About This Multitrack

[Mike Senior]

You can find the multitrack files for this project in the 'Mixing Secrets' Free Multitrack Download Library.

Before posting a mix, please read The Three Commandments!
Please post your mix as a new thread, rather than as a reply to this sticky.

Here's some more project info you might find useful:

• About The Raw Multitracks: Although this is quite a big production in terms of track count, it's very well organised, so you shouldn't have to be weeding much (if anything) out to achieve a good mix.
  • For the drums you get stereo overheads and room, as well as close mics for kick (x2) snare (x2), and two toms. (Note that the toms appear to have been gated during recording, so there's no option to use their spill creatively.)
    
  • The bass guitar is offered with DI and miked amp tracks, and then there are eight other electric guitar parts, all but one of which is dual-miked.
    
  • Two synth parts round out the instrumental backing: a lead and a mellotron-style pad. (Note that the latter features a rhythmic effect on the preview mix, but this isn't actually recorded in.)
    
  • The lead vocal is accompanied by five tracks of backing vocals during the choruses.
    

• Challenges You're Likely To Face:
  • Without a dedicated hat mic, you'll have to think a bit laterally if you want more definition for that kit component.
    
  • The lead vocal track has a lot of unwanted low-frequency rubbish on it, and the backing vocals are rather under-sung.
    
  • The long-term dynamics are a challenge here, in particular the task of making the "somebody scream" section suitably raucous without out-gunning the chorus that follows. Expect to do a good deal of automation if you really want to get on top of that aspect of this mix.
    

• Some Mixing Tips:
  • There's a lot of multi-miking in this production, so you do need to keep your wits about you as regards phase-cancellation, even though there's little spill to worry about between the different main instruments.
    
  • Because most of the guitar cabs are dual-miked, that gives you the option to use the phase-relationship between the two mics to dramatically alter the tone if you wish, without having to use any EQ.
    
  • Consider multing at least the main double-tracked guitar part so that it adapts its sound to the different mix sections.
    
  • The backing vocals would benefit from some editing and tuning work if you're planning on using them at any significant level in the mix.
    
  • I remixed this song for Sound On Sound's April 2012 'Mix Rescue' column, which not only shows how I approached this band's recordings myself in practice, but also includes a selection of audio files demonstrating the effects of some of my processing decisions -- although in this particular case I started work from where the band had left off, because we happened to have very similar DAW mixing systems. The full Cubase v6 remix project for this Mix Rescue is also available to download here.
    

If you have any other general questions about this multitrack, just reply to this post and I'll see what I can do.