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Chaos351
New member
I've posted this in the past, but I've reworked the mix on it and feel like it is much better now.
Reworked a bit:
Original:
Reworked a bit:
Original:
Last edited:
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Robus
Well-known member
Very cool tune. I like it. Guitars sound great but are overpowering the mix. They're not leaving any breathing room or space. The vocal is too low in the mix for me. They're getting buried by the guitars--everything is, actually. That atmospheric drum breakdown in the middle was cool--I'd like to hear that space elsewhere in the song.
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Chaos351
New member
Yeah I can see how the guitars are overpowering. Being a guitarist myself (The one who recorded these guitars) I think I might be biased into wanting to hear the guitars over everything else, which makes it harder for me to get a good, even mix. I'll take another whack at it tonight and see what I can come up with.
Thanks for the input!
Thanks for the input!
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Robus
Well-known member
Yeah, that temptation is strong. Since I started turning my guitars down to make room in the mix for other stuff, I've realized they can sometimes have more impact when the level is lower. A lot of instruments sound better when you can hear a bit of space around and between them.
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Chaos351
New member
Would you say it's just the rhythm guitars or the background "lead" guitars as well?
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Robus
Well-known member
Listening again, and commenting as I listen:
Those chorused (?) rhythm guitars in the intro sound great. Good level. When the vocals come in, I think is where the trouble begins. The wash of ambiance from those guitars is eating up a lot of space. Hear how the mix seems to close down at that point in the song? There was an openness in the intro that turns claustrophobic at that point--at least to my ears. The vocal level is a bit low too, making the voice easier to bury. I notice the lead guitar starts low in your verse and then gets louder--I like it. I don't really think the lead guitars are too loud, it's just that they are adding to the pile of things getting in the way of your vocal. I really do think the rhythm guitars are the root cause. Lowering them just slightly while raising the vocal could solve most of this.
Take these comments for my subjective opinion. I'm a fanatic for space and openness in my mixes.
Those chorused (?) rhythm guitars in the intro sound great. Good level. When the vocals come in, I think is where the trouble begins. The wash of ambiance from those guitars is eating up a lot of space. Hear how the mix seems to close down at that point in the song? There was an openness in the intro that turns claustrophobic at that point--at least to my ears. The vocal level is a bit low too, making the voice easier to bury. I notice the lead guitar starts low in your verse and then gets louder--I like it. I don't really think the lead guitars are too loud, it's just that they are adding to the pile of things getting in the way of your vocal. I really do think the rhythm guitars are the root cause. Lowering them just slightly while raising the vocal could solve most of this.
Take these comments for my subjective opinion. I'm a fanatic for space and openness in my mixes.
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Chaos351
New member
Okay, I've redone the mix a bit.
Increased the bass guitar slightly (Like, 0.2 dB I believe), lowered the highs on the drums (After the last mastering, I felt like they were too treble-y) but increased the volume slightly to compensate. Increased the vocals slightly, and lowered the guitars volume during the verses a bit. I increased the volume during the pre-chorus and the chorus (Not as loud as during the intro/reintro) though. Also added a little bit of lower end to the vocals to make them warmer. I've noticed that the harmonies seem to stick out better now, at least to my ears.
Overall, listening to it, I'd say it sounds much better. I've left the original one up for comparison for a bit.
Increased the bass guitar slightly (Like, 0.2 dB I believe), lowered the highs on the drums (After the last mastering, I felt like they were too treble-y) but increased the volume slightly to compensate. Increased the vocals slightly, and lowered the guitars volume during the verses a bit. I increased the volume during the pre-chorus and the chorus (Not as loud as during the intro/reintro) though. Also added a little bit of lower end to the vocals to make them warmer. I've noticed that the harmonies seem to stick out better now, at least to my ears.
Overall, listening to it, I'd say it sounds much better. I've left the original one up for comparison for a bit.
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Robus
Well-known member
Yeah, I could tell right away it's a step forward from the first mix. Just hearing the bass and vocals more clearly helps. I agree, the harmonies come through better. I couldn't really hear them before. I also think lowering the rhythm guitar makes your lead guitar sound more dramatic--cool playing, BTW.
I hope you'll stick around the Clinic and get involved in listening and commenting on mixes. I've learned a lot in a short time just by listening to other people's work and trying to articulate what I'm hearing. I've also gotten good advice that has improved my own mixes, though that is a work in progress...
I hope you'll stick around the Clinic and get involved in listening and commenting on mixes. I've learned a lot in a short time just by listening to other people's work and trying to articulate what I'm hearing. I've also gotten good advice that has improved my own mixes, though that is a work in progress...
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Chaos351
New member
Yeah, I could tell right away it's a step forward from the first mix. Just hearing the bass and vocals more clearly helps. I agree, the harmonies come through better. I couldn't really hear them before. I also think lowering the rhythm guitar makes your lead guitar sound more dramatic--cool playing, BTW.
I hope you'll stick around the Clinic and get involved in listening and commenting on mixes. I've learned a lot in a short time just by listening to other people's work and trying to articulate what I'm hearing. I've also gotten good advice that has improved my own mixes, though that is a work in progress...
Thanks! I check in from time to time, though I've spent most of that time looking at the recording, mixing, and mastering sections of these forums.