Tips on my mix please?

[Docmattic]

Ive recorded the chorus and the first verse to a track im doing.. but the chorus was just done to get it there so id know when to start the verse..so there was only 1 take on it blah blah.. it dont sound good.. i dont really expect ti too at this stage.. the verse i have worked on.. tried to eq out the sibilance.. some are done well others are done poorly.. every s in the mix was bad. Ive got 2 tracks of backup vocals, 1 panned to the left about 20 and the other to the right about 20. I was wondering if anyone could give me tips to what they think would make the mix sound better (apart from fixing the obvious mistake near the end)

id appreciate it a lot

doc

[ozzborn]

hooks are suppose to be the part that sells your song, so i would try to make the hook bigger musically as well as vocally.

i would add another track to the hook but in a diffrent note.

and add a little touches musically to the hook so it stands out.

check out my myspace page and you can hear tracks that ive produced and vocal coached.


except the M.O.P. remix i can't take any credit those vocals.

[Docmattic]

Originally Posted by ozzborn

hooks are suppose to be the part that sells your song, so i would try to make the hook bigger musically as well as vocally.

i would add another track to the hook but in a diffrent note.

and add a little touches musically to the hook so it stands out.

check out my myspace page and you can hear tracks that ive produced and vocal coached.


except the M.O.P. remix i can't take any credit those vocals.

thanks man.will do.. i was always gonna add another track to it.. the verse sounds alright?

[jgrif08]

Vocals sound really dry to me. Add some reverb, tastefully, maybe even a tiny bit of delay and see where that gets ya...

just my 2 cents

[Docmattic]

thanks man. was some reverb added. None to the chorus though.. maybee it needs a bit more

[mattssons]

Nice!

A few things to try out.

-Use some paralell compression with a bit low mids added to the vox
(Copy the vox track, compress 8:1 8 d.b or so!! add some mids or so)

- find out where the vox lives and cut some in the backing track
(Dip room for the vox, makes it possible to have the music loud and still have clear vox.)

- Perhaps a tiny tiny tiny bit of verb.
(Very little, big clubs already have lots of ambience and mastering raises reverbs with the limiting etc..)

Any basstrack to raise a bit?

Have a listen to the track with bass and bassdrum muted and cut away any muddy lows on other tracks.

Anyway, just some ideas i got when i heard your track. /Toby

[Docmattic]

Originally Posted by mattssons

Nice!

A few things to try out.

-Use some paralell compression with a bit low mids added to the vox
(Copy the vox track, compress 8:1 8 d.b or so!! add some mids or so)

- find out where the vox lives and cut some in the backing track
(Dip room for the vox, makes it possible to have the music loud and still have clear vox.)

- Perhaps a tiny tiny tiny bit of verb.
(Very little, big clubs already have lots of ambience and mastering raises reverbs with the limiting etc..)

Any basstrack to raise a bit?

Have a listen to the track with bass and bassdrum muted and cut away any muddy lows on other tracks.

Anyway, just some ideas i got when i heard your track. /Toby

thanks! i'll be sure to try some of that out ...I normally do any compression with a dynamic equaliser. would that work for the first one?

and do you mind explaining the second point you made to me a little more please I dont quite understand what you mean

[Alex Niedt]

^He means EQ a hole out of the vocal frequency range in the instrumental for the vocals to sit nicely. For instance if the instrumental is taking too much space and getting in the way at 2.5K, take out some 2.5K from the instrumental. Of course you'll find whatever frequency's suit you the best.

[Docmattic]

thats a great idea! probly take some time but will be worth it

[verb1]

Listening on small speakers, the vocals are completely dominating the track. They should ride barely above the snare. The horns also sound completely buried. The mids and lows seem to be missing in the horns. Also, some light compression - 1.5:1 or 2:1 at 4-8db - on the master bus might help the track gel.

Also, since the horns are the melody, they need more attention beyond some EQ'ing, which I think they need. Try some reverb with either the highs or lows cut (try both and see what sounds good), try a tiny bit of chorus maybe. Maybe some delay. Compression might work, too. Basically, experiment to see what brings life to the horn sample.

[Docmattic]

Originally Posted by J Twin

Listening on small speakers, the vocals are completely dominating the track. They should ride barely above the snare. The horns also sound completely buried. The mids and lows seem to be missing in the horns. Also, some light compression - 1.5:1 or 2:1 at 4-8db - on the master bus might help the track gel.

Also, since the horns are the melody, they need more attention beyond some EQ'ing, which I think they need. Try some reverb with either the highs or lows cut (try both and see what sounds good), try a tiny bit of chorus maybe. Maybe some delay. Compression might work, too. Basically, experiment to see what brings life to the horn sample.

The beat was already mixed down when i got it. is there a way of seperating the horn? i havnt found one... but i only use audition

[verb1]

That's a problem. You can try scanning the track with an EQ and see if anything makes the horn come out some, but then you risk messing up the drums. Worth experimenting with, though. You can also try compressing the track lightly to even it out, but again, no guarantees. Also, try EQ'ing the track and adding some lows and mids maybe. You'll just have to try various things and see what you can do.

[djui5]

Originally Posted by Docmattic

The beat was already mixed down when i got it. is there a way of seperating the horn? i havnt found one... but i only use audition

You need to tell whoever mixed that beat to stop mixing. It's mixed like hell. It's going to be impossible to get this to sound like a finished track without remixing the beat.

[mattssons]

A dynamic E.Q /Multiband compressor would work fine, the trick is to not use it in serial but to have it working with a "copy" of the vox track alongside with the original. It´s a trick used ever since Motown days and ofen used with bussed drums and basses but i like it for voc as well. It raises the very low signals without squassing the high that you would do if you compress loads in serial. Do a search for "Paralell compression" to read more about it.

Cutting all freqencies, where the voice lives is a trick used by Mutt Lange and others in order to be aible to have music load and still have a clearly heard vox part. Youd could use a spektrum analusator on your vox, or sweep with a boosted parametic e.q and find out where the vox really jumps out! Then cut a bit on backing tracks (All or those in similar frequency) Especially good when something like horns, piano or synths that "clashes" with the vox part.

You still need hights to have things sound upfront and Radiolike and by cutting hights you can move things back.

/Toby

[Osten Powers]

The HiHat is very dominant...too much for me! The sample sounds thin and should be louder, snare needs some compression.

[Sirocco]

dammmm mann....give me that dudes phone number..i need to tell him to stop mixing personally

[Docmattic]

lmao... sounds like i should find a new beat? unfortunatly i dont have anyone that produces stuff for me coz im only starting out.

[Sirocco]

let me say it this way

no matter how good your skills are on the mic, its gonna be a lot harder for sombody to take you seriously over a beat like that

[Docmattic]

yeh. thanks for the advice. I liked the sound of that beat though..kinda sux ass

[chester]

I wonder why there are so many differences in levels, the whole track gets up in down in volume, makes it very intransparent to hear. maybe wrong compression ?
Vox is in need of some de-essing . but first really remix the beat!!!!

[Docmattic]

probably my poor attempt to fix some of the esses up with the eq (some were quite bad) backups are in some places they aren't in others and when ive stuffed one i up ive taken bits from other tracks and pasted it on the one with the mistake so its not out of sync for that word ect. may have done it