My latest riff-mix... help me out!

[dill_the_devil]

Okay, here's a new riff for you guys to check out - I think this is my most decent-sounding mix yet, considering my limited equipment. 4 tracks of rhythm and 2 of lead, plus a bass guitar all through Line6 Guitarport, crappy sounding drums done in Leafdrums 2.2, all recorded and mixed in Adobe Audition.

Any feedback, advice, criticisms etc. would be very much appreciated.

http://www.geocities.com/philwhitehouse/demo3.mp3

This was written last night and recorded and mixed within the last two and a half hours.

 

[Nitronium Blood]

It sounds good but... I just don't like that classic Iron Maiden type gain.

 

[dill_the_devil]

Yeah, I see what you mean... I can't seem to find the right frequencies and settings to fiddle with to get me a crunchier, more modern-sounding tone... any ideas?

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

Hey dill,

I'm listening right now. I'd say the snare is a little dull and lacks of space, add maybe some reverb to it... The hats is too loud for my taste too. Where did you get the kick from ? Globally the whole thing sounds a little dull actually, lacking of highs... The guitar is very nice.

Good work =) Keep up !

 

[dill_the_devil]

Cheers Brett! Gonna go back and have another go at the mix with those suggestions right now. The kick is actually one I ripped from the start of Murderdolls' 'Dead In Hollywood' (I know, I know) and messed around with.

EDIT : Here we go - brightened up the global highs, brightened the snare and added some reverb, added some slight overall compression, twiddled the bass eq settings and got rid of the count in. How's this one sound?

http://www.geocities.com/philwhitehouse/demo3b.mp3

 

[dill_the_devil]

*bumps new mix*

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

Mmmm... That's strange... Now I find your new mix weird, too harsh maybe, and when I listen to the older one I think it doesn't lack that much of highs... Have you cut some mids ? The snare is very slightly better, tho the difference is not very strong with the old one. The bass guitar is too loud maybe also... Damn it, maybe I'm just being deceived by this very bad mp3 quality, I don't know... I'm sorry man, but there's something weird here that I can't find out (maybe it's my ears )... Hope someone better can be more useful than me on this

 

[MR NINE]

*bumps new mix*

HI there!
What kind of monitors/speakers are you using for mixing?
I'm just asking because your mix lacks the usual kind of frequencies that small pc speakers boost too much.
And yes, I agree with Brett here: drums dull, too loud;and the guitars too much in the back of the mix. Are you panning the guitars full left/right?
And also try to cut around 80/150 hz it's sounding a bit too much there.

Go for it!!!

 

[dill_the_devil]

Brett - Don't worry, I kind of know what you mean - there's something about the mix that I don't like that I can't quite put my finger on, but it's definitely there and niggling at me.

Mr Nine - I'm just using regular, crappy PC speakers, but I think they're crappier than ordinary ones - quite tinny and trebly. The rhythms guitars are panned 100% left, 100% right, 40% left and 40% right, with lead at 40% either way and bass smack-dab in the middle. I agree about the 80/150hz thing too - I'll cut that and have another fiddle round when I get back from work.

Thanks for all the advice folks - really helping me out here!

EDIT : Just went back and listened to it again through earphones - now I reckon the bass is definitely too loud, the guitars need some boosting in the mids, the kick drum needs to be quieter and the drums in general could do with some reverb... reckon that would help?

 

[MR NINE]

HI!
Try it!
But, my advise is that you should think seriously about buying a decent pair of monitors!
Mixing with headphones it's not the way to go.
Keep "tweaking"!

 

[dill_the_devil]

LOL - I'll consider it, but currently, my 'to buy' list looks like this -

My own PC (I'm currently using my little brother's, because my PC committed suicide last year),
A place to live for me and my girlfriend (I'm living at home, and my brother's bedroom where the PC is situated is absolutely tiny),
A decent distortion pedal,
Monitors,
Headphones,
etc...