lloydy Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Hi i have been coming on this forum for a few years but very rarely post because i find most or if not all my answers by searching normally. I am not posting this for feedback or anything like that,i am finally getting towards making tracks that i have strived really really hard over years and years of practice and reading but find myself in a situation where i just can't get my mixes to sound what i would call decent.I really am stumped to where i am going wrong,i think it is all to do with the way i eq my sounds but when i play in my car the mix just lacks clarity and i really am in need of advice.Please i know people are not going to like my track because it is on the hard dark style of electronica but i know there is a lot of pros on here whos opinions i would greatly appreciate if they would be willing to spend the time to have a listen then maybe share some tips.I have very good knowledge of logic sound design arrangements but mixing seems to be my achilles heal.Here is the link to my soundcloud with the track. http://soundcloud.com/finjimmy/all-bite-and-no-teeth Again any help even point towards articles or books that would help,i'm am willing to push myself to learn and feel i just need pointing in the proper direction.Thanks to anyone willing to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloydy Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 Quick heads up i am working purely within logic,no mixing console or anything else.I have krk vxt8's and my room is treated with bass traps and the like,it isn't treated enough because it is my living room but the end where my desk is is treated.I always check my tracks in my car and know as soon as i get towards working out decent mixes i will be doing what i have longed for and that is putting out music i am really proud of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n6smith Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I'll offer my opinions on the mix only, for what they are worth.. Listened to the mix on three different systems... in the same room.. 1) $99 set of Bose Desktop speakers.. 2) My old and trusty Tannoy Reds.. 3) Mackie MR8's... A) Firstly, to me the drums were too loud and not blended in with the rest of the mix. Almost like they were recorded too dry and they didn't sit well within the mix because of this and the rest of the ambience that the other parts of the track had... B) One of the parts (One of the 'growl' type sounds) starting at around 30s was panned too far to the right... making it sound artificially out of place with the rest of the mix... especially as the part panned far left didn't really balance it... and the 25% from center area had too big of a hole in it.. Needs the panning brought in about 25% or so... from far left and far right so it blends/sits better.. C) The higher pitched buzzing sound that starts around 1.03 needs more movement in the mix or a wider stereo spread again, so it melds in with the rest of the mix and doesn't just stagnate in the center becoming stressful on the ears after a while.. D) At around 1.59 the far left and right panned parts began to feel more in place because of the holes to the left and right of center were filled by other parts... so at that point they began to work for me...Prior to that as i said in (B) they felt like they were panned too far out there... E) Loved the break at 2.25 with the panning of the vocal samples.. That worked really well for me.. and again at 2.56 though not as much as the prior break.. Maybe changing the full left and right hard panning to a few instances at around 45% each side would help in that case.. F) At 5.10 the stereo spread of the vocals was great and very effective... Overall, I felt the bass end was a little too 'pumpy' with it coming in and out of the mix at apparently random points,... rather than something you preplanned to happen. I'd work much more on the panning positions and levels of the sounds when panned so they fit more into the mix itself and don't sound like they are all just swinging hard left and hard right but give extra 'texture' to the sound stage. Also, as I mentioned above the buzzing synth sits too much in the dead center so it either gets lost in the rest of the central drum sounds or it sticks out like a sore thumb..again at random times. Finally, please note I am in no way criticizing the song or your musical ear and ideas... I am just commenting on the mix as you asked. (FWIW, I did enjoy the song though!) Thanks for allowing me to listen to this track and asking for comments... I hope you take my responses in the manner they are offered and as always.. these views are just my own and so take or leave them as you wish!!!! Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloydy Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 Nigel i posted this track on here for this exact sort of response,the other forum i reside on i was less likely to get a response like this because most if not all people on there are all still learning and the people doing it and releasing stuff very rarely comment and give advice.I will go through your points and try to see if i can fix things like you said,would you be willing when i feel i am getting there with the track to have another listen and see if i am getting closer to getting the mix rite.It would be really appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
n6smith Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I will go through your points and try to see if i can fix things like you said,would you be willing when i feel i am getting there with the track to have another listen and see if i am getting closer to getting the mix rite.It would be really appreciated. Absolutely! Thank you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROYALEFATALE Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 the snare sounds a bit too wet to me, not really "up front" in the mix, i mean it's loud enough but isn't really at the front if you know what i'm trying to say, try bussing the dry snare to a 100% verb track and adjust levels, or make sure if you're using verb on the snare itself to allow all of the dry audio to come through Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloydy Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 the snare sounds a bit too wet to me, not really "up front" in the mix, i mean it's loud enough but isn't really at the front if you know what i'm trying to say, try bussing the dry snare to a 100% verb track and adjust levels, or make sure if you're using verb on the snare itself to allow all of the dry audio to come through Yeah i had that from the other forum,the snare i cut up from a break i have and it is pretty heavily distorted,the original actually sounds just like white noise.I shaped the attack with some serial compression then brought the overall volume up with logics adaptive limiter.I wanted the snare to be loud but i didn't really pay attention to how fuzzy it sounded.I have since gone back into the track,i did have reverb on it with the dry all the way up and the wet at about 10-15% and the filter on the reverb set to highpass.I have since adjusted one of the compressors so it pulls down the fuzz and pulled the sustain part of the reveb envelope down to make it more stabby and it does seem to sit better in the mix.I really like the attack part of the snare i feel i got it pretty punchy but again thanks for the advice .I am so determined to get good at this mixing malarky but it isn't as easy as i thought.To be honest its sound design that most interests me about this type of music so i never bothered reading about getting the mix sounding good and boy is it frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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