Please roast this mix

[lebouche]

Educated opinions
Hi I'm not happy with the reverbs on this but I only have the Logic standerd ones.
I have rerecorded the bv's bass,kick,snare overheads and Vox through my liquid channels using the eq and the compressors.
I think these sound much better.
Please advise.
They are 16bit bounces with no compression.
Thanks here's the link.
http://download.yousendit.com/2D135B657BB6691B

[dwoz]

Educated opinions


my educated opinion is that the reviewEE makes it easy on the reviewER by supplying a link that doesn't require mailing a vial of one's first-born male son's blood to satan for taste-testing.


That's my educated opinion.







I'm educated, in case you were wondering...





school of hard knocks.




I'd love to give it a whirl, if you put it on a myspace page or something.



dwoz

[lebouche]

Thanks...I got a myspace and know how to get video up there as I can use already generated links but dont know how to get my music up..sure its simple but I've spent some time trying..You send it is free to subscribe too and as easy as signing up for this forum. It's also a useful tool but I understand that you should not have to make this effort in order to do me the favour of a review.
Thanks

[Aardvark]

You can put up an mp3 here...up to 10 megs. For purposes of a large file like yours then yousendit is the ticket.


Cheers,
Aardvark

[lebouche]

OK heres an mp3.
My current problems with this are..
1. Overheads sound bit out o phase..
2. Outro keyboards lagging.
3. Out of tune bass...
4. out of time bv's (will fix)
5. Not happy with all the vox... but out of takes...valuable lesson learnt here...better to hire a cheaper sessioner and have more takes than an expensive one and be just missing a few parts.
6. Not sure I've made it groove at all...throwing together all these musicians.
nyway I'm on the brink of madness cos I heard it too many times, over to you.
Here is the mp3
Thanks

[seagate]

Standard disclaimer: I'm a hack...

Agreed on the verbs, try using SpaceDesigner with one of the Plate verbs as a starting point...

I'd like to see the acoustic pulled back a bit and piano up, the piano sounds a little thin for my taste, try a lite chorus or something. I'd also edit out the string noise on acoustic guitar. The lead vocal sound too mono compared to the bg vocals, not sure how to fix that. Are you running the verbs in stereo on a bus? If not that might help loose that mono feeling...

I get the feeling something is missing, I'm waiting for some big guitars to come in and take it up to another level...

Nice tune though...

[lebouche]

:) Thank you, strangely the acoustics were one of the only things I was happy with. The string squeak has always bothered me a little. I'm not sure I'm happy with spacedesigner yet...I'll try a plate and make sure the rev is on a bus. I could crank the leccies at the end. Thanks for the tips.
The tune is a cover of Easy on my soul by Free and Bad company.
P.S what is a hack!!

[aframe9999]

yeah... i'm major hack too, but there's something odd to me about this mix. The guitar, pecusison, BGV and some synth stuff are very wide, but the piano and main vox is very narrow and centered, maybe even mono... The problem is, that because of my current hack status, i don't know how to tell you to fix it..... other than more attention to spatial panning, i can't really help you... LOLOL

But the good news is, that somebody around here, can....

AF

[lebouche]

I'll check out your recordings...spot on btw. I noticed yesterday that I had bounced the vox through a compressor in mono with the Reverb left on...so its in mono. The piano I think is dry...maybe I will give it some space. I don't think there is any synth..maybe you mean the weird filtered drum loop...I guess that sounds like one.
Thanks for your time

[Mixerman]

The song ended abruptly at 2:52 for me.

The problem with acoustic guitars is, if made too loud, they can make much everything else sound small. Now, there is something about the loud acoustics on this that I like, and I think they should be loud, but currently, they are dwarfing everything else.

After having given several mix critiques here, I am reticent to provide you with specific direction. The problem is, there's a problem, but I'm just guessing how to fix it because mixing is to some degree a hit or miss sifting process in which fixing one problem creates new problems. As you get further into the mix, the problems become fewer and the solutions more subtle, until nothing you do makes the mix better.

Were I to tell you to turn down the acoustics and the lead vocal, that might fix many of the problems. But raising the piano and drums might be a better solution.

Stereo 2 buss compression might be helpful as well.

To me, your problem with phasing overheads is moot, since they are so low in the mix. Perhaps that's why you put them so low, I just don't know (say that rhymes!)

I agree with your disdain for that reverb. But, if you don't like a reverb, then you shouldn't use it. Even if it's all you have. If you are sure that you want space on your singer, then perhaps you should consider using delays. If you set the time and the feedback right, they can provide a similar tail to a reverb, without taking up nearly the same amount of space. In this particular mix, space isn't your issue. You have plenty. Maybe too much. Bringing up the piano will solve that problem. Pianos, particularly the piano in this production take up oodles of space.

The drums also seem a bit dark to me, but I think that's mostly due to the level of the overheads. They don't seem to have any "air" about them. That's what your rooms and overheads are for. They provide the acoustic air from the drums. The big picture.

I think part of the reason the reverb is so disconcerting, aside from the fact that it's just awful, is the lack of space on the rest of the mix as compared with the vocals. The drummer is in the world of antispace, yet your singer is in some cavernous hall. In my experience, this will make the listener feel uncomfortable. I'm not saying to put reverb on the drums. Far from it.

In fact, please don't!

Enjoy,

Mixerman

[lebouche]

Thanks...I brought the drums down just before I submitted this mix...just when I was playing converting the mp3...shouldnt trust my mac speakers! The first file I posted has them louder. I've also been paranoid about the pianos...the mastering engineer told me they stuck out too much.
You guys have all been spot on and I look forward to finishing my current recording so I can apply some of your suggestions to this mix. When I do I'll repost it.
Thanks

[bunnerabb]

Yeah, the verbs just aint cutting it for me, either.

I'd ditch them and look for one that does.

As far the vocal not being loud enough, there's something about the singer that makes me feel like he's over ----> there, somewhere. Could be the verb. It comes across as a level and E.Q. problem, though but I bet it's the verbs.

[Mixerman]

Thanks...I brought the drums down just before I submitted this mix...just when I was playing converting the mp3...shouldnt trust my mac speakers! The first file I posted has them louder. I've also been paranoid about the pianos...the mastering engineer told me they stuck out too much.
You guys have all been spot on and I look forward to finishing my current recording so I can apply some of your suggestions to this mix. When I do I'll repost it.
Thanks

Never get mix advice from a mastering engineer, unless he's spent some portion of his career actually mixing.

Mixerman

[dwoz]

Never get mix advice from a mastering engineer, unless he's spent some portion of his career actually mixing.

Mixerman


absolutely true (with some occasional notable exceptions). Do you ask your septic system plumber for advice on how you should have cooked the thanksgiving turkey?

"...just judging by what I see here, I'd say you needed to baste that bird a few more times"...


will listen tonight and add my .o2 pence.

dwoz

[lebouche]

Stereo 2 buss compression might be helpful as well.


Mixerman
Could you clarify? Do you mean comp the acc gits or comp the whole mix? My mastering dude has asked me to supply mixes with no compression.
Thanks again

[malice]

Could you clarify? Do you mean comp the acc gits or comp the whole mix? My mastering dude has asked me to supply mixes with no compression.
Thanks again

You have a taste for good subject (and controvertial ones).

I understand that a lot of mastering are annoyed by heavy limiting (such as L2/L3 type) but I don't agree that they could ask you such a thing as not compressing the 2buss.

If your track could benefit from compression, you need to mix with the compresor across your 2buss. It won't be something you can add afterwards. All tracks needs to interact with the comp, the balance of the drums and the bass won't be the same.

When the mastering comes, your ME can chose to compress again (generally much more lightly) or use limiting, but it won't be part of the mixing process.

malice

[lebouche]

OK...so what is the two bus? Cos I got about 30 busses.On my outputs I have two so I'm assuming you mean on my last output channel.Sorry to be amature.
Thanks...
lol its great to see how passionate people are..

[malice]

Aaah,

The 2buss refeers to your mix section. "Straping a compressor acroos the 2buss" means "putting a compressor in the insert slots of the master section" in order to compress the totality of the mix.

What you chose to use as a compressor is another subject that I would be delighted to debate in the "Mixing and producing made seasy" forum

cheers

malice

[lebouche]

Thanking you..will get back to you all with some improvements soon.
Cheers:)

[lebouche]

I've lost perspective...
I took all you previous tips on board but not sure if I messed it up.
+
It doesnt sound good in mono....how do I fix that.
Your help as always would be much appreciated.
Thanks
:)

[lebouche]

Hi I reposted this song under "is this ready for mastering" with your suggestions in mind.
The first file I put up was fucked so if you downloaded it already apologies.
Please check it out.
Thanks

[Mixerman]

Hi I reposted this song under "is this ready for mastering" with your suggestions in mind.
The first file I put up was fucked so if you downloaded it already apologies.
Please check it out.
Thanks

I merged your second thread with this one, and I got rid of the "bad" file and put the "good" file you posted into the first post. I also cleaned up a little. If something isn't to your satsifaction let me know, but let's keep this all on one thread.

That said, I think that this new mix is better. Yes, there are obvious problems with the overheads, and I have no way of checking the mono compatability here. But as a stereo mix, it seems much more like a mix. It's not the greatest mix of all time, but the song is certainly coming accross, and the arrangement seems to be supporting the singer in a better manner.

Mixerman

[lebouche]

Thanks dude...appreiciate you sorting out the thread and listening.
Cheers,

[lebouche]

Is there a good program to fix phase issues?
Obviously I'd like to record in phase in the future but since I'm stuck with those ovhds...
Thanks

[Mixerman]

Is there a good program to fix phase issues?
Obviously I'd like to record in phase in the future but since I'm stuck with those ovhds...
Thanks

Well, it's not "in phase" per se. I mean, using the term "in phase" would suggest that switching the polarity on one side of the overheads would solve the problem.

There seems to be a little weirdness going on. How much weirdness is difficult to say, particularly listening to it from an MP3 within a mix.

There is an interesting box for these sorts of situations. It's made by Little Labs (http://www.littlelabs.com/ibp.html). I've used it before, and it can be a handy dandy little device. But it's also $600 worth of kit. I don't really know of any other "fix it" device, but I can tell you that Jonathan Little is an excellent tech and a stand-up guy, so I'm certain it's well-built.

Enjoy,

Mixerman

[lebouche]

It might be cheaper to get the drummer in.
I've learnt so much this year fucking all my jobs up.
I wonder if normal people who don't have engineers ears will notice? My client loves it....I hate it:Uh oh:
arrrrrghhhhhh!!!

[lebouche]

Ok....my mate said I should check out Phasetone but I need to buy some other programme to install it...comes in at $200 stead o six.
Anyone used it?
Thanks

[ajcamlet]

i think MM is talking about the IBP. you can get the cheaper version for $350-ish

http://www.mercenary.com/lilaibpjr.html

I use this a lot, and it does what it does rather well. ive never heard of a software program doing what this does....

ace

[lebouche]

Cheers,
I'll check it out.
Thanks