Fytakyte - Too Much

[mikej]

Hi,

Thanks for the comments! Have tried out your suggestions and have uploaded a new mix version 1.6.

The kick/bass is tight and solid, significant improvement.

Yeah -  I think might have hi-passed them just a hair more, and lowered the volume bit, can’t quite remember. Surprised you noticed to be honest!

The snare has the body and cuts thru better than last and gel with the fx better.

I’m using two snare samples, and changed one of them for this version [1.6].  I also added a little more top and bottom end eq on the real snare, and a bit of rebalancing.

The whole mix is louder in volume than the last too, either that or the solid kick/bass gave me that impression.

Ha! It wasn’t actually supposed to be louder.  In the last mix I did experiment switching the gentle mix bus saturation I was using to just effect the lows, rather than the whole mix. I feel this can sometimes give a nice gentle warm glue to the mix, without affecting the clarity of the mid and high end.  I'm back to saturating the whole spectrum with mix 1.6, although just saturing the lows might work better too now I've backed off the limiter a touch.

The main thing I think was that I dialled back the mix bus compressor a bit.  Even though before I dialled it back it was only doing a max of 2 db gain reduction in the chorus, the chorus parts are actually automated up in volume about 3db.  Dialling back the bus compression means I ended up hitting the limiter a bit too hard.  (It also meant the true peak was +0.8 after mp3 conversion too, although what the true peak ends up being after mp3 conversion seems like a total lottery to me).  I should have altered the threshold on the limiter as well as the compressor. as the bass and backing vocals in the chorus parts were getting a touch too distorted, even for me!

In this mix I’ve added a little more of the bus compressor, and dialled back the limiter a touch.  I think I brought back the bass just a touch more as well as I thought it was getting a bit loud perhaps in the chorus sections.

Minor suggestions:

(1) I like the solo but would like to hear a bit more of the guitar4 right where the solo starts. I think it makes the part more exciting, adding even more punch to it.

Yeah good idea.  I’ve also got the volume of guitars 2 & 4 ramping up to the chorus too. It helps to bridge the volume difference between the parts as well as introducing that chorus is about to come in.

(2) I think the "glass" could be a tiny bit louder.

Done.  My initial thinking was to have it balancing out the guitar I have panned opposite.

(3) the ac guitar2 (~1:28-1:40, 2:57-) can use some volume too, only a couple notes so let it rip.

Yeah. I’ve bumped it up a touch.

(4) I think with the guitar6 louder the part will sound fuller start from 2:40 ish. I can still hear it but a little low. These are minors issues and can be done with automation. Other than that, I think it's a banging mix here where I am at. 

Done .

Did you do the phase on the snare and hats as you said?

Ha, no I didn’t exactly...  I’d already hi-passed it so there’s very little snare in it plus I’ve got it panned hard right, so changing the phase didn't make any difference really.


Cheers!

[SonicTramp]

Out of curiosity, why don't you post the mix here, instead front page? I ask bc I see everyone does it, but I don't. The reason I post my mix where I reply is to try to make it easier for the listeners to make comments. I don't know how you guys do it but I listen at least 5 times and about another 5 aiming to regions. Go back and forth on the pages breaks the train of thoughts making the comment less reliable. Not a complain, just a question. Thanks.

[mikej]

It's a fair comment.

I think strictly speaking the way you do it is probably how it's meant to be done. Personally I feel that maybe not everyone will bother to scroll through all the posts and therefore might miss the latest version of the mix. I also find it's useful to have all the mixes in one place so you can switch between them to check the differences. The latest mix might not always be the best. You can always download all the mixes (which I do for more in depth analysis), or maybe have two pages open in the browser.

However you choose to do it is totally fine I think.

Cheers!

[Roy]

Also, there's always the "quick reply" at the bottom of the page so you can be on the first page listening to a mix but writing a reply that will wind up at the end of the thread whe you hit "post reply". I agree with Mike that having them all in one place keeps them more organized. I've often commented on a mix only to realize I missed a newer mix later in the thread.

[Roy]

I could only give a quick listen at the moment but I have to admit not being a fan of the side-stick in mix 1.5 and 1.6. It feels pretty thin and could use more of the 'wood', as it were. It feels a bit gated and artificial. That's all that notably jumped out at me for now. 1.6 feels a lot 'smoother' than 1.5 overall.

Also, I notice some weird noise at about 1:44 in the last two mixes that I don't hear in the previous ones. Like a pop or something. Maybe it's an edit? I dunno. It just caught my ear.

[SonicTramp]

I see your point. it does make it easier when one wants to compare on the first page.

Anywayz, and I think Tambo Man and others can do a better job than me, my ears, just like my gf, always lie to me, but I think this mix is even better than the last. The mix sounds cleaner therefore easier for me to hear everything. I hear the snare even better, especially in the solo, quite punchy. I think the tom after the solo is just beautiful, cuts thru perfectly. There is one snare hit (1:44 ish) that strayed out of line, slightly ahead, I heard but not quite sure. Sometimes bringing samples into the mix does that, not everything is lined up. And if my life depends on it, I'd prob say I want more of that Hammond in the solo. I love it when we get better. Good job, man.

I am still working on mine, using yours and Tambo Man's as guides.

[SonicTramp]

As dumb as ever, I never thought it that way. Thanks Roy, for the tips. I'll do that from now then.

[mikej]

I'd thought I'd fixed them all, but yeah, and there was another slight glitch at 1:57 too. Thanks. I might try bumping up the hammond if I decide to post up another mix. I could be wrong, but I think listening to the library mix it's supposed to be more in a supporting role and adding weight to the other parts rather than be heard as such. Well the side stick is brighter as I added some more top to the snare. I automated the top eq in mix 1.7 for now. I might spend a bit more time on it later though.

Cheers!

[SonicTramp]

About the Hammond. I have mine a bit louder than yours and I felt it supports better, but it's subjective. I thought that the last few notes on the guitar solo were not enough to hold the part up. I felt they needed help from the Hammond. That was why I saved it last to mention. But you can leave it like that.

Yep, another one somewhere in that region you pointed out but not as noticeable. I missed that.

[Roy]

I'd thought I'd fixed them all, but yeah, and there was another slight glitch at 1:57 too. Thanks.  I might try bumping up the hammond if I decide to post up another mix.  I could be wrong, but I think listening to the library mix it's supposed to be more in a supporting role and adding weight to the other parts rather than be heard as such.  Well the side stick is brighter as I added some more top to the snare.  I automated the top eq in mix 1.7 for now.  I might spend a bit more time on it later though.

Cheers!

There's always different ways of working but I almost always move the side stick sections to another track and process it differently. I just find it such a different tone and dynamics and part that just happens to be picked up best by the snare mic as opposed to being "the snare". I could never find processing that worked for both sounds. Sometimes it works. I just find it easier to move it to a new track and deal with it there as opposed to messing around with automation. YMMV.