1 song, 2 mixes: your opinions?

[Berrevd]

Hi,

The last couple of months I was doing an internship in a very high profile studio and last week they gave me the chance to use one of their studios to get to know it better.
So, I decided to remix a demo-song of my coverband in their Neve-room, which has also quite some nice analog outboard. The result is, well, very different of my ITB PT-mix, but somehow I am not sure which is the best. And that's where I would like to have you opinions. I would also like to know which things you like better in what mix, eg the snare is better in mix1 but the vocals in mix2 for this and this reason.

Now, I know already quite some problems in the remix, most of which are due to the fact that I don't know the monitors well enough yet and that I lost quite some time figuering out how to get some things done in that room (which was, of course, the purpose of this free day at the studio).

Anyway, here's the first mix (ITB).

Many thanks.
B

[Berrevd]

And here's mix2 (Neve-room)

[NeoVXR]

many thanks for this interesting example!

mix 1 is very beautiful in the instruments, modern, and a bit psychedelic, while mix 2 is more rocking.
vocals are a bit bright and "digital" in mix 1. perhaps an extra de-esser on lead, tuned low around 2.5k could cure this a bit (or a multiband comp). plus a minimal HF roll-off or down-shelf.

vocals and band glue together much better in mix 2 (vocals still a bit bright). this is also because the band is mixed a bit brighter here. also dynamics are reacting way better. drums are more rocking and natural (in the context of this '80ies' sound). the snare would appreciate a tad more "body", and some (or more) volume automation or rides.

I think when I listen both mixes very often (but not today ) then mix 2 would be more pleasant. in the first moment, mix 1 is very impressing, besides the little vocal disbalance.

these mixes really have style!!

[djui5]

Mix 1 sounds a bit weak and narrow. Mix 2 is way wider, more depth, and glues better.


I like the levels on mix 2 better too...

[kats]

Sonically speaking I like the sound of mix 2 better. Bigger
/wider as mentioned and I like the eq better (funny eh, and you don't know the monitors!). But I'd rather listen to mix 1 because it has less cheese, mix 2 is waay over the top and I didn't like the vocal ambience. Although in both cases the vocals didn't sit in the mix at all. I think mix 1 would sound better in an elevator though - and that's what counts!

[Berrevd]

Hi,

Thanks for all the nice reactions.
I will give some better reactions later. Now I have to spend some time with my girlfriend and newborn son Thomas!

Grtz,
B

[Tommy Mas]

mix 2 is a lot better. it just sounds bigger and has more life to it.
i would make the snare hit a lot harder though.

[dbbubba]

Don't spend too much time since it's a cover.
Good for experimentation though.
It's how I learned stuff myself!

Work on the tom sound.
Could be the drummer's drums.

Danny Brown

[Lander]

I with #2 also.

More together in the low end, but the mix was a bit honky for my taste.

A small cut around 500Hz, 1/2 octave cured it for me.

[mopppish]

Wow, man. Thanks for the fantastic example. I'm a bit younger and haven't cut any time on big desks, so it's great to have an example of the sound difference vs. ITB.
What I hear (at very low levels right now because the roomies are in bed) is that mix 1 is slightly more detailed and crisp, but 2 indeed does sound bigger and is by no means "muddy" compared to the crispness of mix 1.
I would probably also prefer 2 to 1, though for me somewhere between the two would be ideal. The vocals are definitely a bit cheeseball (sorry if that's you on vox).

[keithfreund]

Originally Posted by mopppish

Wow, man. Thanks for the fantastic example. I'm a bit younger and haven't cut any time on big desks, so it's great to have an example of the sound difference vs. ITB.

Ehhh.... that's not the difference in platforms you're hearing.

im gonna go ahead and disagree with everyone on this and say that the reason 2 sounds better than 1 is because: it's a better mix. you could definitely churn out a better mix ITB than #2.

dont worry though because it sounds like a good recording!


anyway here's my opinion:

in 2, id say all the individual elements sound nice and the mix sounds clean- much cleaner than 1, but now the mix needs to rock. at the moment it sounds more like a karoake track or something. the main problem is that the vocals are way too loud. they say that if you find that the vocals are on top of the mix and then buried when you turn down a half a dB, you should send the instruments to an aux track and dip some of the mid range out to help the vocals fit in the mix. however it sounds too me like your instruments aren't really cutting through the mix anyway, so that's probably not a problem.

i'd have to hear it after that change is made, but here are some other suggestions:

turn up the kick slightly. add some bite to the guitar and synth somehow- either EQ, exciter, reamping, whatever. And turn up the bass in the sub area as well. That's one thing that was present in mix 1 that is missing from mix 2. the snare in mix 1 IS better than mix 2's snare, but still it could stand to be a little brighter.

[roxxon]

I agree, the mix is far better on audio clip #2.