01-11-2016, 12:07 PM
expanding on takka's obs.....you've gone for a LCR mix primarily which is tending to skew your stereo image spectrally? for example, the acoustic guitar has a lot of treble in the R channel and it's not balanced in the L by anything equivalent. on the cans we'll find it fatiguing. i concur with Alan's point about the snare too....i've not worked this proj so can't/won't offer suggestions, but it's a problem in that it lacks punch from it's fundamental, unless it's being masked - only gave a quick listen, but it's also pretty sizzly (too much bottom snare?) and is missing definition perhaps because of this.
for me, i'm finding an issue with perspective of the sound stage. much of what's throwing me (apart from the LCR approach which is humanly unnatural to our senses) is the disparity in spatial cues between the instruments and especially the LV here, which i'm finding ambiguous? maybe flick between your reverb sends between on and off; if you hear significant contrast and obvious ambiance for example, then it's a sign the ears liked it too much when adjusting the parameters at the time of mixing - it only takes mere seconds for the brain to like treble....and the ear candy from the verbs, then you're hooked. technically we shouldn't 'knowingly' hear reverb, directly speaking that is (unless it's a creative/genre based theme).
our ears can all too quickly become desensitised to treble. stick a pair of industrial ear plugs in for an hour, then pull them out - you will suddenly be more acutely aware of treble than if you hadn't worn them.....but in about a couple of minutes everything is back to normal and the brain adjusts to the 'new' environment. we need to find coping mechanisms to prevent this human trait from getting in the way of the mixing process, even if it's only for a short period, like half an hour...or even as little as a minute! interestingly, this forum is a big problem in the respect that many mixes suffer excess treble (and harshness, the latter from overly hot mixes and clipping - which yours isn't, i hasten to add!) no doubt primarily for this reason....however when auditioning mixes, if we go from an overly bright mix to one that is perfectly balanced timbrally just moments later, it will nevertheless sound "not bright enough". ahhhh, the joys of psychoacoustics, eh? this is where having a [qualified] reference track sitting in the proj can help, now and again...or flicking between different speakers (notebook, smartphone, crappy PC speakers, expensive full range boxes, the mother-in-laws ears), taking the dog out, making a coffee (the grinder helps adjust my perspectives! lol) blah blah. but this takes discipline too.
and most important of all? loudness affects perception. if i listen at a different level to you, i will be hearing a different version of the mix even in the same room, same gear.....and i'm not, of course
Hello Fletcher-Munson!
might mix this now, you've got me interested!
laters..
for me, i'm finding an issue with perspective of the sound stage. much of what's throwing me (apart from the LCR approach which is humanly unnatural to our senses) is the disparity in spatial cues between the instruments and especially the LV here, which i'm finding ambiguous? maybe flick between your reverb sends between on and off; if you hear significant contrast and obvious ambiance for example, then it's a sign the ears liked it too much when adjusting the parameters at the time of mixing - it only takes mere seconds for the brain to like treble....and the ear candy from the verbs, then you're hooked. technically we shouldn't 'knowingly' hear reverb, directly speaking that is (unless it's a creative/genre based theme).
our ears can all too quickly become desensitised to treble. stick a pair of industrial ear plugs in for an hour, then pull them out - you will suddenly be more acutely aware of treble than if you hadn't worn them.....but in about a couple of minutes everything is back to normal and the brain adjusts to the 'new' environment. we need to find coping mechanisms to prevent this human trait from getting in the way of the mixing process, even if it's only for a short period, like half an hour...or even as little as a minute! interestingly, this forum is a big problem in the respect that many mixes suffer excess treble (and harshness, the latter from overly hot mixes and clipping - which yours isn't, i hasten to add!) no doubt primarily for this reason....however when auditioning mixes, if we go from an overly bright mix to one that is perfectly balanced timbrally just moments later, it will nevertheless sound "not bright enough". ahhhh, the joys of psychoacoustics, eh? this is where having a [qualified] reference track sitting in the proj can help, now and again...or flicking between different speakers (notebook, smartphone, crappy PC speakers, expensive full range boxes, the mother-in-laws ears), taking the dog out, making a coffee (the grinder helps adjust my perspectives! lol) blah blah. but this takes discipline too.
and most important of all? loudness affects perception. if i listen at a different level to you, i will be hearing a different version of the mix even in the same room, same gear.....and i'm not, of course
Hello Fletcher-Munson!might mix this now, you've got me interested!
laters..
Beware...........Cognitive Dissonance!