Download and Mix Contest

mshilarious said:
No, that track is not a 1. 5/6 or so. It's quite a lot different from your entry here. First off, you can just look at the wave and see some dynamics. Your mix contest entry was literally a big full scale block.

So you've got 3dB more dynamic range from the get-go, and that's a good thing.
Click to expand...
Yea, like I said, sometimes I don't notice when I'm actually in the midst of a mix that I've gone too far. I don't know why, really....because it's always immediately obvious to me when I listen to the mix later. Ear fatigue or something, I guess....(I do monitor at 83 db, though).

mshilarious said:
OK, other good things . . . the guitar sounds nice and ballsy. I can tell you spent time on that!
Click to expand...
Thanks! "Nice and ballsy" is exactly the sound I try to get during tracking for rock bands. I think there are actually like....12 guitar tracks in this song making that big ole' ballsy ass sound that bands like this love. Although... In my experience, bands with nicer equipment can get that big sound with maybe 2-8 tracks - depending on if they are playing more metal or just good old hard rock. These guys brought only one amp with them, and it's some POS Ibanez "Tone Blaster" or something.... "But it has to sound good, it says right in it's own name that it's a TONE BLASTER! - Plus it came with a free gift!"

mshilarious said:
Now, the issues . . . not crazy about the drums. The kick is kinda papery. Find its fundamental--50 or 60Hz, usually--and boost that. The snare has that popcorn sound, but I don't think it's what you wanted here. Too much wire, not enough body.
Click to expand...

When I EQ'd the kick, I boosted 60 hz about 12 db with a really tight Q, scooped 200 or so about 8 db with a pretty medium-ish Q and EQ'd some click into it around like 3500 or so. I'll boost 60 hz some more, and maybe try widening the Q. Hell maybe I just didn't get the fundamental pinpointed exactly right...I'll look into it though, thanks!

You're dead on about the snare. I didn't EQ it at all - that's just what his snare sounds like, and it's not at all what I want it to sound like in this song. It's just not appropriate sounding. I'm going to try to punch it up a bit, and see if he notices (This guys is really adamant about that damn snare drum). Maybe I'll drumagog it and just won't tell him. It's especially thin sounding - and I'm actually glad to hear you feel the same way.

mshilarious said:
I didn't mind the vocal too much--I don't think it's a sibilance issue as much as just fighting for space in a mix that's VERY busy in the presence range. The vocal has that processed sound which I assume is what you were going for, and I don't mind it.
Click to expand...

lmao, that's just what his voice sounds like after some SEVERE alterations in melodyne (he's not the strongest singer...when it comes to...you know....singing in key.). I tried to keep it as natural sounding as I could because these guys are actually not fans of the processed sound.... Oh well, though. They didn't seem to notice when they were in here earlier - actually they were all excited about how in-key they sound, LOL!! Yea, that's exactly how you sang it. - "Wow! We're awesome!" :rolleyes: I do have a feeling that I left a sharp cut at 600 hz on there, and I don't agree with that decision anymore. I'll look into it when I go back in there. Our wireless router crapped out the other day, and I only have internet access here in the office.

mshilarious said:
Try this as an exercise, throw a 4kHz cut, fairly wide Q, about -3dB, on the stereo bus. Watch what happens to your master meter. Mine is now peaking at +2dB! Great example of what I was saying earlier--cuts can increase peak levels! So there is hidden dynamic range in that mix waiting to come out.

Now, turn off that bus EQ, and I think you might want to go back to the guitar track, and automate an EQ to pull back its presence during the vocals
Click to expand...

I've never even considered doing this before....and I feel pretty silly because of it...especially considering that I automate all kinds of other stuff. That's a brilliant idea, and as soon as I hit "Submit Reply", I'm gonna go do that. That's gonna work! Thanks!! This is why you're the man!

(I assume you are a man, anyway - if you're a woman, then this is why you're the woman!)

Right now it sounds like you create a huge guitar sound and try to make the mix fit that, but you should try the other way around.
Click to expand...

More or less, yea....with bands that have heavy guitars, I do indeed mix that way. I start with the drums and bass, and get them sounding huge, but really tight and punchy (unless that's not appropriate for the song), and then I focus on getting that gigantonormous guitar sound - which then sometimes dwarfs the drums (especially the toms...which I don't think there are any of in that snip - but I bet that automating some freqs out of the guitars during tom fills would do the trick for that, too - thanks again for that tip! I think that just might be....damn. I'm very excited thinking about the possibilities of this and how much easier it's going to make things for me!).

I can't thank you enough for spending even more time to help me out. I really, truly appreciate it! Back to mixing, I go....;)
 
Last edited:
mshilarious said:
Well, let's talk about punch/impact...
Click to expand...
After reading all this I can say that in the six years I've been here I think this is the best lowdown we've ever had. You da man! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your life and responding with such depth.

Now armed and dangerous,:p

NYMorningstar
 
Fishmed_Returns said:
Mshilarious, ditto!

I am thinking my vision of the song is different than your's, but I gotta know.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I like the bass but not the vocals. Overall thought it was smiley.



Please keep in mind I am just typing my notes, not listening to the track, so further interpretation will be difficult . . .
 
mshilarious said:
I like the bass but not the vocals. Overall thought it was smiley.



Please keep in mind I am just typing my notes, not listening to the track, so further interpretation will be difficult . . .
Click to expand...

I knew the vocals were too harsh in some parts. :(

As far as "smiley", I am working on that. What instrument(s) do you think needs to fill the void in the freq?

Thanks a million!!!!
 
MS, I think you done a great job with the judging.

What you've posted up since the judging has been even better. I'm sure everyone is taking on what you're putting across. Excellent stuff!!
 
Can you post your notes on my mix. I'm a noobie, and just wanted to know what's "wrong" so I can work to improve. Thank you very much for taking the time to judge. Hopefully I'll do better next time!

-Joel
 
I'd also appreciate some notes, as I think these monitors are hyping the high end and rolling off some of the low end but need some confirmation D:
 
mshilarious said:
Well, I will post my results, with a few caveats:

I am not going to appoint a winner all by myself, so I took my list, broke it into thirds, and sorted within each third by name. So no, BushmasterM4 isn't necessarily the winner.

I also removed the Mix Quality rating, which is entirely subjective. It still counted for score in the top/middle/bottom thirds, but since you can't see it, you won't be able to derive a winner from the scores shown.

So, for what it's worth:
Click to expand...

Thanks,for descent scores. I agree the bottom end on mine could have been better. I wish I would have spent more time than I did on it. The tracks made it easy also. They were recorded and performed very well. I havent had time to venture out in my studio since January (My father and I own a Accounting/Tax Prep business, and this is my busy season). But once things die down I hope to get back out there. Im going nuts !!!!!! And stir crazy !!!!! Ive been recording and mixing for about a year and a half and have learned alot here. I just wish my own musical ability (musician wise) was better. I plan on focusing alot on my playing once tax season is over.
 
mshilarious said:
ecktronic, I think you might be a victim of the coarseness of the categories. I have in my notes that I thought your guitars were too crispy. That's not exactly air, but it isn't balance, as their volumes were good, and it wasn't punch . . . so you got dinged in air.

Anyway, you had a top mix, I wouldn't sweat the absolute score too much. Obviously I was in a bad mood :o
Click to expand...

Yeah the guitars were a tricky one to preserve presence and not have them muddy.
lol, thanks man. :cool:

Eck
 
TyphoidHippo said:
It's just a short snip of one track of an EP I am wrapping up today (for a paying client). Being in charge of tracking for this song, I was able to do everything the way I want:

Click to expand...

Very odd sounding overall EQ balance. Straight away the drums at the start are very thin. Vocals sound nasely.
Yeah, a lot of scooped sounds I hear.

Sounds like a pretty decent mix could be made from the recordings, guitars have alot of potential IMO.

Eck
 
I read this thread a bit late and the contest is over I know, but I still wanted to download the mix files and give it a try myself, just for educational purposes. Where can I download these, the original link is "404"...

Thanks in advance.
 
ecktronic said:
Very odd sounding overall EQ balance. Straight away the drums at the start are very thin. Vocals sound nasely.
Yeah, a lot of scooped sounds I hear.

Sounds like a pretty decent mix could be made from the recordings, guitars have alot of potential IMO.

Eck
Click to expand...

The drums at the start are kinda "telephoned" on purpose. To give that explosive feeling when the song really comes in. Vocals....bleh. I don't wanna think about them anymore. I had, indeed, left a sharp cut at 600 hz on them. I took that back off and they didn't sound so weird anymore. That project's over with. That day I asked for his opinion was the last day I had to work on it.

Thanks, though....I guess. :p

P.S. @mshilarious: I automated a medium Q cut at about 4K on the guitars during the vox like you suggested, and it was beautiful. Thanks again!
 
Zetajazz44 said:
I read this thread a bit late and the contest is over I know, but I still wanted to download the mix files and give it a try myself, just for educational purposes. Where can I download these, the original link is "404"...

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Sorry, the tracks are no longer available. I do have some good news though. One of the band members contacted me, and wants the singer to finish the other four tracks. He also said that since they are just doing this to have a record of their time together, and not for commercial use, that I could use the tracks again!

They have 4 other songs, two of which I have heard with vocals and are better than this track IMHO, and two that I have not. One of the two tracks that I haven't heard with vox is my favorite w/o vox, and I am hoping it will be even better with Vox.

So keep an eye out in the clinic! :D
 
NL5 said:
Sorry, the tracks are no longer available. I do have some good news though. One of the band members contacted me, and wants the singer to finish the other four tracks. He also said that since they are just doing this to have a record of their time together, and not for commercial use, that I could use the tracks again!

They have 4 other songs, two of which I have heard with vocals and are better than this track IMHO, and two that I have not. One of the two tracks that I haven't heard with vox is my favorite w/o vox, and I am hoping it will be even better with Vox.

So keep an eye out in the clinic! :D
Click to expand...

GREAT news! Thanks! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top