Greg_L mix contest #2 - Suffragette City

[Chili]

Ooops, right, forgot.

Congrats FishMed!!!

 

[mixmkr]

missed this but I did do this cover 30 years ago...I think..

Great thread and need more of this. thumbs up all around...

Love how the "replaced"? drums won the contest for a song recorded by a drummer! That's crazy... in a crazy way.

 

[Greg_L]

3rd is good enough for me. I mixed it how I would personally like it. I love loud kicks. And the sax I felt should just compliment everything. But I'm not really into sax. So that's probably why. Obviously if you were a client, you'd get what you wanted. But it's too late now. Thanks. It was fun. Now I have well played tracks to practice on.

I liked your mix a lot. I really did. I had you first for a while there and struggled with taking you out of the top spot. You did a great job. In the end, the only problem I had with your mix was that it was kind of flat, and the drums were just too much. And believe me, I love loud drums, but your kick was just way too out there. Overall it was a smooth mix though.

I would have picked PI's submission. Hmm, not even in your top 5. I thought the drums sounded great with good oomph on the kick. The highs weren't harsh and he had the vocal sibilance under control. Most everyone else didn't touch the sibilance or compressed and made it worse. The only real thing I didn't like about PI's was the piano was too forward in the mix to be panned to side.

I liked Fishmed's too. I had him, PI and Steen in the top 3. I would have to go back and listen to them all again to determine an order.

Good job on the song and tracking, Greg. Thanks for doing this for everyone. It is a great way to learn the subtleties of mixing.

Thanks Chilidog. PI's mix was just too much for me. I think he was on the right track and had the right ideas, but went too fast for the curves. I don't know if you listened loud, but it got pretty grating cranked up. Or maybe I listened to the wrong mix. He put up a few of them.

I came up with the same 1 and 2.

3, 4, and 5...I can't remember how I had them...Aside from me being one of them. Dissagreement!


Anyway, good show putting this all together, Greg. Fun times.

I had you tied for 5th, but ties are weak so I had to make a choice. I liked the levels of your mix, but it was pretty muddy. Thanks for playing along.

WOW! I made the top 5. That is awesome, made my day 100% better. I really appreciate the opportunity to work on mixing this song Greg. It really was the funnest thing I have ever done with all of the different instruments and all and having real drums has just bummed me out considerably with my songs now. I've got to get some mics and record some drums for my songs. You are one hell of a musician dude.

Congrats Fishmed. Hell of a mix. And everyone else too I thought they were all great.

Cool. Just keep plugging away. You did a good job overall.

Drum tip - keep the tambourine or shakers on the other side of whatever cymbal is being played. If the hats or ride is on the left, keep the tambo on the right.

 

[Greg_L]

missed this but I did do this cover 30 years ago...I think..

Great thread and need more of this. thumbs up all around...

Love how the "replaced"? drums won the contest for a song recorded by a drummer! That's crazy... in a crazy way.

I don't know for sure that they were replaced, but whatever. It worked.

 

[PoeticIntensity]

I would have picked PI's submission.

Dude.... Thanks! Made my day. Everyone mixes according do what their ears tell them, and I'm glad someone's ears told them the same thing mine did. hehe...

Congratulations, Fishmed... I know you worked hard on this one, because you submitted so many updates... Good on ya.

Thanks to Greg for doing this. These contests provide a tool in learning that most people never get: comparative mixing with very well recorded and performed tracks. My hat's off to ya.

Another fabulous contest!

 

[Greg_L]

Dude.... Thanks! Made my day. Everyone mixes according do what their ears tell them, and I'm glad someone's ears told them the same thing mine did. hehe...

Congratulations, Fishmed... I know you worked hard on this one, because you submitted so many updates... Good on ya.

Thanks to Greg for doing this. These contests provide a tool in learning that most people never get: comparative mixing with very well recorded and performed tracks. My hat's off to ya.

Another fabulous contest!

Cool. Thanks man. Sorry I didn't have you better. I probably listened to yours the most.

 

[Greg_L]

Okay, now someone else host one of these!

 

[PoeticIntensity]

Thanks Chilidog. PI's mix was just too much for me. I think he was on the right track and had the right ideas, but went too fast for the curves. I don't know if you listened loud, but it got pretty grating cranked up. Or maybe I listened to the wrong mix. He put up a few of them.

I uploaded just two mixes, and I'm pretty sure you listened to the correct one. Hmmm.... Come to think of it, I never listened to my own mix really loudly. That's a great tip. I'm gonna have to remember to do that with all my mixes from now on.... Both loud and soft listening, as well as normal "mix" level.

Thanks again, Greg.

 

[Greg_L]

I uploaded just two mixes, and I'm pretty sure you listened to the correct one. Hmmm.... Come to think of it, I never listened to my own mix really loudly. That's a great tip. I'm gonna have to remember to do that with all my mixes from now on.... Both loud and soft listening, as well as normal "mix" level.

Thanks again, Greg.

Listen everywhere you can, and yeah, listen loud. If you can hear everything loud, and it doesn't kill your ears, then you're on the right track.

Mix at a sane level, and occasionally crank it. You get a lot if info like that.

 

[PoeticIntensity]

Cool. Thanks man. Sorry I didn't have you better. I probably listened to yours the most.

No apology needed, bro. I'm actually just thrilled to have had the learning experience. These mixing contests really are a boot-camp of sorts, and if we're smart, we'll use them to get better at the craft. We'll read final comments made, and especially listen to mixes of people who win, and see what we did differently, and how we can improve.

My curiosity is piqued, however... Why do you think you listened to mine a lot?

 

[AMcB]

Nevermind. I just listened to my mix in the car. The kick is overpowering. Fishmed's was good I can't argue that. I wasn't really into the dual vocal panning on the #2 mix. Kinda cool, but not for the while song. I couldn't listen to a whole song like that. The music was awesome though. Bass sounded a little trebly in headphones. But in the car it was perfect. I actually really likes it... So no hard feeling #2 (can't remember the name sorry) just didn't like the vocals personally.

 

[PoeticIntensity]

PoeticIntensity
Pros: Vocals sound great. Leads and accent rhythms
sit perfectly.

Cons: The highs are harsh and the bass is boomy. The overheads are too sizzly
and the kick is too clicky. Rhythm guitars and snare getting lost at times.
I think it's just a little overcooked.

Hmmm... I don't mean to wax eloquent here, but I think there's something to learn with this. While mixing this song, I had foam on the walls of my studio which (according to pretty much all of the comments on this thread ) seemed to absorb too much of the highs. That would make me instinctively turn the highs up to abnormally high levels to compensate. Very, very interesting... I wonder, now that I have changed my acoustics, if my mixes will turn out differently.

Anyway... Just some food for thought.

 

[LemonTree]

LemonTree
Pros: Nice big guitar presence. Nice bass sound.

Cons: Drums are too low. The big guitars and bass are beating up on
the drums. Vocals a little too loud. Sax and keys almost non-existant.

Yeah, that's exactly the way I mixed it

I was just off the back of a session with a band that like the vocals really loud in the mix when I hit this one up, could explain the loud vox.
Didn't feel with all the other energy going on the sax or Piano had to be "up there" in the mix and everyone knows nobody listens to drummers when they listen to a song LMAO!!

I have to say the tracking was top notch and a pleasure to work with, thanks again for sharing Greg.

Congrats Fishmed, well deserved winner I thought

 

[kcearl]

Hmmm... I don't mean to wax eloquent here, but I think there's something to learn with this. While mixing this song, I had foam on the walls of my studio which (according to pretty much all of the comments on this thread ) seemed to absorb too much of the highs. That would make me instinctively turn the highs up to abnormally high levels to compensate. Very, very interesting... I wonder, now that I have changed my acoustics, if my mixes will turn out differently.

Anyway... Just some food for thought.

maybe until you adjust your ears to the new surroundings?


that wouldnt be surprising....even my bass traps made it slightly different for me and ive got the shittiest set up

 

[Fishmed]

Thank you all for your support, but I would like to give extra thanks Greg for taking the time share his tracks with us to mix
I would also like to to give an extra shout out to Chibi Nappa for his words of encouragement and pushing me a little more on my mix.

Congratulations, Fishmed... I know you worked hard on this one, because you submitted so many updates... Good on ya.

I did do many mixes, but I only submitted two.

Fishmed
Pros: Pretty good balance overall. Everything is there and present.
Guitars and bass sound good. Vocals sound good and sit well.
Full sounding mix

Cons: Did you sample replace the drums? That doesn't sound like my kick or
snare. Lol. Too much reverb on the kit, I think. It's not in the same
space as the rest. Not enough overhead tracks. Overall a pleasing mix though.

For the record, I did not use samples and replace the drums. Those drums were recorded very well. I do listen to Prog rock/metal quite a bit, so I don't know if that is reflected in my mixes, it is too subjective for me to tell.

I used compression and some EQ on the individual drum tracks as well as a parallel compressor. This was a very busy mix so I did not want the Overheads to fight with everything else that was going on, so I left them to work more as texture. I did use reverb on the snare (which I brought down a bit from my first mix) and on the toms.

Greg, the tracks were awesome to work with and stacked very well with each other in the mix. What mics & mic pre(s) did you use for the song?

 

[Greg_L]

No apology needed, bro. I'm actually just thrilled to have had the learning experience. These mixing contests really are a boot-camp of sorts, and if we're smart, we'll use them to get better at the craft. We'll read final comments made, and especially listen to mixes of people who win, and see what we did differently, and how we can improve.

My curiosity is piqued, however... Why do you think you listened to mine a lot?

To be perfectly honest, and maybe this is kind of unfair, I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. I gotta admit, with all due respect to everyone else, I had pre-conceived notions of you in the top 3.

 

[Simman]

Feel free to discuss and tell me why I'm right or wrong.

Actually, I'd say you were too kind with my mix. I listened to my headphone mix in my studio and man did it suck Granted I did it quick but it was not good so here's to the winner

 

[Greg_L]

Hmmm... I don't mean to wax eloquent here, but I think there's something to learn with this. While mixing this song, I had foam on the walls of my studio which (according to pretty much all of the comments on this thread ) seemed to absorb too much of the highs. That would make me instinctively turn the highs up to abnormally high levels to compensate. Very, very interesting... I wonder, now that I have changed my acoustics, if my mixes will turn out differently.

Anyway... Just some food for thought.

Had you mixed loud, the highs would have killed your ears no matter what room you were in.

Yeah, that's exactly the way I mixed it

I was just off the back of a session with a band that like the vocals really loud in the mix when I hit this one up, could explain the loud vox.
Didn't feel with all the other energy going on the sax or Piano had to be "up there" in the mix and everyone knows nobody listens to drummers when they listen to a song LMAO!!

I have to say the tracking was top notch and a pleasure to work with, thanks again for sharing Greg.

Congrats Fishmed, well deserved winner I thought

Thanks dude. And thanks for participating. Yeah I didn't get too nitpicky on the sax and piano. I think this song would have been just fine without them, probably even better. But they were there, so if someone wanted to use them, they better make it good.

Thank you all for your support, but I would like to give extra thanks Greg for taking the time share his tracks with us to mix
I would also like to to give an extra shout out to Chibi Nappa for his words of encouragement and pushing me a little more on my mix.

For the record, I did not use samples and replace the drums. Those drums were recorded very well. I do listen to Prog rock/metal quite a bit, so I don't know if that is reflected in my mixes, it is too subjective for me to tell.

I used compression and some EQ on the individual drum tracks as well as a parallel compressor. This was a very busy mix so I did not want the Overheads to fight with everything else that was going on, so I left them to work more as texture. I did use reverb on the snare (which I brought down a bit from my first mix) and on the toms.

Greg, the tracks were awesome to work with and stacked very well with each other in the mix. What mics & mic pre(s) did you use for the song?

Thanks. Like I said, your mix is pretty much spot on to what I wanted to hear. Just turn the overheads and snare up a hair and it's good to go. I do everything with a Firepod and cheap mics. The guitars were Guitar Rig. The drums are a Mapex Pro-M kit with CAD-Pro mics.

 

[Simman]

Thank you all for your support, but I would like to give extra thanks Greg for taking the time share his tracks with us to mix
I would also like to to give an extra shout out to Chibi Nappa for his words of encouragement and pushing me a little more on my mix.




I did do many mixes, but I only submitted two.



For the record, I did not use samples and replace the drums. Those drums were recorded very well. I do listen to Prog rock/metal quite a bit, so I don't know if that is reflected in my mixes, it is too subjective for me to tell.

I used compression and some EQ on the individual drum tracks as well as a parallel compressor. This was a very busy mix so I did not want the Overheads to fight with everything else that was going on, so I left them to work more as texture. I did use reverb on the snare (which I brought down a bit from my first mix) and on the toms.

Greg, the tracks were awesome to work with and stacked very well with each other in the mix. What mics & mic pre(s) did you use for the song?

stop suckin' up Give the winner a thumbs up

 

[PoeticIntensity]

To be perfectly honest, and maybe this is kind of unfair, I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. I gotta admit, with all due respect to everyone else, I had pre-conceived notions of you in the top 3.

Heh... At least I was #1 to Chili's ears!

Well, darn. Thanks for your candor, Greg. That just means I gotta do better. As always, though... I learned something new.

This time our lesson is: MAKE SURE YOU TRY YOUR MIX LOUDLY.

Always in the pursuit of perfect improvement.

Man, I love this place.