Blues Bastards: 'Sugar'

[javierpg84]

 Blues Bastards: 'Sugar'

[javierpg84]

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[mikej]

Hi!

Do I see you bumpin' the thread a bit there ...

Well, I think it's a good mix overall.

Couple of very minor things that came to mind as I listened -

First off, I think the vocals could come up a touch maybe?

The vocal pitch thing might work better if you kept it as it is at the 2:46 mark, or maybe move the deeper pitches a bit more in the background - gave the impression of getting louder as they got deeper maybe? It's a pretty neat effect, and something cool that I wasn't expecting. Certainly adds a nice extra change to that section anyway.

Maybe the odd guitar figure could come up a bit in the mix maybe at times, maybe? Like around the 1:14 & 1:22 mark, etc, I think there's a few little things in the background like that I'd like to hear poke through a bit more between the vocals I think perhaps?

Not sure if that helps any, but pretty good mix. What are your thoughts?

Cheers!

[Mixinthecloud]

Nice interpretation Javier. I like the placement of the voice. If the words were at all intelligible you could easily understand them at the level you presented them. Everything else is beautifully placed around it. A great listen.

[javierpg84]

Hi mikej and Mixinthecloud:

Thank you both for listening and your comments regarding my mix. I enjoyed mixing this track and I was quite surprised to find that the Blues bastards are a band from Russia doing American blues and sounding pretty authentic and soulful. I do agree about the intelligibility of the words affects the vocal lead but pretty good for a Russian singer recreating the southern country accent. The recording quality was great. I think I had to work the hardest in getting good balances by automating the quiet guitar FXs and the strings over the drums and guitar levels. The pitch shifted vocals was an idea that came suddenly and I just implemented it as it occurs to me. I agree it will require more fines in the level and maybe an automated increasing reverb would be cool, like if it was falling in a dark hole kind of thing. What are your thoughts when you had to mix it?

[Mixinthecloud]

Hi mikej and Mixinthecloud:

Thank you both for listening and your comments regarding my mix. I enjoyed mixing this track and I was quite surprised to find that the Blues bastards are a band from Russia doing American blues and sounding pretty authentic and soulful. I do agree about the intelligibility of the words affects the vocal lead but pretty good for a Russian singer recreating the southern country accent. The recording quality was great. I think I had to work the hardest in getting good balances by automating the quiet guitar FXs and the strings over the drums and guitar levels. The pitch shifted vocals was an idea that came suddenly and I just implemented it as it occurs to me. I agree it will require more fines in the level and maybe an automated increasing reverb would be cool, like if it was falling in a dark hole kind of thing. What are your thoughts when you had to mix it?

I'll be posting my mix up shortly so you can read my thoughts in the post.

[mikej]

Hi!

Yeah, my thoughts are that it is a really cool track. Great arrangement, really well played and recorded. Lots of inventive parts and sounds.

Quite a lot of parts to balance and highlight (which I didn't get right at all I don't think). I was tempted to do something for the 'down' part, but thought it might be a bit obvious so decided to leave it.

I like your mix. As I said previously the things that came to mind are pretty minor. The pitch shifted vocal you did is really very cool. For me I think it would work better at one lower pitch rather than decending in pitch. That is a thought that came to mind maybe more for my taste rather than yours or anyone elses, so just suggestions that may help.. or not! - it's your mix, it's ok to disagree .

Automated reverb might be cool. Not sure if an automated low pass filter would work or not also if you wanted a falling feeling? Automating increasing feedback on a delay might be interesting too. Difficult to know what might work until you try it and see if sounds good or not.

I find it difficult to get the vocal level right. For me it is just a case of playing it through and automating, etc, until nothing seems to annoy me. I felt they could come up maybe a db or so in your mix when I commented.

I really don't have any issues with the intelligibility of the vocals as such. The band has the lyrics available on their bandcamp site for anyone that follows the link on the multitrack download page in any case.

Funny, I can hear the odd guitar part that I would like to bring up a bit in your mix, but I need to work on the same for my mix and I'm not finding it so easy for some reason!

Cheers!

[mike84]

Hi javierpg84!
I really like your version. One thing. In my opinion the vocal could by little bit louder. But overall great mix!