Another Mix Calling Me (by Draper)

[loweche6]

This track took a lot, what with the ending being so dynamically different, and all. I like what I got, I think, but it's pretty late. Thoughts?

Cheers to all!

Draper

[kapu]

Isn't there a bit too much bass? It sounds kind of boomy. At least on my system. Did you create some harmonic parts for the ending yourself, or did I just miss some tracks?

[loweche6]

Low end seems to be where i wrestle the most. There is a fine fine line between anemic/good/boomy. I like to hear a decent amount of low end, but it may have been a little too much for the song, I'll take a listen. As for adding any parts, i did not. All parts are original! Thanks for listening and commenting!

Draper

[HbGuitar]

I think I agree about bottom being out of balance......

In section one I think the bottom sounds good...and the mids sound good too..but they need to be re-balanced slightly. If you are unsure of what you're hearing then maybe using FFT spectrogram would help. I think you could bring down drum and bass together as one until the top of the vocal peak and the top of the bass/kick peak sort of match....or at least get closer.....it really depends on mix/genre... i wouldn't say its a golden rule or anything.....but a useful tool....and i doubt if you'd need to move D&B down more than 2-3 db to find the sweet spot.

other than that i really like the relaxed delivery you got going on

[Cudjoe]

Yes i agree about the excessive bass,try walking around your studio whilst the track is playing,not too loud,then stand in the corners of the room and the excessive bass usually reveals itself,i have just started doing that,well done.

[Luc van der Stap]

This track took a lot, what with the ending being so dynamically different, and all. I like what I got, I think, but it's pretty late. Thoughts?

Cheers to all!

Draper

Hi Draper, how are you?

I consider your mix as one of the better ones, very original, clear and ok.

One thing: The bass, no news but worth to mention

I'm curious if you have another setup for your monitors yet? You told about some problems you got in the past, in the mean time myself I have a new set (rokit 5, love them) and went out of my office into my new mobile studio hahahaha, are you still mixing in your office or not?

So again, I think the mix is very tasteful and special, only the bass issue is what bothers me a bit while I know your capabilities in mixing are great, so something is wrong with monitoring or whatever.

Cheers and cu,
Luc

[Luc van der Stap]

This track took a lot, what with the ending being so dynamically different, and all. I like what I got, I think, but it's pretty late. Thoughts?

Cheers to all!

Draper

Hi Draper, how are you?

I consider your mix as one of the better ones, very original, clear and ok.

One thing: The bass, no news but worth to mention

I'm curious if you have another setup for your monitors yet? You told about some problems you got in the past, in the mean time myself I have a new set (rokit 5, love them) and went out of my office into my new mobile studio hahahaha, are you still mixing in your office or not?

So again, I think the mix is very tasteful and special, only the bass issue is what bothers me a bit while I know your capabilities in mixing are great, so something is wrong with monitoring or whatever, or is this mix before you changed from office to another mixing room?

Cheers and cu,
Luc

[loweche6]

HELLO ALL!!! How's everyone been the past few months? Busy as I have been, I hope. Thank you all for the input and kind words on this track, I just jumped back on it and cleared up some issues *cough cough* the low end *cough cough*

I do believe I have fixed my monitoring situation by rearranging my listening room, so I thought I'd touch this one up. Yea?

Draper

[The_Metallurgist]

DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPERRRRRRRRR!!! WELCOME BACK!! WE'VE MISSED YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm loving the sound scape you have built here. it's wonderful and really complements the concept of the song. there's some great sonic blending going on here too; very transparent. the bass sounds balanced here now. well done!

you've a couple of process glitches, 0:14 and 1:15, perhaps it's a plugin switching in or out?

the spectral balance to my ears in both v1 and v2, suggests you are on the bright side in the upper mids. i find it close to bordering on harshness? how you go about fixing this might depend on where in the mix you look....warming the low end up...or hitting the treble directly, or a combination of the two? it's most likely the tweeters giving an overly dull/warm presentation? i'd first experiment with their frequency response (e.g. >>>boost<<< their treble 3dB'ish), then check how a new version of this same mix translates over other gear which you are familiar with...or even unfamiliar. you could also post some "experiments" up here in the forum for A/B'ing which could help increase your averages. but i do think the monitors have misled you. if i'm right, adjusting their frequency response will help reduce the need of trying to mentally compensate for their idiosyncrasies (which will fail but it never seems to stop many from wasting life trying!). if tweaking the FR doesn't work? you might need to consider upgrading...which introduces a whole new can of worms.

if you purchased your current monitors without mixing on them for a couple of weeks and checking translation(?), this could be the root of your problem. making a purchasing decision from listening to boxes in a shop and A/B'ing them is a bad idea....and it's unwise to be swayed by forum posts or other people's opinions about what is and isn't a good box - especially journalists! choosing is a process, a process that is based on an individual's own environment and personal needs i.e. how an individual's brain interprets what it "apparently" hears from the speakers [coupled with the way their room interactions with them]. importantly, i'd also add that no single pair of monitors can offer all of one's mixing needs because of the limitations of science and technology on the one hand, and the target market/budget on the other - we generally only get what we pay for.

all speakers are compromised....but there is a point where money gets you more bang for the buck.

something you may also like to consider if you haven't already, is the opportunity in switching between at least 2 pairs of boxes? it can shock the brain out of it's comfort zone. recall that 10-20 seconds is sufficient time for the brain to hear something and accept it....even if it's wrong! that second pair of boxes can be cheap old things...but preferably they should be boxes you know fairly well already. even a pair of self powered beige PC speakers from a car-boot sale plugged into a headphone jack can offer the necessary contrast, especially in helping to judge treble and ambiance/reverb...and even offer up some clues as to how well bass translates over bass-shy speakers.

if future mixes are well sorted in the bass department, it will confirm you've cracked it - i've got my fingers crossed for you. assuming this mix wasn't a one-off, sorting the treble should see you dominating the Universe.

good to see you back!
laters,,

[loweche6]

Hey Dave! It's good to be back! I'm glad you like my soundscape on this one! Last night, I let my ears get a little blinded by alcohol, on top of being a little overworked from my day job yesterday. I've addressed the highs, I do believe, and I am really happy with how it sounds now. Testing on my HD650's I think I found the sweetspot for the high end, and which verified where I think the high end should be. The audio glitches in mix 2 were one of those "studio gremlins" that crept in. Anyhoo, take a listen to this third mix, and I give me some more thoughts! Thanks everyone!

Draper