I realise this is a pretty old thread, but I finally got around to doing a mix of this very very cool song. The relatively high track count means careful attention paid to gain structure and getting everything to sit somewhere in the mix. I probably spent a little more time than I normally would on automation. Usage of compression was quite extensive and layered to help each instrument/section "pop" when it needs to. Muting and fades also utilized to create a more dynamic feel in what is essentially quite a repetitive arrangement. Personally, I found that the groove never gets boring even with the repetitive nature of the song in general. I've had a listen to quite a few of the mixes on this thread and one of the great things about a song like this, is that it is quite open to many interpretations. Comments and feedback are always welcome and appreciated, cheers.
Your kick and bass are awesome! Very punchy and controlled and with a warm and soft tone that drives the song in a way that's impossible not to dance. I just missed the high end, and the panning could have been more explored. Everything is central or almost central, with something occasionally popping in the extreme pan field. The reverb in the vocals in the chorus are a little too much with the delay, and pops in a unpleasant way comparing with the rest of the song. Did you check your mix in mono to see if there are any substantial change in timbre or balance in the majority of the song? It seems that the pad and the way reverb was used can do bad for mono compability.
And in the begining, that guitar strumming makes the mix unbalanced because there's nothing in the right channel to equilibrate the panning, and the mix tends to fall to one side. I'd really like to see the chorus part come forward as the most important part, but your mix seems to go deeper inside, a little muddy. The outro was more balanced than the whole song. I really liked it.
Good job! Could've been a little better regarding frequency balance and stereo field balance, but this song is very very difficult to mix. I have done it in 3 whole days and yet I think I could have mixed it better. If you could listen to my mix too and comment about it, it would be very nice! http://discussion.cambridge-mt.com/showt...?tid=11246
Thank you for listening, I appreciate the detail of your comments. Warmth is definitely something I was aiming for with this song. In regards to the panning and width, I understand where you are coming from here. I did spend a considerable amount of time in M/S mode whilst being conscious of the mono playback. I will have a listen to your mix and provide some comments for you.
Cheers,
Mick
