From my Challenge thread in the Production forum.

[Loren Littlejohn]

Constructive crit is welcome. I can't change sound sources at this point (or mics). So any MIX criticism is welcome. I can't go back and use samples (I don't really want to). There is no replacing on the drums (not that you couldn't figure that out).

www.soundclick.com/thenerolproj

Guitars are: Ibanez MMM1 (burstbucker pro pickups) into my 5150 running my crate blue voodoo vintage 30 cab. Miced with a md421 on axis and a 57 off axis. I also did to reamped tracks of pod rectifier with guitarhacks impulses.

Bass: Fender amercian J standard 4 string into an Ampeg BA210 miced with a D112 and going direct as well.

Drums: Don't remember the model but it was a pearl kit. OH was sm81, Toms were MD421s, snare was 57 top, e609 bottom, and kick was combo sm57 (inside) and a Beta52a in the port.

You can find other info in this thread: Here Is A Fucking Challenge I Bet You Can't Meet

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Bump.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Why is this mono?


Thin guitars, floppy kick.. yikes!

If you can't change sources... is this for school? Try some multiband on the kick in the extreme lows. Hi shelf the guitars, & try to add some snap on the bass guitar as well.

Really though, this whole thing should be re-recorded.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Not trying to sound like a dick, just being honest. Perhaps blend some more of that bass DI so we can hear some definition. Were they new strings at least?

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah dude - this is Baby's Got Bacon, right? The snare isn't bad, but those guitars, oog...if you hadn't said they were a 5150 I would've guessed a Line 6 from its thin-ness. I do like the cymbals, especially the hi-hat, though, and the vocals sound good quality-wise, but definitely not my favorite singer in the world.

 

[kev]

hmmm, something is bad here. A re-recording shall be required i think, the gear used sounds really good but it hasnt made its way into the sample.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Re uploading....

Questions:

"re record" - It sucks but I am stuck with what I got for now, there is no way I can get this re done in 2 weeks. (I'm getting the raw tracks next week and redoing a mix at home, Direct inputs for guitars and bass as well) there is no way I can get this re done in 2 weeks.

"Guitars" - My guess is an eq issue that I should or should not have done. But the thinness might have to do with the limited track count I was faced with (24) so I opted to <gasp> double track instead of quad track the guitars. I did 2 tracks of fake recto with guitar hacks impulses in addition to the 5150 tracks.

But anyhow: EQ 4 band: Shelf at 209 Hz, Peaks at 4k and 7k, low pass at 9.5 k.

"multiband compressor" - Yup, don't got it.

"Bass guitar" Strings were new when we did this, the new version is a tad clearer IMO (although still pretty meh). The cutoff for the bass is around 90 HZ or so (Can't remember if I shelved or cut).

The re uploaded version is changed a tad.

 

[Metaltastic]

Hmm, bass is a bit better, but the guitars man - believe me, double tracking has nothing to do with it; I don't want this to be a pissing contest, but I just wanna make it clear that I only ever double track, and have gotten tones that have been more than thick and heavy enough for my tastes. Maybe ditch those boosts at 4k and 7k and boost like CA-RAZY anywhere from 500-1.5 k to fill 'em up (and how come you have the shelf starting as high as 209 Hz?). Also the kick could use a lot more click.

 

[Machinated]

I don't think its too bad, but the guitars and drums need more energy to them. Reamping will help to get some fullness, but I think they could have been played with a bit more power to really get the notes sticking out. With the drums, I'd maybe suggest using some samples where they have been recorded with strong hits.

 

[Koshpa]

shelf at 209hz is really something that you should consider changing. Shelf at 60 Hz to kill unwanted low freq.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I tried going that low and it turned to mush.

 

[AStacy2]

Whoa dude, not to sound like a dick but what happened here? I can tell that the people you were tracking weren't that great, but...I mean, your other recordings on your soundclick page sound good...and I don't think all of that was just DKFHS and PodXT I think you said you recorded some actual bands, right? I mean seriously...A/B that to some of the other stuff you've done, it sounds bad in comparison to that even. Are your school's rooms acoustics just lying to you or something? I'm confused because of your previous good work.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I know, I'm used to using my home rig with PT/ cubase and all my nice plugs and being in an environment that I know.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Here is the bands myspace with their old Demo. I really don't think (well except the guitar tone) I'm that far off from their sound. I am going back for one last time to do some final tweaks, I will take everyones suggestions and implement them.

http://www.myspace.com/hethehero

BTW, non of you sound like "dicks" . Constructive crit is the tits. So keep it comming, I am going to investigate the mono sounding aspect of this mix and the guitar tone (fuck I hear it, damn it, my guess is I did the bussing incorrectly).

But beyond that is the low end working?

 

[ScottCash]

Is it me or do the guitars sound like they were recorded through a Kazoo?

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Edit: I'm retarded.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

think all of that was just DKFHS and PodXT I think you said you recorded some actual bands, right? I mean seriously...A/B that to some of the other stuff you've done, it sounds bad in comparison to that even. Are your school's rooms acoustics just lying to you or something?

Sall good mang.

The song under this one was real drums (sans the kick), 5150 (I get better tone at home for some reason ), and the ampeg SVT plug in (I don't got it at school).

In my defence your 100% correct it is difficult to mix at school because the monitors sweet spot is about 6" down and around 8" forward. Not sure how much though was taken when setting this up.