You know - I haven't taken the time in past IMPS to write up my thoughts on everyone's mix and that's lame seeing as alot of you take the time to do it.
So - here are my thoughts. Please assume that when I write a crtique in the definitive sense - I'm really speaking from my opinion only and not presuming my sensabilities are "the truth" rather just my opinion.
best.
-t
JHall - Sonically, it sounds well balanced. Not a whole lot of vibe going on.....The use of the delay vox in the pre-chorus is a little distracting for me....the arpeggio gtr sound is pretty boring on it's own - I think you could have vibed it out to make it cooler sounding. Really like the spooky gtr sound in the verse after the 1st chorus. Overall - this is a well balanced, good sounding mix that could have used some more vibe...Sounds like a "quick mix" done by someone who knows what they're doing.
iCombs - Low end is out of control - it needs to be reeled in. Vox treatment is lacking...Remember - a "dry vocal" is rarely totally dry - a 65ms delay with a low pass filter just barely mixed in will do wonders for a boring vocal sound AND still be percieved as dry to the listener....Drums - need some excitement...compression, maybe room sound - something is needed....generally speaking the levels of the tracks are balanced nicely, but the balance of frequenciees in the mix aren't...Overall - kind of a boring mix.
Scott Oliphant - Too much Mids information(as well as bottom mic) on the snare....Vox are abit loud for this style of music....Kinda garagey sounding - which is appealing to me even if I think it isn't totally appropriate for this style of music...Generally - mix needs some vibe.
Rankus - One of the few mixes that got the Bass gtr "right"(IMO). the bass track had lots of low end but sorely lacked mids definition - the solution was to enhance the 700-900hz area - nice choice. Chorus falsetto Harm vox level is skewed...first half is too loud and second half isn't loud enough....Arpeggio gtr needs some love....Generally speaking - It's my opinion that this is the first mix I've heard so far that is convincing and believable. nice job.
ATOR - Intro - interesting but not serving the song(IMO). Drums are dark and not bringing the rock as this style of music requires....I like the Vox treatment....the Toms sound way to dead, way too loud, and I can hear the gating(whether it be manual or with a plug)....Like the reverse gtr treatment as well as the "spooky gtr" after the 1st chorus....don't love the same effect on the arpeggio gtrs....The balance between the cymbals and drums is out of whack....this mix doesn't really work for me.
Singsing - the subs need to be tamed...Intro arpeggio gtr is too loud in the beginning and goes away so abruptly.....Re-entrance of the arp gtr is way too loud. Vox treatment is pretty cool....Vox harmonies are kind of missing. There is definitely some phase issues with the snare - the top and bottom mic were in phase, but something you did(probably plug-in wise) messed with the phase....The kick isn't doing it's job. This mix is close to working - just needs some tweaking....
Maxim - Low end is out of whack....the delay arpeggio gtr is creating a mino second interval that's pretty dissonant...not working for me, but may work to someone elses sensability.....kick has zero low end...it was traccked with very little, but some gratuitous EQ can take care of that..... The drums are not rocking in any way - very wimpy and idiomatically innapropriate for me. Vox sound nice, but are at karaoke levels....i like the drop out of the the band in the prechorus - good idea. Vocals are just wy too loud and the music has no sack....this mix isn't working for me.
Redtape - Where's the kick drum? snare sounds nice. Toms aren't doing anything. The drums need some sack(comp/ EQ/Volume)...Vocals are too loud...There is very little rock going on....the mix is lacking vibe....
TomC - Drums are cloudy sounding - very little definition or attack....Arpeggio gtr sound is too loud and safe sounding...I like the vox effects, but they are too loud for me.....Too much DI in the Bass track....This mix isn't working for me.
Henchman - Low end needs to put in check. Too much bottom snare mic(too much high end)...Vox sound nice. Appegio gtr can use some vibe....kick needs some subs. I like the rhythm gtr sound and level. The Toms might be a touch too loud....This mix is very close to working for me...
Greg Dixon - Low end needs to be tamed. Drums are kind of week sounding(although the levels are right) the treatment lacks power and definition. Arpeggio gtr sound could be cooler. I like the Rhythm gtrs, although I think you may have EQ's the upper mids too much. Vox are nice but I think the effecs are too heavy handed with reagrds to volume. The Bass has too muxh high end for me. Idiomatically speaking, that "String Flap" high end is appropriate for a band like Korn, but not necessarilly for this style (QOTSA) of music. Consider using a low pass filter staring at 3k and see if you like it. Vox aren't sitting in the mix well...they are abit too on top for me.
AdamMiller - Musically - this one works for me. The vocal do not....too heavy handed on the vox effects...the drums are pretty good, but they aren't rocking enough for my taste - but that may be just a taste thing - I think this mix is almost successful - just tweak the vox abit.
Grant Richard - The snare drum is getting obliterated with squash....the drums are too compressed...try using some parallel compression by blending in an uncompressed mix of the drums(try it with the snare track too) Low end needs to be put in check.... Vocals are totally pinched and there is a high end distorto-sheen that hurts me. The hard panning of the toms kinda bums me out....Vox effect choices don't make sense to me.....I think if you pull back on the compression and vox effects you may have something there. I like the gr sound BUT they seem to bee overmodulating in the high end.
M Carter - Where's the kick drum? Drums need some work - the snare reverb seems innapropriate for this style of music.....the levels seem way out of wack(listen to the vamp between the 1st chorus and 2nd verse) Generally speaking - this mix lacks any power or command of my attention....this one isn't working for me.
Chris J - Whoa. What's going on with the kick drum? It's way too loud, but more importantly it's timing has been purposefully or mistakenly moved way ahead of the beat...The groove is completely destroyed...the gtrs need to be WAY louder. The vox are at Karaoke level. Where's the reverse gtr in the vamp between the 1st chorus and 2nd verse? This mix isn't working at all for me.
Fantomas - Kinda wimpy sounding ffom the get go. The vox seem to loud, but other than that the levels are pretty good. I would focus on figuring out how to get more power out of the drums...they are pretty weak sounding. Time stat trying some more"extreme" things(ie: drum bus comression, more aggressive EQ...) Sounds very safe and kinda boring.
Will F - Pretty goof from the get go. I don't care for the effect on the arpeggio gtr and I think it is way too loud...The drums could use some more sack(the snare seems too loud in relation to the rest of the kit)....the Vox arent quite right....the falsetto harmoniy vox in the choruses are not balanced properly.....Lead Vox effects are too heavy handed....this mix needs some tweaking.
Anonymous - The levels sound right. Sonically it seems balanced...I'm not a fan of the arrangement choices....all of the elements seem to be disconnected...the hard panning of the gtrs isn't working for me....Overaall - kinda sounds wimpy and disconnected.
Nick T - Drums are weird sounding and seem to be heavy on the right channel. Snare drum needs some power....Vox aren't doing anything for me...Overall lack of vibe.
Spoon - Low end is out of balance. Snare drum has too much bottom mic...Drums lack power. Vox effect doesn't seem right for this style of music. Balance of the traccks seem right with exception to the bvox(too loud for me)...This one is on the right track...just lacking sack in the drums and overall vibe.
Nice work everyone.
-t