Please Critique this Instrument-thick mix

C

Crazy Luke

New member
Here is a song with everything but the kitchen sink (because I don't know how to play a sink). Please let me know what can be improved on here. Please listen to the entire song, as there is a string section outro. Also, extra points if you can tell me who is speaking at the end.
thx
Ok here are some fixes in response to some of the posters below. LMK if it is an improvement.
Number 45 is in response to the guitars being a little "mid-range" harsh. I tamed both the rhythm guitars and the harmony solos. The lead solo may be a little loud now, as well as the crowd SFX at the end. Hopefully the bass is more present in mix 45. Don't mind the glitch in the first second. Thx for all feedback.
Number 48 has the Rhythm Guitars spread out wider, and the harmony solos under control - better bass and kick imho.
 

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  • Apocalyptic TeraPentaGigaMegaBomb (M-42).mp3
    7 MB · Views: 30
  • Apocalyptic TeraPentaGigaMegaBomb (M-44).mp3
    7 MB · Views: 5
  • Apocalyptic TeraPentaGigaMegaBomb (M-45).mp3
    7 MB · Views: 1
  • Apocalyptic TeraPentaGigaMegaBomb (M-48).mp3
    7 MB · Views: 4
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Hi Luke. The music is cool. Nice chugging rhythm and good beat -- if that's programmed good job programming the drums. The vocal is kinda a mess. I can't hear any of the words, and the low growl makes it hard to discern any melody. Did you pitch shift it that low?
Your mix is nice. Really good for the genre.

The string outro sounds good to me. Maybe a touch loud. I'm not too picky about midi strings, so let others tell you about that. I think that's Oppenheimer at the end.
 
Hey what up . Cool tune . Nice transitions . Questions about guitar amp ( what is it , can you add gain?) . It would have more impact if the tone was heavier . The whole mix sounds thin . Add some bottom end and that will help . I have a very open mind when it comes to vocalists . No offence :) but it kinda made me laugh it sounds like the cookie monster . Overall though cool . Here is a tune I am working on that has some vocals I cut up and put in the tune . Our singer is busy with another gig right now . but listen to the growly voice in the chorus on this tune .
 

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  • Pain mashup2.mp3
    3.8 MB · Views: 5
Re Wizard - Pain Mashup - Verse vocals lean toward James Hetfield, Phil Anselmo, while the choruses with death metal growls (good stuff). I'll work on getting the growl vocals a little more "menacing". and I should be betting out more air.
You got it, Nola (Oppenheimer)
Thanks for the comps.
 
Growling vocals are hard to hear, not sure how you would sort that out due to the range. You might be able to use some sort of doubler and then pan slight left and right, plus a doubler would sound pretty cool on that.

Strings on the outro are pretty cool.

Other than getting those vocals somehow a bit more prominent, really good mix.
 
Crazy Luke said:
Thanks, DM60 I'll work on getting the vox a bit more upfront
Click to expand...

Just to be clear, I think it is more to get them to cut through than just a volume issue. They sounded pretty loud, but wasn't getting through to be heard. Unless you find what EQ range they are sitting in and cut the other instruments that are in the area back in order to create a pocket for the vocals. Chorus cuts through just fine.
 
To me the levels are all wrong. You've got everything in the midrange, especially those guitars which are harsh and overwhelming everything else. Your vocal is getting lost. I'm hearing all kick and little bass, again due to guitars. I would start by switching off whatever you have boosting on the mix bus, which may be adding to your harshness issue. Then get the levels to a place where the vocal is heard and the guitars are making their statement without pushing everything else to the side.

It sounds like an interesting song, cool arrangement, good playing and lots of energy.
 
Overall I think it's a pretty good mix. Performance is good too. As was mentioned before, I think the vocals could be a little more prominent in the mix. Maybe the background vocals should have a bit more reverb or eq to them? I'm not quite sure, but to me it seemed like the guitar part (in the left speaker) was fighting a bit with the background vocals sometimes.
 
Robus said:
To me the levels are all wrong. You've got everything in the midrange, especially those guitars which are harsh and overwhelming everything else. Your vocal is getting lost. I'm hearing all kick and little bass, again due to guitars. I would start by switching off whatever you have boosting on the mix bus, which may be adding to your harshness issue. Then get the levels to a place where the vocal is heard and the guitars are making their statement without pushing everything else to the side.

It sounds like an interesting song, cool arrangement, good playing and lots of energy.
Click to expand...

Thanks
It is an ambitious mix, with the probability of masking instruments in the same freq range, so I'm going to have feature some elements, while ducking others. the 4 elements that I want to feature are
1) All vocals
2) The harmony solos
3) The two main solos
4) the orchestration
In the new mix 44, I brought up the bass, snare, put a high shelf on the vocals, and brought up the cymbals a bit. I did more automation, so as to feature 1thru 4 at any given time.
Because I brought up other rhythm section instruments, I left the kicks where they are from mix 42. If they still need to come down, let me know.
lmkwyt
 
Still hearing the harshness, especially on the guitars. I think that's coming from whatever mastering plugins you're running, as well as excessive volume on the lead guitars themselves. I'd take those guitars down a lot. I think your mix would open up considerably.
 
Latest version, after members suggestions. I got this a bit more cleaned up in the middle, and reduced some muddiness, imo. Hopefully punchier as well. plmk
 

Attachments

  • Apocalyptic TeraPentaGigaMegaBomb (M-50).mp3
    7 MB · Views: 3
Went straight to the last mix (ending in M-48).

I think it's limited too hard. I had to turn it way down after 20-30 seconds.

I think the rhythm guitars sound very good.

The lead and riff guitars have a little abrasiveness in them. Very good playing.

Vocals sounded pretty good. Never got into cookie monster vocals. But it sounded OK to me. The "regular" vocals sounded good too.

The mix is missing a lot of low end. I can barely hear a bass under those guitars. The bass is also a bit sterile. Not enough low-midrange.
 
OK just saw 50.

Limiting is much better. I can turn this one up. Much less cramped mix.

Still could use a little stronger low end. And the lead/riff guitars are still a little abrasive to my ear.
 
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