MIXING TIME, SONG3: Complete Feared song inside

[Mikko Vainiala]

I haven't listened to Mikko's comparisons yet (on my iPhone at the moment) but it sounds to me that Mikko's trusting frequency analyzers etc. more so than his own ears.
Eager to hear the comparison between my mix and Mikko's mix for sure.

By ear? It depends. First, I must tell people what I call as "smooth amplification". Its an amp which could get various tones without even speakers/impulses...so if you listen the clip below you realize that the only way dial in those tones is by ear. It takes a good 4-gain stage circuit with few tricks and mods to make it not sound like a chainsaw without speakers. That kinda amp can produce many other amps tones (or recorded tones) easily. I haven't posted clips with actual Smooth amp for a while because its under works. With Jeff's Rose of Sharyn clip I used my modded JMP which is not so smooth, but the whole amp and its raw tone is dialed as EVH-preset. But it can do heavier tones too, like KSE. First I just dial the raw tones close by ear and then start nailing it down. At this point you start making your own impulses or micing the cab. Of course all this without LP/HP. (Never used those in my clips anyway.) End of the ranty revolutionary post.

I have had the better and more accurate 3-channel (Smooth) amp about 6 years now. So long that I'm eventually getting bored and instead cloning pure guitar tones I'm all for trying to get some more instruments right at once with these ongoing mixing practises. Analyzers and meters fits this stuff well. Thanks for understanding.

So let me just mess on...I don't care a shit whos tone is appreciated, weak, worse, better or best. I means nothing to me, absolutely nothing. I've spent good moments when nailing pod tones with tube amps. Long live Sex Pistols too (pretty awesome tone there...) There is only so much time in life. Wish somebody will bring me the toolz so I can concentrate making music more. Not that mixing is not fun as such, but still.

 

[digitaldeath]

I'm looking forward to hearing your comparison clip with my mix Mikko cuz I honestly don't have a clue (nor do I wish to know) what you're actually on about!

 

[digitaldeath]

Authorities and wiseguys usually talk or "teach" too much without giving actual clips or examples. Why should I try then...don't know, but here's some common observations and conclusions I have made:

1. Imo, every mix posted here is far away from what people relate "pro" recordings. This obviously includes my mixes too, even I'm a bit happier with them these days. What people think - is it mostly lack of ears, skill/training, sources, rooms, (digital) gear or what?

2. Whatever it is, I still think best way to learn is trying to clone other guys mix, preferably some appreciated recording. We should practise with those as long as it takes and we definitely should make more cover sessions! I'll even donate every good one I'll find.

3. Bass/low end seems just overwhelming in many mixes...I never hear so much in my fav recordings. Or then the low-end feels muddy, not tight. I could make soon batch rendered examples of every mix posted here and compare how it will turn more into my liking. But then what? I'd be soo hated and know-it all?

So dude, don't take it personally - I could do that batch rendering really - but this is how I'd go IF I tried to do your style of clip (or "frequency").

Batch1_example_1. A short period from your clip and then mine. Of course this is also subjective shit and it seems my master was a bit louder but I guess you see my preferences.

Do I have (rights) to post similar examples of other peoples clips? Geez, forgive me...any volunteers? Let's go on with the discussion? Btw, if I remember right I only use 8 plugins in my mixing and mastering process.

Cheers..

Just listened to your comparison. I'm not digging that guitar tone at all.

 

[Fragle]

yeah, feel free to do a comparison with my mix too.

 

[id3alism]

Here's an early version. Still needs some automation and tweaking.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2764370/feared-mix-01-id3alism.mp3

Thanks for sharing your files!

 

[Vendo]

Heres my second try..not as much lower frequencies as before. Hope you like it!!

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/885543/olamix3.mp3

Regards

Edit: Realizing that it still sounds a bit dark...

 

[Mikko Vainiala]

yeah, feel free to do a comparison with my mix too.

Thanks Fragle, not listened all clips yet but I'll check it out. Just everybody remembers its not question about common aesthetical comparisons. I'm just trying to get a quick system to get close to any reference mix and check also how the guitar tone itself will turn out in the the process.

Today I made brutal test using random pod impulses with my reamped guitar. (Sounded horrible...) Then I throwed the raw mix through a preset and got pretty good results. Here's short snippet from Mago's original clip.

 

[ahjteam]

My quick test... Not entirely happy with the guitar tone and it gets a bit muffled at some points, but I think it turned out otherwise quite nice.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1338211/feared_ahjteam.mp3

 

[Vendo]

That booming sound sounds really really cheap . i also think the vocals don´t really fit in the mix. they are too loud, too.

Regards

 

[ahjteam]

i also think the vocals don´t really fit in the mix. they are too loud, too.

Call it radio mix But yeah, it's a bad habit of mine that comes from FOH mixing. (edit: on a second thought, compared it to All That Remains, Lamb of God and Killswitch Engage mixes and the vocals were about as loud in them)

 

[James-Doolan]

Cheers for the info James. Just wondering, what stereo delay are you using?

Just using the stock delays in cubase 4 Niall

 

[Limak]

Something done quickly on my 10$ skype headset, mixing this without any reference was propably a huge mistake

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/6714755/FEARED.mp3

 

[shogger]

My quick test... Not entirely happy with the guitar tone and it gets a bit muffled at some points, but I think it turned out otherwise quite nice.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1338211/feared_ahjteam.mp3

Interesting. Some good elements in there. You're the friend of the clangy bass, right? Personally I think that the clang of the bass is too loud compared to the guitars. But I'm a guitarist, so ...
Guitars are generally cool, a bit boxy and muffled.
Your master compressor is pumping.
If all things would be more gelled together this could be a cool mix.

Shogger

 

[Vendo]

Why isn´t anyone saying something about my mix? does it sound that bad?!

 

[P-E]

^ Vocals are gated weirdly and everything sounds like it's under a blanket. It has good potential though. Rate mine?

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1149356/LEPATRON Studios - LRA Master 2 (Feared).mp3 (I'll have to get the snare a bit lower in the mix, same goes for the kick but a bit less)

 

[ahjteam]

You're the friend of the clangy bass, right?

Well, thats how it was delivered: very clangy. I actually didn't even took notice of the unintentional Fieldy-esquee bass sound until Ermz pointed about it. I did nothing major to get it really:

- just a bit of RBass at 80hz to get the low end extension
- a 4:1 compressor with 50ms attack and release with 3-7dB attenuation just to even out the volume
- four band eq (low pass at 8khz, highpass at 30hz, and two wide cuts at -7dB @ 450hz and -3dB @1.7khz)
- a peak limiter to cut out the sudden volume peaks. usually cuts 0dB, sometimes cuts ~2-5dB from a quick peak

Guitars are generally cool, a bit boxy and muffled.

Yeah, I'm not happy with the guitarsound either, Couldn't bother to re-setup the guitar amp so I did them with podfarm (Solo 100 head), so that might explain why they suck :Smug: I also found it really hard to make the extra guitar to sound good, so I just buried it in the mix and added a lot of reverb to make it sound more distant.

Your master compressor is pumping.

The master compressor was intentionally only pumping at the subdrops. I did some readjustments (dropped vocals and subdrops by 6dB, cut between 700-1khz region from the rhythm guitars, cut the clang on the bass and changed the gclip settings on the snare) and the mix now sounds like this:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1338211/feared_ahjteam-03.mp3 (solo 100)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1338211/feared_ahjteam-04.mp3 (threadplate)

 

[iraobryan]

I made another attempt at mastering this, to see if that was the problem with my first post. After tweaking a bit I discovered some things I definitely want to fix in the mix.

So what do you guys think, is this better or worse than the first version I posted?

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3413585/Feared Master2.mp3

 

[Ola Englund]

My quick test... Not entirely happy with the guitar tone and it gets a bit muffled at some points, but I think it turned out otherwise quite nice.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1338211/feared_ahjteam.mp3

Anssi, I really dig the Korn bass guitar!!! Awesome work.

 

[ahjteam]

Anssi, I really dig the Korn bass guitar!!! Awesome work.

Thanks man, appriciate it btw, where can I buy this on cd, the song sounds fucking awesome everything wise.

 

[Ola Englund]

Thanks man, appriciate it btw, where can I buy this on cd, the song sounds fucking awesome everything wise.

This song is from our EP and you can buy it along with our album at Itunes or Amazon. Just search for Feared.