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Dino Monked
#1
What a super groove. I think we were missing a snare track though but I could understand why.

Listening around to a few threads, none had dealt with the musical dynamic. I though that had risky consequences because of human nature being what it is, so I had a bash at addressing this in my vision. Did it work for you, though?

Nice synchronicity on the keys, and I especially liked the filter automations and split keyboard/unison effect. One nag however, was this guitar. It felt pushed too long and was risking overstaying it's welcome, conflicting somewhat with the general sequence of events. So, I deleted a section and I must say it all felt better for it. Or was it more of a case of expectation bias on my part? Lol. It is possible to have too much of a good thing though.

Thanks for listening.

PS After printing this, I was leaning on the balcony looking out at the view, when my eye caught a glimpse of something red and plastic wedged in the drain downpipe. Investigating, it was a jelly mould of a Brontosaurus left behind by the previous occupants. A freaky Jurassic coincidence or what?


.m4a    Dino m01 s24 MONK.m4a --  (Download: 13.74 MB)


"Nearly half of all teenagers and young adults (12-35 years old) in middle- and high-income countries are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal  audio  devices": https://tinyurl.com/6xeeahc5 Read my bio.
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#2
Listening to it on the grotboxes in my office. Couple of comments:
  • I really like the bass-only intro.
  • I think I’m hearing quite some reverb on the drums, and most of the time I think it’s too much.
  • I also like the part where you muted the drums in the middle of the song. The muting at the end is a bit too much, it could start the outro muted but come back in at the half-point, i.e. after two bars, if I counted correctly.
All in all it sounds very nice, then again I am on grotboxes. Smile
Most mixes done in Reaper or Bitwig on a MacBook Pro using Sony MDR-7506 headphones and some hifi system with old Saba speakers in a small-ish untreated room. If I commented on your mix, please check the board for my mix and reciprocate. :) Thank you!
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#3
I would revisit your low end. The sub frequencies are too pushed and the high end is a little too hyped in an Aural Exciter way. . May be worth investing in a sub woofer.
We're all just a bunch of freqs in this crazy world.
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#4
(04-08-2018, 04:43 AM)Faders_up Wrote: I would revisit your low end. The sub frequencies are too pushed and the high end is a little too hyped in an Aural Exciter way. . May be worth investing in a sub woofer.

I think a far simpler solution is to turn the level up momentarily beyond conversation during mixing, so one is less likely to fall foul of the ear's non-linearities Tongue

Until the new room is assessed, there's probably little point in even mixing, but I wanted to try my vision for a more musically dynamic, and engaging record.

So for now at least, the 2 subs from the last studio, can stay safely caged behind bars Big Grin

Actually, my experience with acoustics tends to raise concerns about sub woofer deployments, because they more often than not create more problems than they solve, especially in the hands of unacquainted enthusiasts sitting in small rooms!

Thanks for listening and the headsup.




"Nearly half of all teenagers and young adults (12-35 years old) in middle- and high-income countries are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal  audio  devices": https://tinyurl.com/6xeeahc5 Read my bio.
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#5
Very musical and contrasting, nicely assembled Monk. I can't comment on the bass, but listening on my small computer speakers (a sound signature that i'm quite familiar with) the mix translates really well. The snare maybe pushed back a little, but I do like the room this gives to the melodic structure of the song and you do bring it forward through the fills. An enjoyable listen. Well Done
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#6
(03-08-2018, 09:29 AM)Bombe Wrote: Couple of comments..

Thanks for commenting on the run in. I had to restrain my enthusiasm in the fx department.

I gave the drums an ambiance which places them in a space, and that space on the whole, includes them with the rest of the performance i.e. soundstage. That said, there's times the drums go wild (the warning that not all is going to be simple, comes from the run in!) in an effort to bring some additional energy and excitement into proceedings, where the snare is delayed. That's probably what you are hearing. I liked the drama it gave me. Reducing the kit's ambiance has a negative effect on the illusion of the sound stage and doesn't suit my vision. Things need to be viewed not as a separate entity, because changing one thing in a mix affects everything else.

The conclusion works fine for my vision. I wanted tension and the logical point to start the process was from the bass growl and cymbal hit; the mute point. From this moment onwards, the arrangement builds, concluding with the 3 accents. There's tension, buildup, expectation and release. The perfect ending? Angel Bringing the snare in when I did, gave me a dramatic entry point while joining the accented moments to bring some synergy. Importantly, while the kit is muted, it allows the listener to focus on the build up of the instruments, which arguably, adds to the tension. At least that was the idea.

Thanks for listening and especially for contributing your thoughts and perspectives regarding the tricks.



"Nearly half of all teenagers and young adults (12-35 years old) in middle- and high-income countries are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal  audio  devices": https://tinyurl.com/6xeeahc5 Read my bio.
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#7
(07-08-2018, 11:21 AM)Dangerous Wrote: Very musical and contrasting, nicely assembled Monk. I can't comment on the bass, but listening on my small computer speakers (a sound signature that i'm quite familiar with) the mix translates really well. The snare maybe pushed back a little, but I do like the room this gives to the melodic structure of the song and you do bring it forward through the fills. An enjoyable listen. Well Done

I concluded the drums were programmed. Keeping the snare banging relentlessly for the duration of the record contributes to predictability which in turn leads to disinterest. I just had to break it up. This benefits the musical dynamic in an otherwise static arrangement, while relaxing the vibe and gives the listener a chance to get their breath back from the vamps. Substituting it with the shaker works better for my goals than a hard pushed, constantly 'in your face' snare.

The situation we all need to arrive at, is a space where bass can be accurately assessed. This requires quite a deep understanding and application of acoustic knowhow. I came across a leading plugin manufacturer's page which said you could put a sub woofer anywhere in a room because "bass is omnidirectional". So it might be, but we ignore the effects of standing waves at our peril, which they conveniently ignored. Headphones are not a solution, neither is referencing. I work a lot with digital imaging. If your screen isn't calibrated, your eyes don't see the truth, you only think it's the truth you are looking at:

The brain is easily fooled by misinformation.

Thanks for dropping by and giving me your take. I especially found the translation information helpful. There might well be some opportunities to be found it bringing the snare up fractionally, but I'd need to finish the new room before exploration with any degree of confidence. You see, I'd be fearful that it might end up dominating proceedings too much at higher listening intensities for example, and we're back to a snare that's in your face again all the way through.

There is actually a wayward synth which needs better dynamic control, but that can wait. Maybe forever Big Grin
"Nearly half of all teenagers and young adults (12-35 years old) in middle- and high-income countries are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal  audio  devices": https://tinyurl.com/6xeeahc5 Read my bio.
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#8
To much focused on subbass and reverb- lost musicality and detals,Where is the congas?
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#9
(21-11-2018, 09:33 AM)5ras Wrote: To much focused on subbass and reverb- lost musicality and detals,Where is the congas?

You can't have read any of the posts in my thread.

An understanding of human psychology and psychoacoustics should answer your question on the congas. Actually, the congas weren't alone in that assessment. Just because a midi instrument plays non stop for the full duration in the tracking without contrast, musical dynamic or instrumental dynamic, is not a reason to keep it running in the final version.

How come you didn't comment on the sound stage? It's not BIG MONO, like all the other mixes I've auditioned here, with instruments sprawled across the stage wider than a barn door and totally lacking in localisation and depth. How come you didn't spot that? Tongue
"Nearly half of all teenagers and young adults (12-35 years old) in middle- and high-income countries are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal  audio  devices": https://tinyurl.com/6xeeahc5 Read my bio.
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