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[Mixinthecloud]

Hello,

I listened briefly to mix 2.

Regarding the count-in, what was your reasoning behind it appearing only in one channel?  Do you also think it could be louder, especially for an audience listening at low level with a high background noise (levels of up to -50dB can be pretty common, even in domestic surroundings)?  Thinking about it, does it's inclusion add to the concept of the song, especially in context of a studio-type production as against a live performance?

Are you not finding this busy?

How did you envisage differentiating the verses and choruses musically and instrumentally?  How did you plan to help keep listeners engaged for the duration of a relatively long song?

I recommend you back off from the limiter, you appear to be pushing it hard on occasion because I can hear distortion. Why the need to limit to 0dB?

Love your LED layout in the avatar. Out of interest, what size are the screens?

Thanks for the listen too

Max,These are all good questions and I will try to answer them.
The intro count-off was on the left because that is where I placed the quitarist who did the count-off. I kept it there because that is how I presented the ensemble. Putting it front and center would not catch the ear for the guitar placement that follows.

When I mix this I do not mix it with the consideration of background noise in the listeners environment. I mix for an active listener. That is a single state condition. Compensating for background noise would need to assume knowing precisely what that was and that is impossible. If I was asked by the artist to do that I would just crush it into a 6 db dynamic range. I prefer not to do that especially with music as expressive as this.

The business you are referring to is a question for the artist. I presented what was delivered in the best light I could. I suppose I could have comped things but there were too many gems to toss.

Engagement is by the meandering of the lyric and the counter-punctual hooks by the mandos, pedal steel and guitars. Dynamics too.

There is limited limiting going on either to catch peaks on groups or in the final mastering.

Thanks for the listen.