This is the first song I've mixed and mastered for an album of a melodic metal band from Florida. It's not super heavy so don't let the "metal" scare you off. Anyways it's pretty comparable to a vast amount of my metal collection in terms of sound, I think. I'd like to have some feedback though. FYI it was recorded in a small studio on a limited budget, their first attempts to mix it frankly sounded pretty bad, like a basement demo really. So keep that in mind when you hit "play".
Mixing my first album for another band.. feedback please
- Thread starter Mistral
- Start date
NobleSavage
New member
my first impression is that the instruments all seem to fade into each other and I can't get a definite feel for any of them... it's kind of blurry(wow, I'm so technical).
I think for metal you need a bigger sound on the drums... they get buried underneath the guitars at times. I like the vocalist alot and would like to hear him get a fuller treatment in the mix. As it is right now, the keys and the guitars jump out and the drums, vox and especially the bass seem buried.
But it's a great song and the mix is miles better than any I've done, so I'm sure your are off to a good start.
I think for metal you need a bigger sound on the drums... they get buried underneath the guitars at times. I like the vocalist alot and would like to hear him get a fuller treatment in the mix. As it is right now, the keys and the guitars jump out and the drums, vox and especially the bass seem buried.
But it's a great song and the mix is miles better than any I've done, so I'm sure your are off to a good start.
I think this is good...
when you say a small studio, is this a pro studio or a home studio...? just curious. the sound is large, I like it.
plummet
www.tamedbychaos.com
when you say a small studio, is this a pro studio or a home studio...? just curious. the sound is large, I like it.
plummet
www.tamedbychaos.com
they recorded in a couple of different small studios, don't know how "pro" you could call them. just your average smalltown thing. as I said, sounded like a basement demo just about when I first got my hands on it. I am in a home studio, limited gear, this mix is strictly me and my PC, cubase and a few other pieces of gem software..
Taking the advice of a couple of people and toning down that sub a bit, that should help clear that mud away. I've tested it over like 3 sets of speakers though and it seems fine to me. but I do have a very solid woofer..
Taking the advice of a couple of people and toning down that sub a bit, that should help clear that mud away. I've tested it over like 3 sets of speakers though and it seems fine to me. but I do have a very solid woofer..
mixmkr
we don't need rest!!
If the vocals are supposed to be sung, and loud enough to understand ANY lyrics, they don't. The guitars are kinda "fuzzy" to me, and "want to work" because of the synth pad behind it, to let them contrast over.
The snare sounds artificial, for sure, and the drums are low level in general. Actually the guitars are just too loud.
Some "production" would help to bring this more into the "song mold"...if that's important.
The snare sounds artificial, for sure, and the drums are low level in general. Actually the guitars are just too loud.
Some "production" would help to bring this more into the "song mold"...if that's important.
mixmkr: I see you like to use flashy "buzzwords" and phrases, as if people here don't understand what you're "saying" without them. Gee.. "production" eh? is that different from production?
I don't know what kind of music you listen to, but I suspect it's radio pop swimming in verbs and fancy compressors and tuned to perfection. This is metal, pretty standard stuff for it actually, but I'm working with the performance I was given. Refer to the guy above's question and my answer. I am doing this in a home studio. In Canada. They are in Florida. The recording is "finished". There are some luxuries we don't have, as a result. But we HAVE decided what needs to be done to those drums, and a bit of guitar and synth here and there. For the style and compared to other bands/recordings in it, the vocals sit perfectly. Even if I wasn't familiar with the song I'd understand what was being said perfectly, I did even with MUCH worse mix. On the choruses there will be one more layer that isn't there, btw, a female harmony.
Thanks all for the input people, it has come in handy and I appreciate most of it.
I don't know what kind of music you listen to, but I suspect it's radio pop swimming in verbs and fancy compressors and tuned to perfection. This is metal, pretty standard stuff for it actually, but I'm working with the performance I was given. Refer to the guy above's question and my answer. I am doing this in a home studio. In Canada. They are in Florida. The recording is "finished". There are some luxuries we don't have, as a result. But we HAVE decided what needs to be done to those drums, and a bit of guitar and synth here and there. For the style and compared to other bands/recordings in it, the vocals sit perfectly. Even if I wasn't familiar with the song I'd understand what was being said perfectly, I did even with MUCH worse mix. On the choruses there will be one more layer that isn't there, btw, a female harmony.
Thanks all for the input people, it has come in handy and I appreciate most of it.
B.SABBATH
New member
O.K. I had to listen to it and I'm glad I did....It was decent metal.....very 'Cradle of Filth' meets 'Maidenish'.....I do like it although you have a pretty shitty attitude.... but I love most 'metal' because it's where my heart is..... I would say it's pretty good except for some of the 'production'........On second listen I like it very much actually.........making my way to the third listen....It does sound like "Cradle' type production........I really like it........a lot..
good tune
good tune
well, it's not my band, I do a project called mistral.
http://www.mp3.com/mistral
pretty similar stuff though, partially because we're good friends and are promoting our own style together..
I don't really see how you are put off to my attitude though when half the people here seem like arrogant sob's.. I was just kind of put off by the manner in which he critiqued, especially with the excessive use of quotes. I felt like I was watching a chris farley SNL skit where he's the guest on the news bit and he's doing the finger things every second word he says. I mean it's so unnecessary..
http://www.mp3.com/mistral
pretty similar stuff though, partially because we're good friends and are promoting our own style together..
I don't really see how you are put off to my attitude though when half the people here seem like arrogant sob's.. I was just kind of put off by the manner in which he critiqued, especially with the excessive use of quotes. I felt like I was watching a chris farley SNL skit where he's the guest on the news bit and he's doing the finger things every second word he says. I mean it's so unnecessary..
B.SABBATH
New member
Mistral said:
No..... that was 'Cranky One' that did the killer version of 'Tyrant' with guitar vocals.....
I have a tune on here if you want to check it out...It's not as 'metal' as this......I actually like this better..
When he says 'this is not my homeland' that sounds sooooo 'Maiden' that I can't help but love it....I liked your tune when you posted it and I'm gonna check out some more of your stuff right now.......
B.SABBATH
New member
"World in Me' I already had downloaded so I knew I really liked that tune......'Suicide by Suspicion' was a VERY cool tune I hadn't heard...I hate to keep dropping the 'Cradle' name but that's what it makes me think of.....I think that makes me like it more than I might otherwise......i think it's the production...it has that polished, produced "Cradle' type metal sound......maybe not quite as heavy but still something I would listen to.....'Cradle' tends to have that 'crisp' not too much low end type sound...most of the low end comes from the guitar.....'World in Me' is still my favorite......Bottom line.....everything I listened to involved with you has been very good.............I like ALL of it..
mixmkr
we don't need rest!!
Mistral...
hey"dickhead"....so you don't like my " ", and the way I type.... Sounds like you got more of a hangup than talent, "dude"
If you think I'm an arrogant sob... that's your perogative. But your posts/replies make you sound like a little punk kid who is offended because you received some constructive critisism about your work. Seems to me, my first response was directed to areas that can be corrected in the mixing stage, and not necesarily when tracking. But, you seem so wrapped up in "attitudes", you can't see out of your on little world. If you've taken the time to listen to any of MY work, you'd know I'm involved in all kinds of music, from contemporary Christian, to New Age, to kick butt rock that would make your friggin band from Florida wimper as bad as your ego. I tried to be polite and just not outright say your band you're dealing with sucked, as I DID understand you're doing the mixing only. But, not worrying about my politeness at this point, your mixing talents appear to suck too. Obviously you're not aware that "production" can be done at the mixing stage, as well with vocal levels, and as well with overly harsh, fuzzy guitar sounds.
And yes, I listen to radio pop, swimming in verbs..as you alluded to, ALONG with a shitload of other styles too. And yes...I try to get my mixes "tuned to perfection"...something apparently your home studio is unable to do.
So...I'd ease up and realize I'm only trying to offer helpful ideas, rather than prove some kind of "point" that you've conjured up out of thin air. Go read some of my other posts, and you'll see that I like to tell things in a straight forward manner, right to the point, and if is sucks, I try to politely say so (in most instances), and if it is great, I sure let them know that too. I've been recording/mixing for more years than you're probably old, but I realize that doesn't mean superior talent, but I do feel it has given me the opportunity to see and experience more musician "egos" than the total number of mixes you've probably done in your lifetime....and yours ranks near the bottom of the barrel.
hey"dickhead"....so you don't like my " ", and the way I type.... Sounds like you got more of a hangup than talent, "dude"
If you think I'm an arrogant sob... that's your perogative. But your posts/replies make you sound like a little punk kid who is offended because you received some constructive critisism about your work. Seems to me, my first response was directed to areas that can be corrected in the mixing stage, and not necesarily when tracking. But, you seem so wrapped up in "attitudes", you can't see out of your on little world. If you've taken the time to listen to any of MY work, you'd know I'm involved in all kinds of music, from contemporary Christian, to New Age, to kick butt rock that would make your friggin band from Florida wimper as bad as your ego. I tried to be polite and just not outright say your band you're dealing with sucked, as I DID understand you're doing the mixing only. But, not worrying about my politeness at this point, your mixing talents appear to suck too. Obviously you're not aware that "production" can be done at the mixing stage, as well with vocal levels, and as well with overly harsh, fuzzy guitar sounds.
And yes, I listen to radio pop, swimming in verbs..as you alluded to, ALONG with a shitload of other styles too. And yes...I try to get my mixes "tuned to perfection"...something apparently your home studio is unable to do.
So...I'd ease up and realize I'm only trying to offer helpful ideas, rather than prove some kind of "point" that you've conjured up out of thin air. Go read some of my other posts, and you'll see that I like to tell things in a straight forward manner, right to the point, and if is sucks, I try to politely say so (in most instances), and if it is great, I sure let them know that too. I've been recording/mixing for more years than you're probably old, but I realize that doesn't mean superior talent, but I do feel it has given me the opportunity to see and experience more musician "egos" than the total number of mixes you've probably done in your lifetime....and yours ranks near the bottom of the barrel.
In your case, I think the quotes around mastering are ESPECIALLY called for...