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[mcsnare]

Why y'all gotta be hatin' on my slap?  
Seriously, I've found over the years that the interaction between the mixer and client is important to get a great mix. We (the mixers) should go for it and get crazy, then the artists either like it, want it crazier, or want to tone down some aspect. Or all of the above. I always like to hear what the artists' reaction is and I know from experience whatever I do on my own will not be as cool as the final mix which is a process of give and take. Which is to say that part of being a good mixer is to not get massively attached to every decision that you make.
I think most of the mixes that people did on this tune are pretty good. Better overall than some of the IMPs in the past. I think J.'s analysis of each submission is pretty right on, and I don't think I'd have a lot to add that he hasn't already said.

Dave

[rankus]

Great post Dave!  I agree 110%... the longer I do this the more I realize that the artists input is VERY important at the final stage of a mix.  Always makes for a better mix imo.

Also in agreement with J's comments.  Spot on!

From iPhone

[Nizzle]

mcsnare wrote on Sat, 13 March 2010 11:52

Why y'all gotta be hatin' on my slap?

Awww, goo.

[Greg Dixon]

mcsnare wrote on Sun, 14 March 2010 06:52

Why y'all gotta be hatin' on my slap?   Seriously, I've found over the years that the interaction between the mixer and client is important to get a great mix. We (the mixers) should go for it and get crazy, then the artists either like it, want it crazier, or want to tone down some aspect. Or all of the above. I always like to hear what the artists' reaction is and I know from experience whatever I do on my own will not be as cool as the final mix which is a process of give and take. Which is to say that part of being a good mixer is to not get massively attached to every decision that you make. I think most of the mixes that people did on this tune are pretty good. Better overall than some of the IMPs in the past. I think J.'s analysis of each submission is pretty right on, and I don't think I'd have a lot to add that he hasn't already said. Dave

This is why I like to start the mix by myself. It maximizes the client input by letting them hear it fresh. I take it as far as I can and then we finish it together and take it to the next level.

Some clients worry that they won't like mix I do without them, but I don't think I've ever had them tell me I'd gone in the wrong direction.

[Adam Miller]

Ok, here are my thoughts- Strictly on a first impressions basis! Unfortunately I'm listening on headphones, and not on the system I did my mix on, but c'est la vie... I hope this is useful to people anyway.

Greg Dixon - Good balance- snare drum feels a bit too weak, if there's sample in there it needs more balls. The level of and upper mid in the guitars interferes with the lead vox slightly; otherwise, I think the vocal treatment would be pretty spot on.

McSnare- I'm gonna hate a little on the slap as well I'm afraid! A great balance otherwise though... The snare could have been a bit more bombastic for my taste, but that is just my taste. Otherwise, everything sits really well. Wish I had made more of the tambourine in my mix, it works really well here. Good guitars.

Caintorst- A bit mid heavy, and too much on the verb are my first impressions. It all feels a bit too overblown- a bit too much compression without enough finesse. A combo of overly loud gtrs, the tonality and the verb gives an unflattering perspective to the mix when the track goes into the chorus for me.

NelsonL - Lack of ambience in the intro makes the vibe seems too clean and separated for me. Guitars are a bit thin and scratchy, and the bass is too subby- it all makes for a bit of a tonal disconnect between the two. The drums also need more work here- they need to provide the backbone of the track, because at the moment it's quite guitar driven, and that gets a bit samey after 3 minutes!

WillF - Another one with slightly thin, scratchy guitars. The printed gtr sounds were fine, but they need a bit more 'bending' to really have enough size to do the track justice. BVs too high- higher in spots than the lead! It's ok- but the rhythm just needs more balls to go to the next level.

SebRiou- Big disjoin between the sub and the rest of the mix. The midrange drive of the track- the snare, the front edge of the guitars, the attack of the vocal- it all needs to come forward and have more punch, at the moment it feels a bit like I'm listening with a cold. The tonality of the vocal also feels a bit pinched here- and is there some kind of modulation effect that's blurring the center of the vox slightly in the image? The mix just needs to assert itself with a bit more confidence.

Hallams - I can tell from the intro that this feels too overblown on the compression front. It makes it sound a bit cheap and fizzy- and the snare sample doesn't help too much, feels like it's been brutally hipassed. Like how the vocal sits in the chorus though- it's a hard one to nail, to work out which aesthetic is right for a track and pursue it with confidence. The attitude is good in this one, it's the individual sounds that don't match it.

Music Junky - Cheap reverb. You can't skimp on verb, it's just one of those things that needs the expensive shit, unfortunately. Guitars are too far forward, at the expense if everything else. The snare is the weakest sound printed to tape, so it really needs some help here- no amount of eq or compression or mega plugin is going to help it like the right sample will.

Yoons - Thin. The guitars need some work here- they sound a bit scratchy, but also tubby as well, and they tread on the rest of the mix a little. Snare is crying out for some love again. The chorus should just swagger more than it does- your mix doesn't do justice to the rhythm of it.

Yoink - OK... bright, but I'm kind of digging the vibe. It has the right attitude, but not quite the right tonality. Too heavy on the hat, and I wish there was a bit more ambience on everything. Guitars are treading on the vocal again... it shouldn't be a pop vocal mix, but it still needs to be there at the front. Dynamically, the mix needs a bit more push and pull between the different sections, because the compression has flattened that out.

Slash - Monster sub. In this context, it actually robs the bass+kick of a lot of energy- in this kind of track i hear the kick and bass as being a little leaner down below and a little punchier in the mid bass region. Guitars are treading on everything again... the hi end feels very muted in comparison... it's a shame, because behind that, I think I like where you're going with the drums, but it's hard to tell!

Grantis - Ok, these drums are a bit more like it. The execution is lacking in finesse... the sample kind of just 'sits' there... but the attitude is getting closer to the ballpark. Feels like a bit of phase jizz throwing the guitars out really wide? Maybe a bit too much in a track like this. Compression is OTT overall, and the tonality is bright... this is tiring to listen to for long. But the attitude is getting there.

Nizzle - Woah, too slammed... Makes want to turn it down... then down some more. Down this low, it's got quite good balance! Vocal sits better than some others. Drums have something approaching the right level of bombast, they just need more control along with it. I like the tambourine in the choruses. It's just suffering from a compression overdose, that's all. It actually gets quieter towards the end when everything's playing!

Jhall - Good attitude. I'd say it's a bit too bright and 'tacky' for want of a better word- the front end on the drums feels a bit too artificial for a straightforward old-school rock band. The vocal also feels slightly thin- it doesn't quite take command like it should for my taste. Otherwise- the balance is great, although I'd say the compression is a bit overbaked, but that's just a personal thing. The overall size of the mix is right where it needs to be.

Rune- No on the intro. Doesn't work. Past that- it actually ramps up better. There's a balance problem here- the sub bass is too OTT. Again, the snare can't stand on it's own, it needs help! Vocal is too forward in this one- it's tough to get right- but the mix between vocal and guitar feels a little messy here. Perhaps bolder panning on the guits to open up the center a little?

Southboundloco - Something about the bass sound is fishy, can't work out what. The balance is ok, but the individual sounds need to be worked on- they're all weak. Actually perhaps the vocal is quite cool- it's a good treatment. But it's obscured by the rest- feels like the compression is treading on things here.

Graham - ok, cool, nice balance. It's nice to hear something not blasted with compression, although this has gone too far the other way- It's too polite. Snare in particular needs more oomph. It's all fine- but it's not sexy enough.... Gtr solo should be down the middle, unless it's multitracked.

Revolver9 - Lowend feels like I'm in front of a bassbin at Carnival. Top feels like it's all happening at 12k and upwards... that's RnB breath region, not rock'n'roll!  Frequency extremes aside, I reckon the balance is actually quite good- it just feels like a big smiley face is over the mix bus. Cutting the drums isn't doing for me I'm afraid.

Rankus - Intro reverb feels a bit cheap. It's all quite thin and bright... not so sure about the vocal slap. Balance is there, and it's compressed well- it just doesn't hit me like it should. Partial vibe castration for want of a better term... the chorus swaggers like it should though.

Magfigi - STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPRESSOR!! It's so flattened and distorted, I can't hear past that, sorry!

Reno - I think I dig the intro with no kick. Good balance. Guitars are a bit scratchy. Drums are too thin, and could benefit from more room. The vocal is too upfront, and sounds a bit pinched- makes him sound like he's just eaten a four cheese pizza. It ain't bad though.

Dcombs - A warmer tonality which I like... but the guitar sounds are a bit whiney though- I think a bit of notching might sort that out. Drums are suffering from a testosterone shortage- not bad, but not rawk either. Vocal a bit weak, but overall it's a decent mix.

Gio - Weak drums. Again, the rest of the mix suffers at the expense of the guitars. It's ok- but it needs to sound more expensive and fuller.

Teleric- Ok... It's not bad. Feels like an awkward scoop somewhere in the midrange. Guits sound a bit jangly, not ballsy like they should. Drums need more work, but again not bad- maybe just a bit more level in the mix. I quite like the overall attitude though.

Fiasco - Loadsa bass, loadsa top, it's missing the middle. Drums are bad.... you need to put more effort in! Guits and vox are ok... it's hard to get over the tonal imbalances though.

ScottFeatherstone- Did you notch out a massive wedge of mids somewhere? Feels like I went to a MBV gig last night! Again, it's hard to get past this... i think if I did, the mix actually ain't too bad... heavy on the hihat though.

b-undo - Cool- good attitude. Execution is a bit sloppy- drums are thin, and the compression is not 100% there, but it's alright. Good guitar sounds actually- the printed sounds were ok, but not stellar- you've taken them up a notch. It just needs the drums to match that.

Billybehdaz - drum verb is distracting. Too much compression of the wrong sort. All feels a bit forced as a result of that. Balance is a bit off- the drums need to be higher and more present.

DanielFarris - Sounds muffled up top. Good rhythm sounds though. The guitars jarr a little... the rhythm tracks are lacking in bite, the gtr melody track is too jangly. The mix is ok, it just feels closed in because of the top end.

2pulse - good attitude. Drums need more work again. Guits treading on stuff... they rob the track of its rhythmic pulse at this level... although it probably wouldn't be an issue if the drums were augmented with some kick ass samples.

iCombs - Thin, really thin. Almost feels like no matter how loud I turned it up, it would never sound loud. Correct the tonal problems, and it's probably quite a decent balance.

Meverylame - Like the mids on the intro guits- the top end just needs to be opened up. it's ok, but everything just doesn't hang together that well. Again, drums need more oomph.

Spike - bottom end is thin and bit pinched, but the balance is pretty good. Jangly guit melody bits are a bit distracting. The mix as a whole needs to be a bit bolder and assertive- harder panning with the guitars, more punch with the drums. Do I hear some sample flamming on the snare fills? Kick needs work to make it punch as well. Overall vibe is cool though. Whereabouts do you work?

GabrielF - Muffled top. The overall tonality is a bit weird, and the guitars need a little sorting out- but past that I reckon this has the potential to be quite a cool mix. Definitely a different take from most others.

Iluis - I don't understand why people track at 48k for a CD release either, but they do, so you need to watch out for it! I quite like the vocal down here though...

   
And that's my ears gone for the evening! Thanks to Podgorny for putting this up, I'd be interested to hear his mix... I'd also like to know what Jhall and McSnare are mixing on these days- these were the best mixes for me- I'd also be interested to hear how long you both spent on your mixes!

Ta

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[grantis]

Quote:

Grantis - Ok, these drums are a bit more like it. The execution is lacking in finesse... the sample kind of just 'sits' there... but the attitude is getting closer to the ballpark. Feels like a bit of phase jizz throwing the guitars out really wide? Maybe a bit too much in a track like this. Compression is OTT overall, and the tonality is bright... this is tiring to listen to for long. But the attitude is getting there.

Thanks for the review.  I definitely agree the guitars are too thin and bright, but the mix overall is too bright?  I guess I'd have to ask specifically....what else is too bright (instrument-wise)?

[Gabriel F]

Thanks for the review Adam. I mixed this imp on some borrowed Alesis monitors i am not used too. I found out i did a couple of big mistakes, i forgot to mute a track i doubled with some amplitube ampeg to give the bass some harmonics, so the bass has the double of that treatment.  And i made the bass loud because i felt the alesis where boosting too much lows and i was afraid the mix would traslate lacking lows.

I agree the hi end sounds muffled. Half on purpouse because i went for a warm kinda 70s vibe and the other half because i could not make the cymbals crisp and nice, i boosted everywhere with every plug in i had and could not found something that worked. Now that i think i would try with the sonnox inflator and see if it creates a nice hi end.

I did a quick listen of some mixes and i a cuple souns pretty good but i  dont quite like the direction took by most of them. So far I like mcsnares the best but too me this song screamed for some 80s vibe drums (but not cheesy and overdone) and not the snappy drums and modern sound everyone went.

[rankus]

Adam Miller wrote on Sat, 13 March 2010 16:30

Rankus - Intro reverb feels a bit cheap. It's all quite thin and bright... not so sure about the vocal slap. Balance is there, and it's compressed well- it just doesn't hit me like it should. Partial vibe castration for want of a better term... the chorus swaggers like it should though.

Thanks Adam!  Ya the verb on rhythm gtrs is a Bricasti Impulse in Waves IR... Not understanding why folks are talking that up... I usually use IMP to experiment with new toys like that... Lack of vibe may be due to to much smashy with my new Api 2500 toy.. I was pushing the limit of good taste on her for sure

I dug your mix a lot too!

Also intersted in what J and Dave are mixing on and how long... Mine:  Nuendo ITB/ summing through my Toft ATB with Api 2500 on the 2bus .. Prolly 2.5 hrs total .... Pretty slammed with gigs so had to do this around midnight!

[grantis]

Reviews done!  I listened on a pair of cans at home that are naturally honky, and when I finished reviewing, I noticed I had typed "honky" a lot.  Take those comments with a grain of salt.

Overall, I think everybody continues to improve and this IMP showed it.  Lots of mixes had decent energy and a good vibe to call their own.  Well done everybody.

If I missed your mix...let me know.




2pulse
Lacks power.  Guitars are nice and loud, could stand to hear more of the vocal, or at least have it more up in my face.  A little flat overall

Adam Miller
Nice balance, although vocal is a bit loud compared to guitars, probably easily fixed by turning vocal down, guitars are fine where they are with everything else.  Could use more breath on snare.  Good energy overall.

B-Undo
Beefy...maybe too much.  Balances feel good overall.  Drums lack a little power, maybe the bass is swallowing them.  Chorus is lackluster.  Not bad though.

Billybehdaz
Seems a bit scooped?  Badly needs more powerful drum samples, and drums turned up overall.  No lift in chorus.  .  

Caintorst
Honky.  Kinda thin too.  Huge lack of energy.  balance feels alright, just not much vibe here.

DanDigby
Reminds me of IMP10, when I took 8 db off my 2buss with the Massey CT4.  Ouch.  Thin, pinched, tinny...all of the above.  Turn your sub down.

Daniel Farris
A bit dark, but good energy.  Low end maybe a bit out of control too.  Balance feels good.  Like how the vocals sit.  

DCombs
Nice.  Good energy, good balance.  Drums need more power.  Chorus needs a lift.

McSnare
Dlaaaaaaay.  Wurd.  You got vibe.  Balance feels good.  No lift in chorus?  hmmmm....

Falamix
Boom.  

Fiasco
Good energy....kinda tricked me since your mix is quiet...but once i turned it up...good stuff.  bass is boomy tho.  guitars are a bit dark.  overall not bad.

Gabriel F
Honky, and the vocal is a bit buried.  Guitars are hurting me....not too bright, just honky. Drums  need power.

Gio
Good guitar balance, need a lot more vibe out of the drums though.   Where's the bass?

Graham
Dry...except the vocal.  Interesting choice.  Snare is thin.  Guitars are OK...

Grantis
Guitars thin.  Overall decent vibe...lack of execution.  A bit "baked" as they say.  The stereo thingamajigger got weird on me....or I used it wrong......

Greg Dixon
Reggae style snare.  Interesting.  Guitars are alright, just kinda dark.  Lacks energy overall.

H202
Who the hell cares

Hallams
If not for the super thin papery snare, this would be one of my faves thus far....


iCombs
Pretty good.  Snare is a bit thin, but the balance is good.  Could use more bottom on the kick drum.  Good energy overall.

J Hall
The padiwan reviews the Jedi...so that would make skidd.......YODA?  Balances are great, guitars are nice and thick.  Did you build a double for the guitars?

LLuis
I don't get it

Mafigi
COOL intro.  Very nice idea.  Overall the drums are very indie rock, but I want more power out of them.  Sounds like the snare is all overheads....guitars are a bit honky

Meverylame
LPF on whole mix?  

Mkane
Like the drum verb. This is pretty good.  good energy, drums feel good, guitars are nice and loud.  cool

MSTR 4
Feels like i'm in the room.  I love how loud the bass is.  Somewhat dominates the guitars though.  Vocal is a bit dark.

Music Junky
Sounds a bit filtered.  Drums are distant and honky

NelsonL
Like the energy.  Low end is a bit off....like...too big.  Guitars are cool, and vocal is placed nicely.  Not bad.

Nizzle
Like the compression, just a bit much (even for me, who always overbakes stuff).  Seems a bit squeezed in the mids so there's not much breathing going on in the mix.

Rankus
Keep that Toft.  This sounds good.  I love the energy.  Kick is a bit loud (or just too clicky), and vocal delay is a bit much for me, but that's just taste.

Reno
Good power.  The vocal just about took my head off though.  Turn it down and back off the deep subs and this is a good mix.

Revolver
Turn your sub up.

Rune
A wash of honk and verb.  Vocal is too loud, guitars are too quiet, drums lack power.

ScottFeatherstone
Scooped out and distant.  Maybe intentional, but inappropriate for my taste.  This is just a big rock tune, needs more agression, and mids.

Slash5969
Bottom too big, no high mids.  Fix those and this mix isn't bad.  Good energy.

Southboundloco
Like the guitar edit, make sure to do your fades though....clickin and poppin.  Good energy, guitars are honky.  Vocal feels nice.

Spike
intro Guitar Panned right of center!!!!  Well done (only since nobody thus far did it).  Other than that, this mix is lackluster.  Vocal too loud, drums distant, guitars quiet.

SRIOU
Weird phase thing with the vocal...dunno if I like it.  Seems to bury the vocal.  Decent energy, drums need more impact.  Mix is dark overall.

Teleric
Nice mix, a bit generic, but decent power.  Vocal is pretty loud, makes me want more guitar.

WillF
Cool power.  I like the snare sound.  Dry and in my face.  Very ska of you.  vocal is kinda boring. bgv's too loud.  rebalance this a bit and it's good

Yoink
Mix off balance to the left.  Decent vibe, I really want that right guitar panned hard right though.  Vocal sits pretty well.

Yoons
Kind of narrow, I suppose it's OK.  Snare sticks out a bit, I want it to sit better.   Vocal is being swalled by narrow guitars.

[meverylame]

Adam Miller wrote on Sat, 13 March 2010 19:30

Meverylame - Like the mids on the intro guits- the top end just needs to be opened up. it's ok, but everything just doesn't hang together that well. Again, drums need more oomph.

Yeah, I mixed it a little last minute over my dinner break. Shows.... Bleh.

[Spike]

Adam Miller wrote on Sat, 13 March 2010 18:30

Spike - bottom end is thin and bit pinched, but the balance is pretty good. Jangly guit melody bits are a bit distracting. The mix as a whole needs to be a bit bolder and assertive- harder panning with the guitars, more punch with the drums. Do I hear some sample flamming on the snare fills? Kick needs work to make it punch as well. Overall vibe is cool though. Whereabouts do you work?

The Way Studio, over near London Fields... but at the moment I'm in NYC doing nothing but pop/rap sessions which is a far cry from the rock and jazz back home, probably why I'm a bit rusty

Thanks for the comments, I'm curious as to the "harder panning" comment as the rhythm guitars are panned 100 % left and right! As for the sample flamming.. the samples are placed correctly but since I knocked this out about an hour between sessions I didn't get round to automating the samples to match the levels of the original, giving that lovely artificial drum machine-gun fill feel and flams with both hits at the same level. Also it means that the reverb (which is where most of the sample is going to) is fed too hard off the sample, making it sound like the sample is misplaced...

I know that you were asking more after Jhall's and McSnare's equipment/time use than mine, but seeing as you gave me a fairly positive review it's probably worth mentioning that this was mixed on an mBox and headphones (ATH-M50s) using only the default plugins that ship with PTLE and a single snare sample...

I can't really speak as a mix engineer as the vast majority of my paid work is tracking, but:

I can't emphasize enough the importance of getting a good sound when tracking (these raw tracks were really great and fun to work with, except maybe for the snare) as well as being able to get a decent balance with a minimum of fuss, fancy processing (both hardware and plugin) and time. I don't know what kind of environment you guys work in but since coming to NYC to do pop I've learnt the hard way that sometimes the reference mix you make at the tracking stage can make or break a song to an A&R. It can determine whether the song lives or gets nipped in the bud. In pop only a handful of songs that you track with songwriters track will get cut by the artist, and of those only a handful will be sent off to mix. You have to have things sounding good and balanced as soon as possible because while some A&Rs are good enough to know a good song regardless of the engineering, some A&Rs will get really put off if things aren't sounding nice when they stroll in at any point. I've had to learn this by having beatmakers and songwriters look like they want to kill me because I was gonna leave the balancing til "when I've finished tracking" and an A&R has passed through. Also the better the balance from the get go the better whoever's in the booth will track. Just a little early morning hours random insight!

But, since people were kind enough to listen to mine, some impressions. Disclaimer that I'm listening on headphones, am a tracking engineer and my notions of how things should balance (especially in terms of vocal levels) have been severely warped by working pop for two months... I'm also a firm believer that reverb should be missed when it's gone but never super-obviously heard in rock!

Before I go in too deeply, in most of these submissions I felt the vocals were too far back. I know it's an "indie" thing but every single engineer I've worked with over here has hammered into me that the vocal treatment is crucial to making something a bestseller, and that you can get away with a lot if the vocals sound amazing. Secondly, if I didn't say something good about your track I apologize - a lot of these mixes are passable but when you're trying to listen to all of them in one sitting and type comments you will invariable focus on the bad. It's great that so many people took part and I hope that everyone learns something from the process (me included). These views are purely my opinion and in no way a suggestion that you suck or that I can do better! (well.. listen to my submission and let me know!)

yoink - weird transition from the intro into when the band kicks in... sounds like slightly late panning automation move on the guitar? Otherwise I like the guitar sound and general balance, but the snare doesn't have enough beef for my liking. For some reason at the end of the track the backing vocals don't feel properly tucked behind the lead. But pretty good

caintorst - the track feels stripped of upper upper mids and treble overall... is your listening environment really bright? Also maybe a touch too much reverb, stuff felt a little bit cavey, for lack of a better word

Gabriel-F - trim your tracks dude! No A&R will wait 7 seconds between you hitting play and the first chord to coming in! Um, this has a lot of reverb, the drums lack definition and the whole thing is super mid heavy... If that's the sound you were going for then please don't take this personally but it's not really my thing. However, your vocals somehow fit nicely into your mix, considering how pronounced the low mids in the guitars are. Just not a sound I'm into

lluis - ohman! Yes, it pays to look at the format that the original files were... That said the I prefer the vocals at this pitch! I'm sorry man, I really can't give much comment on this because I was cracking up at the slowed down version and actually quite enjoying it at this speed..!

fala (? sorry guys I'm just going through the folder from the top, not the submission thread) - vocal is buried! If I didn't know the words from doing this myself and listening to other submissions I'd say that it's hard to understand the words under the thick guitars and snare hits. Guitars are super forward, and the the everything lacks "air". Also the kick feels super exaggerated

DMc - In the intro I hated the amount of verb on the guitar, but when the song kicks in it makes sense. Great overall balance but what's with the slapback?? (wait...looking back over the thread would you be McSnare?) I think the problem is that the new transients from the slapback interrupt the flow of the lead vocal... it's a shame because otherwise the balance is great

Rune - verb! So much verb! And the snare is too much pop and not enough body. HOWEVER one of the few tracks where (dare I say it) the vocal is floating too far in front

The Straws - intro has a weird distortion effect on it? I'm not too keen... but the rest of the mix would be ok if it didn't feel like it was pumping a bit and was lacking top end...

Teleric - too much beater click on the kick for my liking, overly accentuated by the reverb in the intro. For some reason the mix sounds disjointed, like everything is sitting in its own space (good) but not locking together (not so good)

Adam Miller - YES! Those vocals are in the right place. The cymbals seem a bit lost though? (I've just listened back to mine and realised I'm guilty of the same thing though...) The bass seems a bit slappy... where are you based?

JHall - The guitars are great but holy fucking RMS batman! Vocals seem to take a backseat to the guitars... This may be the result of being a tracking engineer but watching my meters constantly flash red made me feel a little queasy, and it may have been expectation bias from that but I feel like your mix was fatiguing to listen to all the way through. The instrument balance is great but the vocal just feels too low...

slash5969 - From the intro I could see that kick is gonna be a problem... drums feel a bit muffled maybe? Again, vocal feels obscured, for some reason I feel like your mix would have worked better with a less hyped kick and the vocals cutting through telephone vocal style. There's also almost no cymbals in the mix and everything seems really concentrated in the low mids...

Scott Featherstone - That kick sample is really strange... it seems to be truncated? The decay is not right on that. Toms feel weirdly overstated. Again, like a lot of these tracks, it feels like you've ignored everything above 12k... However, other than the toms for some reason the drum sound reminds me of Nirvana and that's not necessarily a bad thing.. the rest of the song has to match up to that though!

2pulse - again, vocals low compared to guitars... and the cymbals (especially crashes) are almost completely gone. There's no real sense of dynamic change between the verse and chorus, as in, nothing MORE happens in the choruses which leaves the whole track feeling flat...

DCombs - I really like the bite on the guitars. However as a result the other instruments feel subdued in comparison. The bass also feels like it needs a bit more in areas other below 100hz to give it more definition. The drums sound like they're pumping quite hard and, yet again, vocals are so down in the mix...

mkane - Nothing is punching through on the mix and everything feels like it's a bit behind a blanket. Worth maybe mentioning at this point that it feels like most people here are scared of bringing out frequencies above 10-12k... they are there and they need to be there for balance's sake. Again I'm curious as to how much is to do with people's ears and their listening environment... I can imagine a room with a lot of hard reflective surfaces would cause overly dark mixing

willf - I can't get your mp3 to load? Strange. Sorry

iCombs - the balance seems decent, maybe a bit too much on the bass guitar and snare (very snappy) but the whole thing seems crushed to hell... it feels robbed of transients. I tried listening to it at low levels and it feels like the mix is competing with itself

b-undo - I like what you were trying to do with the intro but for some reason it almost feels like the final frequency the flanger settled on set the tone for the rest of your mix. Just feels like everything needs to be bigger, somehow...

Meverylame - The guitars are weird dude, what did you do to them? No top end and a bit lacking in definition BUT I will say your vocals were just about high enough for me

h2o2 - considering how much you came off as a dick in your critiques (no need for personal attacks) I don't even feel like I should bother with yours... funnily enough your vocal is the right level but then the guitars are nowhere to be found and the drums are seriously screwed up by the snare sound... the balance is full of seriously frequency holes... ugh whatever, next!

mafigi - I really like what you tried to do in terms of making a huge dynamic change between the intro and everything kicking in... the transition is sloppy and the sounds either side I don't agree with but so far it's the only mix that tried to make such an ambitious dynamic leap. As for the mix itself... there are just huge gaps in the frequency balance, too much compression and reverb

hallams - guitars a bit fizzy in the intro maybe? Ok they work better when everything is in. Vocals are around the right level! The snare distracts me for some reason, there's no body for it and it pokes out of the track

BillyBehdaz - Vocals maybe even too loud (did I just say that after all my bitching?) The mix was really fatiguing, too much of everything, and I'm not just saying that because you're the however manieth mix I've listened to...

NelsonL - trim those first few seconds off! I know this isn't a professional context but it's a good habit to keep, if it's a ref mix that's being played to people and not just for the mastering house TOP AND TAIL. Mix feels like you balanced it ok then added a shitload of bass for no reason, which also made everything sound quieter

DanDigby - For some reason the mix feels dry, and even though I usually like my mixes really dry it just feels like there's not depth to it. The snare kinda goes "pok" too...

Graham - I quite liked this one... maybe the snare is too prominent because it's so toppy? It feels like you could dry it up a touch to give it a bit more aggression

southboundloco - Guitars are nice and big... but they're all I can focus on. The snare also has too much crack without the subsequent body

Gio-fixed - vocals didn't grab me, which is crucial. Seems bass-lite in my cans and missing some frequency where the bass should meet the guitar

Ok... my sincere apologies to those I didn't get to... my ears are exhausted. Also possible my last few comments are not as vaild because I've was in a session all day and then have spent the past however many hours listening to these mixes on cans.. hopefully I'll have some energy to do the rest tomorrow

[Spike]

grantis wrote on Sat, 13 March 2010 23:48

Spike intro Guitar Panned right of center!!!!  Well done (only since nobody thus far did it).  Other than that, this mix is lackluster.  Vocal too loud, drums distant, guitars quiet.

Intriguing... thanks so much for taking the time to listen. Almost makes me want to bounce down again with vocals -1db and -3db and see whether you prefer either of those, especially since I seem to be complaining that most people's vocals are low. Sorry I didn't get round to yours, will try to get to it tomorrow

[mafigi]

Adam Miller wrote on Sun, 14 March 2010 01:30

Unfortunately I'm listening on headphones Mafigi - STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPRESSOR!! It's so flattened and distorted, I can't hear past that, sorry!

Thanks for listening, I do not think that other listeners have heard all this compression you heard my mix to a proper control room? ...

[Adam Miller]

mafigi wrote on Sun, 14 March 2010 10:09

Adam Miller wrote on Sun, 14 March 2010 01:30  Unfortunately I'm listening on headphones Mafigi - STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPRESSOR!! It's so flattened and distorted, I can't hear past that, sorry! Thanks for listening, I do not think that other listeners have heard all this compression you heard my mix to a proper control room? ...

No- just the cans I'm afraid... are we listening to the same mix- this is yours right?

http://www1.prosoundweb.com/imp/files/IMP24_mafigi.mp3

It feels like there's something biting into the rms region of the guitars- like they've been blasted through Vintage Warmer or something. And the drums are set quite far back in comparison as well.

[mafigi]

Adam Miller wrote on Sun, 14 March 2010 11:29

It feels like there's something biting into the rms region of the guitars- like they've been blasted through Vintage Warmer or something. And the drums are set quite far back in comparison as well.

Thanks again for the review, the guitars are no eq, just a little bit of  CL 1B  on the guitars bus, and are pan different between them;  on drums I tried to interpret what was played, with no trigger ...,  the drums has a comp parallel bus with AC1, I This seems quite drum sound on the mix layers.

On the master bus: AC2, C4 and bx control (wide image)

If you happen to listen to the mix inside a control room, tell me if it seems consistent frequency response of the song.