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Hold Me mix (update) - now with file attached!
#1
Oh boy...didn't attach a file in my original post so here is a new post with the actual file attached! This was a quick mix (approx. 2hrs). My goal is to become more efficient and get the mix completed - trying not to fixate and waste time (which I can do easily) 

The file is just the raw mix rendered without compression or eq on the master.

Comment appreciated.

Thanks
Glen


.mp3    Hold Me mix 2 gh.mp3 --  (Download: 6.06 MB)


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#2
Hi!

I do understand the need to perhaps be more efficient and not waste time, but also I see no reason to rush these mixes. Taking breaks and time away from a mix, and also taking time to reference other tracks are all important parts of the mixing process too as far as I am concerned. I think a mix takes as long as it takes, and over time you will, I think, naturally get more efficient at it. I don't feel efficiency necessarily means getting mixes completed super quick either?

Your mix is quite good, and this one is quite a tricky one to balance. Well - I certainly really struggled with this one balance wise - and wasn't ever quite happy with it somehow. Oh, I really like how the claps (and hat) sit in this one. The hat was quite easy to miss I think, but is one of those little things that I think is quite important for this track!

There are few things I feel that can be improved to take it up a couple of notches - some things that I thought of that might perhaps be of some use whilst listening:

I think it is well worth adding some light mix bus compression / eq and (possibly heavy) limiting on the master bus. I find limiting can often reveal things about the mix you might not pick up on otherwise. With these more pop styles, for me the limiting is also quite important as I find it has the effect of bringing the mix together and makes things a little more cohesive, along with really giving the mix that up front feel I think you need, and for me are missing here a little bit. Personally I think it's a useful exercise to at least try and practice matching the levels of commercial mixes.

Eq on the master bus I feel really gives you a chance to really get the low end in the right ball park, and on occasion 1/2 db or so of wide band boost around 3-4k ish can really bring out vocals, etc, if you find they are little flat in the mix.

This may be down to personal preference - I think you can go a bit further with vocal delays, reverb, stereo effects etc. Doesn't always have to be in your face as such, I find tucking in some width effects under the vocals, etc can really give things a lift. These tracks are great to get a little creative with.

I really like checking out Dave Pensado's pop and hip-hop mixes as I find every little part in his mixes has something cool going on with it to make it special. I think it sometimes easy to overlook some of the seemingly smaller parts? CLA's more pop style mixes are pretty good for vocal effect ideas too. Also worth checking out his mixes for Earth Wind And Fire (oh and also Boney James too!).

Bass - I think this can be evened out a bit. Depends on your room/monitoring but for me one of the bass notes in your mix sticks out a lot more than the other. I don't think I quite got it right in my mix but I did spend some time volume automating the bass notes to at least try and even them out. I also copied the bass track and blended in a copy pitched up an octave as an idea to help it cut through a bit (also to try and help on smaller speakers).

Kick - can't remember if I did it with this mix, but it sometimes helps to augment the low end of the kick with a 40 or 60Hz sub tone too.

What are your thoughts?

Cheers!
Just uploaded a mix/master?  Waiting for comments? Why not give back and critique a mix/master, or two!
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#3
(11-02-2022, 11:12 PM)mikej Wrote: Hi!

I do understand the need to perhaps be more efficient and not waste time, but also I see no reason to rush these mixes. Taking breaks and time away from a mix, and also taking time to reference other tracks are all important parts of the mixing process too as far as I am concerned.  I think a mix takes as long as it takes, and over time you will, I think, naturally get more efficient at it.  I don't feel efficiency necessarily means getting mixes completed super quick either?

Your mix is quite good, and this one is quite a tricky one to balance.  Well - I certainly really struggled with this one balance wise - and wasn't ever quite happy with it somehow.  Oh, I really like how the claps (and hat) sit in this one.  The hat was quite easy to miss I think, but is one of those little things that I think is quite important for this track!

There are few things I feel that can be improved to take it up a couple of notches - some things that I thought of that might perhaps be of some use whilst listening:

I think it is well worth adding some light  mix bus compression / eq and (possibly heavy) limiting on the master bus.  I find limiting can often reveal things about the mix you might not pick up on otherwise.  With these more pop styles, for me the limiting is also quite important as I find it has the effect of bringing the mix together and makes things a little more cohesive, along with really giving the mix that up front feel I think you need, and for me are missing here a little bit. Personally I think it's a useful exercise to at least try and practice matching the levels of commercial mixes. 

Eq on the master bus I feel really gives you a chance to really get the low end in the right ball park, and on occasion 1/2 db or so of wide band boost around 3-4k ish can really bring out vocals, etc, if you find they are little flat in the mix.

This may be down to personal preference - I think you can go a bit further with vocal delays, reverb, stereo effects etc.  Doesn't always have to be in your face as such, I find tucking in some width effects under the vocals, etc can really give things a lift.  These tracks are great to get a little creative with. 

I really like checking out Dave Pensado's pop and hip-hop mixes as I find every little part in his mixes has something cool going on with it to make it special.  I think it sometimes easy to overlook some of the seemingly smaller parts?  CLA's more pop style mixes are pretty good for vocal effect ideas too.  Also worth checking out his mixes for Earth Wind And Fire (oh and also Boney James too!).

Bass - I think this can be evened out a bit.  Depends on your room/monitoring but for me one of the bass notes in your mix sticks out a lot more than the other.  I don't think I quite got it right in my mix but I did spend some time volume automating the bass notes to at least try and even them out.  I also copied the bass track and blended in a copy pitched up an octave as an idea to help it cut through a bit (also to try and help on smaller speakers).

Kick - can't remember if I did it with this mix, but it sometimes helps to augment the low end of the kick with a 40 or 60Hz sub tone too.

What are your thoughts?

Cheers!
Reply
#4
(12-02-2022, 05:38 PM)Glenhd Wrote:
(11-02-2022, 11:12 PM)mikej Wrote: Hi!

I do understand the need to perhaps be more efficient and not waste time, but also I see no reason to rush these mixes. Taking breaks and time away from a mix, and also taking time to reference other tracks are all important parts of the mixing process too as far as I am concerned.  I think a mix takes as long as it takes, and over time you will, I think, naturally get more efficient at it.  I don't feel efficiency necessarily means getting mixes completed super quick either?

Your mix is quite good, and this one is quite a tricky one to balance.  Well - I certainly really struggled with this one balance wise - and wasn't ever quite happy with it somehow.  Oh, I really like how the claps (and hat) sit in this one.  The hat was quite easy to miss I think, but is one of those little things that I think is quite important for this track!

There are few things I feel that can be improved to take it up a couple of notches - some things that I thought of that might perhaps be of some use whilst listening:

I think it is well worth adding some light  mix bus compression / eq and (possibly heavy) limiting on the master bus.  I find limiting can often reveal things about the mix you might not pick up on otherwise.  With these more pop styles, for me the limiting is also quite important as I find it has the effect of bringing the mix together and makes things a little more cohesive, along with really giving the mix that up front feel I think you need, and for me are missing here a little bit. Personally I think it's a useful exercise to at least try and practice matching the levels of commercial mixes. 

Eq on the master bus I feel really gives you a chance to really get the low end in the right ball park, and on occasion 1/2 db or so of wide band boost around 3-4k ish can really bring out vocals, etc, if you find they are little flat in the mix.

This may be down to personal preference - I think you can go a bit further with vocal delays, reverb, stereo effects etc.  Doesn't always have to be in your face as such, I find tucking in some width effects under the vocals, etc can really give things a lift.  These tracks are great to get a little creative with. 

I really like checking out Dave Pensado's pop and hip-hop mixes as I find every little part in his mixes has something cool going on with it to make it special.  I think it sometimes easy to overlook some of the seemingly smaller parts?  CLA's more pop style mixes are pretty good for vocal effect ideas too.  Also worth checking out his mixes for Earth Wind And Fire (oh and also Boney James too!).

Bass - I think this can be evened out a bit.  Depends on your room/monitoring but for me one of the bass notes in your mix sticks out a lot more than the other.  I don't think I quite got it right in my mix but I did spend some time volume automating the bass notes to at least try and even them out.  I also copied the bass track and blended in a copy pitched up an octave as an idea to help it cut through a bit (also to try and help on smaller speakers).

Kick - can't remember if I did it with this mix, but it sometimes helps to augment the low end of the kick with a 40 or 60Hz sub tone too.

What are your thoughts?

Cheers!

Your points are well taken. I don't always rush - this more of an experiment than anything. When I revisited the mix I noticed a few vocal parts I hadn't even mixed in!

Definitely did notice the bass note volume imbalance on my car stereo, not sure if its my room or speakers. I just moved them and re-did the Sonarworks measurement. There are a few 6db dips in response down low and I know the correction file does not fully fix those. I will repost another mix with all parts and a bit more 'editing'. if you have a chance give it a listen will do the same for yours...thx
The bass note issue still exists - will get to it!


.mp3    Hold Me mix 3.1.mp3 --  (Download: 5.94 MB)


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