Opinions on this mix, please

[Mr. Niel]

http://mrniel0.tripod.com/oniprevMAY2008.mp3

This band is called Along Side Oni. They are a group of metalcore kids from around Orlando, Florida (16-19 yr olds). This recording was done in the box with a 002 and a Digimax LT for the instrument tracking and then with a Motu 8pre for the vocals. Also mixed in the box...

I would've really liked to have replaced the snare drum, but they didn't want to record to a click, which would've made some of the editing "nightmarish." The current snare has a cool old school death metal kinda tone though...usually not what most of the metalcore bands use these days, but maybe this will make them stand out (or everyone will hate it and think it sucks.... )

The band is happy with the mix/mastering, and we are nearing the final stages so at this point I'm just looking for some outside opinions.

Thanks.

 

[Skaldir]

Pretty massive stuff.
The snare sounds problematic, cause its in the background. Bassdrum and toms are more upfront, so its strange with the snare.
You can replace the snare with ApTrigga or Drumagog, no matter if its recorded to a click or not btw Hope there's not too much cymbal bleed on it..

 

[JonWormwood]

I hate how people can't play to a click.

 

[chadsxe]

http://mrniel0.tripod.com/oniprevMAY2008.mp3
I would've really liked to have replaced the snare drum, but they didn't want to record to a click, which would've made some of the editing "nightmarish."

Thanks.

Why not just use a program like drumagog. Can't get much simpler then that.

 

[Mr. Niel]

The rest of the drums (minus the cymbals) are replaced/mixed with drumagog! (with, uh,...cough...Andy Sneap samples)

The snare wasn't triggering the plug-in correctly though...like it would probably catch 90 percent of everything, but certain fills and fast stuff like rolls would only get a few of the hits, even with the sensitivity really low...normally, you could just edit around these problem areas with steady hits and then run it through the plug in again, but since it's not to a click, the editing of a fill full of hits could (would) be problamatic without the grid...

 

[chadsxe]

The rest of the drums (minus the cymbals) is replaced/mixed with drumagog! (with, uh,...cough...Andy Sneap samples)

The snare wasn't triggering the plug-in correctly though...like it would probably catch 90 percent of everything, but certain fills and fast stuff like rolls would only get a few of the hits, even with the sensitivity really low...normally, you could just edit around these problem areas with steady hits and then run it through the plug in again, but since it's not to a click, the editing of a fill full of hits could problamatic without the grid...

Labor of love....

 

[Thedeloshimself]

I hate how people can't play to a click.

YES

 

[Mr. Niel]

Labor of love....

Hah...it's not that I don't want to do it, it's just that it will be too difficult to get it right...! The drummer had the integrity* to ask me not to edit his playing to the point where it would sound different from what he played, so therein lies the other catch 22 in this situation.





* I found this to be pretty refreshing. I've worked with several drummers who just track very quickly and expect me to cleanup their "messes" as if they had played it like that to begin with. Then there's always the awkward "fan listening" session where somebody will commend them for the "insane blasting" or "you really nailed that fill" and said drummer will of course soak up the adulation...uke: I guess it's all in the fun of knowing to yourself that you helped them sound like how they sound though...

 

[spioraid]

really digging the sound of the toms with the bass drum, especially on those single stroke tom/bass fills.

the snare doesn't quite match up with the rest of the set, but that's to be expected with a partially sampled kit. you're right that's it gonna make or break the drummer's rep depending on the local scene.

 

[Plankis]

yeah that snare was really misplaced.
Cool song, really liked that intro

 

[Mr. Niel]

http://mrniel0.tripod.com/ONI-EXFINAL.mp3

Here's another song, mixed a little different than the first one in the opening post.

Guitars were:

Left channel Marshall JCM2000 through a straight marshall cab (I'm guessing V30s in it by the sound)

Right channel was a 5150 through a BBE sonic maximizer rack and then a Hartke Cab.

Both were miced right up close with a Sennheiser e609 staight on and an SM57 slightly off axis, each mic on a different speaker.

Bass was direct into a PODxt.

Vox done with an SM57 (blah!...He didn't like not being able to hold a mic to his face and said he wanted a dirty sound...so 57 it was!)

*prepare to rock on the Dave Chapelle breakdown*