Whats Wrong With My Mixes

[jeffatbkk]

I record mostly Hard Rock music. My set up is PT HD3 with the 192 I/O and the Apogee Big Ben as my Clock.

My preamp is the Avalon 737. I use only plugins and have every good plugin out there, i.e MCDSP(full bundle) Waves and their SSL 4000, Sony Oxford (all of them) and many more.

The problem is my mixes, while loud, to me have that digital graininess, not warm and full.

You can hear my mixes at MySpace.com - Karma Jack - BANGKOK - Rock / Classic Rock / Southern Rock - www.myspace.com/karmajackband

I'm seriously thinking of adding some valve outboard gear to help. I'm looking at the Manley Variable Mu Comp and their Manley Massive Passive, as I can use these across mono and stereo tracks as well as the stereo buss if needed.

Before, I blow my bonus, you pros please give a listen, and feel free to give me your candor feedback on the mixes and my thoughts on gear purchases.

[Andraes]

Testdrive PSP vintagewarmer 2

[lowfreq33]

Ease up on the L2, it's adding too much distortion.

[jeffatbkk]

Thanks. But I'm not using an L2. I mastered the tracks myself. I used the MD3 (Tape Sim 1k setting) setting, followed by Sony's Inflator then MD3 Brickwall Limiter (0 threshold).

One problem may be on my pre mastered bounce, I put MCDSP's AC2 Tape across the stereo buss it where it gives some tape compression that may be casing some flatness. I'm not using any compression on the stereo buss other than the AC 2.

[Reptil]

adding other preamps may give you a warmer sound to begin with. You can then mix ITB no problem.
it doesn't have to be tube gear. what ppl. percieve as "warmth" comes mostly from saturated transformers.
the balance of the mix seems to be ok to me. easy on the limiters!

[PeterSturm]

Can we hear a better version of your mixes? Myspace quality is really bad.

[jeffatbkk]

I'd be happy to YouSendIt to you if I had email addresses if MySpace doesn't work.

[Crash]

Just keep in mind that valve does not automatically equal warm. Case in point, Avalon 737. It is tube and really pretty clean sounding. Think transformers for that thick sound.