Another one from me...

[RichT]

This track is one of my own band, Dog Year.

I performed on, engineered and mixed this baby so I thought I needed someone else with more experienced ears to handle the mastering.

None other than Mr. Brad Blackwood mastered this track, woohoo!

Recording details:

This was all recorded thru our Soundtracs Topaz desk, no special pres at the time and through our Fostex VC8 18 Bit converters into Nuendo (recorded June 2002).

Mics used:

57s on first guitar tracks
AT3035 on doubled up guitars
AKG 414 on the Bass Cab
All vocals done thru SM58 into TL Audio 5021 Valve Comp

This track was mixed in the box in Nuendo.

[BevvyB]

I wuz thinking things when I came back from yours the other day about the overall sound of your mixes.

Now I've listened to this again I think there are some 'tricks' you could get up to to beef up your drums, and also I feel that there's a lack of 'super top' on the guitars.

Perhaps you should play around with having more distant room mics to play with and compress the hell out of/group sections of the kit and send them to a heavily compressed and eq'd section and 'creep them in behind'....and all other kinds of things like that...need to experiment with what your gear allows - try doing lots of wierd and crazy things to bussed sections and just see what you can come up with! Need to get a bit creative on that one...

You could try doing things like that with the guitars and stuff as well - I know we talked about having better amps and stuff, but i think you need to get radical with your eq/compression on the guitars....

I know a lot of people round here shun 'reverb', but I reckon you also need to add more reverb...but like invisible..just to give elements more of their own space - I agree if you can 'hear' the reverb you've failed..a really good thing to get if you haven't already is Altiverb, it's really good at covering cracks, and if there ever was cheating as good as autotune, I'd say imposing Altiverb on an otherwise dull lifeless room is a great compromise on a budget, and can add the missing something

I also really think you should get some SMALL ie Aurotones/Pyramids/Boombox speakers because they will immediately get you to search for the super top - I think you're lacking 'air' ... but if you can't hear it you can't find it, and I think your monitoring situation isn't helping - cheapest solution - small monitors to A/B WHILE YOU'RE WORKING - also small monitors won't react as much with the room, and I think you may be able to 'unlearn' some habits you may have got into

Jules was telling me something about sound traps and some site or company that will make them for you, but also apparently have the designs on their site which you can use and build yourself. Perhaps that's an option. You do need to sort out the 'woof' from the back of the room.

As with most of this kind of stuff, I always find myself saying 'Do more BV's!' - again, not Bee Gees or Abba style LOL but just more tracking on the vocals especially choruses to thicken it up with harmonies which you can CREEP in to the level where you'd miss them if they weren't there but wouldn't notice otherwise. Stuff like that can really make your production sound more polished IMHO.

Just my opinions folks, but as no one had said anything about this track, and Rich was so kind as to make me a cup of coffee at his place yesterday I thought I should comment!

[studjo]

Rich I hope you don't mind when I respond to Bevvy's ideas.

Bevvy you gave some nice ideas to the production of this song. I hope Rich can make some use out of it. I think they were very helpful to me. I feel that my mixes lack some polishing. I'm way to conservativ when it comes to ****ing with things. I don't know why - perhaps because I'm Swiss .

Thanks for your comments

Jo

[RichT]

Originally posted by BevvyB
I wuz thinking things when I came back from yours the other day about the overall sound of your mixes.

Now I've listened to this again I think there are some 'tricks' you could get up to to beef up your drums, and also I feel that there's a lack of 'super top' on the guitars.

Perhaps you should play around with having more distant room mics to play with and compress the hell out of/group sections of the kit and send them to a heavily compressed and eq'd section and 'creep them in behind'....and all other kinds of things like that...need to experiment with what your gear allows - try doing lots of wierd and crazy things to bussed sections and just see what you can come up with! Need to get a bit creative on that one...

You could try doing things like that with the guitars and stuff as well - I know we talked about having better amps and stuff, but i think you need to get radical with your eq/compression on the guitars....

I know a lot of people round here shun 'reverb', but I reckon you also need to add more reverb...but like invisible..just to give elements more of their own space - I agree if you can 'hear' the reverb you've failed..a really good thing to get if you haven't already is Altiverb, it's really good at covering cracks, and if there ever was cheating as good as autotune, I'd say imposing Altiverb on an otherwise dull lifeless room is a great compromise on a budget, and can add the missing something

I also really think you should get some SMALL ie Aurotones/Pyramids/Boombox speakers because they will immediately get you to search for the super top - I think you're lacking 'air' ... but if you can't hear it you can't find it, and I think your monitoring situation isn't helping - cheapest solution - small monitors to A/B WHILE YOU'RE WORKING - also small monitors won't react as much with the room, and I think you may be able to 'unlearn' some habits you may have got into

Jules was telling me something about sound traps and some site or company that will make them for you, but also apparently have the designs on their site which you can use and build yourself. Perhaps that's an option. You do need to sort out the 'woof' from the back of the room.

As with most of this kind of stuff, I always find myself saying 'Do more BV's!' - again, not Bee Gees or Abba style LOL but just more tracking on the vocals especially choruses to thicken it up with harmonies which you can CREEP in to the level where you'd miss them if they weren't there but wouldn't notice otherwise. Stuff like that can really make your production sound more polished IMHO.

Just my opinions folks, but as no one had said anything about this track, and Rich was so kind as to make me a cup of coffee at his place yesterday I thought I should comment!

Thanks Bev,

I've taken this all on board. I like your suggestions with the drums and guitars, something I have not messed with yet, sounds exciting too.

I think budget wise I'm gonna have to sort the 'woof' problem before I shell out on more gear I can't hear working.

But those pyramids looked interesting, if you get a pair let me know, I'd be interested to hear them.

Cheers,
Rich

[RichT]

Originally posted by studjo
Rich I hope you don't mind when I respond to Bevvy's ideas.

Bevvy you gave some nice ideas to the production of this song. I hope Rich can make some use out of it. I think they were very helpful to me. I feel that my mixes lack some polishing. I'm way to conservativ when it comes to ****ing with things. I don't know why - perhaps because I'm Swiss .

Thanks for your comments

Jo

No worries Jo,

Don't think it's because you're Swiss, I have neglected to mess about too in favour of 'get the job done' approach.

But I should make time for experimentation.

Cheers,
Rich

[halljams]

I like the mix suggestions so for, I'm another who says don't be afraid to use some verb, if you can make it sound natural.
I liked the tune and band alot, very very cool, great attitude!

[BevvyB]

http://www.realtraps.com/

[RichT]

Originally posted by halljams
I like the mix suggestions so for, I'm another who says don't be afraid to use some verb, if you can make it sound natural.
I liked the tune and band alot, very very cool, great attitude!

Thanks for your comments Halljams, I appreciate them!