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Candlebox - Surrendering
#1
Hi,

Well, I tried to give this one a good go. Comments welcome.

Thanks!


.mp3    Candlebox - Surrendering.mp3 --  (Download: 8.67 MB)


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#2
Sounds really good. If I were to nit pick I'd say it might be a little bright. I like the overall dynamic lift in the chorus but it's just on the edge of being harsh. The snare could come back a hair. Occasionally the vocal gets a little under the guitars in the verses. It's tricky because this seems like a rock song where the vocal should be back a bit but lyrically it could be a bit more out front. It's a fine line. Plus he seems to move on the mic. And if I really were to nit pick I'd say lose the chatter at the top before the first verse. That's all that jumps out at me. Good job.
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#3
Hi!

You know I thought my initial mix was too dark when I referenced the audio from the Telefunken video, so I brightened it a bit. Probably need more practice making things a bit brighter and also smooth. The Telefunken video audio has this kind of cleaner quality to it, but I didn't feel I really want to go too heavy with the high passing. Can be a little tricky matching tone. Sometimes it seems to be the mix, other times I can seem to get close with a little bit of master bus eq. Other times a bit of both I guess.

Maybe it's the brightness in the snare that is causing it to be a bit harsh also. Funny, I more had in mind that the kick was maybe too loud, I didn't consider the snare Smile. I did kind of de-ess the snare with a dynamic eq but I perhaps need to also eq it a bit more.

I tried to level out the vocal a bit with automation, but there are a few spots where you can also really hear the freq response of the vocal change a fair bit when he moves. Maybe I should try to use some different eq at those spots. I've never tried automating eq, or applying different eq to different sections so far. Maybe I should give it a go. Definitely agree with you regarding the vocal level, I was kind of moving it by 1/4 db steps to get it where it is right now. Maybe it just needs some more automation at certain spots.

Yeah, be interesting to review this in a few days, and see if I have a mind to keep on it and try a revised mix.

Anyway, many thanks for the useful comments. Much appreciated.

(Oh, I'll be sure to check out your mixes later when my ears have got some sort of perspective back, you know how it goes).
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#4
(17-03-2020, 01:07 AM)mikej Wrote: Hi!

You know I thought my initial mix was too dark when I referenced the audio from the Telefunken video, so I brightened it a bit. Probably need more practice making things a bit brighter and also smooth. The Telefunken video audio has this kind of cleaner quality to it, but I didn't feel I really want to go too heavy with the high passing. Can be a little tricky matching tone. Sometimes it seems to be the mix, other times I can seem to get close with a little bit of master bus eq. Other times a bit of both I guess.

Maybe it's the brightness in the snare that is causing it to be a bit harsh also. Funny, I more had in mind that the kick was maybe too loud, I didn't consider the snare Smile. I did kind of de-ess the snare with a dynamic eq but I perhaps need to also eq it a bit more.

I tried to level out the vocal a bit with automation, but there are a few spots where you can also really hear the freq response of the vocal change a fair bit when he moves. Maybe I should try to use some different eq at those spots. I've never tried automating eq, or applying different eq to different sections so far. Maybe I should give it a go. Definitely agree with you regarding the vocal level, I was kind of moving it by 1/4 db steps to get it where it is right now. Maybe it just needs some more automation at certain spots.

Yeah, be interesting to review this in a few days, and see if I have a mind to keep on it and try a revised mix.

Anyway, many thanks for the useful comments. Much appreciated.
Also, if I'm remembering right by 'bright' I mean like in the 3-4khz range.
Upper mids. Especially the 2nd distorted guitar. Maybe a broad eq dip might help. Or maybe a MBC.
On thing I did in this tune and try to do more and more is split the vocal into verse and chorus. Maybe the bridge as well. The vocal tones in those two sections are especially different. That might help keep things more organized and easier to deal with in regards to automation and levels.
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#5
Pretty good use of the tracks but I'm hearing pumping of the compression in places and it is distracting. If you brought the snare back a touch and addressed some low end on the kick it might fix the pumping. Maybe limiting as opposed to compression. Otherwise the mix is solid.
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#6
Good work mikej,
nothing much to add, i just think you could work a bit on eq bass with chorus gtrs as it mask each other a bit disturbing a bit clarity. Anyway God job!!
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#7
Hi!

Many thanks for all the comments, much appreciated.

MiTc - not sure which spots you are finding problematic with pumping but I shall investigate further. I recall it was the kick that was mainly causing the action on the master bus compressor though so maybe I can dial it back a bit. Could also be the master limiter too. I didn't high pass the kick by much at all and I think only did a bit of a boost and a dip on the low end of the kick so there could be an issue there I guess.

Lethan - many thanks - I'll have a look at the bass and guitars eq.

I'll see about making a few tweaks now I've had a few days break from the mix.

Cheers!
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