My first try

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This is my first attempt at DAW
Let me know what you think please

[ThePhonk]

Hey Kevin,

welcome to this site! You just made my day and ruined my night :-) Here's how. I scanned today's posts, knowing that I should go straight to bed and would not have time to actually listen to any new mix. As I usually don't these days. But I saw with delight that "Good Time" is again receiving some well-deserved attention, started your mix through the PC speakers and... WOW!

So I did my usual homework for this song: set up a DAW project, downloaded all the mixes, aligned their timing and level and then soloed through them through proper monitors to get an idea of the differences.

I like most of the mixes, but yours has a special quality to it that beats all of the others, for me anyway: the dominance of guitar texture! It is like good fast food (I think I used hamburger analogies before): it is supposed to be greasy, it is supposed to have trans-fats! The drums are supposed to be less prominent. And even the vocals are supposed to get drowned in the deep fryer! I really, really like you mix! You wrote that this is your "first attempt at DAW". If it also is your first attempt at mixing in general, then it is quite an achievement! (Otherwise not that much.)

There are other mixes that are quite close to what you did, and you might want to give them a listen. I think Phil 79's mix is closest. He pans the individual voices much wider across the stereo field than you do (you mixed quite mono, with the cymbals peeking out at the remote ends, giving the odd image of a guitar band surrounded by a drumset). That sounds even more interesting, texture-wise. He also has more lows, which in my ears makes for a slightly better overall frequency balance. At the same time, he already exposes the vocals too much for my taste (yes, my taste is special in this regard). I also would not have hard-panned the guitar solo. All in all I'd rate Phil 79's mix slightly better in a textbook sense, but I miss the edge and grit your mix has for my ears. Thus I'm not saying you should go where Phil 79 is, but I encourage you to check what you might like about his mix, and make some very, very careful steps in that direction. (Regarding stereo imagery and some other qualities, I also find fHumble fHingaz' mix extremely appealing.)

Regarding the panning and level of the guitar solo (roughly at 2:15) I suggest you compare your mix to the mixes mentioned above, plus those of MM Studio and Panteley. I think you did reasonably well, and the comparison will show you how/why, but may also inspire you a bit.

As you see, I had much fun triggered by your mix, so thanks for sharing it :-)

Marc

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Hello to all, And thank you Marc for welcoming to to this wonderful site and your kind words.

First off let tell you all how I got going on this project and finding this site.
It all started on Youtube. surfing around different pro audio related videos.
I stumbled upon Dave Pensado's site and after watching a couple of episodes, I thought I would give mixing in the box a try.
So I downloaded Reaper and found some plugins, (I don't have any real gear. just a cheap desk top with some low end Logitec pc speakers and some low end headphones) I need some tracks so I searched around and found this site.
perused the offering in the multitrack section picked the Good time tune.. closest thing I could find to what I like musically and dint have to many track to deal with.seemed simple enough to try.

I am a Old School monitor mix engineer by trade so no this isn't my first mix but it is my first attempt at a recording mix and DAW.
And I am a Analog man be nature I've only been on a digital desk for a few years now.. I know I'm old and set in my ways but I finally decided to join the digital party.
I have a hard time mixing with a mouse and a screen. I find my self still mixing with my eyes looking at a screen than with my ears.. but that's for another discussion.
Anyways so I started messing around teaching myself the program and found it kinda fun..
Monitor mixing is way different It doesn't lend it self to creativity at all!
Thank you for commenting on the guitar texture. the guitars gave me quite a challenge..I know how I wanted them to sound in my head but I couldn't quite get there.
And yes my mix was very mono. I was starting with tone and over all mix.
Stereo imaging and depth is something that I'm going to strive for in my next mix.
Not a whole lot of that happening in a live monitor mix. And i'm used to listening to a mono cue wedge all night.
Believe it or not, but that was totally a static mix. No automation, ( because I haven't figured out that part of the program yet and no the fly mixing of any kind. just set and forget. Again, from my live monitor mixing.

This has been a blast. I look forward to participating in this site and learning more from everyone.
And Thank you all for welcoming me.

Kevin.