Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
And now for something different: This Town - Small Town Mix
#1
Hello everyone, I just discovered this place and this is my first post!

This was fun. The original tracks are very well recorded and expertly edited. Plus, the arrangement contains so many options that you could do any number of versions of the song. So this is mine.
I did not listen to the original mix until I was done so I wouldn't be tempted to recreate the same vision of the song material but develop my own. I very much like the string arrangement, so I favored in my mix while the synth tracks and electric guitars merely provide some texture. 

I used much less reverb and effects in general, and there's no heavy compression. There are no additional samples. As a result, this is a more natural, less dramatic rendering of the track. And I found it quite interesting as to what that does to the song. In the original version, the song ends with a sense of "narrow escape" while in my version there's a sense of release and relief. The protagonist is simply happy to leave.

Personally, I like it that way. I've always loved "William Brown" by Randy Newman, in which a guy moves from A to B and is much happier there. "And he didn't mind the dust / And he didn't mind the wind / And he didn't mind the cold / And he didn't miss home." I love the subtlety. People tend to be sentimental about the past, and when someone doesn't miss home (despite the wind and the cold at the new place) it is quite telling!
So this is my "William Brown" Small Town mix.


.mp3    AngeloBoltini-ThisTown - Small Town Mix.mp3 --  (Download: 6.87 MB)


Reply
#2
I like it. I like how upfront it is. Especially the vocal. The drums have a bit of a "knock-y" sound. Definitely in the kick but maybe something else. The piano is too upfront. Its repeating pattern might work better in the back a bit. While I do like the how upfront everything is it needs some breath. The strings help a bit. I know you wanted to keep it dry but maybe some reverb or more reverb on some parts might add some depth. It feels a little "plodding" at this point.
Reply
#3
I think your approach of mixing this song is not in adequacy with orchestral pop song style. You make a large place in upfront to drums and leadv oice instead of strings pads and backvoices.
Otherwise I like your EQ work
Studio One 4/IMac
Reply
#4
Thank you for your comments!

Regarding the drums: I did make some concessions soundwise in order to make this mix work on tiny laptop speakers. So I created a subgroup for the kick featuring the upper bass frequencies (with some treatments), which I mixed in to get enough impact on small speakers.

Reverb is held back until the final chorus part where the lead vocal gets a lift. Perhaps I should have given the strings more reverb for the ending but I was afraid to make it sound to "sugary".

Regarding the overall mix, I think the vocal is more rhyhmic than melodic; there are hardly any long notes. So I thought the drums and getting enough impact are important for the song feel. I tried featuring the more ryhthmical cello parts (think Eleanor Rigby), but I found their attack was too slow to complement the groove. Serious editing might do the trick, but I don't have time for that right now, unfortunately.
Reply