Quote:Thanks for getting back to me, and so swiftly, Blitzzz.
It's a 192kbps file. Are you aware of how a lossy codec deals with bass under this extreme rate of data reduction? The file is presented for preview purposes so we get the gist of the multi before downloading it. It's definitely not for reference purposes because of it's mega inferior audio quality. Anyone who uses it for reference is automatically setting their standards to a low level.
Would it be wise to base judgement on audio which has only 14% of the original material remaining?
That said, most people are sitting in a far from decent acoustic space anyway to make an informed judgement on their own mixes, let alone to critically assess the qualities in a reference sample. If you're sitting in a -36dB null at 74Hz (let's ignore the Q) and a pop of +23dB at 107Hz, the reference isn't going to be much good either! The smaller the room, the bigger the train smash. And don't get me going on the subject of headphones or I could be here all day
Perhaps some might like to have access to the 16bit PCM for reference? Posting on Bandcamp for example, with a minor charge, would help those more committed participants while helping to fund your own expenditures. Make it a 2-way street, sort of thing. Only an idea
Hey Maxine, I´m not running this site and I can't really change how things are delivered or stored. I could put the master up on dropbox but as Doug has already said it wouldn't be a permanent solution and therefore its probably not a good idea.
I should have written an FAQ for this song but I'm pretty busy at the moment. You can basically use any song from As daylight dies or The End of Heartache from Killswitch Engage as a reference if you want your mix to be in the right ballpark. My priority list for a mix would be:
- The vocals are the king of this song and by far the most important part - just like in 99,9% of all songs out there
- The guitars drive the song, especially the main riff. Give them enough room but get them out of the way of the vocals
- Try to bring out all the small details from the drums - there are lots of them
- The Synths are there to keep the song interesting. Give them a place in the spotlight every now and then but let the guitars and vocals be the stars
- Try to play with the stereo field and dynamics in the verse, bridge and chorus. In the original mix the verse is quite narrow and has a lower energy, while bridge and chorus have more power and are wider.
A good mixer would do all of this without me having to tell him what to do but there are lots of beginners on this site that get lost in details. Maybe this list helps someone to keep their focus
Ah, and for all the beginners out there: Don't kill the vibe of the guitars. Sure you can make your small cuts so they fit into the mix but don't kill all the mids or low mids just because a guy in a video on youtube told you that this is generally a good idea. It's not