Anybody up for a quick mix critique?

  • Hi guys and girls,


    I'm currently working on the mix for my next song. I've done the basic mix (EQ, compression, space etc), but no sweetening or fun things. I need to get some feedback before proceeding, I think, and I hope some of you are willing to give a listen and give me some feedback :)


    It's a hard rock track, all guitars and bass done with the kemper (obviously! ;-)).



    NB! Newest mix in later post - I've kept the "original" here for context if anybody reads through the comments for the first mix.See here: Anybody up for a quick mix critique?



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    Don't hold back!

  • Great job! The track has some old-school Rock swagger :)


    Using factory iPhone earbuds (so, not a definitive listening environment), I can offer two minor suggestions:


    I would like to hear a little more "crack" in the snare drum (or, perhaps a little more prescence in all the drums.) But, if you are going for a '70s drum sound, nevermind.


    The second guitar that comes in(the right channel?) seems to be a little dominant over the other guitar part, and may also work better if it is a little quieter during the solo.

  • A few thoughts on a first listen ,be aware that I'm far from being a real sound engineer :


    • bass is barely audible, maybe it's your intend ?


    • drums sounds much more prominent and bright in the 2nd part after the break. Maybe the guitars in the 1st part eat to much band. I would just pan doubled rhythm guitars a bit more on the left and right instead of putting more gain on drums.
    • the solo g fills (2:00) are too much buried in the background, they would benefit from a small delay , some brighter EQ or a different panning. Solocould be treated in a same way.
    • Voice could breath a little more ( verb, delay, brighter mix ...) it's very direct this way, but I like it.
    • other than that , track is well setup , voice is on a good level vs guitars. Overall mix may be a tad dark , but I like a clear and bright mix so I'm biased on highs.


    just my 2 cents , keep on the good work :)

  • Awesome in my opinion. I don't know nearly as much about mixing than other guitar/amp/pickup related stuff, but for my taste I would give the drums some more high end presence. That's monitoring through my JBLs.

  • Hi Michael,


    I agree with paults concerning the second guitar. It eats up a portion of frequencies (the first guitar does not!) that could do something for the "voice in your face" sound that might enhance the presence of the voice in the mix. As it is the voice seems to hide behind the dominant instruments. Maybe, I'm not really sure, this will also enhance the presence of the drums and the bass namely the snare drum. In my (humble) experience I often had better results by re- equing tracks when all tracks deliver than by merely dial in more volume. Since you already done the eq side of things this may not be very helpful to you.


    Greetings
    Joachim

  • I am away from home so I can hardly listen to it in any acceptable way. Still, I find it a tad dark and with less stereo separation than I would go for. But I did like it. Since it is a "rollercoaster" rock you might give it more dynamics? And the bass seems too buried in the mix. But this may be due to the bad listening conditions in my case, so it may sound superb with better monitoring! Cool rock track. Keep it up.

    Never too old for rock'n'roll

  • Sounds good through my Mackie Monitors. I agree with Paults' sentiment about wanting a bit more of the snare crack. The snare feels a little buried. The snare could seem to use a bit more space (maybe some more verb and more high freqs). Overall though, I like the song and the mix, and whatever profiles you're using here sound great!

  • Listening in the studio at work. Seems a bit dark overall. Especially noticeable once the drums kick in at the start, though the ride in the chorus helps to bring the overall impression up a bit. As for someone commenting that they can't hear the bass, I think it's because it plays a couple of lines that dub the guitars in the chorus that are an octave over where the initial fundamental is; it gives the impression that the bass suddenly stops playing. I'd be tempted to rerecord the bass in the chorus and try to stick to the lower octave if you can, as it's the chorus that needs to feel powerful and the low end emphasises power. A trick to making the chorus sound "louder" and more exciting would be to fade up a send of the drum buss with extra heavy compression on it. Just a little to get the cymbals to pump a bit. Psycho-acoustically it again gives the impression of more power and "loudness". Personally, I think overall it's a bit dry-sounding. You can pump up the "space" without losing too much of the directness. Right now it sounds to me to be a bit "final day of tracking monitor mix"-ish, if that makes sense? Overall though, a great start and a solid platform to build on :) Well done, min danske ven!

  • Thanks, everybody! It seems like there is a lot of consensus regarding what needs to be done - I'm glad! :)

    Listening in the studio at work. Seems a bit dark overall. Especially noticeable once the drums kick in at the start, though the ride in the chorus helps to bring the overall impression up a bit. As for someone commenting that they can't hear the bass, I think it's because it plays a couple of lines that dub the guitars in the chorus that are an octave over where the initial fundamental is; it gives the impression that the bass suddenly stops playing. I'd be tempted to rerecord the bass in the chorus and try to stick to the lower octave if you can, as it's the chorus that needs to feel powerful and the low end emphasises power. A trick to making the chorus sound "louder" and more exciting would be to fade up a send of the drum buss with extra heavy compression on it. Just a little to get the cymbals to pump a bit. Psycho-acoustically it again gives the impression of more power and "loudness". Personally, I think overall it's a bit dry-sounding. You can pump up the "space" without losing too much of the directness. Right now it sounds to me to be a bit "final day of tracking monitor mix"-ish, if that makes sense? Overall though, a great start and a solid platform to build on Well done, min danske ven!

    Tusind tak :)


    When you say that the mix is overall dry-sounding, where would you go to alleviate this - as in, which tracks? Reverb/space is not my strongest skill, so I tend to err on the side of caution. Vocals and drums are of course the obvious candidates; but do you feel that eg. the guitars also need more space? (everybody is welcome to chime in of course :-))


    Any further input regarding reverb/delay is appreciated :)

  • When panning I always check thru monitors and headphones, and try to reach a compromise so that thru phones panning is a tad exaggerated but not too much.

    Never too old for rock'n'roll

  • I won't try to make judgements using my CrapMac™ speaker, Michael - not for your level of mixing ability.


    I just wanted to ask:


    Have you used the portable Daft Punk headgear / fridge for your Vox yet, and if so, do you have any feedback on it, mate?

    Yeah, I've used it on the recording here.
    While there are some things I'm battling with regards to resonances in the lower registers (that are a bit difficult to dial out), I felt more confident in singing loud here in my apartment.
    The sound does suffer, but the performance benefits. For me and in my situation, the tradeoff seems to be in favour of the thingy (even though the price is fairly steep for what it is). If I had the time and a workspace I'd have made my own with more insulation and less hard surface behind the panels themselves (ie. on the outside).

  • OK, new mix up based on your recommendations and my ears. I am very curious to hear if things have improved! :)


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  • Thank you, Michael.


    So, my suspicions and scepticism are both confirmed through your experience. It's therefore as we expected - compromised accuracy in lieu of increased confidence whilst performing.


    Given what I originally said I heard through the CrapMac™ speaker when analysing demo clip/s from the site, and now your first-hand experience, I'm of the opinion that the manufacturer ought to dial back its claims as to the transparency of the "unit", ones which I thought all along were fanciful.


    Great that it's helped you to get more out of your voice 'though, mate! 8o

  • Thanks, everybody! It seems like there is a lot of consensus regarding what needs to be done - I'm glad! :)

    Tusind tak :)
    When you say that the mix is overall dry-sounding, where would you go to alleviate this - as in, which tracks? Reverb/space is not my strongest skill, so I tend to err on the side of caution. Vocals and drums are of course the obvious candidates; but do you feel that eg. the guitars also need more space? (everybody is welcome to chime in of course :-))


    Any further input regarding reverb/delay is appreciated :)

    Yeah, a bit of early reflection reverb on the vocals and guitars will help them to blend better. Maybe a hint of slap on the vox, too? Perhaps just in the chorus, or maybe a quarter note delay on a few choice words, or maybe a ducking delay...? So many possibilities. I'd experiment and push the boat out a bit; you can always paddle back to shore (use a Logic Alternate project save ;) ).


    I'll check your new mix in the studio tomorrow.

  • Maybe a hint of slap on the vox, too? Perhaps just in the chorus, or maybe a quarter note delay on a few choice words, or maybe a ducking delay...? So many possibilities. I'd experiment and push the boat out a bit; you can always paddle back to shore (use a Logic Alternate project save ).

    Hahahaha, the vox had all those things :D I'm just too conservative - as soon as I hear the reverb/delays I get cold feet!
    But I've pushed it a bit more forward in the newest mix. Maybe it's better, maybe it's too much, maybe it's not enough....