19-11-2015, 11:21 PM
yo,
firstly, a big thanks for making this available for the forum....and well done on your first "gig", may you have many more.
a couple of points on the mix. you've taken a LCR approach on the lead guitars here, but the problem i'm having is that each has an entirely different spectral composition which unbalances the mix. over speakers it's not going to be much of an issue, but the problems really begin to manifest in headphones. you've done a good job in minimising the risks of fatigue, but i'm feeling it, sadly. the arrangement is the problem, fundamentally. the LH panned guitar also contains some room ambiance captured by the mic, compared with the dry RH gtr. this is upsetting the sound stage somewhat, in that the ambiance pushes the LH back in the mix compared to the other. it sounds odd, and kind of pulls in the headphones in an unusual way; i wouldn't use the word uncomfortable, but it is disconcerting....perhaps even a distraction to some.
there's also an opportunity in the low and low-mid range to tidy up the frequencies; i'm finding it heavy going from the congestion. the mix is sounding a little muddy because of it.
when the 4th guitar comes in(!) at 1:52, the mix is overly dense with too much material going on? the ear doesn't know what it should be focusing on and this in itself can result in another form of fatigue.
the vocals sound distant....out the back somewhere. this, coupled with the dry'ish L/R placement of the guitars, contribute to an ambiguous sound stage (e.g. the captured ambiance in the LH gtr mic doesn't help to place it in the same room). the illusion doesn't translate, in other words, to a coherent band performing in the same space.
the mix was missing musical dynamics and has a consistent level all the way through. i think a little change in dynamic would help the song deliver, perhaps by working the transitions between verse and chrous, or the mid section for example.
i've had a go at mixing it, but i took an entirely different approach. i still struggled with avoiding fatigue from gtr2 (the RH gtr in your mix), and the sound stage proved a challenge. actually, to be honest, i found the project a lot harder than i'd originally envisaged at the time of perusing the download.
i have to say though, i was displeased with the Autotuned vocal; i thought the artifacts were overly intrusive. Mike S states that the multis' in the MDL are "free of processing", but it seems that many projects arrive now having been tampered with post recording - my biggest frustration lies with printed automation FWIW. but a vocal is the most important element of the mix because it's this which most people are going to be focusing on, so it is crucial that it sounds as natural as possible - humans instinctively know if the vocal isn't right. i can understand that a vocalist that's not on key isn't going to want to broadcast this in the public domain....but if they do live gigs, then it makes no difference? importantly perhaps, it gives those in the forum an opportunity to have a go at Autotuning a vocal other than their own(!).
I can understand the sensitivity of the subject though.
thanks for posting and giving us a detailed listen and a chance to critique. much appreciated.
cheers,,
firstly, a big thanks for making this available for the forum....and well done on your first "gig", may you have many more.
a couple of points on the mix. you've taken a LCR approach on the lead guitars here, but the problem i'm having is that each has an entirely different spectral composition which unbalances the mix. over speakers it's not going to be much of an issue, but the problems really begin to manifest in headphones. you've done a good job in minimising the risks of fatigue, but i'm feeling it, sadly. the arrangement is the problem, fundamentally. the LH panned guitar also contains some room ambiance captured by the mic, compared with the dry RH gtr. this is upsetting the sound stage somewhat, in that the ambiance pushes the LH back in the mix compared to the other. it sounds odd, and kind of pulls in the headphones in an unusual way; i wouldn't use the word uncomfortable, but it is disconcerting....perhaps even a distraction to some.
there's also an opportunity in the low and low-mid range to tidy up the frequencies; i'm finding it heavy going from the congestion. the mix is sounding a little muddy because of it.
when the 4th guitar comes in(!) at 1:52, the mix is overly dense with too much material going on? the ear doesn't know what it should be focusing on and this in itself can result in another form of fatigue.
the vocals sound distant....out the back somewhere. this, coupled with the dry'ish L/R placement of the guitars, contribute to an ambiguous sound stage (e.g. the captured ambiance in the LH gtr mic doesn't help to place it in the same room). the illusion doesn't translate, in other words, to a coherent band performing in the same space.
the mix was missing musical dynamics and has a consistent level all the way through. i think a little change in dynamic would help the song deliver, perhaps by working the transitions between verse and chrous, or the mid section for example.
i've had a go at mixing it, but i took an entirely different approach. i still struggled with avoiding fatigue from gtr2 (the RH gtr in your mix), and the sound stage proved a challenge. actually, to be honest, i found the project a lot harder than i'd originally envisaged at the time of perusing the download.
i have to say though, i was displeased with the Autotuned vocal; i thought the artifacts were overly intrusive. Mike S states that the multis' in the MDL are "free of processing", but it seems that many projects arrive now having been tampered with post recording - my biggest frustration lies with printed automation FWIW. but a vocal is the most important element of the mix because it's this which most people are going to be focusing on, so it is crucial that it sounds as natural as possible - humans instinctively know if the vocal isn't right. i can understand that a vocalist that's not on key isn't going to want to broadcast this in the public domain....but if they do live gigs, then it makes no difference? importantly perhaps, it gives those in the forum an opportunity to have a go at Autotuning a vocal other than their own(!).
I can understand the sensitivity of the subject though.thanks for posting and giving us a detailed listen and a chance to critique. much appreciated.
cheers,,
Beware...........Cognitive Dissonance!