First ITB mix ever! Rock tune

R

RFR

Well-known member
Some of you may know I just got Reaper and am learning how to use it. Thanks to all who have responded to my less than knowledgeable questions.:)

Anyway here is the first mix. I still don't know automation, simple editing, etc. This was 16 track tape transferred to the digital and rough mixed.

Still learning and I'm a long way from even a minor state of proficiency. :eek:

Anyway here ya go, have at it.:D

 
It sounds really clean and solid. It seems a little dry, and I want to hear more kick so the 1s and 3s keep up with the snare on the 2s and 4s. I think pushing a range that brings out the click in the kick would help.

I hate to think what my first ITB mix sounds like. I think that was in the days of dialup and I mixed a whole album without any sort of information or advice.
 
@ Ido, thanks man. Rehearsed the band set up mics, and hit record. Easy stuff if you have a tight band.

@ boulder, thank you sir. You, as you know, are one of the people to help me explore this strange new world. :D

If not for this forum, I would have never even ventured out into this brave new digital world.

As to the mix, I'm still figuring out the verbs. I figured dryer would be better than goofy ass verb.

On the kick, do you mean bring up the level or isolate the freq to bring out the beater?

@Trovador, thank you very much.:D

Tape machine is a Tascam msr16, tracked with all sm58s and two teac pencil condensor mics into a tascam m520 board.

Ran the raw tape tracks into an allen and heath ice 16 converter, then imported the wav files into reaper.

How do I like reaper? Haha. Well not very much yet. Things take twice as long for me, and I can't ride faders like on a console when doing a mix. Got a lot to learn.

On the plus side, it's quite exciting the possibilities once I learn it. :D
 
Good performance and song. There's a grating edge to the vocal--clipping? Guitar is too loud for me.
 
Thanks for listening.. No clipping, but I agree there is a bit of harshness to the vocal. Still trying to figure out this plug in stuff. Its weird to me compared to my hardware effects and console eq. Much, much easier....for me anyway.

Guitar too loud? Maybe, then maybe not. It is after all "Only Rock and Roll" :D
 
RFR said:
As to the mix, I'm still figuring out the verbs. I figured dryer would be better than goofy ass verb.

On the kick, do you mean bring up the level or isolate the freq to bring out the beater?
Click to expand...

I figured as much. Good plan, build up a little at a time. Reverbs can be distracting when you've got other things to deal with.

I definitely want to hear more kick. I'm not sure how that might best be done but I'd start with a simple eq boost in the click range. As it is I hear room for a hint more beef in the whole mix so if boosting click leaves the lows sounding wimpy try a level boost instead.
 
This sounds really good. I think you made the transition to digital better than you give yourself credit for.

I too, felt the kick could use a little more thump... and maybe with the bass as well. So who knows, a global boost in the low end... just a smidge.

The crash cymbals seemed a little harsh.

Finding the right reverb is the holy grail of plugs. I like my UAD EMT-140. Slippery slope and all that.

Forgot I was listening in the forum and was just enjoying the listen. Thanks for sharing.
 
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Thanks Chili. The transition is a tough one for me. Im tempted to just mix in my board with outboard. That I understand. With the ice unit having 16 analog ins and outs my conventional mixing would be easy.

I did an analog mix straight from tape and the troublesome (for me) elements of the digital mix arent there. It sounds rounder and fatter.

But, I'm determined to learn this "new technology", at least new to me, so I'm disciplining myself to slug through.

The fact that you think im doing ok with the transition is a ray of hope, so thanks. And thanks for listening.
Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks after all. :D
 
It is a different physical process. Your vision is focused on a smaller area and you have to go through steps to see or change stuff. You can't just look down your rack of effects to see meters or instinctively reach for controls. Many plugins offer eye candy that's distracting but does nothing for your mix. I try not to get drawn into staring at the screen. I'll often mouse over a fader, close my eyes and use the scroll wheel to adjust it (in Sony Vegas it moves the fader 1dB per click, or .1dB per click with Control pressed).

But then you've got essentially unlimited eqs and compressors and as many reverbs as your computer can handle, plus you've got automation and recall.
 
Certainly a different process. I used to waste a lot of masking tape by taping a big x pattern over the console to make sure no one would touch my mix.

Here I can do a bunch of mixes, experiment, learn and render them. The next morning i just open them up and have a listen.

At this point, i just need to learn it as best as I can. I'll still work with a board and tape, but with a hybrid setup I'll have the best of bith worlds.

@ Nola, thanks man! :thumbs up:
 
Not bad man, sounds pretty good, as has been said the kick could be a little more punchy. it is a lot better than my 1st attempts with DAW mixing. I also feel your pain, I was very comfortable using a console and outboard gear, I am still struggling with the DAW setup. although I do like the plugins. :D
 
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Really solid R&R! :thumbs up:
I love his voice...he's got that Peter Wolf thing going on.

Yeah, I agree with whoever said it was a bit dry....but that's a taste choice. If I was mixing it, the only thing I would change would be just a touch of 'verb...not Hall kind of shit, but just to give is some larger room ambience.
Great guitar tone....what was used?
 
RFR said:
Certainly a different process. I used to waste a lot of masking tape by taping a big x pattern over the console to make sure no one would touch my mix.

Here I can do a bunch of mixes, experiment, learn and render them. The next morning i just open them up and have a listen.
Click to expand...

Don't forget about templates. When you find settings that work and you know you'll be using them often, save them as channel strips or save the whole mix as a template. Not sure how it's done in Reaper, but I'm willing to bet there is a function to accomplish that.
 
miroslav said:
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Yeah, I agree with whoever said it was a bit dry....but that's a taste choice. If I was mixing it, the only thing I would change would be just a touch of 'verb...not Hall kind of shit, but just to give is some larger room ambience.
Click to expand...

I tried something different on a recent mix. Things needed a sense of space, but something subtle that wouldn't blur the tightness of the rhythm so I used just the early reflections portion of a reverb.
 
sounds great :D kewl song,great tracking,great singer,great guitarist ! (i hate him already /spits)


only nit for me is more bass geetar when guitarist goes all leady,sounds a tad empty there :)
 
Listening on HPs. I thought everything came out pretty damn good. Bass sounded really good, I would be nice it if had a little more presence, but just an opinion. If you were doing background vocals, they didn't come through. Other than that, I didn't hear anything bad. Sounded solid. Good recording and performance.

You should have tried "Pump Up The Jam", that was done mainly in analog. Actual tape loops and live instruments.
 
this stuff rocks! Great you let us us hear the dry mix. i'm like you ,got tapes, but entered the digital world. just polish this song so i can hear it
 
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