How's this sounding? Real drums, metalcore.

[Erik Monsonis]

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/425433/Bystanders.mp3

I'm like 90% there in the mix, and I'd like to be sure I'm going in the right direction. I know I'm close to finish it, but I'd welcome criticism or advice at this point.

Drums are a blend of natural and samples:
Kick is 100% sample. Alestorm kick + Slate Kick 10
Snare is 50% real, plus 50% sample made of several Slate snares (8z1, 15z1, 22z1, 18SSDR) plus one from the original snare, which is +6dB over the other samples.
Toms are 100% real, except a couple that were after cymbal hits, replaced with samples from the same drumkit.

Guitars are LeXtac with the free impulse Greg made, the ASEM Recto.wav
POD Farm for leads and cleans.

Bass is divided in 3 bass tracks, one for clean tight lowend, other crunchy dirt and the last one pure distortion through the guitar rigs.

Cheers!

 

[Unavailable]

The high end on the mix seems a little cloudy, and the guitars are a tad hard to distinguish as a result. Maybe too much in the 5khz region on the guitars? And cymbals a tad too loud?

Otherwise I like it a lot!

 

[AllanD]

The intro is too loud, it sounds weak when the actual song comes in. The rest sounds good to me

 

[lolzgreg]

I'm glad you're digging the impulse dude

I think the kick and snare are too loud loud for the mix, and the hi-hat could use reduction in the 3-6khz range a bit.

I really dig the tom sound.

I would start by soloing just the drums and getting the high balance better between the shells and cymbals. The cymbals sound disconnected from the shells (which sound right for this genre IMO).

The guitars have a nice overall squishiness, but they could use some more definition. Sounds like there is a lot of juice going into the amp sim that is robbing some note definition from you.

Watch 3.6khz on the guitars and 4.6khz. If you notch there, turn your treble down a hair, and push the volume a bit, you should be golden.

Vocals sound warm and clear without being dark. Great work.

 

[Erik Monsonis]

Thanks guys!!

The fact that the shells are loud is intentional, although is not intended to be distracting. Is it?
I'll take a look in the high end and presence, because now that you mentioned it, I'm starting to feel it too.

Thanks for the help, I'll show you the results to compare.

Cheers!

 

[kaamosprod]

Hi Erik, great to see you back here with new material.

Yes, it is obvious that the intro is too loud... because the enter of the instruments after seems to be weak in comparison and the ear make some time to adapt...

I'm very impressed by the drums... it is very massive...

Regarding the guitars, the tone is very good, but I would have make it a bit louder... but it is just my taste...

Anyway, it is a good miw, clear, powerful

ps : is there a chance someday that you post once again your pod farm clean and lead because i lost them and I like use them sometimes, i love these tones.

 

[Erik Monsonis]

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/425433/Lead.l6t
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/425433/Crunchy.l6t

There's no clean preset as that, it's the Crunchy one. Just play with the input gain/level to transition between clean and crunch. Best suited for neck single coil pickups.

 

[eternally_gutted]

great work Erik! It´s a spanish band?
info about vocal processing (and reverb, delay)?

 

[Erik Monsonis]

WOW Greg, that frequency advice was surgical, amazing change.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/425433/Bystanders v2.mp3

Yes, it's a Spanish band from Madrid. I can't disclose names until they actually release it.
The vocals were compressed to hell, very filtered and with parallel distortion and extreme fx. That's blended in with a reverb insert in the vocals main buss, which is kind of short, very slight verb to make it blend even better.
Lots of delays going on also.

Thanks guys!

 

[Erik Monsonis]

Some more tweaking, I think this sounds pretty ok now.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/425433/Bystanders final.mp3

 

[lolzgreg]

WOW Greg, that frequency advice was surgical, amazing change.

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/425433/Bystanders v2.mp3

Yes, it's a Spanish band from Madrid. I can't disclose names until they actually release it.
The vocals were compressed to hell, very filtered and with parallel distortion and extreme fx. That's blended in with a reverb insert in the vocals main buss, which is kind of short, very slight verb to make it blend even better.
Lots of delays going on also.

Thanks guys!

Cheers

Sounds like you got the bass more under control.

I would even take the vocals down a hair and bring the guitars up and call it.

 

[kaamosprod]

Sorry to disturb you again Erik but the link for lead tone is not valid

 

[MetalMiller]

Vocals to loud upfront... Drums are somehow lifeless. Otherwise it´s a good mix, like it!