Overproduced post-hardcore/screamo critique

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steve Henningsgard
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Steve Henningsgard

Steve Henningsgard

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Let me preface this post by saying that this band was going for a mixture between that super-produced pop sound everyone's going for, with a dirtier DIY sound. Additionally, they asked me to make it as loud as possible, which always does fantastic things to the mix.

That said, I'm pretty proud of this one. Tracked in their practice space, mixed in my bedroom, mastered at the studio I started working at after tracking/mixing this project.



Thoughts? I realize the band themselves aren't likely to be most HR.com readers' particular cup of tea, so let's focus on the recording itself if possible :p

My notes -
- Autotune was a little hack n' slash (I got better at it after doing this project)
- Drums could cut more
- If I'm going to make stuff this loud, I'll have to get better at cutting out excessive/unimportant frequencies, as the limiter dirtied stuff up a little more than I would've wanted it to
- Low end is less clean than I would've liked
 
Working with your constraints, to tell you the truth, you didn't do a bad job at all. Also, you pretty much nailed everything I would have noted. One more thing, I can clearly hear the compression pumping like crazy on the drums - and that kind of sucks. *sigh* This thing is way too loud. I quit listening before it ended because of the constant barrage of sound. Quite irritating.

Good job, though, dude, and congrats on landing an audio-based job! Dream come true, right there.
 
Yeah, I'd say the mix is pretty good. I'm listening on cheapish headphones (which is better than 90% of these guys' target audience will be using), and I didn't really notice any nits. I could maybe hear the drums pumping like PI said if I listened for it.

What's with the cut-off at the end?

The song itsself is pretty boring though. You should tell them to write better songs! :D
 
Agree 1000% on the over-compression: I had it just a couple of dB quieter, and they complained (still destroyed at that point), so I said fuck it. I would've had to go back into the mix to take some of the woofier kick frequencies out, along with much of anything below 40hz (which is what's making it pump). The 16 year old girls this is marketed towards probably won't give a shit, but it makes me sad to have to do this to music. Like you said though, 'tis a job and I'm glad to have it!

The song fades into another song (I have a "single" version of it I should've put up instead: whoops!)

The band has a few better songs, but on the off-chance someone connects this with the band in question, this is the 'single' they just released, and so it shouldn't hurt anything to put up (the record's not released yet).
 
I thought it was pretty good. Good singer. Drums cut through just fine I thought. Didn't like the machine-gun playing.

I think you could probably push up the bass a bit. Seemed like the low end was lacking just a bit.
 
i could only listen to the first 30 seconds. The mix is tight, so you did your job well. The band is horribly generic and after a few seconds of whining i just said fuck this. However, what i will say positive is, as much as i loathe this bubble gum, your (over)production is very good. i don't agree with their overall sound, but i certainly can't mix that well. so, good job.
 
Steve Henningsgard said:
The 16 year old girls this is marketed towards probably won't give a shit,
Click to expand...

I must be going to the wrong metalcore shows then, because everyone I've ever attended was a total sausage feast! :'(

Oh wait... 16? Maybe I shouldn't be going to those shows...

:D
 
Works for me dude--nice job. I kinda like crushed/loud in this genre, and you've done it well here. Even as smashed as it is, everything maintains it's place in the mix.
 
Yep good mix. I thought the snare faded into obscurity in places - probably a casualty of the compression/limiting
 
as much as i tend to heartlessly slam this genre, as i mentioned i dig what you have done with the mix... if you don't mind my asking, i am interested in what kind of treatment you used on the drums... i've heard this type of production all over the place, and I'd imagine that the kick and snare are most likely just heavily compressed...would you mind giving up any secrets?
 
jsebastiano said:
as much as i tend to heartlessly slam this genre, as i mentioned i dig what you have done with the mix... if you don't mind my asking, i am interested in what kind of treatment you used on the drums... i've heard this type of production all over the place, and I'd imagine that the kick and snare are most likely just heavily compressed...would you mind giving up any secrets?
Click to expand...

No secrets really: super-heavy editing (as in, every hit on the grid), and 90% resampling of the kick/snare make up the "heart" of the drum sound.

Cheers!
 
Listening to the second song, it clicked for me!

This is emo! Throw it in audacity and speed it up 50%! Some random teenager angsting about girls? Boring! Alvin and the Chipmunks singing about cutting themselves to sleep at night? Amazing!

Turbo emo = the best genre ever!
 
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