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my mix of Who I Am
#3
(19-08-2013, 07:40 PM)tourmgt33 Wrote: mixed al w/ Studio one no 3rd party plugins please give me some pointers i've only been mixing on DAW's for a few months please critic

I came in here looking for constructive criticism on my own work; to that end I'm looking for people to be honest on what they like or don't like about my work. My intent is to do the same for others.

That being said, my honest opinion here? Start over. Seriously.

The whole thing sounds muddy and indistinct (aside from the vocals, which sound reasonable, and the reverb is unique in a good way). WAY too much compression in the mastering; the whole thing pumps to the point where it's actively unpleasant to listen to; doesn't sound even CLOSE to natural.

Honestly? This kind of music benefits from LESS processing; the less you do to the sound, the better it tends to sound in the final mix.

I suggest starting over, but this time, try this:

First, listen to the drum overheads, try to determine where each drum is in the stereo image, then pan the positions of each of the close mics as close as you can get them to those positions; that should give you a good stereo balance on the drums.

Now look at the individual instrument tracks and imagine in your mind's eye a stage where each of those tracks represents a performer; make sure your performers are spread comfortably on your mental "stage." Wink Now, adjust the pan on each track until each instrument is in the place where you picture that performer in your mind.

Vocals, of course, will be dead center. Normally I'd recommend a smooth reverb, something that sounds like the reverb on a concert hall stage, kept subtle. However, in this case the reverb is the one thing I DID like about your mix so THAT I would leave alone.

Now the only compression or EQ you should apply at this stage is to the vocals. A gentle compression ratio of 2:1 with a threshold around -15 or so should be enough. Then you might "air" the vocals a little with an EQ boost around 12 kHz or so (just five to 10 dB) and cut back a bit (three to five dB) around 300-350 kHz.

Also on the vocals you'll want to apply a high pass filter around 80 Hz to get rid of any "rumble" from the mic noise or air conditioning used in the studio; it'll help clear some space in the frequency spread for your bass and kick drum.

Now try running the whole mix without applying ANY processing to ANY of the remaining tracks, no EQ, no compression, no reverb, nothing. Given the quality of these tracks (these were a Telefunken microphone demo) that may be all you'll need to do, other than balancing the instruments against the vocal.

If it sounds a bit too flat, try using the reverb you're using for the vocal as a send effect and put ALL the tracks through it, as if they were all on the same stage with the vocalist. Again, just try to keep the reverb effect subtle. It should be almost subliminal; it's just there to give some "presence."

In the final mastering? Use NO compression. AT ALL. This kind of music does NOT benefit from it IMHO.

If you decide to try this, I'd love to hear the results. Wink
John A. Ardelli
Pedaling Prince Pictures
http://www.youtube.com/user/PedalingPrince
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Messages In This Thread
my mix of Who I Am - by tourmgt33 - 19-08-2013, 07:40 PM
RE: my mix of Who I Am - by Jacques - 20-08-2013, 10:34 AM
RE: my mix of Who I Am - by Pedaling Prince - 04-01-2014, 11:22 PM