Tiring, Obelix mix

[Obelix]

Another song I mix. I like the feel of it. Singer sings in 6/8 and drums are in 4/4 and sometimes in 6/8. The song was recorded well so I did only hpf on instruments and surgical EQ moves where needed. I would like to hear your thoughts about it.

[Obelix]

Anyone ?

[takka360]

I don't know what you are using for monitors ?Do you reference over mixes?

[Obelix]

I don't know what you are using for monitors ?Do you reference over mixes?

I listen to my mixes on cheap Philips headphones, cheap computer speakers, less cheap 2.1 computer speakers and 12 years old Panasonic stereo.
Sometimes I reference over mixes. I think that this one sounds good but drums are a bit too loud.

[pauli]

I don't know what you are using for monitors ?Do you reference over mixes?

I listen to my mixes on cheap Philips headphones, cheap computer speakers, less cheap 2.1 computer speakers and 12 years old Panasonic stereo.
Sometimes I reference over mixes. I think that this one sounds good but drums are a bit too loud.

Hey Obelix.

Based on what I'm hearing, I don't think a single one of your monitors is telling you anything particularly useful about your mixes, but I'm not terribly surprised based on what you're using. It's difficult to give you any useful feedback if we're not sure you'll be able to hear what we're talking about.

Referencing can get you a lot closer... if you A/B this mix against a similar commercial release, you'll probably find the vocals are way too loud in the mix. You're probably hearing the drums as being too loud because the small speakers you're listening to are hyping the high end, so the attack of the snare and the cymbal harmonics are most likely over-represented. It's also way too easy to mix a vocal too loud if you're doing mostly headphone listening... phones tend to over-represent the sides channel, so everything in the middle tends to get pulled up. Slowly turn the volume down and you'll find the band disappears completely a long time before you have any difficulty understanding the lyrics.

Anyway, I mixed on consumer speakers for a long time and was absolutely horrified when I listened to a mix of mine on more accurate equipment. You don't need anything expensive, but monitors designed for the studio and at least a little bit of acoustic treatment are necessary. Checking your mix out from time to time on cheap speakers/phones is a good idea, but only to make sure your mix still sounds decent on lowest-common-denominator systems.

Some would tell you to stop mixing until you have better gear, but personally I think that's ridiculous. Keep practicing, but reference EVERY MIX against at least one or two commercial releases, and keep your speakers at a low volume so the high frequency hype isn't distorting your perception too much. A real-time spectrum analyzer is probably also a good idea. As soon as you can, though, a hundred bucks on an inexpensive pair of monitors and a couple sheets of ductboard will make a big difference.

[The_Metallurgist]

Obelix...you need to listen to what people are advising you, and do your best to fix things. if you can't, then what's the point....you're simply wasting everyone's time asking for feedback. and when they do give you feedback it is actually courteous to thank them for their time and effort, even if you might not like what they are saying and your ego takes a hit!

http://discussion.cambridge-mt.com/showt...9#pid30189

i'm afraid i don't agree with Pauli on this one. if you can't hear what's really going on, you aren't mixing. IMPORTANTLY, if you can't hear, you can't improve...and if you can't improve you're wasting your life away.


"Never attempt to teach a pig to sing, it's a waste of time and it annoys the pig" Robert Heitein 1907-1988

[pauli]

i'm afraid i don't agree with Pauli on this one. if you can't hear what's really going on, you aren't mixing. IMPORTANTLY, if you can't hear, you can't improve...and if you can't improve you're wasting your life away.

Don't misunderstand me, that's not what I mean at all. All I mean is that giving up altogether while you're saving for 10 years for studio grade monitors is also, to quote Dave, wasting your life away. It's still possible to improve on your critical listening skills and mixing habit, to a point (and my I emphasize, to a point!) while you're working on a better listening environment. To my working class mind, making small but significant improvements to your monitoring while you're saving up for the big wins is a lot better than wasting your days off watching TV if it means you can keep doing something you enjoy.

Dave's right, though... there's a very good reason top engineers are mixing commercial records on such high quality equipment. If it could be done on cheap dolby's and whatever hi-fi system they had laying around, there'd probably be someone out there doing it.... you'll find there isn't. The fact that we haven't heard a significant improvement over the last 100 mixes is a little troubling and suggests to me that maybe you're being a little stubborn.

[Ohbeejuan]

Whatever some of the greatest albums ever were mixed on NS-10s (really small cheap speakers) I think the key is to learn what your speakers actually sound like. Do a mix and listen to it everywhere you can. You'll start to understand what your speakers 'sound like' and you will be able to adjust your mixes to compensate for what the are lacking.