Nightmare + RAW FILES FOR YOU TO MIX INSIDE

[shaggysi0]

My gf and I came up with this idea in like 2008 and recorded it in 2009. Knowing a lot more about production now than I did back then, I decided to re-record it. Vocals aren't done yet but we will be doing them soon.

This is the original version done in 2009:-
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60685025/[Nightmare] 03 Nightmare by darkhatred.mp3

This is my mix for reference of the 2012 version:- (the 3rd incarnation)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60685025/NIGHTMARE_MIX3.mp3 this is through a mastering chain too.

Thought I'd let you guys have a go, so here is the link to the stems:-
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60685025/Nightmare.zip

Tempo is 120BPM. Note Drum MIDI was done in SSD4!

Bass was done in ZomBass 1.0, this is the rendered version here which will lend itself to further processing I guess, but if you want to replace it with your own or whatever its fine, it only plays a one note drone

GTR L and GTR R DI's

Synths are rendered as 1 stereo WAV, there were like 4 or 5, but they are designed to work as one.

FX is just the distorted piano intro and the room mic for the drums at the end.

Hope you have fun with it

 

[jackbraglia]

well you've certainly come a LONG way since '09!!

 

[jackbraglia]

cool song though, if it had vox i'd take the time to mix it

 

[RaNk]

Thanks for the tracks. Sounds nice, great improvement in just a few years! (said it before in a few other threads too.) Gonna give this a go too.

*edit*

I recorded a basstrack with a bass. The strings aren't new, and there's some noise (comes from the bass itsself I just figured), but still I thought I'd share it. If that's ok, otherwise I can remove it.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19759737/Nightmare_Bass_RaNk.rar

Also, here's my first attempt:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19759737/Nightmare_RaNk_V1.mp3

 

[shaggysi0]

well you've certainly come a LONG way since '09!!

Thanks man this forum has been invaluable to me.

Thanks for the tracks. Sounds nice, great improvement in just a few years! (said it before in a few other threads too.) Gonna give this a go too.

*edit*

I recorded a basstrack with a bass. The strings aren't new, and there's some noise (comes from the bass itsself I just figured), but still I thought I'd share it. If that's ok, otherwise I can remove it.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19759737/Nightmare_Bass_RaNk.rar

Also, here's my first attempt:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19759737/Nightmare_RaNk_V1.mp3

I like it, man! It's nice and clean, care to share any details? Definately brought to light some probs with my own mix, theres something not right with the snare in mine and its killing it, also the OHs, so I will be investigating that today, might redo the master chain too, think I've overcomplicated it and the mix, although its a decent RMS level, might be a bit too loud for my taste. I like your guitar tone, and I'm considering reamping through my Pod XT Pro as I just bought this thing second hand and its sitting here doing nothing at the moment.

I like the real bass, I may use that in my next mix incarnation, if thats okay?

 

[RaNk]

Thanks, glad you like it. The snare is quite easy, it's the "famous" GMS Nir-Z Custom from the SD2 Avatar kit. Didn't blend with anything else. It doesn't even need alot of processing. For overheads I used a Nebula tape program, in the free version the "Tape Warmer" preset is already kinda good. You can boost some highs afterwards, as it will soften the overheads quite alot. For guitars I used my Marshall YJM100, on a Mesa V30 cab and a Sm57. I keep the mastering simple usually, now there's only VCC, EQ, Comp, very little reverb, Ozone5.

And of course you can use the bass I posted, I put it on for that and it's your song too.

I think your DIs are good quality, mind sharing some details on that?

*edit*

There was some tempo marker that made the drums go wrong at the end. Fixed it.

 

[shaggysi0]

Thanks for the info man.

Glad you like the DI's. Given my gear I always thought they sounded shit. They are from my OLP MM5 Baritone Guitar tuned AEADF#B, strings less than a month old (I need to intonate this thing as well, but as long as the 0 and 1 are in tune ). This was recorded direct into my Audio Interface which is a Roland Edirol UA25EX, and has a switchable Hi-Z input for guitars. That into REAPER.

When I exported them for this thread I normalized them to common gain, and I'd also edited them ages ago.

 

[shaggysi0]

Here's attempt no. 4 for me:-
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60685025/NIGHTMARE_MIX4.mp3

I completely re-did this. I reamped my guitars through my Pod XT Pro using my own "Joey Basic" Preset which is the MS-Diamond Plate, 4x12 Treadplate Cab and 421 Dynamic Mic, changed the guitar buss processing completely to EQ > Saturation > S1 > L1

Went into the snare, blended a couple of Slate snares together and processed it with an SSL Channel and Gcliped it a bit.

Brought the kick down a db or two as suggested by someone else.

Changed a few velocities in the drum MIDI.

Put the Ride on a seperate fader and brought it up as it was buried as hell before.

Blended RaNk's real bass with the ZomBass with low-passing and smashed to hell with compressor set on a Bass Sustain preset.

Completely redid the master chain, it was wayyy too complex. Master chain is now simply SSLComp > MaxxBass > Ozone 4 with a dash of everything, loudness maximizer on clipping mode > SPAN to check RMS and overall frequency analysis. I think it's plenty loud enough, SPAN says its around -9, -8 RMS, could probably come down a bit, but at least it's not audibly pumping or clipping.

 

[RaNk]

Thanks for the info.

Huge improvement again, I think it's the best version as for now.

Old strings huh? Wel I guess it's no problem for this song, it still sounds quite bright I think. I think the baritone really helps too, since the low string sounds tight and well in tune.

 

[Virgil.]

mix 4 sounds the best

 

[shaggysi0]

Thanks, yeah I think this is the mix I will apply the vocals to.

 

[Bay Studio]

Hey guys whats up! I got this mix done yesterday, some feedback would be really cool! Thanks
http://soundcloud.com/erikbaynj/nightmare-baymix

 

[shaggysi0]

^ I like this mix, it was kinda what I was aiming for when I first recorded it, but it didn't sound anything like lol.

The only thing for me in this mix and for this track is the snare is a bit too beefy for my taste, but I'd sure like a beefy snare like that in the future! I like the kick and the cymbals.

The guitar tone is pretty good, sounds like some sort of delay or verb on them? Honestly never thought of doing that with the main rhythms, does add some spice to it. What's your chain, here?

I like the swell before the riff kicks in and the slow-down tape effect and filtered clank of the bass. Overall good job, man!

 

[Bay Studio]

Well, i´m not gonna dump ALL of the secrets to the mix, haha, but.. I used slate cymbals, snare is my sample (a tama bell brass mixed with a blackpanther, i believe it was, could be wrong though, its been some time). Guitars are reamped through my Bugera 6262 with a Mesa Cab (MD421 and 57 infront of the best sounding speaker). I use alot of API mostly on the guitars for EQ, then C4 multiband compressor, and thats it for guitars. I usually dont have to do too much to the guitars in the mix, since i pretty much try to nail it when recording/re-amping. But no, there is NO reverb or delay on the rhythms, except for the part where they come in with a weird disharmonic chord/noise every 10 sek or so.
For the snare processing: I like to alot of unorthodox stuff to it, using a compressor in a weird way and combining alot of stuff (transient designer too).
Thanks for the critique shaggysi0!!!!