ecktronic
Mixing and Mastering.
I posted this a while back and am just looking for a few more comments on the mix quality. One thing i know is wrong. 
Song "BLINDED"
click on link at bottom.
Song "BLINDED"
click on link at bottom.
ecktronic
Mixing and Mastering.
Up ya go.
true-eurt
Maneater
For some reason my puter would not let me download this.????
ecktronic
Mixing and Mastering.
Strange. Fancy trying again please?true-eurt said:
ecktronic
Mixing and Mastering.
Last time. Just a wee comment please?
J
james_macka
New member
I only had chance to give it a quick listen as I'm in a bit of a hurry!
Upon first glance, it sounded nice overall.
The main thing that I feel I would alter is the distorted guitar sound. It sounds quite muddy, un-defined & bass heavy. Maybe a little scooped too.
This maybe the sound your going for, I really don't know, but some tips I've picked up along the way (For heavy distorted guitar tones) that I would be lost without.. They may help:
- Lay off the gain!! I find I only need about 50%/60% of the gain when recording that I’d use in a live situation. It seems to really benefit and gives so much more clarity.
- Leave space in the low end for the bass & kick to take care of! Don't go O.T.T on the guitar's low end!
- Plenty of mids.. A classic error is to scoop the mids to get a really heavy sound, but ultimately this will damage the clarity of the whole mix, especially if your layering numerous guitars in this fashion. Mids are essential!
I found that the kit sound worked well in the early and late stages of the song, but the kick drum got a little lost when the heavy distorted sound came in.
This may be helped if the guitars in this section are sorted out using the methods above... But the kick itself may need work too - The low-end punch seems fine, but a little boost to the highs may benefit in emphasising the 'click' and therefore, may help it to cut through a little better in this part of the song.
I'd personally alter the snare ever so slightly as well... Maybe try for a tad more of a 'snappy' and sharper sound.
Usually I’d achieve this by fiddling with extra compression & E.Q, but I have never worked with a drummer like the one on your track. He has some very detailed snare work in places with rim shots and the like... I'm not sure how heavier compression would work with these details.
If I had this mix at home, I'd slap on a BBE Sonic Maximizer plug-in on the snare & boost the 'process' function to increase the high mid/high range until satisfied... Seems to have worked for me in the past, but I don't know if you have access to this plug-in?
Hope this helps a bit, the above is just thoughts on how I’d personally work with it! I really don't know if you or other people will share my ideas!
Good luck with it, you've got good foundations to work on!
James.
Upon first glance, it sounded nice overall.
The main thing that I feel I would alter is the distorted guitar sound. It sounds quite muddy, un-defined & bass heavy. Maybe a little scooped too.
This maybe the sound your going for, I really don't know, but some tips I've picked up along the way (For heavy distorted guitar tones) that I would be lost without.. They may help:
- Lay off the gain!! I find I only need about 50%/60% of the gain when recording that I’d use in a live situation. It seems to really benefit and gives so much more clarity.
- Leave space in the low end for the bass & kick to take care of! Don't go O.T.T on the guitar's low end!
- Plenty of mids.. A classic error is to scoop the mids to get a really heavy sound, but ultimately this will damage the clarity of the whole mix, especially if your layering numerous guitars in this fashion. Mids are essential!
I found that the kit sound worked well in the early and late stages of the song, but the kick drum got a little lost when the heavy distorted sound came in.
This may be helped if the guitars in this section are sorted out using the methods above... But the kick itself may need work too - The low-end punch seems fine, but a little boost to the highs may benefit in emphasising the 'click' and therefore, may help it to cut through a little better in this part of the song.
I'd personally alter the snare ever so slightly as well... Maybe try for a tad more of a 'snappy' and sharper sound.
Usually I’d achieve this by fiddling with extra compression & E.Q, but I have never worked with a drummer like the one on your track. He has some very detailed snare work in places with rim shots and the like... I'm not sure how heavier compression would work with these details.
If I had this mix at home, I'd slap on a BBE Sonic Maximizer plug-in on the snare & boost the 'process' function to increase the high mid/high range until satisfied... Seems to have worked for me in the past, but I don't know if you have access to this plug-in?
Hope this helps a bit, the above is just thoughts on how I’d personally work with it! I really don't know if you or other people will share my ideas!
Good luck with it, you've got good foundations to work on!
James.
ecktronic
Mixing and Mastering.
Thanks alot James. I think the snare has alot of snap and definition although i think it is too hi a pitch sound. Thats prob because i mixed the bottom mic in too much. Might give sonic maximiser on the snare a go. I dont that plug-in use it that much.
I am finding it hard to get the distorted guitars sounding good.
I think the kick drum is pretty present most of the song, but it definetly could do with alot of work and soes get lost a bit. ( could be the drummers dynamics) It is about 6 samples of a live recording i did a while back! I changed the dynamics to fit exactly with the original kick drum, took me fekin ages!
You are right about the guitars being a bit muddy but i had to get rid of alot of high end and 5K because the guitars sounded really fizlley and ear fatiguing. I need to work on getting the guitars better at source before tracking. I do though like the lo end on the guitars as it adds soo much meat. I did this because people said that my other mixes were a little thin because of the guitars.
Im in the studio for my last time in a few weeks and i am going to try something a bit different. For the kick drum i am using 3 mics! snare 3 mics!
Kick will have an SM58 right at the skin in the drum. A D112 at the end of the drum and also another drum taped onto the drum and another D112 placed at the outside of the second drum. Im trying to get that "Perfect circle" sound. Reverby at quiet parts.
For snare SM57 on top SM 57 on bottom and maybe a C1000 at the hole at the side of the drum.
Cheers James. Youve been a good help man.
Ill post my new mix once it is ready.
I am finding it hard to get the distorted guitars sounding good.
I think the kick drum is pretty present most of the song, but it definetly could do with alot of work and soes get lost a bit. ( could be the drummers dynamics) It is about 6 samples of a live recording i did a while back! I changed the dynamics to fit exactly with the original kick drum, took me fekin ages!
You are right about the guitars being a bit muddy but i had to get rid of alot of high end and 5K because the guitars sounded really fizlley and ear fatiguing. I need to work on getting the guitars better at source before tracking. I do though like the lo end on the guitars as it adds soo much meat. I did this because people said that my other mixes were a little thin because of the guitars.
Im in the studio for my last time in a few weeks and i am going to try something a bit different. For the kick drum i am using 3 mics! snare 3 mics!
Kick will have an SM58 right at the skin in the drum. A D112 at the end of the drum and also another drum taped onto the drum and another D112 placed at the outside of the second drum. Im trying to get that "Perfect circle" sound. Reverby at quiet parts.
For snare SM57 on top SM 57 on bottom and maybe a C1000 at the hole at the side of the drum.
Cheers James. Youve been a good help man.
Ill post my new mix once it is ready.
J
james_macka
New member
Sounds cool!
Heavy Guitar sounds are definatley a hard subject to tackle.. It can be very frustrating
With differant guitarist's amps providing such differant tones, it really is a new ball game everytime you stick a mic or two infront of the buggers!
I find generally starting with an SM57 and/or my Studio Projects B1 about an inch or so away from the cloth, pointing at about a 45 degree angle towards the outside of the speaker cone is a good basis for beginning.
I use BBE Sonic Maximizer all over the place, I'd be lost without that plugin!... It gets used on literally everything!
I use it on Bass, Distorted guitars & pretty much the whole kit. Also a touch on the final mix if needed!
Cheers bud,
James.
Heavy Guitar sounds are definatley a hard subject to tackle.. It can be very frustrating
With differant guitarist's amps providing such differant tones, it really is a new ball game everytime you stick a mic or two infront of the buggers!
I find generally starting with an SM57 and/or my Studio Projects B1 about an inch or so away from the cloth, pointing at about a 45 degree angle towards the outside of the speaker cone is a good basis for beginning.
I use BBE Sonic Maximizer all over the place, I'd be lost without that plugin!... It gets used on literally everything!
I use it on Bass, Distorted guitars & pretty much the whole kit. Also a touch on the final mix if needed!
Cheers bud,
James.
X
XLR
______
Love the song ecktronic. Early Sunday morning here, typical Seattle morning -cloudy and a little gloomy- and the song fits right. I'm listening on h.phones so I'm getting that limited perspective they give.
The main vocal is an excellent performance IMO, even though the high notes are sometimes a little flat (hey, just cheat and autotune those spots). I like the L/R guitar playing in the first section but they're a litte bright, at least in my cans. Good level balance there. Bass sound excellent when it comes in, tone and the line. Drummer's great in the heavier section but when he first comes in before the buildup in the arr., the rhythm he's doing, while very well executed, IMO detracts from the existing rhythms in the arr. there re the drummer's emphasis on the 2nd 8th note (I'm hearing it in slow 4/4 time). At the higher intensity at 1:09 the drums are excellent and I'd like to hear the toms (cool rolling triplets there) maybe a little more, but they sound really good. The BG vocal sounds really good when the two voices are in close harmony, especially at :24, and that moment really grabs me. I'm saying "really" too much and I do that when I really like a song.
Don't like the BG vocal as much when it's going a lot higher though. I think the counterpoint effect detracts from the main vocal's impact a little.
I'd prefer it less compressed (everything less compressed - parts and mix) and with more realistic levels. Maybe my hearing of the compression is affected by the h.phones though. The first section of the piece is emotionally strong but the impact would be greater if, when the heavy section came in it was actually physically a lot louder. It's like what I'm hearing at the moment in the song affects my sense of what I heard a little earlier in it if that makes sense.
Good song.
Tim
The main vocal is an excellent performance IMO, even though the high notes are sometimes a little flat (hey, just cheat and autotune those spots). I like the L/R guitar playing in the first section but they're a litte bright, at least in my cans. Good level balance there. Bass sound excellent when it comes in, tone and the line. Drummer's great in the heavier section but when he first comes in before the buildup in the arr., the rhythm he's doing, while very well executed, IMO detracts from the existing rhythms in the arr. there re the drummer's emphasis on the 2nd 8th note (I'm hearing it in slow 4/4 time). At the higher intensity at 1:09 the drums are excellent and I'd like to hear the toms (cool rolling triplets there) maybe a little more, but they sound really good. The BG vocal sounds really good when the two voices are in close harmony, especially at :24, and that moment really grabs me. I'm saying "really" too much and I do that when I really like a song.
Don't like the BG vocal as much when it's going a lot higher though. I think the counterpoint effect detracts from the main vocal's impact a little. I'd prefer it less compressed (everything less compressed - parts and mix) and with more realistic levels. Maybe my hearing of the compression is affected by the h.phones though. The first section of the piece is emotionally strong but the impact would be greater if, when the heavy section came in it was actually physically a lot louder. It's like what I'm hearing at the moment in the song affects my sense of what I heard a little earlier in it if that makes sense.
Good song.
Tim
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ecktronic
Mixing and Mastering.
Thanks alot Tim. Im kinda with you on the heaviness not being impacting enough. By the way i didnt compress at mastering... ahh have to go i will finish this later.
ecktronic
Mixing and Mastering.
I used compression on the vocals and bass and some on the kik and snare and toms. Thats all. I am remixing this again soon (a few weeks time). I will make a point of making sure that the song has more impace going from quiet to heavy as this is what some of my mixes are lacking.
If you are talking about the Back vox that copies the main vox at 42-1:05 secs then you are right I am getting rid of that when i touch up the mix. Might keep it in the second chorus though, not sure, might need to record some more backing vox or something to fill it out.
Cheers for the listen and comments.
If you are talking about the Back vox that copies the main vox at 42-1:05 secs then you are right I am getting rid of that when i touch up the mix. Might keep it in the second chorus though, not sure, might need to record some more backing vox or something to fill it out.
Cheers for the listen and comments.