one of my ears is dying, mixing frustration and... Joey Sturgis.

[Emdprodukt]

Everything could have been so easy.

I tracked 4 bands parallel, went really good, roughmixes were cool.
I was working 24/7 for the past 4 month. Plan: Mixing all the bands when it's over (my placement in a psychiatrie). What happened? Middle ear infection with a constant tinnitus that's driving me crazy. Still have it after 2 1/2 weeks. Doc says it's okay and it can take a little longer but I have to see an otologist to check the tinnitus and I'm really scared.

Besides that I tried to finish a mix with one of my ears (remember the "architects-style band" that doesnt sound like architects?). After 16 hours of finishing the mix... its horrible. I destroyed the mix and wasted my time for something that was pretty cool in the first place.

Reason? Band wants me to make them sound like Sturgis and all their references are actually productions by Joey. I can't deliver that as it seems. How can he have such a huge lowend in the kickdrums... I don't get it. His mixes are punchy and loud as fuck. Damn.

At this very moment I'm really frustrated. And the bands are still waiting. And my ear is fucked. Hell!

 

[FIXXXER]

i had the same problem a few weeks ago.
seriously avoid anything that is loud and take
care of your hearing. that shoud be the only thing that matters atm.

 

[Melb_shredder]

How do Joey Sturgis???

but seriously dude, as mentioned! take care of your hearing! regular breaks, low volumes for the most part etc! don't ruin your best assets!

 

[Emdprodukt]

yeah i know but i hate the feeling of having undone work in my neck. The bands understand my situation but its really hard for me to take a rest.

Do you think i need to give some of the payment back to the bands because of the delay?

I searched the forum to find information about joeys kick treatment but without success..

Bands wants a really loud master... Using confide as one of their main references. I think i was pretty close but i ruined it with more and more processing...

 

[professorlamp]

I wouldn't lower the price or anything but maybe if they come back next time give them a small discount?

also sucks about your hearing I've had a similair issue where my ear was clogged up with puss for a week whilst I had a band in

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

First thing really is to take care of your ears, drink loads and loads of water, keep your self well hydrated and healthy etc

In terms of kick processing, there really is nothing "secret" to it, from what I've heard (very little) of his work he usually uses slate kicks, slate kicks by themselves have a ridiculous amount of low-end, try focusing the fundamental around 60hz, get a frequency analyser on your master buss and see if the kick is punching through that frequency and if it still elevates a bit from that frequency till 20hz, so you've got a little bit of sublows there as well without being overpowering, I really don't know what kick he mostly uses but I would take a guess of kick10?

 

[Virgil.]

Got TACT? Take Mucinex (expectorant) to help drainage from your ears and sinus cavity to help. I've also heard saltwater (using Epsom salts) helps tinnitus.

 

[Emdprodukt]

thanks guys!

Yeah I think I really need to step back and let it rest until my hearing is completely healed.

I do use kick 10 mixed with some LSD kicks on that mix. But there is this kind of thumb that I can't get without making the kick too loud or overbearing. I also boosted some 60hz but I think this took most of my headroom and I can't get that master loud without fucking up the sound.

Man the latest mix sound so shitty it's not funny. Really need to redo it.

 

[gabriel g.]

if you have a tight deadline on one of the projects let me know.
i have a small window and can do the mix/mastering.
also the songs need to be perfectly edited and I wont do reamps.
just pay me what you would take from the bands only for mixing/mastering and its fine.
would love to help you out.

because this ear shit took me one month to get fully back my hearing like I am used to it and I didnt have a tinitus at that time.

about the joey kick:
no magic. I think your biggest enemy is fgx here.

get better bro

 

[Emdprodukt]

if you have a tight deadline on one of the projects let me know.
i have a small window and can do the mix/mastering.
also the songs need to be perfectly edited and I wont do reamps.
just pay me what you would take from the bands only for mixing/mastering and its fine.
would love to help you out.

because this ear shit took me one month to get fully back my hearing like I am used to it and I didnt have a tinitus at that time.

about the joey kick:
no magic. I think your biggest enemy is fgx here.

get better bro

that's very nice! but there are no actual deadlines so let's see how I feel next week.

You jumped off the fgx boat? I wa really thinking about mastering this project with ozone... I start to dislike fgx more and more.

 

[Williamn]

thanks guys!

Yeah I think I really need to step back and let it rest until my hearing is completely healed.

I do use kick 10 mixed with some LSD kicks on that mix. But there is this kind of thumb that I can't get without making the kick too loud or overbearing. I also boosted some 60hz but I think this took most of my headroom and I can't get that master loud without fucking up the sound.

Man the latest mix sound so shitty it's not funny. Really need to redo it.

have you tried to experiment with maxxbass on the kick ?

 

[Virgil.]

Or try adding Waves Lo Air plugin? or Maxx bass?

 

[Emdprodukt]

To be true I really struggle with lowend. I always thought that stuff like RBass or Maxx Bass or all those low-frequency enhancers are some kind of last resort... but let me know if I'm wrong. I used it on toms though. I was always quite happy with my kickdrums but facing a Sturgis mix is another universe... at least it seems like that. It doesn't seem that it's the 60hz lowend that's giving the punch to his kicks. As mentioned I'm using Kick 10 mixed with some LSD samples (slappy punch kick and others). All the lowend comes from kick 10. HPF is at 50 to get out the rumble.

I will try Ozone for mastering and see if that works for me... when I'm back to normal

 

[TheDriller]

Over-working yourself is an express ticket to ill-health.

pulling 24hour shifts for years on end might seem heroic but you need to remember that stress can kill you.

Take it easy and learn how to say no to some demands.

 

[Emdprodukt]

thanks to emphasize on that one. I'll try.

 

[Virgil.]

If the band want's a Sturgis type of mix, go to Joey Sturgis himself. I don't go to Taco Bell and ask for a Big Mac... why should someone bend and change their own style to someone else's just because someone asks? It's dumb. You need to develop your own style. Do what the guy said above and learn to say no to some demands. If they don't like it, let them walk and find someone else to work with.

 

[[UEAK]Clowd]

Joey has some serious skill at making drums sound like they were hit by a 500 pound gorilla mother protecting her babies... he's definitely doing more than just some simple EQ.

 

[dcb]

joeys mixes have heavy low end kicks, because there is zero bass in his recordings.
if you want big kicks, suck away the low end of the bass and use ozone for loudness.
but seriously, there is way better references than his stuff. think staub and cla.
id always reference the best, not the average...

please dont mess with your health, its the most precious thing you have.
take your time of!
hand your work over to someone who will take your mixes where your clients want them.
theres plenty of great people over here offering mixing and stem mastering.
just dont deliver something without your ears working properly, this
might scare away all the following clients...

 

[joelplagues]

Pull 200hz out of kick 10 that's probably eating up the headroom as mentioned. I think Joey Said he pulls that frequency. And take care man. Keep yours ears safe and take the time you need to finish the mixes

 

[Morgan C]

Over-working yourself is an express ticket to ill-health.

pulling 24hour shifts for years on end might seem heroic but you need to remember that stress can kill you.

Take it easy and learn how to say no to some demands.

Working like Joey = sound like Joey? XD

Pull 200hz out of kick 10 that's probably eating up the headroom as mentioned. I think Joey Said he pulls that frequency. And take care man. Keep yours ears safe and take the time you need to finish the mixes

Was about to say this. I'd try just kick 10, pull some 200hz, and turn the bass down a bit. Maybe pull some 100hz too. The more you scoop out the lowmids, the more the base tone comes through. And get rid of FG-X. I'm pretty sure Joey uses GClip for his loudness, or did.



Strangely, I always felt Joey's older productions lacked punch. I think it's just Slate drums though, they've got a weird attack. It's there, it's compressed, it's loud, it cuts through.. but it's not "punchy". Joey's latest mixes (esp Emmure, holy shit) are way better IMO.