Posts: 3,196
Threads: 190
Joined: Mar 2013
(03-08-2014, 02:32 AM)pauli Wrote: Hey Don, always a pleasure to hear your latest work. I'm a Reaper user myself... having tried several other DAWs I can't recommend it enough, and the built in plug-ins are fantastic.
So I enjoyed several aspects of your mix... sounds like you've got a bright plate reverb or delay on the lead vocal. Good choice there in my opinion. Getting the vocal bright enough without losing the warmth is the real trick here, isn't it? Juan's right, the essing on this is tough. I agree you could de-ess the living hell out of the BG vocal with no sacrifice, and using the same settings on the reverb returns usually works for me. Although in this one the de-essing was so tricky that I faded all the esses in 
The tonal verb/delay sounds a little disconnected from the main track, maybe turn it down just a little?
You really separated the harmony and lead vocal... they're unbelievably distinct. I'd like to know how you did that....
This is also one of the best piano sounds I've heard so far for this song, possibly owing to your experience as a pianist.
The others are right, something's not right about the strings, and they're burying the vocals pretty severely, but it sounds like you did that on purpose. Allowing the orchestra to overtake the lead vocals as they fade out? Really cool idea 
Something I'm noticing is that the sound of the bow on the bass strings is very scratchy and prominent... pretty common for software instruments to have weird stuff like that. Something makes me feel like those frequencies should be cut a little bit to push the bass further back. The violin and cello samples have something similar, and I agree with Olli that it sounds like an enhancer. I've only recently started using those and I almost always overdo it until I give it a listen the following day. I've noticed something similar in several other mixes, where the strings tend to sound disconnected from the rest of the mix... maybe we're highpassing them too aggressively?
The big thing that upsets the mix for me is how severely the mix ducks in response to the timpani. It's an awesome effect and I did something similar, but the gain reduction is pretty profound and uncomfortable in my opinion.
Cool creative stuff going on here... the orchestra overtaking the vocals is growing on me, I feel like I've heard that on several of my records, but I'm drawing a blank. Good work Don.
Thanks For having a listen Pauli !
I need to spend more time on the whole mix.
With the harmony and lead vocal I used eq and tried the Stillwell/stereo width plugin on Bv 1.
Had fun with the piano added extra piano tracks and lots of eq especially one in mono to fill up the centre
.
Posts: 857
Threads: 81
Joined: Dec 2013
Try the "reaxcomp" multiband compressor... It's great applied to the whole mix, but often I use it to control very shakey bass parts, make them more even.
Reacomp and reagate are also really good, as they come with a very easy side chain feature. With reagate in particular I use a "super fancy college educated" side chaining trick to reduce leakage between microphones. There's a dynamic eq included also, but I prefer the third party one I've been using. The reaeq plugin, though... I use that for almost all basic equalization... LOL I could gush all day about how much I like working in reaper. The daw I was using before couldn't sidechain, and it liked to crash while I was trying to save hours worth of effort. And I paid twice as much for it!!!
I'm grateful for comments and suggestions. Thank you for listening!
Posts: 3,196
Threads: 190
Joined: Mar 2013
Thanks Pauli ,I will try those plugins for sure the reaeq is the one I used on this mix which is one tool really loved and missed on my old DAW to do really surgical eq on problem frequencies .Haven't tried side chaining yet which is one reason why I decided to try another DAW
.
Posts: 641
Threads: 211
Joined: Jun 2013
Good mix Don, I found it a bit with many mids, but overall I like it.
Posts: 3,196
Threads: 190
Joined: Mar 2013
(04-08-2014, 09:38 PM)flyrecords Wrote: Good mix Don, I found it a bit with many mids, but overall I like it.
Thanks Sergio !
Posts: 877
Threads: 125
Joined: Dec 2013
Nice job mate.....love the piano. Did you kill vocals intentionally at climax?? Easily rectified with automation. Have to agree with pauli...bowed double bass sounds a bit like a chain saw (lol)...not that he described it the same way...(its friday..im relaxed)
Posts: 3,196
Threads: 190
Joined: Mar 2013
(15-08-2014, 07:16 AM)HbGuitar Wrote: Nice job mate.....love the piano. Did you kill vocals intentionally at climax?? Easily rectified with automation. Have to agree with pauli...bowed double bass sounds a bit like a chain saw (lol)...not that he described it the same way...(its friday..im relaxed)
Hi Hb !
Spent many hours trying to get the piano and vocals and harmonica together in the first half not really happy with it ,i didn't kill the vocals intentionally should have come back to the mix after a couple of days rest to finish it !
The double bass chain saw sound is a great description lol,my wife said it sounds like me snoring lol.
Thanks for the feedback
!
