Thread Rating:
  • 3 Vote(s) - 3.33 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
I Am The Desert
#1
Here is my take on mixing the track. I only used the first of the 2 drum tracks, and split it into separate drums and snare tracks to process the sample separately. I added a sub kick, and then doubled the snare track to have one track sitting in the center and triggering a gated reverb while a second track is widened with Sound Toys little microshift.

Mixing the bass tracks was a long effort, as I found they kept riding over each other each other and the drums. All three bass tracks are side chained to the kick channel (another benefit of splitting the drum tracks) but I kept all three in the center.

I did some light EQing on the synth tracks and tried to create space in the mix with them. I was not impressed with the guitar tracks. The first track needed time editing and I kept it lower in the mix. I thought the second track had a good riff and I added some panning to make it a little more interesting.

For the vocals I kept some tracks dead center, while others had light microshift to create some more width to them and avoid too much of the song stacking in the middle.

Let me know what you think!



.mp3    Mix I am the desert.mp3 --  (Download: 7.67 MB)


Reply
#2
Snare sounds pretty cool!

I feel like the vocals kinda eat the mix up. Male Vocal is a little 500Hz heavy. They just need to fit in the pocket a little better. Maybe a small level change and then add a little nose back to them so you can still understand the words.

Such a short song, also. After you've listened to the whole thing, you feel like you've gone nowhere. Theres some cool creative stuff in here with the instruments. Maybe more could be done to the vocal at points of increased importance or energy. Kind of a subjective production tip.
Thanks for listening!
Logic, Midas M32, KRK monitors, Beyerdynamic and Focal headphones
Reply
#3
I agree with Phil that the vocals are overbearing.

I felt that your correction of the guitar timing took the propulsive energy from it. I was also a bit distracted by the crazy panning on the solo! Big Grin
Reply
#4
Hey jam,

I can agree with all of the above comments about the vocals, and as Judders mentioned, my guitar part was definitely meant to be a bouncy, pushing feel. All of the midi for the synth and bass parts were quantized, but I wanted the bounce from the guitar.

Everything else in terms of balance is really nice. Your ambient effects tones really work well in my opinion.

Also, as I've pointed out in the majority of the mixes, the lower female vocal is meant to be the lead during the second verse.

I do like your mix as a whole, and think the work on the vox would go a long way!

Nice work!
Draper
Reply
#5
Thanks everyone for the comments! I've went back and listened some more with these thoughts in mind after I had some time to think and I agree that the vocals are not sitting right. Comparing to some other mixes I don't think I create the same "pocket" for them to even sit in. I will have to keep this in mind for the next mix!

It was perhaps poor judgement to quantize the guitar, but I just wasn't feeling the energy on it and it wasn't sitting in the mix the way I wanted to.
Reply
#6
Totally makes sense, and that is your call to make (until the producer tells you no, haha)!

I could see how it would feel kind of off, but it wasn't made to be super "on."

You made your choice, and I applaud you for seeing it through!

Draper
Reply