Actions - Devil's Words (First Mix)

[gammasign]

This is my first mix on the site. Please critique. I borrowed a few ideas from other mixes I heard in the forum from users like Phil the Peel and Gemini8. Their mixes rock. I'm amazed at how good everyone's mixes sound. Be kind, but be firm in your critique.



Thanks Guys,
Gamma

[pacollins]

I'm going to write a lot as I listen - so this may be choppy, but will hopefully give you some ideas to worth with. (Full Disclosure: I'm not sure on what tracks exist for this song so bare with me.)

I like that fill to kick it off is present, but I think the change is too drastic when everything else comes in - I'd try to adjust the balance there. I think I would bring the lead rhythm guitar to the front a little more.

When the verse starts - I would mix her voice back into the mix a little more. It covers some of the nuance which sounds like it is balanced really nice. (Coming back here - it's a little loud throughout)

When the chorus comes in, let the drums kick in in like the intro - it felt a little anticlimactic. Maybe compressed a little too much. For the chorus harmony track (not the backing vocals) - make sure you have that balanced up to about 75% of the lead. It needs to be heard to help fill out the mix.

I like the vibe you were going with the bridge. I would try to get the timbres of the guitar and voice to match a little more. You might need to do some panning correction with her voice on the "You are the one." It seems like she shifts her mic placement which causes it to shift right a little and then come back center - just thew me off a little. I would also start shifting her voice back to normal when the drums kick in. You could do automation here to keep it seamless. This would also help keep her voice from getting covered when everybody comes back in there as well.

Be careful of fading out too fast - it ends kinda awkward.

One thing that I have throughout - make sure you bring out all of the drum fills. You emphasize it at the start, but then they get put in the background a little too much.

Overall sounds great - I'm gonna have to give this song a go.

PS - If anything doesn't make sense, feel free to ask. I just typed this as I was listening so it may not be totally coherent throughout. Haha

[gammasign]

I'm going to write a lot as I listen ...

Thanks pacollins! I know my mix is some what of a mess right now, and your help is the exact medicine I need. Thanks for taking the time to listen and share your insight.

I must give credit for the bridge. That was an idea I got from someone's else mix. I'll be sure to hunt down the mixer and and tell everyone where I got this awesome idea.

When I clean it up and make it better, I'll private message you.

Thanks man,
Gamma

[KMuzic]

Hey Gamma

Pretty good for your first mix here. not much I can add to what pacollins already mentioned. Take that advice and go for it. A great start!!
Good Job!!
K

[gammasign]

Thanks KMuzic! I'll private message you guys when make the changes. I appreciate the critique and look forward to hearing from you guys.

Have a good day,
Gamma

[gammasign]

Reworked the mix from pacollins and KMuzic's comments.
Thanks guys!

I'm getting closer, yeah?

[KMuzic]

Hey Gamma

Levels are much better..The drums sound pretty good, maybe a little bit more upper mids on the toms so they cut through better. I like the snare effect on the drum loop...cool sound

Play with the vocal reverb some more. it sounds like you used a room reverb (smaller reverb) which can make the vocal sound set back.

Background vocals sit nice.

The guitars at 022 sound like the verb is setting them back. Play with that some more and bring them forward

The vocal where the drum loop comes in almost disappears needs to come up a bit. Are you mixing in Headphones?

Mike has a lot of great articles on delays and reverbs on the mixing secrets pages, also, on YouTube Id suggest checking out some videos on Gain Staging .. Best thing to do before you start your mix.

Any questions , give me a shout


Good Job!!
Keep Mixing!!

K

[gammasign]

Hey Gamma

Levels are much better...

KMuzic,

How did you know I was mixing on headphones? Something is obvious. I do mix on headphones at the present. It might be a couple years til I get a properly treated room and good monitors. I hate using the headphones. They seem to be bass heavy compared to the Bose system or my phone using ear buds. Also, headphones are uncomfortable.

I was just recently thinking that I could use some information about verb and delays. I went for a slapback delay on this track and it was terrible sounding, and I'm left wondering if that might be the result of the reverb send (going post fader) in combo with the slapback that made it sound so funny. I'll check out Mike's articles, and get that vocal set in the right space.

I'm going to give this track another go. The next version will be even better.

That snare effect on the drum loop was an accident. I didn't hear the track that was supplied, so I made my own and added it in. I realized later that there was a track for the drums that had that 909, 808 sound and I blended the track supplied along with my track. Is that ok? I played producer and added a track. I imagine that might be a no-no in the business. Don't really know. If anyone can clarify, can we add tracks/instruments in the mix? Occasionally, I find it necessary to add things in or take things away in order to get the musical effect I'm shooting for.

Thanks KMuzic. I appreciate your help in mixing. I owe you.

[Shul]

Hello here are my observations.

*voice is too up front of everything. Sounds very out of the mix. Turning it down will help voice seat better in the mix
*voice has a lil too much reverb.
*bass is very muddy. Needs some low frequencies cut off. The rumble ones. It's masking the drums.
*there is an odd feel coming from the toms in the dorms. It sounds like they are just the overheads. I could be wrong.
*drums volume can come up more to punch the rhythm better.

Overall some balancing needs to improve but definitely not bad for a first mix.
Hope this helps.

[gammasign]

Hello here are my observations.

*voice is too up front of everything. Sounds very out of the mix. Turning it down will help voice seat better in the mix
*voice has a lil too much reverb.
*bass is very muddy. Needs some low frequencies cut off. The rumble ones. It's masking the drums.
*there is an odd feel coming from the toms in the dorms. It sounds like they are just the overheads. I could be wrong.
*drums volume can come up more to punch the rhythm better.

Overall some balancing needs to improve but definitely not bad for a first mix.
Hope this helps.

As far as the drums, it is mostly overheads. I couldn't get the toms to sound good and the overheads were pretty good, so I increased the overheads. Did you work on this track? How did you hear that? Great ears!

Thanks Shul!