Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Pedaling Prince Mix: Carlos Gonzalez - A Place for Us
#11
Hi John,
Nice changes you did in your last version. It seems you managed to reduce the low end resonances. Despite that achievement, I still perceive some kind of muddiness in that range but can't figure out its origin.
The only other quibble I have is the piano that really stands out a bit too much in the last chorus. You may want to bring it back to its previous level after raising it during the interlude.
Reply
#12
I'd have to agree EKN here, there's a bit too much mud goin on Undecided I feel like it might be coming from the guitars, but I'm not positive. The piano does stick out a bit too much as well, which makes it feel a little disconnected from the rest of the mix (although it does sound really good, so kudos to that)
Aside from that sounds great!


p.s. not sure if you realized it or not, but there's a click happening at the end of your mix that fades outBlushBlush
Reply
#13
OK. Next round of tweaks based on suggestions. Smile

My choice to keep the "oh-wa-oh-ohs" down during the quiet bridge was inspired by EKN's mix where he pulled them out entirely. However, as per pauli's suggestion, I brought them up just a tiny bit. I left them alone otherwise, though, as I actually like their dramatic impact during the lead vocals, and since they only impact the lead vocals on the choruses (where everyone by that point in the song is already familiar with the words Wink) I figured I'd leave them alone otherwise.

I was going to apply a highpass filter at 200 Hz on all the snare drums but found out when I went back that I already had except for the sample, so I applied a 200 Hz highpass on the sample and amped up my EQ settings on all the snares to sharpen them up a bit.

For the sibilance on the lead vocal I really liked the EQ settings I had and any attempt to de-ess with the main EQ just muddied the sound. I suppose I could've used a multiband compressor but I prefer the smoother sound of EQ adjustments. So I decided to add a parametric EQ in series before the main EQ pulled down about 9 dB at 8800 Hz in a very narrow notch; hopefully this will take some of the edge off the sibilance without muddying the lead vocal.

Personally, I like the piano more up front during the final crescendo. However, I may have overdid it just a little. Blush So it's still higher than it was in the beginning but not as aggressive as I had it before.

As part of my EQ settings on the guitars I had a 9.5 dB boost at 80 Hz to bring some body to them. Maybe that's a wee bit too much body; you might be right about that muddiness. Blush So I pulled out the 80 Hz boost left the rest of the settings intact (-4.5 dB @ 950 Hz, +6.5 @ 5600 Hz and +9 dB at 12 kHz).

And yes I was aware of that click; sounds like somebody left a metronome on. Confused However, I liked the tail-off of the piano so much that I decided keeping it rather than fading it out prematurely or trying to notch it out with EQ or something was the lesser of two evils. Tongue


.m4a    A Place for UsC.m4a --  (Download: 9.62 MB)


John A. Ardelli
Pedaling Prince Pictures
http://www.youtube.com/user/PedalingPrince
Reply
#14
I was all about to post my comments....and there's a new version up...so back to the drawing board....anyway this is a response to Mix C.

Very nice mix..Big Grin..great balance in your choice of instruments to bring forward and general balance/level of LdVx and BGV. The decisions that you've made re long term dynamics work well within the context of the mix too.

The only things i would say are

1) i found myself constantly reaching for the volume during piano/vocal intro.... a 2db automated master level boost up until 0.28 would solve this...it sounds great...i want to hear it! One could argue that it is mastering...and so in the context of a pure mix...unnecessary

2) the ld vox in chorus 2 disappear into the mix on occasion

Excellent work

Reply
#15
(23-05-2014, 03:00 AM)HbGuitar Wrote: 1) i found myself constantly reaching for the volume during piano/vocal intro.... a 2db automated master level boost up until 0.28 would solve this...it sounds great...i want to hear it! One could argue that it is mastering...and so in the context of a pure mix...unnecessary

Actually, I deliberately created a contrast between that quiet opening and the rest of the song; what I'm hoping people do is that they turn it up during that quiet part and leave the volume there and let the song's peaks and valleys of volume take them for a rollercoaster ride. Big Grin

Which is the reason I'm such a big proponent of dynamic range: there's nothing quite like loud and quiet passages to drive the ebb and flow of a song. Tongue
John A. Ardelli
Pedaling Prince Pictures
http://www.youtube.com/user/PedalingPrince
Reply
#16
(17-05-2014, 04:01 AM)Pedaling Prince Wrote: Between work and the fact that this monster of a project had more than 60 tracks to wrangle it actually took me a full week to get this one done. But it was worth it. I think this may be one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever found on this site. I loved the music so much that I created a separate mix with only the non-verbal backing vocals; it was the perfect inspiration to help me picture a cathartic scene for a character in one of my screenplays. Smile

I look forward to listening to everyone else's mixes here but for now it's late, I've been working on this thing for hours to get it finished tonight and I need some sleep. But, in the meantime, if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions I'm open; the mix is brand new so I still have the project. Smile


Fantastic work.
Not was an easy mix at all. in spite of the thoughts of other people.
Only as a personal taste, I would have liked a not so dark Drum in the beginning.

For the rest, all is fantastic about the chorus treatment as well as the overall spectral balance of the mix.

Good job.

Congratulations.
Signature:
All feedback and comments about the mixes will be welcome Now and in the Future.
Thank in advance for each one of them and thanks to the Site, to the community and to Mike for letting us learn everyday.
Build a coherent criterion to mix have no price.
Reply
#17
Lots of attention to detail and it shows. Very good mix. While my taste on certain things differ from your presentation this sounds great. Any criticism I would give would just be based on personal taste except for maybe this. There are times where the kick and bass are competing a bit for punch causing a slight lack of pump to the kick and a slight bit of mud. While I normally don't like doing this there might be something to be said about ducking the bass under the kick a little with a side chain compressor. Great work though.
Reply