Cold Grave song rough mix w/ Metaltastic guest solo

[Force666]

This is a rough mix from my band's upcoming CD. Our own Marcus (Metaltastic) threw down a guest solo for me/us and I wanted to share it with you guys. He did an amazing job, and i'm super stoked. Let me/him know what you think.

The Plague w/Marcus' guest solo

For those who can't wait or don't have the time the solo comes in at around 2:20.

Thanks again Marcus

P.S. I would love some comments on the mix so far as well.

Latest

 

[Force666]

Anyone?

 

[GarethSE]

Goddamn Marcus really has some chops
Think that last note of the solo would work more if he held it and you faded it out though, but that's my only critique.
Great song too, reminds me of a less cheesed out Death

 

[Metaltastic]

Hey John, thanks for posting this dude (and thanks for the props Gareth ol' buddy ) - I dig the mix overall, though I feel the kick is all attack and no body, maybe blending in a sample with more beef would help. I like the snare, can't say much about that, though I feel the bass is a touch too loud. Also, the vox feel a bit dry, and I wouldn't mind some more gain on the rhythm guitars, but I guess it's too late for that (unless you have DI's, but it's only like .5 more on the knob that I'd want, so no biggie, they're cool otherwise, though maybe a touch thin). Solo sounds good in terms of placement/level (thanks for that ), but do you have it panned slightly to the right? Overall badass man! Oh, and I like the cymbal definition too, and I assume this was a real drummer? (meaning, not programmed)

Ooh, and there's a bad edit in that left-channel guitar right before the solo

 

[Metaltastic]

Actually, listening again, the snare might be a touch loud...

 

[MarkG]

I agree on the bass being a bit loud, but it isn't obnoxious or anything. And yes, Marcus does have the chops. Maybe now you can put the how do play guitar thing from the first tone competition behind you?

 

[Force666]

Yeah for sure, the first thing I thought last night when I got home and listened to the track was the main snare was a tad too loud and the blast/fill snare got lost. So I was gonna bring that one out a bit and tame the main snare. Totally noticed that too.

The kick...yeah I was feeling that too, I just get so goddam scared of the low-end buildup, but hopefully bringing the bass guitar down a touch and adding a little more "beef" to the kick will dial it in.

Can't believe I never noticed that little squelch in the guitar in that lead in riff. Thanks for noticing that. The guitars, kind of a struggle this time around, so I think I might leave those for now. I'm pretty happy with them, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about using the G12T75s next time around for this tuning. Something about the tuning (E flat standard) just doesn't seem to sit right with the v30s. In this particular case anyways.


And yes I slid the solo over to the right a bit I don't know why I always do that, cause I'm usually thinking in terms of 2 guitarist/dual solos and such. I'll stick her back in the middle.

The honest truth with everything, is i've gotten overly cautious with building up the lowend that I've overdone the thinness of everything.

Thanks for all the advices and I'll post up a re-mix in the next day or so and definitly build up the kicks and low mids of the guitars.

And Gareth, thanks for the compliment on the song!

P.S. Yes, real drums...edited to hell and back....but very happy with the end result.

 

[Force666]

Updated Mix


So I updated the mix last night taking everything you guys mentioned into consideration.

Let me know what you think.

Bass down a touch
Solo Centered
Some more lows released into the kick (enough?)
a touch more delay on the vocals

It sounded better on the monitors at the studio but I can hardly tell the difference here at home on the computer speakers now.

But if nothing else when I got to the studio last night, someone GAVE me a Studio RTA producer station for free, cleaning out their studio. I know everyone thinks they kinda suck, but F it, If nothing else I'll sell it for a couple hundred bucks. haha

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah dude, can't argue with free, and it's a freakin' desk for chrissakes, I doubt there are too many ways it can disappoint you! (unless it's slanted or spontaneously collapses, I suppose ). New mix sounds better, though I'm thinking with the kick maybe I'd prefer some click taken off and then the overall volume brought up (rather than just more lows), because the click is still mainly all I'm hearing, so it sounds a bit weak. Diggin' the bass and snare levels, and the solo sounds right where it should be!

Oh, and I really like the choice of the phaser effect on those guitars in the middle btw

 

[Metaltastic]

Oh, and on the topic of T75's vs. V30's, Andy actually said in one of those Sound on Sound Extreme Metal Master class vids that he prefers T75's for standard-tuned stuff, and I can see the logic in that, as they kinda make up for the low-end power and intensity you lose when playing in or near standard (in case you couldn't tell, I can't ever imagine myself tuning above C-standard for rhythms again ). Something to consider anyway!

 

[Force666]

Oh, and I really like the choice of the phaser effect on those guitars in the middle btw

Thanks dude! Yeah i'm kinda a phaser whore. hahaha There are definitly a good handful of little melodies I phase out on the album.

Yeah, I'm gonna work on the kick when i'm down there next. When I listen on the computer speakers it's click and no bottom. Probably gonna go for another sample all together. Especially with our drummer being more flashy on the kicks (or atleast edited that way ) than on his hands. I think there needs to be some more meat to them.

P.S. The solo gave everyone in the band a fat boner!

 

[Force666]

Update 3

So I worked on the kick drum a bit last night. Let me know what you guys think.

 

[Damian B]

Cool song, and tasty playing Marcus!

 

[Metaltastic]

Thanks Damian! And John, I'm much preferring the kick now, nicely done! (though I still think it could come up a bit) I'm glad the band dug my solo, and to finish my thought above, I figured the drums were live because they have a really cool human feel and I dig the playing/fills/cymbal work a lot, fits the music perfectly! (and if you had to do a ton of editing, then it doesn't sound like it, which is all that matters!)

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

Dig the tune dude, very DEATH-esque like. Nice work too Marcus, you guest solo whore!

 

[Force666]

though I still think it could come up a bit)

Will do. I don't know why I've been really "trigger-shy" (no pun intended) on the kicks. When usually i'm quite the opposite.

Thanks Damien and SCSH!

On a side note: Ex-Death, current and longtime Forbidden member Craig Locicero is also doing a guest solo on the album. When the album is all mastered and finished I'll be posting a thread to download the album in mp3s for everybody on the forum (for free of course).

 

[Felix Neumann]

This song is fucking great! Congrats for all are involved

I like the riffing, the vocals, the ideas, the guestsolo (good job, Marcus!!) but I don´t like the sound of the ride cymbal, it´s too brilliant/high sounding, maybe a 12 khz cut (and around this area).

 

[cobhc]

Musically it sounds fucking sweet, but I really feel this could benefit from a huge sounding mix, and nicer sounding rhythm guitars. What were the guitars?

 

[Force666]

The guitars are:

Les Paul w/JB > maxon od808 > 6505 > Randall XLT w/V30s > 57 > RNP > Firestudio

Guitars tuned Eflat Standard

1 small consideration is that besides the "breakdown" part after what would be the first chorus, These are all single note rythyms in the verses. Double tracked.

I know...excuses, excuses haha

What do you feel the guitars are missing?

 

[cobhc]

Just more balls and a little more gain I guess.