Alternative Rock Mix, please leave suggestions! Thanks!

[craven]

just uploaded july 28th, a new mix i am working on!!



Here is a mix i am working on.....for the last week i have been testing the waters of different ways to mix it...

let me know if its decent and has some potential.......listen to the first attempt here:

Mastering Process, Tips, and Advice ~Sample of My Mix Inside~



then listen to the new one and let me know if you think its progressing!

[cooker]

Can you post only the mix version without any mastering involved (including no limiter)?

as for whole mix: the sub+bass are at extreme lvl.s and using a limiter only makes things worse so I don't find it healthy to comment about anything else yet.

[craven]

posted new version today, let me know guys if i am progressing....thanks alot

[cooker]

Well I totally forgot about the old one but maybe freshened ears are healthyer...

The vocal isn't in the middle not that it has to be a rule but...

Guitars sounds cheap, too much highs going on and no lows. amp/mic simulators can help.

bass is all about sub.s- try separating it more from the kick.

toms are too high snare doesn't seem to sound right...

[craven]

please help me on how to eq a guitar and bass....i removed all the mud.....between 400-900hz....

highpassed the guitars at 150hz

bass highpassed at 40hz along with kick.....2db boost at 65 hz for the kick.....and a 7 db cut at 65hz for the bass.....

mid removal on bass.....at around 300-700.....at 4 db....

then sent all guitars to a bus and then did slight highs on that bus....

any suggest or help...

thanks

[cooker]

If we get that individual on all tracks recorded then this would be a loooong topic

Maybe others would like to comment on current status and sure that would be great but why don't you start from the begining?

first mute everything and get the kick and bass right together. Once you get those right, rest shouldn't be a huge problem and actually even fun.

I don't have much idea how the recordings are but my advice is don't go crazy about eq'ing (or compression). As said for guitars, use amp/mic simulaters (zillions of freeware on the web). Get the best combination you can without any eq'ing and then use gentle amounths of eq.

Also don't try to get every small detail handled. It doesn't have to sound expensive for someone to enjoy it right? Focus on the very basics.

by the way you're not mixing with heardphones right?

[craven]

Originally Posted by cooker

If we get that individual on all tracks recorded then this would be a loooong topic

Maybe others would like to comment on current status and sure that would be great but why don't you start from the begining?

first mute everything and get the kick and bass right together. Once you get those right, rest shouldn't be a huge problem and actually even fun.

I don't have much idea how the recordings are but my advice is don't go crazy about eq'ing (or compression). As said for guitars, use amp/mic simulaters (zillions of freeware on the web). Get the best combination you can without any eq'ing and then use gentle amounths of eq.

Also don't try to get every small detail handled. It doesn't have to sound expensive for someone to enjoy it right? Focus on the very basics.

by the way you're not mixing with heardphones right?

nope...yamaha hs-80's......thanks for help...

what do you suggest for the bass and kick?

i highpass them at 40hz, and then dig a whole around 65hz in the bass and then boost the kick there....sound right?

[cooker]

Without source thats hard for me...

try this as maybe it might work (since no one else is around...), with eq decrease 140 hz on bass (probably) like 2-3 db or little more. For kick (I think) drop around 4-5 khz with eq like 2 db. increase the guitars like 4 db around 280 hz. and slightly (like 2-3 db) decrease around 4 khz and "maybe" 10 khz even slighter.

Hopefully I won't go extremely wrong advising these settings...

[craven]

Originally Posted by cooker

Without source thats hard for me...

try this as maybe it might work (since no one else is around...), with eq decrease 140 hz on bass (probably) like 2-3 db or little more. For kick (I think) drop around 4-5 khz with eq like 2 db. increase the guitars like 4 db around 280 hz. and slightly (like 2-3 db) decrease around 4 khz and "maybe" 10 khz even slighter.

Hopefully I won't go extremely wrong advising these settings...

ok....what if i post all the files bounced from the begining...and untouched so you can just slide them in your DAW....would you attempt a mix to show me what it should sound like?

[cooker]

Lets try what I wrote first and see how it goes, though I'm sure someone around here would like those files as people around here love's to practice mixing (I'm practicing more mastering for some time now)...maybe a separate thread would make more interest if you're ok with sharing your recordings.

Oh and I forgot to add to my previous post, place vocal in middle too.

[craven]

ok i tried what you said, and did numerous things to get that crunch from the guitars to the sound i want.....i am looking for breaking benjamins type of sound where the bottom end has a punchy kick hidden the mix well...with a nice level bottom end bass, with some level sub bass....but not too much....

here is my new attempt....

[cooker]

I think the kick (just lower 1-2 db might be better) and specially bass is much better

now I think you should aim for rest of the drums, listen only bass and kick and 1 by 1 add different parts of drums. like the snare can be higher and little more forward sounding while the toms can be deeper...

[craven]

Originally Posted by cooker

I think the kick (just lower 1-2 db might be better) and specially bass is much better

now I think you should aim for rest of the drums, listen only bass and kick and 1 by 1 add different parts of drums. like the snare can be higher and little more forward sounding while the toms can be deeper...

great! thanks man, i am working on it right now will post at end of the day!

[craven]

just re-uploaded the newest one.....i think its really coming together now bro!!

thanks for all your guiding in this

[cooker]

Yes this ver. should sound better than previous one's on different speakers. Can you send a non-mastered vers.? couse when a limiter/compressor hits so hard its geting "more" of a guessing thing.

PM me the mix, I'll try to master it for you so you'll have a better picture by comparing it to a refence music you have.

[craven]

pm'ed the link right now!

thanks bro! so this mix is good though right? compared to the other ones too huh....how close do you think it is to being a finished mix that sounds good?

[cooker]

I didn't get the pm? maybe a site thing but incase please try again...

Its hard to answer without hearing the mix though any answer would be relative (let me try a master to see how acceptable it can be). I mean trying to get things better never stops right? to me most logical is trying to get the best out of the record quality and not trying to go further and try to get a sound thats not actually there.

Based on that, I wouldn't keep my expectations very high but seek to a sound that the audience who listens to this get the vibe. I had many friends (with no reletion to music making or engineering) come to me saying "look what I found-I'm loving it" that had less quality than what we're trying to achieve here.

[craven]

ok i resent it....i think it was a problem with my browser....it froze....lol

i am sure you have it now...what you said makes perfect sense!

let me know i will be waiting to hear it.....thanks alot man

[craven]

everyone says that this mix i just finished yesterday sounds really good.....what you think of this one?

[craven]

what do you guys think of the newest track i finished?

[projectpat]

Hmmm.. The guitars are harsh. Layer them 4 times real tight maybe less gain or something, panned hard if you want a big sound. Replace the kick and snare. Put the vocal in the middle. The mix might not be a major issue when the intro performance is sloppy, distracting. (And i kinda like sloppy but i call it character) Whats up with vocal harmonies? Kurt did it...


Just my .02, for what it's worth

Pat

[craven]

what do you mean? please explain.....also what do you think about the newest one i did yesterday on my previous post?

[craven]

any suggestions for the new song at the bottom of the page?

[projectpat]

Originally Posted by craven

what do you mean? please explain.....also what do you think about the newest one i did yesterday on my previous post?

sure, what part do u want me to explain? The newest song/mix is what i was talking about.

Pat

[craven]

Originally Posted by projectpat

sure, what part do u want me to explain? The newest song/mix is what i was talking about.

Pat

hear me inside is the song i was talking about....what you mean vocal harmonies? vocals are in the center thats where i have them panned......

[projectpat]

I'm saying there should/could be vocal harmonies for at least the chorus.(or most of the song) I was being a smart as$ saying Kurt Cobain did it, cause the vocal delivery is similar. but the harmonies are beside the the point i think. Maybe the point i'm trying to make is the tracking needs to be rethought not the mix. I've been the victim of tracking in hours/days and mixing for weeks, when another couple minutes spent moving mics finding a better spot in the room etc. can make the mix just happen? I donno.. But i think that the rhythm guitar just smothers everything from the lead to the drums, the drums need to be rocking in this type of song.


Pat
hope it helps, it's nice for me to be on the other side of the critics sometimes. thanks for that opportunity

[craven]

ok so we are talking about the song in post #18...?

umm...i agree but i thought the guitars were actually quiet LOL you think the vocals are too upfront and that he should have been further away?

any suggestions and details on vocals...thanks