Mixing really fast stuff

Horhe

Jori Haukio
Aug 24, 2008
61
0
6
Ulvila, Finland
www.ansastudio.fi
I'm mixing a band with blastbeats at 240bpm and was wondering how to get more clarity to the mix. Where should I highpass the kick so that the sub-area won't get blurry and how to eq bass that has more definition or perhaps use multiband compression? Also do you know what samples James Murphy uses because I really like his mixes in faster metal?
 
I'm mixing a band with blastbeats at 240bpm and was wondering how to get more clarity to the mix. Where should I highpass the kick so that the sub-area won't get blurry and how to eq bass that has more definition or perhaps use multiband compression? Also do you know what samples James Murphy uses because I really like his mixes in faster metal?

I would guess a multiband to tame the sub-bass of the kick + automation when the kicks start going nuts. Don't know if it's so easy to just set up a chain that will work perfect for slow and fast stuff without your intervention.
 
Yeah holy shit that sounds great. I too think the kick is a little out front. I want that snare sample :)

~006
 
it sounds really fucking good.
but maybe i heard too much high end in the OHs (maybe its fault of my crappy hifi)
 
Too much highend, not enough bass, other than that automate the kick so that it is simply a tad lower in the mix on the faster parts, I was facing the same problems a while back, drums sound nice though.
 
Thanks dudes!So I'm increasing bass , cutting highend in OH:s and automating kickvolume(Lots of work on that one:cry:).
The snare is Addictive drumsample(very round) layered to Slatesample(Very hard transients). If you want the sample from me, just PM.
It's Finnish trashdeathband Left to bleed, all credit for them..
 
Thanks dudes!So I'm increasing bass , cutting highend in OH:s and automating kickvolume(Lots of work on that one:cry:).
The snare is Addictive drumsample(very round) layered to Slatesample(Very hard transients). If you want the sample from me, just PM.
It's Finnish trashdeathband Left to bleed, all credit for them..

What kick sample you using?
 
Is your mix in mono? It would be easier to make judgments if I could hear the stereo field. And I hate to pop your bubble, but I personally think the snare is pretty muffled sounding, and it needs some more velocities. The mix sounds also sounds pretty terribly crushed by a compressor...most noticeably the overheads and snare.

I don't think your kick is too boomy, though. I tend to high-pass the kick at about 60Hz in a metal mix, and with the right compression (compression of the sample ahead of time, for changing the sound, not for adjusting dynamics within the song) and tweaking, it sounds plenty full and punchy, with almost an octave of frequencies for the bass guitar to sit beneath it. It's kind of an ongoing debate on here as to whether or not the kick should occupy the sub lows and the bass above that, or if it should be the other way around, but I personally feel like it's pretty obvious from listening to professional metal mixes, that the kick belongs above the bass...which becomes even more true if the music is faster. There's no right and wrong in recording though, so you can do whatever you'd like if it sounds right to your ears!

Also, I wouldn't automate kick volumes, and using multi-band compression on those low frequencies of the kick doesn't really make sense to me...you're better off sculpting the low end out so that it fits the whole mix, rather than changing its qualities mid-song.
 
It's kind of an ongoing debate on here as to whether or not the kick should occupy the sub lows and the bass above that, or if it should be the other way around, but I personally feel like it's pretty obvious from listening to professional metal mixes, that the kick belongs above the bass...
based on the frequencies they occupy, of course the bass belongs at the bottom...the whole argument is more of an aesthetic thing, there is no doubt the bass occupies the lowest range of frequencies out of all the instruments along with the contrabassoon, tuba, harp & organ

but you know what, the penis wasn't meant to be inserted in the anus either:headbang:
 
Is your mix in mono? It would be easier to make judgments if I could hear the stereo field. And I hate to pop your bubble, but I personally think the snare is pretty muffled sounding, and it needs some more velocities. The mix sounds also sounds pretty terribly crushed by a compressor...most noticeably the overheads and snare.

No worries dude, no bubble for me, critique is always welcome and warmly accepted.
Now, the stereoimage, could you tell me how to improve this in a mix since everything is placed around the field as usual. Treating L and R differently perhaps?What are the elements here I could pan more?

About the snare, It's not really the samples fault, it's my Eq:ing.
I have to say I'm not really a big fan of Dimmu borgir kind of blastbeats where the snare is really tinny, I like it fat, and also it has got something to do with way I drive the compressor. But I guess too much is too much so I may have to cut a little if it sounds muffled.

No compression going on in the masterchain by the way, but you're right, I'd always have a mastering engineer to do the final work but at least in here that costs quite a lot, so some bands have no choice in the matter. I don't think that's as bad as some commercial albums though, there's still transients left.

The whole bassthing, my point of view to it is that if the bass plays a role of defining the chords in music, I see it sounding good when emphasizing it's fundamental and mixing it very low frequency area. But, if the bass is written to follow the guitar and does fast riff based stuff I think it sounds like shit if its mixed in the subs. I'd eq the harmonics and cut from the fundamental like in this case.




but you know what, the penis wasn't meant to be inserted in the anus either
Some people seem to like it more though:lol:
 
What kick sample you using?

I layered some samples to it , can't remember specifically what though..



We need all details on this recording, now!

Also.. these guys, why do they play so damn evil?

Gits with XXX and Mesacab, quadded.
Bass Di and drums with shitloads of microphones just so they could be later 100% replaced:lol:

The guys are quite evil, especially the guitarist,
I hear he shaves his testicles..:kickass:
 
what the hell was the XXX setting!!!!! and what guitar. this mix is fucking delicious can't wait to hear it after you figure out what you need to do