Albums you reference when mixing.

XHipHop · 1st August 2005, 08:13 PM

I listen to Blue Print, Dre's 2001, and De La Soul's "Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump".

That De La Soul album, in particular is so amazing as far as the bass sound goes. So tight and it goes sooo low.

defjamm · 1st August 2005, 08:30 PM

recent murder inc(ashanti, ja rule) and aftermath-releases(eminem, game, 50cent). i love their sound.

nukmusic · 1st August 2005, 09:02 PM

I tend to import tracks from several different commerical Cds, into one protools session. its very easy to solo from track to track. This is a great way to learn what your monitors are doing or how your room's acoustics are. Also a good way to reference your ears a few days before a mix session.
__________________

EmilioMJunior · 1st August 2005, 09:03 PM

I'd say the same about the Aftermath releases.

I'm not too particular about Roc-a-Fella mixes, I don't think Guru is that good of an engineer.

I think Mariah Carey's new album was mixed PERFECTLY.

**TonyBelmont** · 1st August 2005, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmilioMJunior

I'm not too particular about Roc-a-Fella mixes, I don't think Guru is that good of an engineer.

Ouch!!!

DivineMusic · 1st August 2005, 11:26 PM

kanye west
Ludacris
some outkast
some aftermath(dre's stuff always has a great sound but 50's new album you can hear the distortion.. i don't like that)
some big and pac... a little busta too

XHipHop · 2nd August 2005, 01:30 AM

no neptunes, huh?

digiman · 2nd August 2005, 02:17 AM

For drum mixing: Rich Harrison on Amerie's "Why don't we fall in Love". Although, many would pick 1 Thang. Rich's programming on "Why don't we fall in love" is ridiculous. Lots of energy

For R&B Bass and Guitar: The Underdog's production of B2K's " Got's to Be". That's "gots ta be" the fattest mix of live bass and guitar I've heard. It's very hard to make a real bass compete with some of the electronic moogish basses on some of the keyboards. As a bassist myself, I sometimes find it easier to dial up the old moog for some of the sub base sounds that I need. They showed on this track that you can get that sound out of a real bass.

Another hot one for drums is on ATCQ's Award Tour. Drums is ridiculous.

entropy · 2nd August 2005, 06:54 AM

Maybe not whole albums but selected tracks from:

Dre, 2001
ATCQ, Midnight Marauders
The Roots, (currently Tipping Point but also Phrenology)
The Game, Documentary
Talib Kweli, The Beautiful Struggle
Busta Rhymes, Genisis
Neptunes... anything

Relax · 2nd August 2005, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DivineMusic

kanye west

IMHO the Collge Dropout was mixed terribly. I almost bought the re-mastered cd because I like the cd so much, but thats retarded. They should have done it right the first time.

Curve Dominant · 2nd August 2005, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XHipHop

no neptunes, huh?

Not for a hiphop project, but we used JT as a mix ref for a recent rock/soul project.

Dave Pensado mixed though, so that's what we were REALLY listening for.

thethrillfactor · 2nd August 2005, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curve Dominant

Not for a hiphop project, but we used JT as a mix ref for a recent rock/soul project.

Dave Pensado mixed though, so that's what we were REALLY listening for.

Dave only mixed one track on JT's album and that was the ballad produced by Brian Mcknight.

Most of the tracks were mixed by Serban Ghenea with the exceptiion of the tracks by Timbaland that were mixed by Jimmy Douglass.

Mr Generic · 2nd August 2005, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmilioMJunior

I think Mariah Carey's new album was mixed PERFECTLY.

They must have took the vocals out.

.

DivineMusic · 6th August 2005, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relax

IMHO the Collge Dropout was mixed terribly. I almost bought the re-mastered cd because I like the cd so much, but thats retarded. They should have done it right the first time.

select songs from kanye... i really liked the album too, but it was rather lofi sounding imo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Generic

They must have took the vocals out.

For real.. we belong together is a great song but the vocals could've been mixed better than that...

6th August 2005, 02:56 AM

FOR ME its mainly particular songs

Dre/Ice Cube Natural Born KIllers
Brian Mcknight (the wedding song ) and "Keep it on the downlow"
D'Angelo "Brown Sugar"
Waiting to exhale
Tony braxton "Wasnt man enough"
Anthony Hamilon "Charlene"
Sly "Family Affair"
Black Street "Fix"
GAME (the song with Mary J, I forget the name

RooF · 6th August 2005, 04:09 AM

nobody into the more "old school" sound??????

The Chronic, Ready to die, the 36 chambers... even N.W.A's straight out of compton...

What about DJ Premiere? I love this guys ears... That Group Home Album sounds sooooo good too bad the rapping is lame...

I must be stuck in a time warp....

Iagree about importing the song into PT Session at 44.1 16 bits... exellent way of knowing more about your monitoring setup

VotaIdiota · 6th August 2005, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relax

IMHO the Collge Dropout was mixed terribly. I almost bought the re-mastered cd because I like the cd so much, but thats retarded. They should have done it right the first time.

+1,000,000

I got that cd the first week it was out, and couldn't believe how horrible sounding it was. I can't even bring myself to listen to it most of the time, I think the mixes are THAT bad.

I can't really see the point of the re-mastered cd, unless it was also remixed.

thethrillfactor · 6th August 2005, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VotaIdiota

I can't really see the point of the re-mastered cd, unless it was also remixed.

It was mixed by Manny Marroquin who is a great mixer on his own.

It probably died in the mastering.

I could understand where a remastering would be in order.

A rap CD that dissapointed me sonically was Outkast last CD.

I had seen so much press on it that i was thinking it would be a sonic masterpiece.

Lets just say i gave my copy away.

nukmusic · 6th August 2005, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

It was mixed by Manny Marroquin who is a great mixer on his own.

It probably died in the mastering.

I could understand where a remastering would be in order.

A rap CD that dissapointed me sonically was Outkast last CD.

I had seen so much press on it that i was thinking it would be a sonic masterpiece.

Lets just say i gave my copy away.

CEE-LO's joint was the same way, but i did keep it

rickrock305 · 6th August 2005, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

It probably died in the mastering.

I could understand where a remastering would be in order.

They just did this to Biggie's "Ready To Die" album too, and RUINED it. Lost all the low end.

CDs I reference

Dre Chronic 2001

Nas "It Was Written" crazy low end on this one.

Gang Starr "Hard To Earn" just classic shit, and i KNOW how it sounds, or is supposed to sound

Big L "The Big Picture" another classic that i just know really well

maybe some Beyonce(Maserati KILLED those mixes, a lot of depth) or John Legend stuff for RnB.

a lot of times if i'm gonna be workin with an artist more than once, I'll ask them who they like and who's sound they really dig, and then go get some CDs by those artists.

Barznbeats1 · 7th August 2005, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by digiman

For drum mixing: Rich Harrison on Amerie's "Why don't we fall in Love". Although, many would pick 1 Thang. Rich's programming on "Why don't we fall in love" is ridiculous. Lots of energy

For R&B Bass and Guitar: The Underdog's production of B2K's " Got's to Be". That's "gots ta be" the fattest mix of live bass and guitar I've heard. It's very hard to make a real bass compete with some of the electronic moogish basses on some of the keyboards. As a bassist myself, I sometimes find it easier to dial up the old moog for some of the sub base sounds that I need. They showed on this track that you can get that sound out of a real bass.

Another hot one for drums is on ATCQ's Award Tour. Drums is ridiculous.

Woah! Mannn.......... You are not lying. That Amerie joint is BANANAS!

butterfly · 7th August 2005, 05:10 PM

Agree with thrill about the outcast album. real dissapointment. New Mariah Carey has some nice production. The first balad she does on it is quite peculiar, lots of old school verb on the voice and a few other peculiarities as well. I would reference the Rich Harrison stuff for Amerie. I thing took a while to grow on me but now I love it. Best recent rb production. Turn da lights off. Tweet. no contest. Turns me weak at the knees.

ttauri · 7th August 2005, 08:25 PM

Lately:

lots of DJ Quik
La Funk Mob - Tribulations Extra Sensorielles
Major Force stuff

Peece,
T. Tauri

Raggedy · 9th August 2005, 08:58 AM

a 2nd for "Midnight Marauders"...

"Low End Theory" gets more shine, but Marauders is better in many many ways

entropy · 9th August 2005, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RooF

nobody into the more "old school" sound??????

The Chronic, Ready to die, the 36 chambers... even N.W.A's straight out of compton...

What about DJ Premiere? I love this guys ears... That Group Home Album sounds sooooo good too bad the rapping is lame...

I love all those albums, 36 chambers was an epiphany for me, Illmatic and the ol Gang Starr shit is just brilliant, but is it mix reference material?. I mean, do you really need lo fi references?? Surely it's just a matter of leaving the dirt in?

As a side note (a train spotterish one at that) I love the dirty cross fader on the opening track (???place to dwell) of Daily Operation, Premier's doing cuts on the intro that sounds like the mixers just been pulled out of a club the nite before. If it had been done today, some fool would have cleaned it up in Tools

Ijustmake-Beats · 9th August 2005, 12:22 PM

My reference must haves include:

House of Pain - 'Truth Crushed to Earth'

The beats on this are soncially superb. Everlast sounded like he was losing his voice and it's not really regarded a classic album as such, but you can't fault the production. Incredible beats and that classic SSL compression and top end polish is all here.

Blackalicioius - 'Blazing Arrow'

An album I originally bought just for listening that turned out to be produced extremely well. A darker sound than an SSL IMO, probably mixed on a Neve or something. A couple of the beats on this album I test against almost all my compositions, great album all 'round.

Portishead - (any song, any album)

Every beat these guys put out is a finely crafted work of art, you just feel like every sound was given special attention. I keep some of these handy for most reference occasions. As far as straight listening goes, it's alright, the vocal style is something different though, they get a little depressed about stuff...

Other stuff that I keep handy for reference purposes:

Dr Dre - 2001 (everyone knows why)
Notorious BIG - Life After Death (IMO sounds just as good as 2001)
De La Soul - Bionix (found it in the bargain bin but it's very well produced)
Slum Village - Fantastic Vol. 2 (Jay Dilla at his finest)

Teacher · 9th August 2005, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ijustmake-Beats

purposes:

Dr Dre - 2001 (everyone knows why)
Notorious BIG - Life After Death (IMO sounds just as good as 2001)

I found these 2 to sound so different. 2001 is squashed bright and punchy typical modern dre ish. Life After Death is big, spacious, smooth etc.(all the adjectives the old heads use to describe tape). IMO it sounds better. Helluva lot less ear fatigue thats for sure.

Ijustmake-Beats · 10th August 2005, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teacher

I found these 2 to sound so different. 2001 is squashed bright and punchy typical modern dre ish. Life After Death is big, spacious, smooth etc.(all the adjectives the old heads use to describe tape). IMO it sounds better. Helluva lot less ear fatigue thats for sure.

True, true....

2001 made my reference list mainly because of Dre's name and reputation, and it is good. I still don't really know who is responsible for the sound on Biggie's 'Life after Death' though, but you'd be hard pressed to find anything that sounded much better, anywhere.

jlotto · 10th August 2005, 03:24 AM

BIG "READY TO DIE". real phat and warm but still punchy. engineers prince charles alexander and rick traveli did a great job.

DRE "the chronic"

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
recording and mixing reference material	beesting	So much gear, so little time!	2	16th July 2006 12:02 PM
Reference Albums	diVer	So much gear, so little time!	6	12th July 2006 02:11 AM
New mixes VS. Re-mixing Classic Albums	xj32	Q&A with Michael H. Brauer	1	23rd September 2005 02:24 PM
Mixing with a reference track	hgen	Q&A with Michael H. Brauer	1	21st September 2005 12:21 PM
Any one use reference CDs when mixing	blayz2002	Rap + Hip Hop engineering & production	4	11th September 2005 09:22 PM

1st August 2005, 08:13 PM	#1
XHipHop Moderator Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,022	Albums you reference when mixing. I listen to Blue Print, Dre's 2001, and De La Soul's "Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump". That De La Soul album, in particular is so amazing as far as the bass sound goes. So tight and it goes sooo low.

1st August 2005, 11:26 PM	#6
DivineMusic Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hotlanta Posts: 1,552	kanye west Ludacris some outkast some aftermath(dre's stuff always has a great sound but 50's new album you can hear the distortion.. i don't like that) some big and pac... a little busta too __________________ DivineMusic 2-23-07 ppl wanna praise protools like its the best thing since pu$$y

2nd August 2005, 06:54 AM	#9
entropy Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: QLD. Australia Posts: 1,023	Maybe not whole albums but selected tracks from: Dre, 2001 ATCQ, Midnight Marauders The Roots, (currently Tipping Point but also Phrenology) The Game, Documentary Talib Kweli, The Beautiful Struggle Busta Rhymes, Genisis Neptunes... anything __________________ Pro Audio Pimp at www.brisound.com.au The Australian home of A Designs Audio products.

6th August 2005, 02:56 AM	#15
no ssl yet Guest Posts: n/a	LET'S SEE FOR ME its mainly particular songs Dre/Ice Cube Natural Born KIllers Brian Mcknight (the wedding song ) and "Keep it on the downlow" D'Angelo "Brown Sugar" Waiting to exhale Tony braxton "Wasnt man enough" Anthony Hamilon "Charlene" Sly "Family Affair" Black Street "Fix" GAME (the song with Mary J, I forget the name

1st August 2005, 08:30 PM	#2
defjamm Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Germany Posts: 566	recent murder inc(ashanti, ja rule) and aftermath-releases(eminem, game, 50cent). i love their sound.

1st August 2005, 09:03 PM	#4
EmilioMJunior Gear Head Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 68	I'd say the same about the Aftermath releases. I'm not too particular about Roc-a-Fella mixes, I don't think Guru is that good of an engineer. I think Mariah Carey's new album was mixed PERFECTLY.

2nd August 2005, 01:30 AM	#7
XHipHop Moderator Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 2,022	no neptunes, huh?

2nd August 2005, 02:17 AM	#8
digiman Gear maniac Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 235	For drum mixing: Rich Harrison on Amerie's "Why don't we fall in Love". Although, many would pick 1 Thang. Rich's programming on "Why don't we fall in love" is ridiculous. Lots of energy For R&B Bass and Guitar: The Underdog's production of B2K's " Got's to Be". That's "gots ta be" the fattest mix of live bass and guitar I've heard. It's very hard to make a real bass compete with some of the electronic moogish basses on some of the keyboards. As a bassist myself, I sometimes find it easier to dial up the old moog for some of the sub base sounds that I need. They showed on this track that you can get that sound out of a real bass. Another hot one for drums is on ATCQ's Award Tour. Drums is ridiculous.

6th August 2005, 04:09 AM	#16
RooF Gear maniac Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Paris Posts: 182	NO Ol'School?? nobody into the more "old school" sound?????? The Chronic, Ready to die, the 36 chambers... even N.W.A's straight out of compton... What about DJ Premiere? I love this guys ears... That Group Home Album sounds sooooo good too bad the rapping is lame... I must be stuck in a time warp.... Iagree about importing the song into PT Session at 44.1 16 bits... exellent way of knowing more about your monitoring setup __________________ D.B.A Mixing www.dbamixing.com

7th August 2005, 05:10 PM	#22
butterfly Gear addict Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: uk Posts: 470	Agree with thrill about the outcast album. real dissapointment. New Mariah Carey has some nice production. The first balad she does on it is quite peculiar, lots of old school verb on the voice and a few other peculiarities as well. I would reference the Rich Harrison stuff for Amerie. I thing took a while to grow on me but now I love it. Best recent rb production. Turn da lights off. Tweet. no contest. Turns me weak at the knees.

7th August 2005, 08:25 PM	#23
ttauri Lives for gear Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Knife, Fork, Bottle, Cork Posts: 759	Lately: lots of DJ Quik La Funk Mob - Tribulations Extra Sensorielles Major Force stuff Peece, T. Tauri

9th August 2005, 08:58 AM	#24
Raggedy Gear nut Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Devil's Slide Posts: 122	a 2nd for "Midnight Marauders"... "Low End Theory" gets more shine, but Marauders is better in many many ways

9th August 2005, 12:22 PM	#26
Ijustmake-Beats Gear nut Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 105	My reference must haves include: House of Pain - 'Truth Crushed to Earth' The beats on this are soncially superb. Everlast sounded like he was losing his voice and it's not really regarded a classic album as such, but you can't fault the production. Incredible beats and that classic SSL compression and top end polish is all here. Blackalicioius - 'Blazing Arrow' An album I originally bought just for listening that turned out to be produced extremely well. A darker sound than an SSL IMO, probably mixed on a Neve or something. A couple of the beats on this album I test against almost all my compositions, great album all 'round. Portishead - (any song, any album) Every beat these guys put out is a finely crafted work of art, you just feel like every sound was given special attention. I keep some of these handy for most reference occasions. As far as straight listening goes, it's alright, the vocal style is something different though, they get a little depressed about stuff... Other stuff that I keep handy for reference purposes: Dr Dre - 2001 (everyone knows why) Notorious BIG - Life After Death (IMO sounds just as good as 2001) De La Soul - Bionix (found it in the bargain bin but it's very well produced) Slum Village - Fantastic Vol. 2 (Jay Dilla at his finest)

10th August 2005, 03:24 AM	#29
jlotto Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Gotham City Posts: 640	BIG "READY TO DIE". real phat and warm but still punchy. engineers prince charles alexander and rick traveli did a great job. DRE "the chronic"