Discussion Zone

Hi! here's my mix. I've been lately watching some videos with new mixing techniques and I've tried to apply what I've learned here.

I've also ventured to master the song a little bit more than just using a limiter.

Of course, you're the experts and I'm willing to know what you think and how to improve the mix

Hey Juanhose,
I notice right of the bat: This is loud. Just loud enough for Drum & Bass!
I like how the Kick has some real "Kick" in it, but the Snare could use some more low-mid action in my opinion.
The lead-synth, introduced in the second Chorus, is quite loud compared to the rest and could use some reverb / delay instead of more volume.
the Bass seems alright in comparison to the drums, so that's been mixed well together!

Overall, it is a very nice mix, certainly worth listening to!

Ah man, I completely missed that you'd given this one a go or I'd have commented sooner! Very very different tack than I took with the track... I was going for a more moody and contemplative atmosphere (although there's more that could have been done in that regard) but this is rock solid, wall thumping, fist pumping power, which is also very cool. Seems to be more representative of the genre and for that I applaud you

I'm trying to figure something out... there could be some issue with settings on my computer because it sounds like this is clipping and I know you use limiting to dodge that, as well you should. Every time the kick hits on beat 1 of each measure it sounds like the entire track is shaking/wobbling and I'm not really sure what's doing that... I dunno if it's clipping, master bus compression with an attack time that's too short to accommodate the length of the bass wavelength, or maybe an intentional thing. You've probably noticed from my mixes that I don't really do a lot of stuff like that because it's not my thing, but it doesn't seem inappropriate for the genre (for what I know of it).

The noise track sounds really good, blends very well... that took a bit of work for me sounds like you did your work there well too. The bell pad also creates a very good atmosphere for this mix. Great job as always!

Quite honestly, I noticed this "wobbling" as well as you did Pauli, but it is fine - a lot of drum & bass tracks have that intentionally, for one reason or another.
Either it's because of a compressor, or because of a very slow sidechain. Either way, one of its function clearly is to get some room for more loudness, as well as to give it some pumping-feeling.
Go ahead and prove me wrong if I am, I really can't know what you did intentionally and what you had in mind, Juanjose.

Hi, Skelpolu and Pauli!

Thanks for your comments! they're always welcomed because you give me hints about what to focus from now on.

I've already changed the snare in order to accentuate the mid range and also, changed that synth during the second chorus part.

I got into the wobbly thing just by chance. I was experimenting with some compressors and limiters, and then I got into this. I liked how it sounded and that's why I left it like that.

I don't have a musical background or education about the subject, so I just follow my own taste. My (short) experience in mixing here, has proven that most of the times I'm wrong, but I was glad to know that this time it got a suitable result for the genre! I guess that when this style was developed, someone did the same thing that I did, liked it and left it like this... and other people followed it along. Of course, I'm not saying that I'm some kind of mixing genius because obviously I'm not but who doesn't like to dream once in a while?

Oh, by the way, Skepolu, I checked your site and I've already bookmarked it to visit it once in a while and read about your thoughts and reviews. And I was glad to find that we have a few things in common (Я тоже самостоятельно изучаю русский язык )

Hey Juanjose,
I am glad to see that you tried to follow our advices.
Now the "Saw" is barely noticable to be honest - I meant less volume, so just about -4dB~, not -INFdB, mate! ;o
The snare could still get a little nudge at around 220Hz~, the vocals a dB or two less in volume. Aside from that, it seems pretty fine!

I am glad to hear that you find my Site informative - And yes, indeed we have. But I actually -have- to learn it (Long story, trust me on that one), ahahaha.
P.S.: I am called "Skelpolu" actually, there was a typo in the initial release of Human Mistakes.

changes made... sorry about the almost muted synth and the typo! they were just 'human mistakes'

(07-03-2014, 07:56 PM)juanjose1967 Wrote: [ -> ]changes made... sorry about the almost muted synth and the typo! they were just 'human mistakes'

I see what you did there

Hey Juanjose,
Yeah mate, that's it - a very solid mix right there!
Interestingly enough, it's really great to see that, even though those are the same samples, people can make all sorts of stuff out of them, creating a very unique mix every single time.
Yours is no exception - it sounds just as solid as my mix could be but has your own character to it, and quite honestly, I like that snappy, crackling snare a lot!

Now, the mix you've probably listened to as a preview was done partially by Mike Senior, as mine was not developed enough at that point.
I've recreated it and had some fun with it, myself. In case you're interested: https://soundcloud.com/skelpolu/human-mistakes

(07-03-2014, 07:56 PM)juanjose1967 Wrote: [ -> ]they were just 'human mistakes'

Воу Воу, парень полегче, ахаха!))
(For non-russian-speakers: Woah woah, take it easy mate!)

(07-03-2014, 07:56 PM)juanjose1967 Wrote: [ -> ]changes made... sorry about the almost muted synth and the typo! they were just 'human mistakes'

I've said it before and I'll say it again. And again. And Again. This whole limiting/compression thing is just totally ruining the sound of modern music.

This mix is what I like to call the exception to the rule.

It was obvious from the first intensive "kick" I felt to my skull when this opened (it felt like the kick drum hammer smacking me in the forehead instead of the drum ) that this thing was compressed within an inch of its life. However, I was in for a surprise once I turned my reference volume down to something more comfortable for me...

In most hyper-compressed mixes I find the details tend to be all smeared and distorted; all definition and clarity are sucked out by squeezing the loudness of all the tracks together so tightly. What was different about this was that it was certainly loud, no question about that, but it was also clear and well defined. It even had a sense of space, something else that's usually lost in the thick underbrush of the compression/limiting jungle. I'm not sure how you did it exactly but you managed to craft a mix here that utilizes the compression expected by fans of the genre and yet it wasn't fatiguing on the ears. Not at all. Indeed, I was groovin' to this one!

I guess this only goes to prove that, in art, even techniques that don't work 99.9% of the time do have their place with that 0.1% which truly do benefit by them.

I still stand by my original belief: that compression and limiting, as a rule, have no place in the mastering process; I still feel the tool is being profoundly abused in most music today. However, this mix is proof positive that when you know how to use it, and when you have the skill to identify that rare piece of music that would actually benefit from it, it can be a powerful tool indeed.

That "wobbling" sound, BTW. Personally, I love it. It creates the impression that the kick drum is shaking whole song. if you were looking to create a sense of loud without squashing the life out of your mix I suspect this effect went a long way to accomplishing that.

My only complaints about this mix. First, the noise track is too loud at the very beginning (but it's spot on after that). The vocals could use a little sharpening, maybe a gently boost in the 5-6 kHz range and, if you're using a de-esser you don't need to be. Finally, I'd also sharpen up that piano a bit and add some reverb to it.

Otherwise, though, outstanding work. And mark my words: it is the rare day indeed John A. Ardelli gives such high praise to a mix that makes such aggressive use of master buss compression and limiting; when you can impress me with a mix like this, you're clearly doing something right.