How is this metal mix?

[metalhead28]

This is a band I'm working with lately.
I have yet to record their guitar solos or vocals because we've been having some delays getting them back in the studio, but I've been trying to get a mix ready up to that point just to hopefully save some time.

What do you guys think of the mix so far?

 

[Dogman]

Good guitar tone, and drums seem well done. Nice playing...they sound pretty good. I wish my shit sounded that good....

It will be cool to hear how it sounds finished. Seems like a cool tune man....

 

[metalhead28]

Thanks Captain Insano!

 

[Decay]

Bear in mind that I'm not listening on my monitors right now. However, you seem to have acheived a nice balance and seperation between the various instruments. The guitar and bass tones complement each other nicely. The cymbals could probably be a tad more upfront. The kick-drum packs a nice punch; the the double pedal runs come across very clearly. Good job so far, man.

 

[DavidK]

Sounds very good. Personally I dont like the kick, not enough "boom" for my tastes. I am listening on new monitors (krk) and I am not used to them, but the kick is dominating the mix and I am very aware of it. Too aware.

The tune itself is cool, I look forward to the finished product.

 

[inmyheartx]

Sounds pretty good man. Is the kick triggered? Drumagog or something?

Take care,
Adam.

 

[Blor007]

Hi hi,

typing as I'm listening

First impression: Goddamnit what nice recording/mixing skills

Some nitpicking:

Toms could benefit from less muddyness in the beginning, with the music in the middle of the song they sound perfect !
Altough they might not form a unit with the kickdrum


This sounds fucking pro too me apart from the speeding up around 50seconds.
Was this intentional, did they play on a clicktrack?


And my god how did you record those guitars?(guitar-amp-signal-chain-processing?)
I'm really fighting against myself to get such a tone... any chance we'll be able to hear them clean (out of the mix)?


Good job !

 

[metalhead28]

Hi hi,

typing as I'm listening

First impression: Goddamnit what nice recording/mixing skills

Some nitpicking:

Toms could benefit from less muddyness in the beginning, with the music in the middle of the song they sound perfect !
Altough they might not form a unit with the kickdrum


This sounds fucking pro too me apart from the speeding up around 50seconds.
Was this intentional, did they play on a clicktrack?


And my god how did you record those guitars?(guitar-amp-signal-chain-processing?)
I'm really fighting against myself to get such a tone... any chance we'll be able to hear them clean (out of the mix)?


Good job !

Thanks. I have also noticed that the toms are a little much at times, some automation is in order.

Haha, I was wondering how obvious the speeding up thing would be to everybody. I tried like hell to get these guys to record to a click but the drummer just couldn't do it. I tried to get them on track a little better but this is just their little quirk I guess. Out of 9 songs they've done, this is probably the worst example...but it was the shortest song so it was the first one I finished . They decided that they didn't mind the tempo problem - (they thought no one would notice....you have proven them wrong and proven my point! )

The guitars break down like this:
2 tracks using a 5150 II through a Marshall 2x12 cab, a single 57 straight in, right on the grille, and pointing at the edge of the dustcap (about 1 1/2" out of center).
Then I had them do 2 more tracks with basically the same set-up but with the mic slightly closer to the center of the speaker and a little more bite dialed in on the amp. I used an MXR Wylde overdrive for a clean boost.
All 4 tracks were through a Brent Averill 312a pre.

Processing wise there is a little EQ, just a Db or 2 here and there to get rid of annoying resonances, nothing drastic, and a HP filter at around 80 Hz.
I've got just a little touch of the guitar sound sent to a reverb bus with some other elements of the mix just to keep it from sounding too terribly dry.

If I can remember I'll do a mix down of just the guitar tracks.

 

[TelePaul]

This is awesome. Kick drums is a little too upfront for me, but that might be because I'm not used to this style of music...seems to get kinda annoying around the two minute mark where it gets constant. My two cents though. Very very tight sound, very well tracked. Are they putting vox over it?

 

[metalhead28]

This is awesome. Kick drums is a little too upfront for me, but that might be because I'm not used to this style of music...seems to get kinda annoying around the two minute mark where it gets constant. My two cents though. Very very tight sound, very well tracked. Are they putting vox over it?

Thanks!
Yes, they'll be doing vocals in the next week or two. Also guitar solos, this song gets one during that mellower section around 1:35.

 

[PhilR]

Guitar sound is great. Not so keen on the cleanliness of the bass sound but thats just my personal preference.

Only gripe I have with the drums is that the toms and kicks are so much more up front compared to the cymbals and snare it sounds a little disproportionate to my ears...

 

[Chris.]

I listen to a ton of metal just for a little listening background. Haha.

I think the kick is actually a little too upfront. Other than that the guitars sound great. I'm listening for the bass guitar and can't hear it at all. Don't know if you have it blended with the normal tracks or if it has anything worthy of standing out for.

 

[Blor007]

Hi hi did a second listen:

-It could use some more bass to fill up the lower section
-The bassguitar sound at 1.05 is quite cardboard sounding.
I think it's the bass guitar tough, and in the rest of the song it blends nicely with the guitars altough you could probably extend the whole sound by adding some bass.
-Sometimes the snare has some less ''pure'' hits, might wanna put a sample on that. I only notice it when I listen realllyy carefull so there is really no need for it but it might have some benefits to it
Your clients will like it more for sure altough it's a bit of cheating


Once recorded with a BC rich , I'd rather use a Gibson with an octave lower than that crap


Anyho the temposwitch is quite obvious, also the guitars sometimes go out of tempo.(due to the tempo switches)

It just emphazises that you CAN get a nice sound even without supertight players

 

[Calwood]

You siad that there will be leads and vox,..so,..it's kinda hard to tell if this mix will work or not. Having said that,..I'm agreeing with some earlier comments about the bass sounding boxy and the kick too far out front. I know that the kick does stick way out there in metal but,..I dunno,..maybe some different eq so it doesnt fatigue the ear as much and make the listener focus on it so much.
It could go either way though,...with a well tracked vocal and the right singer,..this mix could be perfect. As an instrumental,..meaning if this was all there was gonna be,..It would definitely need to be a more powerful mix.

Hope it works out for ya.

Take 'er easy,..
calwood

 

[Sonixx]

that's pretty cool...

just a couple of observations

seems bottom lite

the kick has a lot of click but not much more, maybe due to an overall bottom liteness

the bass is fairly hidden... it's there but like the kick no umph...

several places the playing seems slightly out of sync

the mids and top sound fairly smooth

mix overall is pretty dry... not a criticism. I generally prefer more depth

still nice though...

 

[Freudian Slip]

Sounds very cool. I'd agree with the being up front a bit too much. Mainly at the begining though. It seems to fit better later. Guit's sound great. During the disinant part I'd like to hear a hair more 2-2.5k bit to bring out the disinance but lifes a compromise and I thinks over all you have the sound
Harmonics stand out with out being shrill.


Very nice

F.S.

 

[bigbubba]

Sounds cool.

The mix sounds real nice.
The guitars sound very cool.
The tempo change was obvious enough to where it sound like they might speed up but just went back.
The kick is a tad upfront, although I don't mind it.
The bass could be fattened up slightly.
The guitar tone is real cool.

 

[jamtheguitarman]

i would echo the thoughts on the kick drum lacking a little thud and being just a tad too clicky for my tastes.

sounds altogether sweeeeeeet though!!! guitars

 

[ecktronic]

The mix sounds nice and clear.
THe bass sticks out a bit much at the start. You could try fading in the notes so there is less attack on the notes. I do this quite alot on bass and clean guitars. The kick is overpowering. Could be brought down a good deal.
Guitar tones are real nice.
OHs are nice.
The snare seems a bit weak.
You could get away with more lo end on the bass and maybe kick to beef up the track.
Nice though.

Eck

 

[ecktronic]

Just to add:
There seems like too much hi mids on the bass guitar. Around the 3K mark. Could be the way it was recorded or the way you miced it by trying to make it stand out. I would cut the 3K and boost aroun 500Hz and around 100-150 if t doesnt end up sounding muddy or boomy. Also boost the lo end a good deal.

Eck