Angels In Amplifiers - I'm Alright

[Gerrit]

just play around,you can do lots of things like use two busses with mono delays and pan on left one right etc.
Send a bus to a bus etc ,maybe send a delay to verb.
Have fun

Awesome! Those are very creative ideas. I'll definitely give it a try.

[sphil14]

Gerrit:

Overall, a really good mix. One thing I would suggest is bring you bass in towards the center to help anchor the song along with the kick. It sounds like you've got some stereo doubling going on with the bass and it's dragging a lot of the low end out to the sides. You might even try a two track approach to the bass. Keep one channel unprocessed (doubling, etc.) and set another channel with your doubling but roll some low end off so you get the tone and feel of the bass with losing the center.

[Gerrit]

Gerrit:

Overall, a really good mix. One thing I would suggest is bring you bass in towards the center to help anchor the song along with the kick. It sounds like you've got some stereo doubling going on with the bass and it's dragging a lot of the low end out to the sides. You might even try a two track approach to the bass. Keep one channel unprocessed (doubling, etc.) and set another channel with your doubling but roll some low end off so you get the tone and feel of the bass with losing the center.

Hi there

Thank you very much!

Yes, that's exactly what I did. I added a stereo spreader to the bass track, and to be honest I had a feeling that it's not going to "add" to the mix, but I did it anyway.
On it's own the bass track sounds interesting with the stereo spreader applied, but now that I've listened to the whole mix with the stereo spreader disabled, there's more definition.
It also made the kick stand out more. I think the spreader was making everything muddy.

I'll definitely try doubling the bass and adding the fx to the aux, rather than on the original track.

Once again, thanks for the great advice.

[Lammy]

I added a stereo spreader to the bass track, and to be honest I had a feeling that it's not going to "add" to the mix, but I did it anyway.
On it's own the bass track sounds interesting with the stereo spreader applied, but now that I've listened to the whole mix with the stereo spreader disabled, there's more definition.
It also made the kick stand out more. I think the spreader was making everything muddy.

I'll definitely try doubling the bass and adding the fx to the aux, rather than on the original track.

Hi Gerrit,
All I'm writing is in the constructive spirit of this forum
Reviewing version 3 of the mix.
Listening to your mix reminds me to how I was mixing a couple of years ago. Nothing wrong or right. I evolved from what I think it was rougher to what I believe is now finer accuracy. This is also thanks to experience, developing sensitivity and better gear (that unfortunately is expensive).
I'm not a absolutely a guru anyway, there are mixes here in the forum that are way superior than mines.
And I'm not judging or anything, just sharing the listening experience:
1- my approach is that if this is a pre-master would be uncompressed and peaking at around -9 / -3 dB, if a master would peak around 0dB but way more controlled in compression. I believe I'm reviewing a pre-master peaking at 0dB... Just to guess where I'm starting from.
2- transients: there is a lot of "push" in the drum transients and in the Acu Guits chords (high freqs) that is in my opinion taking a lot dynamic space nearly everywhere. I would tame with more controlled compression, starting from the kick, snare, acu guit, percussion. Attack time would be key to balance between good transients and uncontrolled or boosted transients (that I think it is at the moment).
3- I'm convinced about the spacial distribution and boldness of the mix, with the exception of the voice. Apart from different taste in the reverbs, I feel the voice behind and slightly flat also when doubled. I would instinctively boost the voice low freqs a bit to fatten it, tame the 3k Hz and try with a plate reverb (I don't know what you effected the voice with though). Reverb only would bring the voice further back, so it should be tweaked at taste (yours). I tried in my mix to move the frequencies that conflict with the acoustic guits. So if I remember well, the voice could have a (LITTLE!) boost in 240-250Hz and 1400 Hz while the Acu Guit is (seems to me) already working in the >1500 Hz.


I also passed the your mix auditioning through a mastering compressor (basically solving item 2) and I have to say that I like your mix very much.
That's it, well done!

humbly said

[Gerrit]

I added a stereo spreader to the bass track, and to be honest I had a feeling that it's not going to "add" to the mix, but I did it anyway.
On it's own the bass track sounds interesting with the stereo spreader applied, but now that I've listened to the whole mix with the stereo spreader disabled, there's more definition.
It also made the kick stand out more. I think the spreader was making everything muddy.

I'll definitely try doubling the bass and adding the fx to the aux, rather than on the original track.

Hi Gerrit,
All I'm writing is in the constructive spirit of this forum
Reviewing version 3 of the mix.
Listening to your mix reminds me to how I was mixing a couple of years ago. Nothing wrong or right. I evolved from what I think it was rougher to what I believe is now finer accuracy. This is also thanks to experience, developing sensitivity and better gear (that unfortunately is expensive).
I'm not a absolutely a guru anyway, there are mixes here in the forum that are way superior than mines.
And I'm not judging or anything, just sharing the listening experience:
1- my approach is that if this is a pre-master would be uncompressed and peaking at around -9 / -3 dB, if a master would peak around 0dB but way more controlled in compression. I believe I'm reviewing a pre-master peaking at 0dB... Just to guess where I'm starting from.
2- transients: there is a lot of "push" in the drum transients and in the Acu Guits chords (high freqs) that is in my opinion taking a lot dynamic space nearly everywhere. I would tame with more controlled compression, starting from the kick, snare, acu guit, percussion. Attack time would be key to balance between good transients and uncontrolled or boosted transients (that I think it is at the moment).
3- I'm convinced about the spacial distribution and boldness of the mix, with the exception of the voice. Apart from different taste in the reverbs, I feel the voice behind and slightly flat also when doubled. I would instinctively boost the voice low freqs a bit to fatten it, tame the 3k Hz and try with a plate reverb (I don't know what you effected the voice with though). Reverb only would bring the voice further back, so it should be tweaked at taste (yours). I tried in my mix to move the frequencies that conflict with the acoustic guits. So if I remember well, the voice could have a (LITTLE!) boost in 240-250Hz and 1400 Hz while the Acu Guit is (seems to me) already working in the >1500 Hz.


I also passed the your mix auditioning through a mastering compressor (basically solving item 2) and I have to say that I like your mix very much.
That's it, well done!

humbly said

Hi Lammy
First of all, thanks for the msg, really appreciate the detailed review!!!
Found it very inspiring.

I've been in the TV industry for 8 years. It's always been sound, but it has become so boring and frustrating to record "talking heads" in a studio all day.
I just had to do something more creative.
I've always wanted to mix songs. I'm ADDICTED to music.
So this is where I thought I'd start. Most of the tracks are recorded great and with reviews, comments and suggestions from you guys it really helps a lot to keep at it!

1- Yes, this is a pre-master, I've never actually tried to master a track. (Need to do a lot more research in that regard)
Maybe I should do that (soon), I can here that a lot of the other mixes are much louder than mine and like you said. "Better controlled, compression wise."

2- I did compress the drums a lot, especially kick and snare. I think it is because I was trying to get better definition in the way they sound. With all the compression I probably just made it muddy and that's why you hear the "push" in the drum transients.
Since I read your review I've been listening for the Acoustic guitar and now it's all to clear how much it stands out in the mix (taking up the dynamic space) I'll apply some serious remixing!!!

3- I get what you're saying about the voice, even with the third mix I wasn't completely happy with the way it sounded.
I want it reasonably dry in the mix, but not flat.
Maybe if I sort out the Acoustic Guitar issue it will free up some space for the voice.
I'll rework the reverb and beef up the lo-mid section of the vocals.
It does sound a little thin.

Once again. THANK YOU.
Your comments are MUCH appreciated!!!