Finally recorded a band i actually like.(non generic metalcore)

[brianhood]

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/536384/Erra/mix 1/Seperate mix 1.mp3

This is a brand new band called Erra from Birmingham, AL. The guitar player is only 17, and the rest of the guys are around 20 or younger.

Let me know your thoughts on the mix. This is mix 1, and i usually get up to around mix 3 or 4 before i'm happy, so share anything you like or dont like. I'm sure there will be no shortage of things for me to change tomorrow when i listen with fresh ears.

The only thing on here that is not my usual setup is bass. I now use a Sansamp RBI for bass, along with ampeg svx 8x10 cab sim, c4, limiter, and a touch of eq.


::edit::
Final mix

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/536384/Erra/final Mix/Seperate.mp3

I know it doesn't sound that different, but i completely dropped all faders and remixed from scratch haha

 

[20Mg]

i like nice and tight

 

[chewyfhtts]

this is really good! seems to be lacking a bit in the bottom end for me. maybe its my speakers tho.

 

[JayB]

Very tight, great work.

 

[Josh Burgess]

screamed vocals sit a little too low in the mix, sound awesome though. what'd you record them with? clean vocals were really loud and surprised me when they kicked in, and agreed there could be a little bit more bottom end in the mix overall. other than that small stuff it sounds really good.

 

[lolzgreg]

Your editing is great, as usual.

The mix is solid as a whole, but I've enjoyed other ones you have done more.

Guitar tone is boring on this. It is in no way exciting. It is also in no way bad. It's just blah... I think you get my point. It's one of the best POD tones I've heard, but it does nothing for me.

The hi hat isn't very convincing.

Growling vocals need ambience. They're quite dull to me.

Clean vocals ride on top of the mix too much, use a verb with LESS predelay to push them back a little bit. I would also thin them out.

Bass sounds nice. I suppose you could even raise the level of it a bit.

I really think you should try to take a step back, close you eyes, listen, and shy away from the stereotypical mix for this kind of band. You are a talented engineer, but you need to establish your own voice. This is only my opinion, which you can choose to consider, or blow off completely, but I thought I would throw it out there.

 

[PostMortem1666]

I like the mix but boy am I getting sick of hearing Slate drums on EVERYTHING.

 

[ATLA]

sounds great! some sick licks in there!

 

[lolzgreg]

I like the mix but boy am I getting sick of hearing Slate drums on EVERYTHING.

There's nothing wrong with Slate drums on everything, as long as you process them, mix them in, blend them with things, use different cymbals, etc.

I am very tired of THAT Slate sound, though.

 

[Zombietakeover]

I would rather hear programmed slate drums....Then some Amateur hack micing drums that sound like boxes.

Not pointed at you or anything brian

Good sounding stuff dude, tight as always

 

[veronicafalls]

I am very tired of THAT Slate sound, though.

The scene kids luv it, and that's what matters. because they keep on buying Attack Attack!, TDWP, We Came As Romans, I set my friends on fire, and Asking Alexandria. The only reason I might play them in the car is because it picks up the chicks, they dig it alot. Otherwise I'm listening to Thy Art is Murder, Chelsea Grin, Veil of Maya, Through The Eyes of The Dead. You get the point, right?

I originally like using BFD2 with little reverb on the snare and a smacking kick that doesn't take up too much room in the mix with a high and low pass squeezing the kick, but too many of my friends thought it sounded to dark and disturbing so I looked into "crabcore" and what teenagers call emo, at least the stereotype anyway, and found my way into that. I found that nobody in my area likes to play anything but "crabcore" these days . Except the band "I Declare War" and "Sanctity in Silence" who are pretty good.

 

[K Odell]

Man those clean vocals sound like Evan from Vanna. Sounds solid dudeski

 

[JeffTD]

The scene kids luv it, and that's what matters. because they keep on buying Attack Attack!, TDWP, We Came As Romans, I set my friends on fire, and Asking Alexandria. The only reason I might play them in the car is because it picks up the chicks, they dig it alot. Otherwise I'm listening to Thy Art is Murder, Chelsea Grin, Veil of Maya, Through The Eyes of The Dead. You get the point, right?

I originally like using BFD2 with little reverb on the snare and a smacking kick that doesn't take up too much room in the mix with a high and low pass squeezing the kick, but too many of my friends thought it sounded to dark and disturbing so I looked into "crabcore" and what teenagers call emo, at least the stereotype anyway, and found my way into that. I found that nobody in my area likes to play anything but "crabcore" these days . Except the band "I Declare War" and "Sanctity in Silence" who are pretty good.

Scene kids don't know jack about the production, and all of those bands basically were produced by Sturgis. I just think you have a massive broner for Joey.

And the relevance of your entire post is basically nil.






Brian - ditto on the others, great mix as always, just somewhat similar to the rest. Not a bad thing considering all the gear is about the same as the rest. Really digging the song, as well - hope to hear more like this from you!

 

[brianhood]

The hi hat isn't very convincing.

Thanks for your honestly on everything bud!
What do you mean about the hi hat though? That comment made it sound like these are programmed drums that i'm trying to pass off as real. confusing

I like the mix but boy am I getting sick of hearing Slate drums on EVERYTHING.

haha me too!
Unfortunately drums are the hardest thing to get sounding pro without good gear and a nice drum room(neither of which i have yet). I'll eventually ween myself off of slate samples, but for now they more than do their job.

Scene kids don't know jack about the production, and all of those bands basically were produced by Sturgis. I just think you have a massive broner for Joey.

And the relevance of your entire post is basically nil.






Brian - ditto on the others, great mix as always, just somewhat similar to the rest. Not a bad thing considering all the gear is about the same as the rest. Really digging the song, as well - hope to hear more like this from you!

LMAO at "broner"

Thanks for the compliments. I am definitely aware that most of my mixes sound very similar to one another. I think it's pretty much that way for most engineers. I've slowly evolved my sound since in started this past january, and hopefully i'll be able to make some fresher sounding mixes when i start using real amps on a more regular basis. I plan on reamping this band's stuff with a 5150 tomorrow to see how it turns out.

 

[JeffTD]

LMAO at "broner"

Thanks for the compliments. I am definitely aware that most of my mixes sound very similar to one another. I think it's pretty much that way for most engineers. I've slowly evolved my sound since in started this past january, and hopefully i'll be able to make some fresher sounding mixes when i start using real amps on a more regular basis. I plan on reamping this band's stuff with a 5150 tomorrow to see how it turns out.

Dude don't even worry about it - one of the hardest things about engineering is approaching each project from a different direction and not going with what you know will 100% for sure work, because if you fuck up, it sticks with you. This is especially true if you're constantly recording bands and never have breaks to try out new techniques (like you seem to have experienced with amp micing recently), you never really prepare for situations that could arise.

 

[PostMortem1666]

There's nothing wrong with Slate drums on everything, as long as you process them, mix them in, blend them with things, use different cymbals, etc.

I am very tired of THAT Slate sound, though.

There's nothing wrong with Slate drums on everything as long as they don't sound the same on everything IMO.

I agree with you about the guitars as well but they fit the mix.

I am liking this music very much!!

 

[whatwhat]

Holy hell! Good work man. Really like the GTR tone. The clean singing seems a little loud? Maybe wet them up a little more? But super solid, man.

I like the Slate sound...then again I like a lot shit that people DON'T like. haha

 

[lolzgreg]

Thanks for your honestly on everything bud!
What do you mean about the hi hat though? That comment made it sound like these are programmed drums that i'm trying to pass off as real. confusing

I honestly thought the hi hats/cymbals weren't real. There is something VERY unnatural sounding about them. I don't really know how to to even explain it. I would think that I have pretty decent ears (or people seem to say that I do) and they just struck me as a bad sample or something. No means to be offensive as all. How did you mic them? Just overheads or overheads/close mic? Processing?

Can we hear a track of just drums?

Also, if you're interested, I would love to work out some guitars tones with you; let me try reamping your material. PM me if you have a whims to do so.

 

[CatharsisStudios]

Brian this bass tone rulez

 

[CatharsisStudios]

and i reallly fucking love the cymbal sound fuck that rules.