The_Metallurgist mixes Enda Reillys Cur An Long Ag Seol

[The_Metallurgist]

Prefix to my comments: the harshness is the main issue in the raw tracks for me... you did right to eliminate it. No criticisms there.

i'm glad about that

I might be wrong as I often am... but my gut tells me this mix could benefit from some sort of delicate high end enhancement to "recover" from the attacks on harshness early in the mixing phase.

unlikely. the problem is the distortion in the original tracking; we can't take it out. this distortion is also present in the lower spectral range, of course, but it's less apparent because of the proximity of the fundamental. my mix is already well saturated, having used 2 tape decks on the acoustic and mandolin in order to try and smooth them out and lose the harsh, brittle sonics which the mikes presented us with. any attempt at fixing the upper spectrum would be futile, as other mixes of this project testify perhaps. for those who are interested, i used a Studer A800 emu on the first insert, and the Ampex 102 at the end. i kept adjustments to their minimum for the task....just enough to get the job jobbed. i don't usually like talking about plugins in the forum because on the whole, it's irrelevant what we use - it's the outcome that's important. but given my uncharacteristic approach and especially the deviation from the norm with my mix, i thought it might be educational.

So in the interest of furthering discussion... I have a few main ideas. All of course are "in the box" because I prefer the flexibility.

You mentioned an HF exciter on one of my threads... might not be a bad idea in parallel. Problem I see with this approach though is that the fiddle might go all nails on a chalkboard if it's applied broadly enough to sound natural.

an exciter only works well when there's good harmonics present originally. another problem with exciters is that you have to be careful on which instruments, and how much otherwise the spectrum can get a little flooded and turn a mix the other way.

First thing that always comes to my mind is distortion... that MIGHT work but in acoustic music... well. The consequences could be as problematic in a different way, but I think the music really could benefit from thicker harmonics north of the mids. I think a tape-saturation type distortion would be best for this tactic.

i did this already. but note my comment on harmonics here. what i had to work with in the higher spectrum sounded really bad with very little tweaking. so my conclusion was to low-pass my way out of the mess with a minimal cut as possible, thus avoiding the spectral impact on my nerves, along with associated stress and discomfort.

Final idea... what about easing off the standard EQ high shelving cuts a biton the mando and guitar and enhancing them with a dynamic EQ high shelving cut? Keep the attack time long enough to allow the the strings a momentary bit of brightness so they don't sound as dull, but without the excess HF stuff carrying into the sustains and delivering fatigue?

nice try, but no go. before taking the tape route, i tried dynamic EQ and it was a disaster. i then dropped the Studer into the respective inserts followed by dynamicEQ. similar mess.

thanks for your contributions here, but i'm already moving on. i'm way over budget on this one! is it doable? Niel's post offers relevant wisdom......

thanks to everyone who's shared in here. greatly appreciated.