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didgital's mix
#1
I've uploaded this for the user 'didgital' from the recordingreview forum to provide him some feedback.


.mp3    Didjital_MkI.mp3 --  (Download: 9.1 MB)


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#2
It sounds like you're using pitch-correction here, but it seems to have mistracked onto the wrong semitone at 2:01 -- something that quite a few people fell foul of in the contest, I seem to remember.

In general you've gone for a nice warm tone here, which is a nice contrast to some of the fizzier versions I heard. Broadly speaking, though, I think I'd have preferred a decibel or two around the 1kHz zone, because the vocals, snare, and guitars seem just a fraction recessed as things stand. A bit of additional de-essing on the vocals might also enable you to boost the overall air band of the mix a touch too, if you felt that might be beneficial. Interesting use of a more muted bass tone. (And is it some kind of funky ringmod going on there? Nice!) I quite like it personally, although the bass player might not be very happy that you can't hear his melodic contributions as well! Smile

Your chorus guitar riff takes a big hit in mono, and the secondary guitar part feels underused -- I'd like to be able to hear it's little counterpoint more myself. There's also something funny going on at 1:32, where the guitar solo's right channel suddenly seems to die in an odd place. Slip of the mute button?

You're a bit wetter than my taste on the effects front in general, and while I'm comfortable with people having different visions here, I'd probably at least work a little more on tailoring the vocal effects, because the tail there feels a bit distracting/clouding in the mix as a whole. You could pull that down quite a bit and/or EQ it without affecting the sense of blend, I reckon. Instinctively I'd also probably go less on the vocal widening/modulation/ambience effects during the verses too, because it seems like it takes away from the chorus's ability to open up the space dimension. You can still use trippy delays, for example, to keep the otherwise nicely atmospheric vibe.

The drum mix is interesting in the way the kick is very upfront compared with everything else. However, while this is a perfectly valid artistic decision which many other engineers would also take, if you're going to have the kick so dry, then it seems to me rather odd that the tom fills are so ambient. (They also seem very bassy and wide-panned, which makes them a bit off-putting for me even in the louder sections, but that kind of thing is also very much a question of personal taste.) It lends a whiff of 80s excess in there that I'm not sure fits with the lyrical intensity of a song like this. Other than that, though, I like the balance and blend of this kit, and the snare does a good job of maintaining its sustain against the guitars.

Love the transition from the second chorus into the freak-out, and the transition to the final choruses isn't too bad either, although I reckon you might be able to improve it by controlling the bass a bit more firmly during the previous section -- the variability of the bass part caused a lot of people difficulties with this mix. As with quite a few of the mixes, I also felt that the backing vocals could have had more exposure too.

As for this mix's prospects in the competition, I reckon it would have had a fighting chance of making the top-five shortlist, although my natural taste for drier productions and greater effects contrasts might have worked against you there. Certainly a solid mix, though, which shows a confident grasp of the tools.
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#3
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment on my mixSmile Sorry to be so late getting back---I've been having internet problems...

I'm glad you seemed to like my mix. After reading your comments I immediately went back to my mastering session of the song and added a broad db of 1khz-- and I really did like what I heard! Everything seemed a bit more upfront; in a good way. I usually find it difficult to settle on a final eq curve for my master--- the more I listen the more everything starts sounding the same! I do reference commercial tracks from within the same daw project so I can flip back and forth quickly... but its still an area that I struggle with.

As far as my actual mix, I feel a little embarrassed about some of the things you pointed outSmile When I did this I had no idea that anyone would ever hear it--- let alone YOU! If I remember correctly, I think I had only one guitar part for some of the sections, and I made a second one by copy/paste so I could pan them. I remember there being a problem with that spot where the guitar drops out on the right side--- it was some weird phase thing between the two parts and I cut out one of them with the intentions of returning to it--- which I of course never didSmile.

When I listen now I agree that my toms are too ambient--- especially in light of the dry kick. I like my toms big and bass heavy, mainly because they are usually a sparse element that I want to emphasize--- but listening now it definitely stinks of hairband. I had a really hard time with the kick. I'm usually kind of a snob about drum replacement--- but in this instance I could see no other option, unfortunately. Even more unfortunate is that I only had a 808 kick at the time, so I dropped it in in all its glory (with some eq to reign it in). I was always taught to leave the kick and bass dry--- which is a hard habit to break even when I KNOW I should be putting something on it...

I'm glad you liked the bass! I split it into two tracks--- the "low" track got some firm squash, and the "high" track got a dose of distortion. I noticed how different my bass tones were than mixes you were liking from the contest--- So I'm glad to hear I wasn't being a total dummy in that area.

Lately Ive been ducking the vocal echo returns with a sidechain from the vocals themselves--- something I couldn't always do in my daw of choice (when I mixed this). I'm wondering if that might have helped with the mix clouding. I LIKE the echo, but your right that it is distracting when the guy is singing. I know I still could have automated the send--- I suppose laziness is what happened there...

You have No idea how cool this is for me----Ive been a SOS reader for many years, and learned a lot of my tricks from you. To have you listen to my mix and have any reaction other than vomiting or running in fear is thrilling for me--- its got my 6'5" 280lb frame down right giddy! Is it possible for me to post some other mixes I have done? Ive done a bunch from the library...including the other two from this band.

On a totally unrelated topic--- what should I do with all this? Ive spent years learning this stuff--- but I'm settled down in a small town with no contacts to any kind of music industry. I feel like I'm going in circles--- I would love to figure out a way to do this as a career, but so far haven't had any ideasSad

Thanks againSmile

Noel Brock
(didjital)
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