Pedaling Prince Mix: J0K3R - September Trance

[Pedaling Prince]

OK, so J0K3R wanted us to be "creative" with this. Add stuff, remove stuff, change stuff, etc. Well, here's the thing. My expertise is in audio fidelity, not music, so I'm not really qualified to modify the music part of this... but still I was able to get a little creative in other ways... don't want to get too specific on what I mean there and spoil the surprise so just have a listen...

Love to hear some thoughts from everyone...

[jimmyklane]

I like the idea of the "stormy intro"....You've made the drums a touch loud in comparison to the rest of the song, specifically the kick. Of course, the foundation of all EDM is a solid kick, and I like how you turned the purposely dull kick into a very punchy and modern kick. the delay and auto pan on the open filter synth part is pretty cool, and the (what sounds like) side-chaned closed filter part is just popping through.

WAY COOL take on the breakdown....I actually like it better than the original....instead of a big boom reverb-y kick, you used the storm sample instead, which is creative and unexpected.

While I think the kick is a few dB too hot, I cannot really fault anything else, as it all comes together really nicely in the end.
All in all....
Well Done!

[Pedaling Prince]

I like the idea of the "stormy intro"

Thanks! That thunderclap sound effect, the one I used on the intro and outtro, I actually recorded myself. That was a real thunderclap I was fortunate to capture using my iPhone 6 Plus and Zoom iQ7 Mid-Side stereo microphone set for 120° separation which really captured the way the clap bounced off the surrounding terrain and buildings...

The other thunderclaps I found at http://www.soundcloud.com; I wanted to use slightly different thunderclaps during the song so all the claps wouldn't sound the same, though I thought using the same clap, the one I recorded, on each end would "bookend" the piece nicely.

You've made the drums a touch loud in comparison to the rest of the song, specifically the kick. Of course, the foundation of all EDM is a solid kick, and I like how you turned the purposely dull kick into a very punchy and modern kick.

Yeah, I felt the kick as it originally was just didn't work; as you say, the foundation of EDM is a strong kick so that's what I created. But you feel it's too strong? Fair enough. I've turned it down a bit in the attached remix; better?

(T)he delay and auto pan on the open filter synth part is pretty cool, and the (what sounds like) side-chaned closed filter part is just popping through.

I didn't use any side chaining. You're right about the auto-pan but all I really did on those three tracks was use different degrees and speeds of auto-panning on each track to create a varied texture that causes the tracks to "dance" and weave in among each other.

WAY COOL take on the breakdown....I actually like it better than the original....instead of a big boom reverb-y kick, you used the storm sample instead, which is creative and unexpected.

Yeah, I liked it but I wasn't sure anyone else would; I'm glad you did. I like using dynamics, dramatic fades, to create a mood and felt that would work here.

While I think the kick is a few dB too hot, I cannot really fault anything else, as it all comes together really nicely in the end.

Which is why that's the only adjustment I've made here. Hope this is more to your liking.

[Monk]

Thanks for giving me your time and attention, and sharing your thoughts about my mix. It was highly appreciated.

I don't know about the thunder clip, which I loved for it's atmospheric contributions to the mix (nice recording quality too, BTW), but there's heaps of thunder in that kick. Awesome! If I have any worries, it's likely the contrast between it's energy and subsequent voltage, as well as the kind of placement it presents for the other elements of the production. I feel there could be a little too much distance/depth between the kick and the rest that it might risk alienating some elements? But I love how you've shaped it, it's gorgeous.

One of the challenges in the bass end, which I will touch on more in my reply to Jimmy's in time, is the consecutive 1/16th notes the bass synth is lobbing out, and how it's notation tends to fight the kick in the arrangement. It looks like you've taken a safe approach and low cut around 100Hz or so? Irrespective, it's given you a tonne of bass space to plant the kick. I think if that synth wasn't headroom hungry and potentially so woofer intensive, you'd have been able to make it work in the fundamental along with the kick too? This would force the kick lower in bass (and attack) because of the additional energy of the synth. In your approach, you've avoided the risk of distortion which I think would otherwise occur by including the synth's fundamentals. Wise move.

I suffer from motion sickness quite easily and found the panning sweeps of the synth to be too much for comfort. I think it's a great idea though because of the interest it brings. Perhaps it would work better for folk like me, if the effect was momentarily swept wide to help bring contrast and raise the attention you were clearly seeking in your vision, then change it's magnitude perhaps, from subtle, to massive, to neutral with one ear on avoiding too much repetition or regularity? I suppose it depends on an individual's tolerance threshold, but I'd advise care and keep it's duration short and sweet as possible. Or narrow, but just enough to suggest a modest movement? Difficult to dial-in if one is not susceptible. Anyway, it's bold mixing you have going on here, which I always admire.