Cathis Ord- Lost Empire (Dark Prog)

gorath23

gorath23

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Feb 6, 2008
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I've finished the initial mix on the second song from my upcoming Demo.

This one is entitled 'Lost Empire': http://cid-5ba3958448d400f2.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/Lost Empire Solos and Vox.mp3

No Limiting etc, so its pretty quiet atm. It's a slow burn, so please have patience! (The song pushes 12 minutes).

Any and all help will be appreciated as I plan on having this Mastered by Lasse and released on a self-funded CD.

New Mix: http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/4/24/1881218/Lost Empire FinalMix.mp3
 
I know for certain it isn't perfect! Really need some help cleaning this up before it goes to be Mastered.
 
when the distorted guitars come it it sounds a little out of place at first. either make it a more more abrupt transition or fade them in with the drums. also you may want to bring the kick, snare and toms cause when they get mastered they are going to get buried in the mix by the guitars the way they are now. don't be afraid if the seem a little too loud at first. they need a bit more attack to cut though. other than that it's pretty cool.
 
Maybe just upload a sample of it on soundclick so its easier to download. I did download it earlier, haven't listened to the whole thing but..

Sounds like you've got a massive lowpass filter on everything. Muffffffffffle. The snare has no top end, the cymbals have little topend, the guitars are muffly. Really not liking how the snare is sounding, compress it a bit more and add some high freqs and use surgical cuts in the mids.

Overall it sounds really muffly and muddy. Keep switching back and forth between mix references and this, cos if you stay listening to the same thing for a while your ears adjust REALLY quickly and although it sounds awesome, you come back to it an hour later and you realise that its totally different (happens to me all the time).
 
Morgoe said:
Maybe just upload a sample of it on soundclick so its easier to download. I did download it earlier, haven't listened to the whole thing but..

Sounds like you've got a massive lowpass filter on everything. Muffffffffffle. The snare has no top end, the cymbals have little topend, the guitars are muffly. Really not liking how the snare is sounding, compress it a bit more and add some high freqs and use surgical cuts in the mids.

Overall it sounds really muffly and muddy. Keep switching back and forth between mix references and this, cos if you stay listening to the same thing for a while your ears adjust REALLY quickly and although it sounds awesome, you come back to it an hour later and you realise that its totally different (happens to me all the time).
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All the reference mixes I have used seem to sound darker than this, I seemed to have been battling a really piercing top-end when mixing. Your comments kinda throw me entirely!:zombie: crap, I obviously need to remix this.
 
awsome song :) sounds like old katatonia/my dying bride... about the mix, I think it fits perfectly, it wouldn't fit for other style of music, but for doom metal it sounds like it's far away and dreamy which is good I think....
 
gorath23 said:
All the reference mixes I have used seem to sound darker than this, I seemed to have been battling a really piercing top-end when mixing. Your comments kinda throw me entirely!:zombie: crap, I obviously need to remix this.
Click to expand...

Are you listening through the same player? Cos some players, like I find iTunes changes the sound of my mixes dramatically, even with the Sound Enhancer off. Best to import the songs into your DAW and make sure there are NO EFFECTS on them (if they're goin into the master bus, route them straight out instead so they dont get the master bus compression/limiting or whatever), and listen to them like that.
 
inflame666 said:
awsome song :) sounds like old katatonia/my dying bride... about the mix, I think it fits perfectly, it wouldn't fit for other style of music, but for doom metal it sounds like it's far away and dreamy which is good I think....
Click to expand...

opeth57 said:
Holy fuck dude, I LOVE this song!

Please tell me when you'll release your demo if you sell it online !
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words! It's been a real struggle to get this demo finished, first time playing all the parts (or at least programming), first time mixing seriously etc.

The demo will be available for free download, and CD's will be free also (I'll only charge for postage).
 
Ok, I've uploaded a new Mix (see first post). Changes were:

- Slight 12k boost on the OH's
- Parallel Comp on the Snare and Toms for added attack, I also raised the Snare a little. (It may be too loud now?)
- Automated a -1db change on the Rhythm guitars to help that final solo section stand out.
- Changed the 2Bus Comp settings, now running at 1-2db reduction
- Changed the EQ settings on the wide panned acoustic guitars that were getting lost.

I tried it out briefly by slamming it with W1 Limiter and it seemed to keep its balance.

I avoided over-brightening it, thats the Mastering Engineers job, not mine. I remembered that the Miixng Engineers Handbook always advises a slightly dull mix going to the ME.
 
Sounds much better now, especially the rhythm guitars, much more clarity.

Snare drum seems to stick out too much atm. I can't hear ANY hihat or ride, and only a few cymbals. I would raise the cymbals and also the kick so they don't get completely lost in mastering. I hate it when you can't hear the cymbals in drum parts. Toms could use a tad more compression and perhaps take some of the lowend off the higher ones. They sound good though. Just to make em stick out. Still not a fan of the snare but I think its just taste now.. COULD use a bit more compression to help the attack stick out, and also less snare bottom. Way too obvious at 7:00. Perhaps compress the bottom a bitchload to add some snap and attack but so you don't actually HEAR the snare wires. I dunno, I personally hate it when you can hear the snare wires but again thats taste. Vocals sound a tad thin, but I'm being pretty picky atm.

Actually the cymbals and kick only get lost around 5:40, teaches me for commenting without listening to the whole thing ;p Cymbals could use some more highend though, as they seem kinda dull and get lost quite easily. Kick is fine on second thoughts.

I'm confused as to why you added parallel compression for attack? Am I using parallel compression wrong because mine has next-to-no attack. Compression set with an attack of like 0.3 and a release of about 80, 10:1 then 10-15dB of gain reduction... that means that you don't get any, or barely any, of the transient attack. How does par. comp help attack? I only use it to make drums sound fatter. Compression helps attack for me..
 
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