Metalcore/Screamo/I dunno Mix - Help Appreciated!

[MatrixClaw]

Hey guys,

I'm new to recording (been doing it by myself for a while, but never really any vocals), and a friend's band asked if I could do some recordings of their band. I figured this would be a good learning experience and improve my mixing skills.

Now, the instruments, I think I've got them sounding pretty good. Hell, even the screaming I'm happy with, but once I add in the singing, the mix just falls apart IMO. The singing has been massively AutoTuned, he was WAY off on some parts, but we tracked singing on 2 days, 4 hours a piece and he still couldn't get anything halfway decent (and there's only 3 singing parts!!) - So I had to fix it. Here's what I have on the instruments:

Drums: SSD Metal Hybrid
Guitars: Nick Crowe 8505
Bass 1: SansAmp Bass DI
Bass 2: NoAmp

I tried reamping the guitars yesterday on my Framus Cobra and Splawn Nitro, but the Nitro's voicing cut like a knife through the Cobra and just didn't fit the mix as well as I thought it would. Going to try reamping just through the Cobra today because though I like the 8505's sound, it's just not beefy enough IMO. I also couldn't seem to get the bass to fit right at the end without just boosting the volume, so I ended up just duplicating the two bass tracks at the end so you could hear them a bit better.

Anyway, here's the latest mix I'm working with:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4018922/Break It - 7.mp3

I think the mix is sounding decent now, but I'm just having trouble getting everything to sit right once the singing comes in The screaming seems to cut just fine if I turn it down to be at the right levels (vocals are a bit high right now), but then if I turn the singing down, it just gets eaten by everything else.

*edit*
Newer mix: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4018922/Break It.mp3

Changed guitars to POD Farm and Bass 2 to POD Farm as well.

 

[Nauru]

Real scratchy guitars. I'd try taming that. Your low end is lacking too my friend, especially in that kick

 

[guitarguru777]

Few things your not doing that you should .....

Dont put all the drum velocities the same, it sounds VERY programmed, actually OVERLY programmed.

Put some grit on the bass track, take track one and set it so it carries the low end, and track 2 so its got some grit on it with a PSA1 or something. By the way copying the same bass performance and pasting it in the same project on another track doesnt change anything. Same with guitar or whatever other instrument, it just increases volume. By adding grit to the bass track it will blend better with the guitars.

Your guitars completely lack low mid-range. Its all high end scratch.

FYI - Metal hybrid kit sucks in slate, especially for this kind of music, just cause is got the name METAL in it doesnt make it so.

Use Kick 10 and EQ out some of the low end
Use Snare 5a or 13a (i prefer 13) and do the same
Use the Maple Toms - love these fuckers

You need to also remember you need to fit your guitar tones TO THE MIX, not the other way around. If you have a Framus Cobra and a 57 and its not sounding good its your micing technique. There is no way the 8505 inho is gonna sound better then your cobra.

Oh one last word of advice let the bass guitar carry your low end

 

[guitarguru777]

The screaming seems to cut just fine if I turn it down to be at the right levels (vocals are a bit high right now), but then if I turn the singing down, it just gets eaten by everything else.

L2 use a compressor

 

[MatrixClaw]

Real scratchy guitars. I'd try taming that. Your low end is lacking too my friend, especially in that kick

Hmm, I'll definitely throw some more in there then. That's where my mixes always seem to lack, is in the lowend department

Few things your not doing that you should .....

Dont put all the drum velocities the same, it sounds VERY programmed, actually OVERLY programmed.

Put some grit on the bass track, take track one and set it so it carries the low end, and track 2 so its got some grit on it with a PSA1 or something. By the way copying the same bass performance and pasting it in the same project on another track doesnt change anything. Same with guitar or whatever other instrument, it just increases volume. By adding grit to the bass track it will blend better with the guitars.

Your guitars completely lack low mid-range. Its all high end scratch.

FYI - Metal hybrid kit sucks in slate, especially for this kind of music, just cause is got the name METAL in it doesnt make it so.

Use Kick 10 and EQ out some of the low end
Use Snare 5a or 13a (i prefer 13) and do the same
Use the Maple Toms - love these fuckers

You need to also remember you need to fit your guitar tones TO THE MIX, not the other way around. If you have a Framus Cobra and a 57 and its not sounding good its your micing technique. There is no way the 8505 inho is gonna sound better then your cobra.

Oh one last word of advice let the bass guitar carry your low end

The drum MIDI tracks were supplied by the band. I had them fairly humanized and sounding good but the drummer in the band told me he didn't like it and wanted it to sound fake Yeah, I was confused too... I'll try changing them slightly, at least maybe it'll bring some liveliness into the playing without sounding too "real" for the drummer

The bass tracks both have quite a bit of grit to them. The bassist is playing very lightly though and I'm having problems making it sound aggressive enough with how he played. I tried retracking it myself and it sat much better in the mix, but I don't want to completely cut their bassist out of the recording. I know that copying a track will only add volume. That's what I'm saying, the bass doesn't cut through enough at the end to hear it clearly, with only the two bass tracks. I know it's gotta be in my EQing somewhere, so I'll just have to fiddle with that some more I suppose.

And yes, the Cobra actually sounds fantastic with the mix. I was just saying that with the Nitro, the Nitro completely dominated the mix, they weren't a good combo.

L2 use a compressor

Both the screaming and singing are compressed quite a bit. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong on the singing

 

[MatrixClaw]

New mix at the bottom of the OP - I think it's getting there, but still something missing in the guitars (palm mutes sound a bit weird at the beginning)

I haven't changed the drums yet, though I did try putting the kick 10 and 13a snare on another song and I definitely like them better (was already using Maple Toms). I will definitely be using them instead in the future!