Suggestions with this mix, anyone?

pinksoir · 03-07-2007 12:59am #1

I've been mixing this all night and it's getting to the point where I can't really be a good judge anymore. I think the overall sound is alright, but any help with it would be appreciated.

I've sort of test mastered it with a limiter and good aul vintage warmer just to see how it would sound.

I know the chorused guitars are a bit off when they come in, and I'm gonna re record them tomorrow, but with that taken into account, is there anything else I should do. I'm not sure if the bass is too loud, plus I don't have any crappy computer speakers to run it through to see if it distorts. I've taken a lot of low end out of it, and fiddled with the high and mids.

I know the panning of some stuff is a bit weird, but I was going for a half old school stereo mix with drums and bass in the left and guitars in the right, but brought a bit of the drums back over to the right so it doesn't sound too disjointed...

So, like I say, any help would be appreciated...

Oh yeah, here's the song: http://public.box.net/pinksoir50787

Cheers,
Karl

Quattroste · 03-07-2007 11:42am

Unfortunately I don't know enough to be able to help you but I really enjoyed the song. Nice one.

cornbb · 03-07-2007 1:45pm

No audible distortion from my headphones. The bass is nice and beefy but before the drums kick in it overpowers the guitars a bit in terms of volume I think - this isn't a problem after the electric guitar comes in. Something not right about the acoustic guitars, maybe they could do with a little reverb or something?

Sounded pretty great overall though, I really like what you did with the drums. Nice work.

Mick1973 · 03-07-2007 2:26pm

That's fcukin ace !
Just a couple of suggestions -
Maybe make the bass a bit less trebely (Spelled badly there !) Sounds a bit thin - also maybe let it ring out a bit for the chorus - fill out the sound a bit behind the BV's.

BV's - maybe split the different voices and pan one left / other right.

Maybe a small bit of 'verb on the acoustics to take the dryness away.

Anyway - these are just suggestions - It actually sounds really brilliant as it is !

Laters

Mick

Check out our tunes at www.myspace.com/thefuzzypapers- comments / insults about the music would be much appreciated !

pinksoir · 03-07-2007 2:35pm

yeah, i could put the tiniest touch of reverb on them i suppose. i'm not sure. i could push the volume of them up, but i was going for a sort of 'stereo reconciliation' (if you will!) where it would be a little unbalanced until various other parts come in, hence balancing out the stereo sound.

cheers for the responses. as i say, i'd been at it so long i could no longer trust my own ears. good to get a second opinion

thanks,
karl.

pinksoir · 03-07-2007 2:41pm

@mick1973 - yeah i was worried about the bass being too trebley (how is that spelled??) but the thing is, i've tried it with less treble, and it loses a lot of definition. i'm thinking of running it through an amp modeller to fix that though...

with the BV's i've tried them every which way and the way they are works the best - as a single unit. I could bring up the mids a bit though i suppose...

cheers.

teamdresch · 03-07-2007 2:43pm

pinksoir wrote:

@mick1973 - yeah i was worried about the bass being too trebley (how is that spelled??) but the thing is, i've tried it with less treble, and it loses a lot of definition. i'm thinking of running it through an amp modeller to fix that though...

Using an EQ, or even cutting competing frequencies from other instruments might be a better way to go.

pinksoir · 03-07-2007 3:10pm

i'll try that too, thanks. i just listened back to it there at home, not in the studio, and one thing that really jumps out is the treble on the bass. the other frequencies are fine though so i think i'll just cut off a little hi end.

also, does the bass sound out of tune to anyone else? just at the start. it isn't though because it was retuned before each take just to be sure. neither is the guitar for that matter. is this some sort of phenomenon?

teamdresch · 03-07-2007 3:44pm

For what it's worth, I think you're looking at the bass the wrong way.. uhh, ok put it this way :

That's NOT a trebly bass sound. What's happened is that you've ripped all the bass out of it, so all you're left with is midrange and some treble. It's actually quite a muted bass sound, I've heard bass drums with more treble.
It's also really quite high up in the mix.
Try putting back some of the bass you've cut, then lowering the bass in the mix until it's playing more of a supporting role.

Also, gimme a breakdown of where you have things panned, willya? These speakers have laughable stereo spread, but it seems to me like you need to have something providing a solid centre for your stereo image.

pinksoir · 03-07-2007 4:23pm

no, no, I appreciate it!

i tried it with the proper old school but it just doesn't sound right. i'd say it has a lot to do with, back in the day, using nice old equipment and recording it live. we tried to get as much of this track down live, but the drums were in a seperate room from the guitar and bass, so there is virtually no spill.

pinksoir · 03-07-2007 4:29pm

roysh, i hear ya. the thing is, i misrepresented it a bit earlier. i haven't cut that much bass out of it - the low freq are still there, but i've taken out the very bottom end and pushed up the mids and lows. i didn't want the bass to distort on crappy speakers.

the pannings are (roughly, cos i'm not in the studio now) as follows

kick - L20
snare - R30
rack - R20
floor - L15
l overhead - L65
r overhead - R65
bass - L75
guitar - R75
voc - C
bv - R70
elec 1 - R40
elec 2 - R25
ukulele - R50
I also grouped the drums and panned them to about L15 or 20, to give the mix a bit more balance. when i listened to the mix there at home a few minutes ago i'd have to say i'm pretty happy with it. my speakers are a nice distance apart and the stereo sound is good. it's nicely balanced with the main vocal acting as a solid centre and nothing is jumping out apart fom maybe the bass being a bit too high in the mix.

teamdresch · 03-07-2007 4:37pm

Don't get me wrong, it sounds grand, just trying to give you some things to think about.

Just for the absolute hell of it, why not go proper old school and only pan hard left/right and centre?

How about kick, bass and vocals centre, drums all right, guitars all left and BVs left and right or something?

pinksoir · 03-07-2007 5:31pm

hmm...reply didn't show up for some reason...

i appreciate your criticisms by the way.
i tried the old school hard panning before, but it just didn't sound right. i suppose its to do with the old equipment they used back in the day and the fact they recorded it live and there was sound seepage. we put down most of this live, but the drums were in a different room so there was practically no sound seepage.

Suggestions with this mix, anyone?

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