Ska Pop band - is this record quality?

[Dopamine]

This started off as a demo, but I tried to make it as good as I could.
I produced, engineered and mixed it all myself, so I can use some
outside ears!

Fatso is on the mix buss, also L2 (just on this bounce since this IS
going to mastering). Outboard is PCM91, H3000, Sony V77, Echo Pro and TC Fireworx. Everything
else ITB ProTools. Lots of URS and Massey plug-ins.

I'll be doing one more pass this weekend, so any mix suggestions are appreciated.

By the way, this is a Vox UP mix. I think they should be a db lower. Also, the drums are a bit too ambient for my taste, but I had to work with what I had.

Thanks for taking the time to listen, hope you like the song too!

[Glenn Kuras]

I think you nailed it!!!!!!!!

[retropete]

Sounds great to me! I like the drums, nice and fat. I like the ambience -- it seems to fit the song. and I love the tempo changes.

[greatgreatriver]

Wow this is great - the highend is a little too much for me - I would tame it down a little. Is it auto-tune on his voice? I don't like how the lead sounds to modern for me and the delay/phone voice is really corny. I think you made it too polished in a way - still it sounds really cool - I like the spread you have in your mix. This is just my personal view - good work!

[drakewire]

Dig it... Sounds Great! I think my only issue is that the drums dont sound ambient to me at all, they sound a little 2d, specifically the way the snare sounds, which is rather important for this genre...
A Fatso on the Mainbus ????
Why?
If its going to a mastering house, I hope you have the original mix take off L2 and Fatso,in fact take everything off the main bus, you can leave reverbs and such but nothing that adds noise like a limiter or compressor... They have much better tools at a Mastering facility. Fatso in my opinion can beef up a mix, but its rarely used for that purpose, very rarely. Tape is far better

As far as mix suggestions, as per your mention this is a Vox up mix, I wouldnt touch your levels they seem fine to me, and a mastering engineer will expect a vox up mix that way they can work out the bottom end. Its better to have a vox up mix in Mastering rather than to try and boost a vox that is buried...
Otherwise, this is a very creative mix!
Good Job.

[Ricey]

great mix! that said, why call it ska? more of the Orange County Reggae style ala Sublime, to my ears.

[Dopamine]

Thanks for all the comments! Agreed, I don't consider this Ska.

I'll take the suggestions and strip the master buss before sending to mastering. In addition to the Fatso and L2, I also had a bit of Phoenix.

I am posting another one of their tracks here. It's not quite as strong of a song, but we did some interesting stuff.

[Dopamine]

I notice the kick in Remember is a little loud. Anyone else hear anything that should be tweaked?

[Dave Derr]

Neat stuff. I love ska-ish stuff. The songs are exciting and balances are good overall..

The drummer smashes the cymbals a little hard and perhaps you could pull them down a db or two (overheads), especially the high hat whose frequencies pile up with the sibilants on the vocal. The vocals could use a little less high end and/or perhaps a de-esser. Again they pile up a little with the cymbals and even the pluck of the guitars. Dont be afraid to roll off a little top on the guitars... above 8KHz.
Nice and clear mix tho!

Some of the answering BG vocals could be panned a little maybe. But thats because I tend to like really STEREOPHONIC stuff. Tons of energy which makes it have commercial appeal.

Good job and good luck!

[Dopamine]

Thanks, Dave! I will take your advice!

[Dopamine]

<< A Fatso on the Mainbus ???? Why? If its going to a mastering house, I hope you have the original mix take off L2 and Fatso. >>


FWIW, I sent a version with and without the Fatso to my mastering guy. He told me that he could get the Fatso version to sound much better! This makes sense to me since I mixed thru it and it was very much a part of my sound.

[drakewire]

Yeah well you are adding Noise to your main out... and i dont care what the mastering engineer said... Noise is never good :)~
Especially when any ME who is good will mix to tape which adds all the warmth and sadly to say noise than is needed really old post BTW

[china jam]

The mix has a bigness to it and it's very well balanced...without being too critical and just listening to the music, I'd say the vocal sound is what's letting you down and the cymbals do sound like they're being wallllloped!

And maybe the toms sound too separate from the rest of the kit.

[Dopamine]

<< I'd say the vocal sound is what's letting you down >>

Actually, I'm pretty happy w/ the lead vox.


<< And maybe the toms sound too separate from the rest of the kit. >>

Agreed. I had to use samples because I wasn't happy with the recorded toms. I like my toms loud which is why they do sound too detached.


<< really old post BTW >>

This thread is just over 2 weeks old. I just returned from vacation which is why I didn't respond earlier.

[china jam]

Originally Posted by Dopamine

Actually, I'm pretty happy w/ the lead vox.

Admittedly, the vocals didn't sound like a mistake - personal preference I suppose. I hope I didn't sound negative..

Didn't realise it was a 2 week old thread.

[Dopamine]

Here is the mastered version. The mastering engineer will do revisions if needed. Let me know what you all think.

Thanks again for all the comments!

Note: for some reason it is not letting me upload the mp3, even though it is only 5.1 mb ???

[NL5]

Originally Posted by Dopamine

Note: for some reason it is not letting me upload the mp3, even though it is only 5.1 mb ???

Try LightningMP3.com and just post the link.

[Dopamine]

<< Try LightningMP3.com (http://www.lightningmp3.com) and just post the link. >.

Thanks for the suggestion; here's the link:

http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/file.php?fid=9381

[drakewire]

Sounds good.... Good Job I think it turned out well....