Is this mix too compressed?

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New mix is better. I like the tone shift in the guitars around 0:25.

It's still super-compressed; I can feel it pumping.

Drums are definitely a better match tho.
 
VomitHatSteve said:
New mix is better. I like the tone shift in the guitars around 0:25.

It's still super-compressed; I can feel it pumping.

Drums are definitely a better match tho.
Click to expand...

Noted! Thank you. That compression is kicking my ass! I'll go back at it this weekend and try some new stuff. Maybe I'll try a different compressor. Right now I'm using the Ozone 5 maximizer. I'm pretty sure there are better plug-ins out there. I'll do some digging.
 
It is am improvement for sure. I like the flow and the general feel of the tune.

The new mix sounds a little dark on my system. I really like the lower mids you have on the guitars but to me it's like the upper frequencies aren't matching it.
 
Yea Ozone is a good tool, just make sure that your peaks aren't going into it at any more than -5 to -3 dB at the most, and just enough threshold to see your peaks loped off at -1, 2 or 3
 
The kick drum sounds less compressed but not a lot and it doesn't have any bottom end in it - all beater and no boom.
 
I was able to do some extensive work on this today. I think I've made a lot of progress. I really think I nailed the sound I was hoping to get out of this. This is going to be the last update for a while since I will be tracking vocals. Thanks for all of your advice guys, it really helped. It always does. ;) Any further advice or critiques are always welcome. Here is the new mix:
 
I decided to go back and make one more mix before I record vocals this weekend. I know you're probably tired of hearing the same song over and over again... I'm sorry. I just want to make sure I'm on the right track. Here's the new mix:
 
I only listened to these in headphones, and I haven’t read all three pages preceding this mix.

I saw you began asking if this mix is too compressed. I suppose that’s a question of both subjective and objective values, the latter primarily regarding the nasty side effects of too much compression. I often find myself metering my mix at different stages with TT-meter/dpmeter/melda’s mloudness and staring at gain-reduction/limiting needles. I aim for just enough to glue things together, unless I want some nasty side effects for say NY compression or the like. The latter is about taste, the former about things that can make things uncomfortable to listen to. I did not find your mix uncomfortable to listen too, so no – in my view, it doesn’t appear to be objectively overcompressed.

Subjectively, I think it could have more of a dynamic range between the quieter and louder parts – you get a lot more bang for your bucks if the chorus begins with a huge, contrasting bang. In my view, it doesn’t. That rather huge kick might have something to do with it, but the performance might also not allow for a lot more dynamic range – what do I know. Everything else quiets down some, except the drums which sound pretty constant to me. Simply trimming those during the verse, and maybe rolling back on the click of the kick, could help out. I'm thinking mainly snare and kick. Any way to make the ghosting and full on hits less contrasting on the verses? Hit a bit down, ghosting a fraction up?

That said, with vocals I might change my opinion entirely! So I'd say add vocals, then have a listen.

Note that I’m not commenting on anything else, because I find everything else pleasing! Guitar sound is like an angry wasp, but not uncomfortably so – I like it. Very angry and frantic :)
 
Haven't heard this since the first iteration but there's a big improvement. The compression problem overall is corrected. The focus on the snare and kick is quite apparent but a matter of choice not a problem in my mind. It's a sound synonymous with modern metal-ish music. There's lots of room for vocals in the center so I think the foundation is set.
 
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