Personal mix (btw awesome track!)

[kimera1982]

I'm in love with this "almost-dark" band!
Any feedback about the mix?

[APZX]

Okay, I remember attempting to mix this once or twice and never came up with anything I really liked so I have a slight remembrance of how the individual tracks sound.

With that being said the first thing I really noticed was something that I feel almost needs to be done with this track. In this piece the kick almost has to give a slight pump to it for it sound correct. It just doesn't sound like that is going on at all. Further, the bass sound itself is quite weak and anemic in comparison to the kick. This leaves a couple of choices, either try to make the bass stronger or just let the kick rule the track. Also, the bass gets kind of buried in the mix later on.

Next thing I really noticed is the distortion especially around 2:45. At first I noticed on the background vox and I'm not entirely sure what is causing it. Sounds almost intentional. If so then I think it ought to be backed down a couple of notches. It is simply a bit too much. If unintentional then I really don't have much of a thought as to what is causing it other than clipping the codec, but you have to be really pushing it for that happen to this degree.

Then came the guitars. Really they're just not that interesting in this particular mix. They're just there for the sake of being there. Towards the end of the track they really take it into their own and should be really focused on IMO. I'd also would have to liked to hear some more depth in the piece as a whole. Really kind of layering things behind the front lead instruments. Just creating more "texture". Another thing I remember from the individual tracks is the ability to really take those guitars and make them huge. As it sounds you kept them pretty much in the center which I feel takes away from a great tool you've got to make an interesting mix. To a degree it sounds like you pushed the vocals out to the sides a bit more, but it just doesn't do it for me.

All in all an okay mix. Has some issues, but overall not too terrible I think.

[Mike Senior]

Nice weighty kick here, but I wonder whether you've balanced it higher than it needs to be -- the rest of the backing feels a bit threadbare as a result. Still, to be fair, you've deliberately gone for a less saturated timbre than I did, and you're consistent about it, so perhaps that's just a taste thing.

I like that you've given the piano line good separation from the guitars in the 'chorus' sections, but it does feel as if you've done this at the expense of giving the guitars enough power to really define the power of that section. It sounds more contemplative that seems appropriate given the vocal delivery.

An interesting alternative vision, especially for me having mixed the preview myself -- thanks for posting!