Posting this after several weeks of rework (on and off). It took a while to get used to all the nuisances and rethink the balancing of the sounds, tweaking the reverbs and more. Eventually I think I got somewhere good with this mix and master.
I have to admit this mix is a challenge although a very good one.
Most difficult:
- balancing the low frequencies and getting something meaningful. The kick and the bass guit are very often overlapped.
The kick is tuned-eq-ed to 60-62, cut 500 with not much beater (2-2.2k) otherwise it is too repetitive and ear tiring, since is square hitting 4 quarters almost all along. There's a lot already in 2k.
The bass guit is also precisely overlapping the bridge melody, when it doesn't follow the kick percussion, so it was difficult to find a nice eq and its own space. Then the bass guit takes off once only with its own phrasing on the second part of the hammond solo. Wonderful. But some relevance needed also there to be able to feel it.
One more difficulty in the low freq: the moog has this analog bass fundamental - oh my good - just adds up nicely when it is played. Like it a lot but it makes the low freq uneven over time, since the moog is hit twice or three times max. The song closing is the apex of the moog + bass guit. It needs to flooow.
- the guit that has these riffs that should move from here to there, otherwise gets boring (mostly pan repositioning automation for these embellishments)
Additionally finding a nice own space for the guit solo (after the hammond solo) while the rest of the band is pretty much in full excitement was also a challenge. I chose a not too harsh sound with body and dirt, nearly mono, focused centre, a tick of added compression and volume over the band that goes "quieter".
- putting together all these synth phrasing, rich with their own expressions. Some automation needed. Actually quite a lot.
Less difficult:
- the tenor. nice, consistent, energetic. cleaned it and it goes on its own.
- the lead voice, not exactly straightforward to get the plosives out. but manageable. probably resulting in a overly thin voice in this mix. but it finds its space in the fullness.
- Hammond. spacey and full. Fat. Clean up with some eq and don't exceed with the bass track since it's too dirty, and the low frequencies are already busy with bass and kick.
- drums. nice take. Phase aligned in the kick and snare. OH are great, tamed with compression but still relevant.
- toms. almost unusable since I wanted to get clean drums. Probably there's less than 20 hits in 4 toms. Replaced them with 4 high quality triggered sounds.
Congrats to the band. Great execution. Really.
Master attached. Hope you like it. I'll dive now into auditioning some of the "competing" mixes.
cheers
I have to admit this mix is a challenge although a very good one.
Most difficult:
- balancing the low frequencies and getting something meaningful. The kick and the bass guit are very often overlapped.
The kick is tuned-eq-ed to 60-62, cut 500 with not much beater (2-2.2k) otherwise it is too repetitive and ear tiring, since is square hitting 4 quarters almost all along. There's a lot already in 2k.
The bass guit is also precisely overlapping the bridge melody, when it doesn't follow the kick percussion, so it was difficult to find a nice eq and its own space. Then the bass guit takes off once only with its own phrasing on the second part of the hammond solo. Wonderful. But some relevance needed also there to be able to feel it.
One more difficulty in the low freq: the moog has this analog bass fundamental - oh my good - just adds up nicely when it is played. Like it a lot but it makes the low freq uneven over time, since the moog is hit twice or three times max. The song closing is the apex of the moog + bass guit. It needs to flooow.
- the guit that has these riffs that should move from here to there, otherwise gets boring (mostly pan repositioning automation for these embellishments)
Additionally finding a nice own space for the guit solo (after the hammond solo) while the rest of the band is pretty much in full excitement was also a challenge. I chose a not too harsh sound with body and dirt, nearly mono, focused centre, a tick of added compression and volume over the band that goes "quieter".
- putting together all these synth phrasing, rich with their own expressions. Some automation needed. Actually quite a lot.
Less difficult:
- the tenor. nice, consistent, energetic. cleaned it and it goes on its own.
- the lead voice, not exactly straightforward to get the plosives out. but manageable. probably resulting in a overly thin voice in this mix. but it finds its space in the fullness.
- Hammond. spacey and full. Fat. Clean up with some eq and don't exceed with the bass track since it's too dirty, and the low frequencies are already busy with bass and kick.
- drums. nice take. Phase aligned in the kick and snare. OH are great, tamed with compression but still relevant.
- toms. almost unusable since I wanted to get clean drums. Probably there's less than 20 hits in 4 toms. Replaced them with 4 high quality triggered sounds.
Congrats to the band. Great execution. Really.
Master attached. Hope you like it. I'll dive now into auditioning some of the "competing" mixes.
cheers
"... I'm listening. Yes."
from Switzerland
from Switzerland