Pop/Rock Song Claustrophobic sounding?

bluedragon · 6th May 2006, 05:40 AM

Any good mixing engineers here?. Any advice from you would be appreciated.

this is a first mix of a song I'm working on with a guy here in Austin.
I'm pretty happy with the production, but the mix is bugging me. The
number one problem for me is that it sounds "closed" rather than open
and spacious. After listening to it all the way through, I feel like I need to
open a window and get some AIR!!! :)

Specific ideas and solutions would be great!!!! Thanks.

-Mike
www.mikeleone.com

Loudnoize ent. · 6th May 2006, 06:55 AM

Hey Mike,

First of, pretty good tune...

My take is it seems to be overly compressed/mastered, especially kick/bass. Seems to clip big time. In fact what happens to the second chorus till the end? You lose the kick altogether. Remix it, let it breathe some... By the way, I hope the bass wasn't recorded heavily, with clipping going on. May need to be re-recorded.

Cheers!

bluedragon · 6th May 2006, 11:10 PM

Thanks loudnoize,

I think you're totally right. The kick and bass are too squashed.
As far as clipping, there is an amp emulation on the bass, but that's
not what you're hearing? I didn't let anything actually clip, but if it sounds
like clipping, I have some more work to do.

One more question for all:
I submixed the kick and bass together through an SSL comp plug. The
attack was at like 2-4 miliseconds, can't remember exactly but it was fast.
Would this have something to do with the stiff, overcompressed sound?

Thanks!

I-Quality · 6th May 2006, 11:59 PM

i thought it was overcompressed the second I started to listen your song....
and I find that the sounds of each instruments don't work with each other....

bluedragon · 7th May 2006, 05:00 AM

Hey I quality,

thanks for the suggestions, but could you be more specific? Which combinations
of sounds do you think are clashing?

-Mike

bluedragon · 7th May 2006, 05:01 AM

By the way, where is Helvetia?

I-Quality · 7th May 2006, 10:50 AM

sorry for the harsh answer , i wasn't really in a good mood =P

i guess what I don't like is mostly the drum and bass sound, bass has too much attack for this kind of song, well attack is not really the term..
the snare drum is too boxy, lacks detail and top end ...it's really a matter of base sound, trying to get a nicer top end with this sound won't make it better(maybe a little, but i doubt so..)(too much snare)...maybe you like this sound, but I really don't like this kind of snares, and it doesn't really help the song

the slightly distorted guitar (1min20..and on) suddenly pops out of nowhere, lower it some and put somekind of stereo delay or something that makes it take some more place over the mix without having it so loud

Helvetia is the Roman name for an ancient region of central Europe occupying a plateau between the Alps and the Jura Mountains. Helvetia corresponded roughly to the western part of modern Switzerland...wikipedia owns

djui5 · 7th May 2006, 11:51 PM

wow..someone likes compressors :)

Back off of the comps, and write in some dynamics. It's really flat sounding.

bluedragon · 8th May 2006, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I-Quality

i guess what I don't like is mostly the drum and bass sound, bass has too much attack for this kind of song, well attack is not really the term..
the snare drum is too boxy, lacks detail and top end ...it's really a matter of base sound, trying to get a nicer top end with this sound won't make it better(maybe a little, but i doubt so..)(too much snare)...maybe you like this sound, but I really don't like this kind of snares, and it doesn't really help the song

Thanks for the input, man. I really appreciate all of it. And I didn't think it was harsh.
The snare sample (as well as the other drum samples) are from BFD, which I thought sounded pretty great compared to most. I can hear that it's boxy now though, and even that it could use more highs. I'll try that. Thanks.

-Mike
www.mikeleone.com

bluedragon · 8th May 2006, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djui5

wow..someone likes compressors :)

Back off of the comps, and write in some dynamics. It's really flat sounding.

Yeah. That's what I'm getting about this song. Way over-compressed I guess.
I think the number one problem in that area is that I ran the whole mix through URS's
SSL style mix bus comp, and I think I killed it.

What compression settings do you guys suggest on the mix bus of THIS song?
Just some ideas about approx. attack, release, and how much gain reduction should be happening. Thanks in advance.

-Mike
www.mikeleone.com

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6th May 2006, 06:55 AM	#2
Loudnoize ent. Gear maniac Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 161	Hey Mike, First of, pretty good tune... My take is it seems to be overly compressed/mastered, especially kick/bass. Seems to clip big time. In fact what happens to the second chorus till the end? You lose the kick altogether. Remix it, let it breathe some... By the way, I hope the bass wasn't recorded heavily, with clipping going on. May need to be re-recorded. Cheers! __________________ Chris Landon http://chrislandonmusic.com http://myspace.com/loudnoizeentertainment

7th May 2006, 11:51 PM	#8
djui5 Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Phoenix Posts: 6,680	wow..someone likes compressors :) Back off of the comps, and write in some dynamics. It's really flat sounding. __________________ _________________ "What is a crossfire hurricane & why wasn't I born in one?" Randy Wright http://www.myspace.com/djui5

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6th May 2006, 11:10 PM	#3
bluedragon Gear interested Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 24	Thanks loudnoize, I think you're totally right. The kick and bass are too squashed. As far as clipping, there is an amp emulation on the bass, but that's not what you're hearing? I didn't let anything actually clip, but if it sounds like clipping, I have some more work to do. One more question for all: I submixed the kick and bass together through an SSL comp plug. The attack was at like 2-4 miliseconds, can't remember exactly but it was fast. Would this have something to do with the stiff, overcompressed sound? Thanks!

6th May 2006, 11:59 PM	#4
I-Quality Gear Head Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Helvetia Posts: 52	i thought it was overcompressed the second I started to listen your song.... and I find that the sounds of each instruments don't work with each other....

7th May 2006, 05:00 AM	#5
bluedragon Gear interested Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 24	Hey I quality, thanks for the suggestions, but could you be more specific? Which combinations of sounds do you think are clashing? -Mike

7th May 2006, 05:01 AM	#6
bluedragon Gear interested Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 24	By the way, where is Helvetia?

7th May 2006, 10:50 AM	#7
I-Quality Gear Head Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Helvetia Posts: 52	sorry for the harsh answer , i wasn't really in a good mood =P i guess what I don't like is mostly the drum and bass sound, bass has too much attack for this kind of song, well attack is not really the term.. the snare drum is too boxy, lacks detail and top end ...it's really a matter of base sound, trying to get a nicer top end with this sound won't make it better(maybe a little, but i doubt so..)(too much snare)...maybe you like this sound, but I really don't like this kind of snares, and it doesn't really help the song the slightly distorted guitar (1min20..and on) suddenly pops out of nowhere, lower it some and put somekind of stereo delay or something that makes it take some more place over the mix without having it so loud Helvetia is the Roman name for an ancient region of central Europe occupying a plateau between the Alps and the Jura Mountains. Helvetia corresponded roughly to the western part of modern Switzerland...wikipedia owns