone make more realistic drums. andru, i'd be specifically interested to hear how you created the drum/tom rolls.

the mix had good space, and the arrangement has a nice build up. if you don't want to derail the thread with that topic maybe you can pm me about it. thanks

Hey thanks Nola. You know, while bubba didn't give a specific thought, like you said, he did still pick them out as being not real before I mentioned that was the case. I would like to know what it was too, but no worries if not. Maybe if was the cymbals..it's always the cymbals:)

Not sure about the tom rolls. They have some verb on them, and I made sure to space them out a touch before or after the beat, depending if I wanted to make the song sound a little faster or slower.
 
It's possible that Bubba is in the "Fake Drum" thread and knows who does and doesn't from that conversation...
 
Not sure about the tom rolls. They have some verb on them, and I made sure to space them out a touch before or after the beat, depending if I wanted to make the song sound a little faster or slower.

Cool thanks, but since I'm not a drummer, I was wondering more like on which beats you started the roll on and which sequence of toms you used (like was the roll a high tom to a low, or a snare in there, etc). I couldn't really tell, but the rolls sounded natural. Did you move them slightly off beat, too, or are they on the grid?
 
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