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Author Topic: opinions on mix  (Read 9498 times)

Bruce Tunkel

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opinions on mix
« on: February 21, 2011, 04:49:47 PM »

 http://www.4shared.com/audio/GU4lvc0D/start_over_again_v3.ht ml

Longtime lurker trying to get some perspective on a mix, hopefully this is an ok place to post this. Trying to get my mix quality up to a new level. May still recut the vox.

Many thanks for any thoughts.

- BT
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Fletcher

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Re: opinions on mix
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2011, 10:12:17 AM »

I really very rarely comment on these kinds of posts... I've always been of the opinion that the production of a song - from tracking to mix is the work of a production team who has an idea and sense of aesthetic all their own... that I - as an uninterested party - do not have a valid opinion or any right to comment on a production with which I am not involved... so when I do listen to stuff like this I listen as a "consumer" might .

So - with that said... and it being your first post I decided to give a listen ...  my initial reaction was "wow!" - one of the better "can you check out my mix" posts I've heard in ages!!  

Recutting the vocals is something you'll have to wrestle with I think I heard one spot where it seemed the singer was running out of air, and it might be possible  to get a little more "swing" or "swagger" in the performance but again, that's really your province or the producer's province for comment - not mine(!!!!)... if I were the producer I'd probably have worked on trying something other than the straight 8th note acoustic part in the front... but the guitar sound is  really good.

I loved the guitars that slam in at around :90 - and the B-3  is a nice texture [the player could have done some more interesting stuff with Leslie speed control stuff in my opinion... but please notice that my "negative" comments are more on the "recording production" than on the "final presentation" mix aspect].

Overall I thought the song built nicely... had a definite "beginning" - "middle" and "end" [which a lot of stuff I hear these days doesn't]... overall, my comment would be "nice work".

I'm sure others are capable of giving a more in-depth mix analysis than I am... like I said, I listen to this stuff like a consumer unless I'm actually part of the production team [and if I'm part of the production team I listen to it like a tortured soul who is never pleased with the result].

Peace.


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CN Fletcher

mwagener wrote on Sat, 11 September 2004 14:33
We are selling emotions, there are no emotions in a grid


"Recording engineers are an arrogant bunch.  
If you've spent most of your life with a few thousand dollars worth of musicians in the studio, making a decision every second and a half... and you and  they are going to have to live with it for the rest of your lives, you'll get pretty arrogant too.  It takes a certain amount of balls to do that... something around three"
Malcolm Chisholm

Bruce Tunkel

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Re: opinions on mix
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2011, 03:32:37 PM »

Thanks for the comments, much appreciated. It's nice to say a virtual hello to you - I have been reading your musings for so long on rec.audio.pro and here.

In any case, I really appreciate the perspective. I'm the performer, engineer and producer, so I am really working in a vacuum. Getting back into creating some music again after a bit of a hiatus. Haven't been in the music business for quite awhile - so my work is strictly for my own love of creating it, but nonetheless, I strive to learn and do quality work.

I hope to get involved in some conversations here - though I feel that I know far less than the regulars, I love to discuss music and recording (and poker, but that's a whole other thing).

- BT
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Edward Vinatea

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Re: opinions on mix
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2011, 11:57:08 PM »

I will give an opinion based on what I've heard through my computer's mp3 player. The main lead vocal sounds somewhat thin and sibilant at a times. It dips --level-wise-- in some sections as well. The guitars sound also a bit thin and they should probably be panned hard left and right. The drums sound to me like a drum machine. My problem is that drum machines are not usually the best sound for rock, hard rock or even some pop tunes. But, that's just me. As a producer, I would have a real drummer do the drum track with a pro-engineer. Obviously, this would require an investment. That doesn't mean that you can't make something happen with fake drums.

Having said all that, and since you had taken up on all duties for creating this very nice song mix, I am giving you, out of 5 possible stars, 3. And believe me 5 stars means a perfect flawless mix that may not even need mastering. So, there you go.

If you want to understand my logic a little bit, maybe you should read   http://musicmasteringonline.com/members/content/view/480/34/this article I wrote for an online mastering site. It's still not finished, so if there is anything you would like to discuss/edit/change/improve, etc, please let me know. The same invitation applies to the members at REP. YMMV.

Best regards

Edward

Bruce Tunkel

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Re: opinions on mix
« Reply #4 on: February 23, 2011, 07:35:23 AM »

Edward,

Thanks for the critique. A few questions:

The lead vocal has an EQ boost at around 8k of maybe +6 - +8 db. Do you think rolling this back will help with what you perceive as thinness?

When you say it sounds like a drum machine, do you mean the actual drum sounds, or the "performance"? Or both?

I will give your article a thorough read today - looks good.

Thanks,
Bruce
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Edward Vinatea

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Re: opinions on mix
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2011, 03:02:29 PM »

Bruce Tunkel wrote on Wed, 23 February 2011 07:35

Edward,

Thanks for the critique. A few questions:

The lead vocal has an EQ boost at around 8k of maybe +6 - +8 db. Do you think rolling this back will help with what you perceive as thinness?

I am assuming you meant a high shelf eq at 8kHz. So yes, absolutely. Just 2 maybe 3 dB less should do the trick. What you may need to also do is to automate the words that don't cut clearly through the mix. Listen carefully and you'll notice that some words are obfuscated by the rest.

Quote:

When you say it sounds like a drum machine, do you mean the actual drum sounds, or the "performance"? Or both?



I mean that it sounds like a drum machine. Drum machines --and I particularly like the one you are using-- tend to sound somewhat dead {due to the lack of natural acoustics} and if not more detail programing goes into, less dynamic and more predictable.

Dynamics are important, but so is leveling; in your bridge at 1:26, your electric guitar seems to come up a bit louder than it should. That doesn't bother me too much, until it leaves. So, I would lower that by 1.5 dB.

I hope I made any sense to you. It's every nice song, Bruce.

Regards,

Edward

Bruce Tunkel

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Re: opinions on mix
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2011, 04:46:06 PM »

Edward,

Yes, all of this makes sense - I will try some things tonite.

BTW, the drums on this are the Steven Slate Drums plugin. I added just a touch of compression to it, but otherwise, that's it.

Thx,
Bruce
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weekend warrior
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