New heavy instrumental mix needs some ears

[kernelxsanders]

Hey all, I'm back with a new mix to share with you guys, and i would like some opinions. I used some new guitar tones and a new kick drum, and since i don't own any studio monitors, i need some help. Moreso about the low end than anything. And before you say anything, I know the 808's hit too hard. I didn't mean to bounce audio with the 808s running through the master bus, i usually throw them in there after the master, but this is just a semi-rough draft containing no vocal tracks.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8017980/My Music/dutchman.mp3

 

[kernelxsanders]

bump

 

[AntonioPetrole]

the sub bass in the bass is literally just flooding the entire mix, try to turn it down a bit or control it a bit better. The kick could use a bit more power instead of just being slappy but it's a great start. I dig the drums

 

[kernelxsanders]

Thanks. The bass guitar is 4Front Midi bass running through ts808 > B.O.D. > shit ton of eq. Definitely not the best thing in the world, but after losing your job and having no money, I figured a free single-sampled MIDI VSTi was the way i should go. Now that i think of it, maybe i will try to track it with either my guitar and pitch it down an octave, or my nearly unplayable bass which i keep strictly in dropped D and pitch it down a 4th. I took a listen to this in my car that has 2x12 subs, and i feel like the kick was just way overpowering. I really like a beefy kick that really punches you in the chest, and has a little slap "plastic beater", but not click, to it. That's what i tried to achieve, but i guess i overdid it. Actually, i tried to match eq it to a certain kick that i really like, that has a huge beefiness and just enough slap to make it come through the mix, and i bumped quite a lot around 48Hz and dipped around 8kHz. i'll have to see if i can go back and take out that low end bump and search for something that sounds more powerful.

 

[kernelxsanders]

updated link, recorded with bass in dropped D, song is in dropped A so i pitch shifted it down by a 4th. bass may be a little loud, and you can definitely hear the pops from the DI clipping, i'll try to fix some of that a little later. Anyone have any tips of getting rid of pops?

 

[kernelxsanders]

bump

 

[mstone564]

updated link, recorded with bass in dropped D, song is in dropped A so i pitch shifted it down by a 4th. bass may be a little loud, and you can definitely hear the pops from the DI clipping, i'll try to fix some of that a little later. Anyone have any tips of getting rid of pops?

Either the input is too hot, the technique is just bad and really dynamic, or (most likely) the pickup is too close to the string.

 

[kernelxsanders]

The input is indeed too hot, being that the pickups are too close, thus causing DI clipping. The problem is, the bass was given to me by a girl i used to date, in used condition, and i am unable to adjust the pickups due to the amount of rust. The P style pickup (it is a P/J style guitar) is actually broken in half and is duck taped to the magnetic force does not attract the strings. I am curious of how to get rid of the pops post-tracking. I'm pretty sure there are plugins dedicated for that, but i am looking for alternative methods, unless there are none, then i need a quality plugin for it.

 

[kernelxsanders]

Bump

 

[kernelxsanders]

another bump

 

[bryan_kilco]

Sounds ok here. Sounds like either your splits need better care taken to them or......something is glitching out like crazy for me like the entire song. Pops and clicks and whathaveyou.

Some bass notes are still popping through a bit yet.

 

[mstone564]

You use Reaper, so I would try just pulling up the Volume (Pre-FX) automation lane and notching out the pops. That should work and sound fine.

Basically your options are taking the bass in to a GC to be properly set up and just fixed in general, manual volume automation, or Waves Bass Rider.

 

[oroinvictus]

Sounds ok here. Sounds like either your splits need better care taken to them or......something is glitching out like crazy for me like the entire song. Pops and clicks and whathaveyou.

Some bass notes are still popping through a bit yet.

+1

 

[kernelxsanders]

Thanks, i'll try to work on some volume automation to help aid in the subtraction of the clipping/popping. The interface i use is the PreSonus AudioBox, which is supposed to double as a DI box, though i cannot lower the input level of instruments, the "pad" option only works through the XLR input. Or maybe i just have the wrong misconception of what a DI box is supposed to do.