Suggestions to Pro Mix...

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Robertt8

Robertt8

Well-known member
Okay, well some of you may remember a month or so ago, I had a "professional" mix one of our songs, and i was less than impressed (especially because we paid for it, and it was full of static and unatural sounding instruments). I posted a comparable weblink that linked to both my mix and the "pro" mix. Well since then i've gotten a couple offers to remix it, and i took up one guys offer to take a stab at it for free...and here is the new "pro's" mix. This time i'm MUCH HAPPIER!

http://www.bagoftoysmusic.com/surfsong2/surfsong.html

I just figured I'd throw it up there for any suggestions. This is still a "rough draft", so the very beginning is hacked a bit, and the lead guitar is off a bit at the beginning, but that's the fault of the guitar player. I think i'd like to hear a little more reverb on that lead guitar at the beginning...that might help make up for his mess up, and give it a little more space.

This also has not been mastered, so it's just the raw mix that he said was about 90% there.

What do you guys think?

Thanks!
Robert Tait
http://www.bagoftoysmusic.com
robert@bagoftoysmusic.com
 
Catchy tune! I like the drum & bass sounds. The acoustics sound a little brittle to me. It sounds like the singer held back on the verses compared to the vocal parts on the chorus which makes the lyrics hard to understand during the verses (kind if mumbly). I'd ask the singer to open up more on the verses and focus on pronouncing each word clearly.
 
Got some nasty sibilance issues on the vox (pro mix)

Needs some dessing
 
I remember hearing your mix vs. the pro mix. I think the new pro mix is definately an improvement over the old pro mix and your mix. I don't hear that nasty sibilance that someone mentioned.
 
NUEMES: Thanks...I think, i could be wrong, but I'm guessing that the acoustics sounds a little brittle because of the necessary EQing to make everything sound better when it all comes in. Is there a way to get around this? Anyone know? unless you had two EQ settings for guitars, and switched to the "brittle" sound when everything was playing at the same time...hmmm.... Anyhoo, I'm the singer by the way, so when i'm singing that fast, it's a little hard to annunciate the words much clearer. Thanks for listening.

XFINSTERX: Huh...I'm not really noticing too much sibilance at all...especially anything that's bugging me. Is anyone else getting this? What are you listening to this on?

TRAVISINFLORIDA: Hey thanks for listening again! yeah, i was going to leave the other mix up there from the other "Pro" guy, but figured it was no contest, and no one's going to listen to all those versions anyway. And I agree. I notice absolutely no nasty sibilance.

Thanks guys! any other suggestions to the mix besides the phantom sibilance? I still feel like the mix seems a little too dry, or at least the lead guitar, but then again, i really don't know what the hell i'm talking about.
 
Listened again on diff speakers just to make sure and yes.
The vocals have a harshness to them in general.
Perhaps not a glaring ess per say, but a 6 to 8k harshness to them.
 
wacky...doesn't bother me at all...anyone else bothered by the "esses"?
 
Yeah i thought that your mix sounded better the last time as the pro mix's acoustic guitar was too brittle. Your bass was louder also but not as tight.
Now i think the pro mix sounds quite good. Cant hear the high end on the vox that XFINSTERX doesnt like. Vox are good. Ahhh maybe a bit on the chorus makes the vox stand out too much with the hi end maybe.
Good mix though. Maybe a few tweaks here and there. Put the guitaar solo in the middle not on the side.
 
ecktronic said:
Yeah i thought that your mix sounded better the last time as the pro mix's acoustic guitar was too brittle. Your bass was louder also but not as tight.
Now i think the pro mix sounds quite good. Cant hear the high end on the vox that XFINSTERX doesnt like. Vox are good. Ahhh maybe a bit on the chorus makes the vox stand out too much with the hi end maybe.
Good mix though. Maybe a few tweaks here and there. Put the guitaar solo in the middle not on the side.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ecktronic! any specific tweak advice besides the guitar solo?
 
Sorry to say but the start of the song sounds quite amatureish before the vocals kick in. I can hear the room the acoustic guitars were recorded in im sure (more so with the lead acoustic). If you can re-track i would mic the acoustics up as close as possible and add some digital reverb at mix down. But once the vocals come in its not so noticeable. The kick drum needs some work to bring it out a bit more. Try cutting some mids and boosting some highs and maybe even cut some lo los. Not sure if the doubling on the vox works for this style of music it just kinda sticks out as not being right. The chorus could do with being more lively than the verses. You could use volume boost at choruses or take some guitars out of the verses or better add some more guitars at the choruses. Layer the guitars playing different versions of the same chords which will give the chorus more impact which will fit with the vocals and the feel of the song. And might make the doubled vox work better with the stronger instrumentation.
Sorry to grill your mix, but im just trying to help.
 
whoa! lots o' feedback! The start of the tune (guitar intro) could use some reverb, and the fact that his timing is off doesn't help. we're actually re-recording a bunch of this tune for timing issues. Doubling of the vocals sounds fine with me, so we'll most likely be keeping that. I would like to see choruses with a bit more pop...not sure how to do that. i want to keep the guitars fairly sparse. I don't want the "wall of guitars" sound. thats exactly what i don't want. and don't worry...you're not grilling the mix. just offering oppinions...that's all...
:)
 
If it were mine, which it is'nt and is much better than anything I have accomplished so far, I would retrack the first few lead guitar parts and call it done. Maybe give the kick a little definition. It's there, but not pronounced at all.
 
Hey thanks Trav...interestingly enough, we're going to retrack most of this song. we noticed too many timing issues including the lead guitar being off at the intro. I'd also like to see more reverb on the lead guitar and snare. I think that might help to get a little more depth. we'll also look into that bass drum issue. it presonally doesn't bother me that much being no overly defined. as long as it's got a low end thump, i'm pretty happy, but that will be retracked too.

Thanks!
robert tait
 
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