My mix feels loaded, any help?

A

AsiHaAce

New member
I am currently mixing a drill song, and the mix feels loaded and a bit muffled.
The vocals and the 808s both feel way too loud yet not loud enough at some points, and in general it's kind of feeling like a lot of the tracks are fighting for dominance in the mix.
I added the track for you to listen, hopefully some of you will be able to tell what the problem is exactly.
Thanks!
 

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  • LirkodImCochavim (online-audio-converter.com).mp3
    3.8 MB
I agree . . . there is no space in the mix, the 808 is distorting, and the vocals are unclear.

So . . . start off with just the 808. Get that behaving itself nicely. Then add the vocal line. You ought to be able to get a good sound with just these two elements. Then bring the other stuff up, but just enough to have a presence. Not every instrument has to have prominence.
 
Distortion on vocals is directly fighting for space with other things in mix like I dunno what it is a closed hh? Distortion is white noise, huh cymbals fuzz box all white noise, clear out some room for the vocals if you want to keep distortion on vocal track which adds sense of urgency you need to give it some room, kick clean it up, subtractive eq and everything doesn’t need distortion. Sounds like a cool tune once you get it tweaked and mixed it’s gonna be a killer track imho
 
You might want to ask a mod to move this to the mp3 clinic.

I'm noticing that everything is trying to be in the center - both panning wise and in terms of EQ. Pan some things out a little bit, and notch out the mid frequencies on a lot of the instruments.
 
It also looks to me like something in the lower register (the kick drum most likely) is completely overdone.
Notice the flat topped wave form. Completely distorted, to the point that it crushes everything else.

AsiHaAce.jpg

I would first remix with EVERYTHING turned down. Then start looking at EQ curves, etc.
 
Dude I guess you have to solve one problem at a time:

- I hear the main keys which are actually set at a good volume for the first notes, then the higher notes come in super loud! If you got 'em in the same track try to compress everything, otherwise just turn those high notes down. (I can hear the same problem even in the choirs and other instruments)

- The 808 is extremely distorted and I couldn't hear any sub on it

- Voice also is very distorted / crushed, but I think this is a rec problem..

Can you attach the beat only?
 
.... any "cut" with low pass and hi pass filters ?
(the most used eq type by top engineers..., original vintage analog pultec apart..)

...and yesss, as "gecko zzed" wrote , is a good thing start with most important track that have to "dominate"
over any other tracks of the mix .

and if an alternating of tracks to stay over the others is requireq
use the automation !!!

remember that The Dark Side Of Moon (...one at random , of the albums that have also won Grammy for the sound ,
..still one of the records that sound really amazing !!! and used as reference by many engineers..)
was mixed with the hands of 2,3,4,.. members of the band + the 2 hands , the ears ,) and the supervision of the chief engineer,

reason why the fader automation (hardware before the software one) was invented...
and especially for the strong demand of post production studios (movies sound require very lot of tracks)
and also the state tv and radio
that transmitted in real time the performances of symphony orchestras (64 musicians , each with dedicated channel,mic,etc..)
and also concerts of other genres of music .

cheers
 
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For a professional mix (non-blended), no more than three front voices at a time. And each track should have a dominant frequency that does not compete against another. Separate by panning any tracks with a similar frequencies. If your project is overproduced, consider thinning out parts. Too many voices makes for a bloated recording. Whoever mixes down Don Henly's work knows his stuff.
 
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