01-06-2015, 01:05 AM (This post was last modified: 04-02-2016, 12:59 AM by MisterThom.)
Okay, so I think I've sorted out the extreme high-end and lack of low-end issues.
I've attached the most recent mix, so if you guys could let me know what you think, that would be great!
Personally, I think this one sounds much more balanced tonally and a lot less squashed.
Hi there, when I listened to the first version I thought it was a reasonable balance but yes, a bit over-compressed so snare and kick were pushed too far back and had lost a lot of their transient impact. I also thought it was quite bass light. Overall though pretty decent.
I'm just not sure what happened with version two though. It sounds like you've put the entire mix through a 70Hz high-pass filter and also massively boosted the treble. It's very, very thin and to be honest quite painful to listen to. To give some statistical backing to this, I ran your version 2 and Foo Fighter's The Pretender through Voxengo's Curve EQ spectrum match and these are the points it came out with - first column is frequency points, second column is dB gain. So it's suggesting a 19dB (!!) boost at 65Hz and a cut of anything between -6 and -12 dB between 3-15kHz. That's huge.
I think you either really need to address your monitoring situation (which seems to be massively bass-heavy/treble light) and/or make much more use of reference tracks when mixing. As I said above, balance-wise things are sounding fine between individual instruments, but the overall tonal balance is way out.
Sorry if this sounds brutal, it's not meant to! I do think you've got some fairly major issues that need addressing though and I hope this helps you towards sorting them out.
I agree with londonmatt - I think you may have a monitoring issue. I'm not listening on a good studio system, just a small 2.1 computer system, so I can't accurately gauge what is happening in the low end. However, the main thing I'm hearing from both mixes is an unnaturally abrasive & thin high end. That seems to be reflected in the numbers of the frequency analysis above.
I would suggest running your mix and a similar commercial track through a frequency analyser and comparing the two. If you are boosting high end and cutting low end, that would suggest you are hearing too much low end through your monitors. Perhaps some room treatment is in order, or maybe even mix on decent headphones if room treatment is not an option.
(01-06-2015, 11:18 PM)londonmatt Wrote: Hi there, when I listened to the first version I thought it was a reasonable balance but yes, a bit over-compressed so snare and kick were pushed too far back and had lost a lot of their transient impact. I also thought it was quite bass light. Overall though pretty decent.
I'm just not sure what happened with version two though. It sounds like you've put the entire mix through a 70Hz high-pass filter and also massively boosted the treble. It's very, very thin and to be honest quite painful to listen to. To give some statistical backing to this, I ran your version 2 and Foo Fighter's The Pretender through Voxengo's Curve EQ spectrum match and these are the points it came out with - first column is frequency points, second column is dB gain. So it's suggesting a 19dB (!!) boost at 65Hz and a cut of anything between -6 and -12 dB between 3-15kHz. That's huge.
I think you either really need to address your monitoring situation (which seems to be massively bass-heavy/treble light) and/or make much more use of reference tracks when mixing. As I said above, balance-wise things are sounding fine between individual instruments, but the overall tonal balance is way out.
Sorry if this sounds brutal, it's not meant to! I do think you've got some fairly major issues that need addressing though and I hope this helps you towards sorting them out.
Hey man, thanks for taking the time!
I couldn't agree more, that second mix is terrible tonally.
And yes, my listening environment isn't completely ideal and I normally reference my mixes at intervals with studio headphones, but alas, I didn't do that with my second mix! I'll be working out those kinks as soon as I can, but for the meantime, I'll find myself a reference track and sort out the tonal issues.
Again, thanks for taking the time and being brutally honest!
I need to hear these things, you know
02-06-2015, 08:47 AM (This post was last modified: 02-06-2015, 08:51 AM by MisterThom.)
(02-06-2015, 07:23 AM)fHumble fHingaz Wrote: I agree with londonmatt - I think you may have a monitoring issue. I'm not listening on a good studio system, just a small 2.1 computer system, so I can't accurately gauge what is happening in the low end. However, the main thing I'm hearing from both mixes is an unnaturally abrasive & thin high end. That seems to be reflected in the numbers of the frequency analysis above.
I would suggest running your mix and a similar commercial track through a frequency analyser and comparing the two. If you are boosting high end and cutting low end, that would suggest you are hearing too much low end through your monitors. Perhaps some room treatment is in order, or maybe even mix on decent headphones if room treatment is not an option.
Yes, I definitely do have a monitoring issue. I will not say where my speakers are in my room for fear of being crucified (!), but I think the best solution in the long run is to re-think my entire room and work out the ideal placement for room treatment.
But yes, I will find a reference track and compare the two!
However, I'm yet to find or think of a similar professionally recorded and mastered track to reference i.e. similar instrumentation and/or feel.
Once I find something suitable, I'll run it through an analyzer then go back and rework the high-end issues across the mix.
I do normally reference my mixes through studio headphones, but with the second mix I did nothing of the sort. Learning curve!
Thanks for the feedback and advice, it's much appreciated!
(02-06-2015, 08:47 AM)MisterThom Wrote: However, I'm yet to find or think of a similar professionally recorded and mastered track to reference i.e. similar instrumentation and/or feel.
A good start would be Mike's "Mix Rescue" mix of this song or one of the other mixes posted here that you think might make a good "benchmark". Personally, I referenced both Mike's mix and a Foo Fighter's mix (the name of which escapes me now).
(02-06-2015, 08:47 AM)MisterThom Wrote: However, I'm yet to find or think of a similar professionally recorded and mastered track to reference i.e. similar instrumentation and/or feel.
A good start would be Mike's "Mix Rescue" mix of this song or one of the other mixes posted here that you think might make a good "benchmark". Personally, I referenced both Mike's mix and a Foo Fighter's mix (the name of which escapes me now).
Cool, I'll check that out. If the name of that Foo's song comes back to you, please let me know. i may just give my ears a rest for a day...
Thanks again!
