FytaKyte-TooMuch

[SonicTramp]

yeah, phase is potent and scary. But I knew it was important to learn, like learning to recognize a...gun, so we can take off as soon as someone pulls it out and point it towards us.

[Tambo Man]

That's awesome, man. The hat is out of phase with the snare or vice versa. I just checked. I can hear the changes when I flipped the polarity. The snare is not as ugly as it used to be and the hats are softer and less harsh. No wonder why the snare sounded so dull to me and the hats were just rude in my mix, even in the last one. No matter what I tried the hats were either obnoxious or disappeared altogether. It just wouldn't sit where I wanted it to be. So obnoxious was the choice, grudgingly tho.

What from my mix gives it away to you? What do you look for when you suspect there's phase prob?

Yeah, man. I am learning using bare bone equipment 95% stock. So none of those awesome SSL stuffs. My iOs doesn't allow me to buy anything. In fact I lost some from 3rd party.

I really appreciate your comment, man. If it's ok, I'd like to ask you more about phase. I want to learn to catch it. Thanks.

It helped that i was already familiar with the track. The thing that made me think phase was the snare sounded smeared and week transients. also the body was missing. Phasing is something you have to learn to hear just like anything else in mixing. What I do when starting a mix is check the phase of the drums.
listen in Mono or pan to one speaker. Start off with soloing every mic separately with the OH's. flip Phase back and forth for the best sound. after thats sorted I check every mic with the snare mic to see if anything changes. 
Its very easy to set up mics on a set and have it be in phase with the OH's and out of phase with the snare. The HH mic on this song was probably pointed away from the snare in an attempt to quite it down but what happens since the snare is entering the back of the diaphragm its now 180 out from the snare mic.
I've seen this with other mics where the bottom snr mic is in-phase with the top mic but out with the kik-dr. or visa versa, some times tom mics can do this. Problem is we never know how this stuff is miced up. 
This is where gates/expanders can be helpful, or just simply time delaying a track ( like delaying a DI bass some with a amp track) Or.. comb filtering can be used as an EQ. 

Also check phase again after eqing and filtering. Sometimes the phase shift that happens can mess things up again. Anyways get into the habit of flipping the 180 button on any track cuz sometimes it can open things up. Itll become more ear training and we all get better at it with practice. 

Hope this helps a little

[SonicTramp]

I see. I never checked phase again after eqing/filtering. Yeah, I am trying to learn to hear it but gets so hard when everything is up. But I learn from your post of more of what to do. In short always on the look out. Thanks, man. I really appreciate the time you spent explaining. It helps a lot.

[SonicTramp]

I came back and did another refresh just to make sure that nothing was messed with. This is what I came up with after straightening the phase situation. I sit everything to exactly where I like them. The kick, the snare, the guitars, etc. They hit my ears perfectly where I am at, but may not with yours. I would appreciate in knowing more info, especially just volume levels of instruments and point out anything wrong with the mix. Thanks.

[Tambo Man]

I came back and did another refresh just to make sure that nothing was messed with. This is what I came up with after straightening the phase situation. I sit everything to exactly where I like them. The kick, the snare, the guitars, etc. They hit my ears perfectly where I am at, but may not with yours. I would appreciate in knowing more info, especially just volume levels of instruments and point out anything wrong with the mix. Thanks.

Hey! Its sounding good! Im not going to tell you whats wrong or right ( thats all subjective anyways) all I can say before headed out to work is I think the percussion stuff is loud in the mix. otherwise my head was a rocking.  

[SonicTramp]

Thanks Tambo man. It did get easier to mix after you pointed out the phase issue in my last mix. I am scared of phase, man. It's just so potent in either way.

Thanks for pointing out the percussion volumes. Tbh, I didn't even pay attention to it. I was so happy that the snare wasn't ugly anymore, so...yeah. I pulled it down. I was more afraid that my bass/kick was too loud. So far, nobody complains yet.

Thanks for the listen. I still think you're being too kind to my mix. I don't mind hearing your subjective opinions on it and tear it apart if you can. I trust you. It's been proven. What I worry is wasting your time.

Btw, your mix influences mine a great deal. I especially like the drums works. You got the toms so sweet. Thanks, man.

[Tambo Man]

Thanks Tambo man. It did get easier to mix after you pointed out the phase issue in my last mix. I am scared of phase, man. It's just so potent in either way.

Thanks for pointing out the percussion volumes. Tbh, I didn't even pay attention to it. I was so happy that the snare wasn't ugly anymore, so...yeah. I pulled it down. I was more afraid that my bass/kick was too loud. So far, nobody complains yet.

Thanks for the listen. I still think you're being too kind to my mix. I don't mind hearing your subjective opinions on it and tear it apart if you can. I trust you. It's been proven. What I worry is wasting your time.

Btw, your mix influences mine a great deal. I especially like the drums works. You got the toms so sweet. Thanks, man.

The first thing i listen for if the mix feels good regardless of anything else. you're definitely getting there. a few things jump out mostly because it distracts from the mix. the tambo panned to the right, maybe put that up the center. Personal preference here but for this song I think less acu and more GUIT on the solo section. Also that first tom section towards the end of the solo, pan the guits hard L-R. Going to the narrow sound kinda shrinks the energy to much imho. Maybe give the solo guit a little more presence or make it louder. Been trying to figure out what was missing on the solo for me. could the the hammond. It sounds narrow? or could have more presence and be up louder during the solo.
I like the kick sound just want more of it. Its still a little dynamic and sometimes its to quiet. some parallel comp could help this.  Also want to add I think a good portion of the drum sound can be found in the room Mics.

 Anyways this is all imho.

Cheers!

[SonicTramp]

Thanks Tambo Man. I readjusted and worked within your suggestions and see if I could do it. I did push the Hammond up and it did help. The part seems thicker, fuller. I usually thought the tambourine should be on the side bc I think of it as an instrument. However, after your suggestion, I think sometimes the singer plays the tambourine too, and it's somewhere in the middle. One less thing to worry about. I panned all the guitars around the dial bc I didn't want to hard panned them in the same place. I was afraid they will mask each other. However, heeding you suggestion, and after a few rounds with eq's in some of them, they seem to be ok and gave me a wider stereo field. I wanted to use the room mic more but it's too dark for my taste. Every time I pushed it up it made my snare less punchy even tho I HP it quite high, pass 400Hz. I'll keep trying and see. Your comments help me a great deal, and if this mix is better than the last, mostly it comes from your help. But if it's not, it's on me. Thanks, man.