I'm Alright (High Dynamic Range '1983 Mix 'n Master by SMS2023_DE)

[SMS2023_DE]

Hi guys,

I've stumbled upon this forum and the source for multitrack files for educational usage just a few days ago.

A big thank you to Cambridge Music Technology. This is really lovely.

Here is my mix,

for me personally the dynamic range of music is the most important aspect or variable,

I can hardly enjoy most of modern pop, rock or metal music like I enjoy recordings from the 1970s to 1990s.

I believe a huge portion is about the balance and finding the right sweetspot while recording and mixing,

and not again destroying your results with inferior mastering.

Anyways, did you guys notice,

in the beginning of the track from the Acoustic Guitar 1 it most likely seems there was a switch

of the pickup selector being made, well there´s a click audible which I suspect does not belong there in the first place.

You can see in the waveform (if you zoom extremely in) at around 0:02min two recurring shapes have a distorted image compared to the others.

So I had to carefully clean these types of issues from the original multitrack files. It has been 10+ years since the first post / mix here

and about every version seems to have that "click" still in it.

My background:

I have had a small home recording studio when I was 18, (now am 43!), I have used an AKAI DPS 24 at that time,

then because of my job responsibilities and becoming a father soon afterwards I haven´t had much time for this hobby any more.

Guess life just happens sometimes.

Timejump to 2023, I have gotten a used TASCAM DP-24 with MIDI a month ago and finally (!) am able to get into the topic

of mixing and composing again. For the Mastering process and other tasks I also use my Laptop, e.g. Cakewalk by BandLab.

There´s always more to learn but it really is a lot of fun, well, music is a huge part of my life.

Wanna do my own music soon but mixing other songs is a really good excercise.

Cheers from Germany,

Stefan.

~~~~~~

Update from September 29th, 2023

I have added an alternative of my Mix 'n Master below with some changes (now named ..."-seq"...) for a bit more clarity / top end / low end / final touch.

An early version (deleted) affected the internal balance of the mix too much for my tastes, so I started again with the approach while making

the final touches thinking of the channel strip as a mixing tool. Your preference may vary though. The bass guitar player got a bit more of a dominant role here.

Cheers,

Stefan.

~~~~~~

Update from October 1st, 2023

Seems like we're getting there... I've experimented with micro-adjustments today... as it turned out I was 1Hz off in the low end region, which 

had a bigger impact due to using a filter resonance. I've spent a good couple of hours evaluating many variants of intermediate mixes in my car.

My main speakers need a repair at the moment due to defective loudspeaker beads (if that's the correct name), which is why I don't intend to use them

as some frequencies are getting distorted. Nevertheless despite mixing with headphones I do enjoy listening to the outcome, but I'm biased of course.

So for this update the low end has been slightly refined and in the top end I've used two EQs together in the same frequency range instead of

previously one. Using individual, accompanying filter curves made a tiny, but noticable improvement.

I suppose this will be my final revision, well not if I learn something new to be able (or in need) to implement another improvement.

There are still topics I want to learn and improve upon to bring my productions to a higher level. The next song is already in preperation. I'm curious.


So, to wrap things up with the current song, as a bonus I have added two identical mixes (in general terms), but with a different audio-timing. 

This is a topic that I've been busy with as a hobbyist inventor 10+ years ago, I won't get into the details but I wonder if anyone will

be able to spot a difference in the pace / rhythm / audio-timing between these three versions. 

I will say with a specifically trained hearing, e.g. from a highly nuanced drummer or sound engineer, and with enough experience / training regards rhythm,

pace and timing it will still be incredibly hard but easier and more natural to identify. It's extremely subtle though, be warned. 

Without training and/or a deeper understanding of micro-timing nuances it will be practically impossible to hear, and this is normal. 

Only the files with the "-teq..." in their name are valid for this comparison.

Hint: try to focus on the timing of one thing, like the snare - and compare. Have fun.

Cheers,

Stefan

~~~~~~

Update from October 17th, 2023

KISS principle update:

-Added a signature groove into the master

-Using more analog-sounding processes

-Added a bit of sparkle (without eq)

-Tiny adjustments and better mp3 conversion

This current version has the "-wow..." flag in its name.

Cheers,

Stefan

[noahd]

Yo Stefan - hope you are well. The most recent mix feels stellar. What's your approach to the vocal chain if you don't mind me asking? Also your low end feels sweet!

[SMS2023_DE]

Yo Stefan - hope you are well. The most recent mix feels stellar. What's your approach to the vocal chain if you don't mind me asking? Also your low end feels sweet!

Hello noahd, thanks for your comment, which is also the first in ~2.5 months since starting this thread - and for the compliments, I appreciate that.

Regards the vocal chain, well, this has been my very first mix in 2023, so I was / am still learning and experimenting with loads of stuff.

There was nothing extraordinary about the vocal chain as far as I can remember, except of getting the levels and the balance right (incl. backing vocals).

I would say the mastering stage has been used to do more of the shaping and fine-tuning of the final sound on my part - including the low-end.

I believe I did make some improvements in this regard over the several iterations - and within my current 3 songs / mixes & masters.

This particular song was pretty well balanced in terms of the recording, also the bass guitar fitted into the mix - I didn't quite like the bass guitar on

The Doppler Shift (nor the acoustic guitar) regards a kind of un-rhythmic playing - perhaps that's just me but that's why it got more or less the "...And Justice For All" bass guitar treatment.   But that effected the overall frequency balance. There is more low-end in I'm Alright because of that.

Now the low-end has been refined in the mastering stage, I haven't touched my basic mix EQs for that the bass guitar for instance.

I think listening to your mix with different stereo systems, especially in the car, can unfold wrong or missing (resonating) frequencies.

My personal advice with only a few months in would be to try to establish your own personal sound signature; also include processes where you can

fine-tune the sound according to the source material.

Every mix obviously needs other settings, especially when you're working with songs & multitracks from different people or studios.

When you are recording your own music in the same basic way the sound is much more consistent.

Don't know if that helps.


Cheers,

Stefan