Hey,
you can download the ref mix with a right click. it should be included in the zip but yeah, just download it and add it to your session - and add some other mixes of that genre too. I think the biggest single mistake you can do as a mixer working for other people is not using reference mixes. The band expects a certain sound, their fans expect a certain sound, and pretty much everyone else listening to that genre expects a certain sound ... and you can't ignore that. E.g. you can't use a supersubby kickdrum and combine it with a jazzy snare when the band plays 220 bpm double bass techmetal stuff. It just won't work.
Regarding L1: I think you are missing the point here. Limiting key elements of a song like rhythm guitars and bass isn't killing all the dynamics of a song. My mix doesn't sound crushed; the drums are very, very lightly compressed, the whole mix sits at 9-10 RMS for the most part of the song. But for this genre of music, it's all about control. Things are loud if I allow them to be loud. I've automated the hell out of this song, checked every part for small details like triplets on the hihat, special cymbal hits or slides on the bass or guitar and raised the volume for that single moment only to turn it immediately back down.
you can download the ref mix with a right click. it should be included in the zip but yeah, just download it and add it to your session - and add some other mixes of that genre too. I think the biggest single mistake you can do as a mixer working for other people is not using reference mixes. The band expects a certain sound, their fans expect a certain sound, and pretty much everyone else listening to that genre expects a certain sound ... and you can't ignore that. E.g. you can't use a supersubby kickdrum and combine it with a jazzy snare when the band plays 220 bpm double bass techmetal stuff. It just won't work.
Regarding L1: I think you are missing the point here. Limiting key elements of a song like rhythm guitars and bass isn't killing all the dynamics of a song. My mix doesn't sound crushed; the drums are very, very lightly compressed, the whole mix sits at 9-10 RMS for the most part of the song. But for this genre of music, it's all about control. Things are loud if I allow them to be loud. I've automated the hell out of this song, checked every part for small details like triplets on the hihat, special cymbal hits or slides on the bass or guitar and raised the volume for that single moment only to turn it immediately back down.