Pop punk mix with real tambourine!

[Backe]

Hey guys! Just finished mixing a punk/pop/skate band from Stockholm, Sweden, and I think it's one of my smoothest mixes to date.


**Final mix (I hope)**
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10612702/Like She Said/Changing Colours_FINAL MASTER.mp3

**Another song from the EP**
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/10612702/Like She Said/The Story, The Misery_FINAL MASTER.mp3

(maybe it's implicit, but don't spread/share this around)

Not too sure about the mastering portion though, i'm still waiting for the day I can afford a Massive Passive and a 1/2" tape deck. I tried some new stuff with everything since I got new plugs, like using channel strip plugs (Waves SSL E-channel) and transformer saturation (Mellowmuse SATV) on every channel of importance for that mixing on a console-sound, and I think it turned out pretty legit. Atleast considering the fact that everything was recorded on a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 with some crap condenser mic. I'm not 100% sure on everything that was used during the recording since I only mixed it, but shells are a mix of slate (kick, toms) and superior (snare, room), guitars are all le poo and bass is B.O.D. into SVX.

I'd love some opinions on this, even if it is something really tiny. Because you can always do better, right? I think so, and I'd like to step up my game with both clients and equipment. So flame away.

Cheerio!

*The mix I posted first*
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10612702/Changing_Colors_Master2.mp3

 

[ShipwreckSoundWorks]

Wow I'm really digging the mix on this man. Those guitar tones...! The vocals are sparkling it's beautiful. This is a phenomenal mix man. Not sure if you're using melodyne, but I feel like I can hear some of the note changes in there, because some of them are too sudden. That tambourine is piercing to me though.. I would pan it somewhere other than center. Super nice mix though!

 

[Carnivorouschrysalis]

i do agree, the tambourine should probably be panned not in the center. but otherwise, this is a fantastic, mix

 

[picklesnatcher]

Yeah, the tambourine is kinda sitting weird in mix.

This mix is pretty sweet though, I dig the snare
Vocals sound really nice too although I have to mention that some of pitch editing is kinda obvious unless if you were going for the effect!
What's the band's name?

 

[Backe]

Thanks for all the input! I actually got word from the client saying that they dig pitch-correction but didn't want it to sound so "t-pain", haha. And I get them. All Time Low (which is like their main influence) have made super smooth pitch correction a part of the genre, and it's hard when you can't be there for the recording to try and tune stuff afterwards, note changes are in the wrong place and you have to use tuner magic to make it super tight and smooth, and some stuff was just really off, and I changed some melodies too. But i'm noticing more and more artifacts, so i'll probably just look over those and leave the highschool roboticness in general. luckily i didn't print the tuner this time, so i'm free to edit. And yeah, i'm going for a sampled tambourine for velocity perfection, makes it easier to place in the mix. Thanks again!

 

[eternally_gutted]

really nice mix.
could you share info about guitar tone if you do not mind? ampsims, impulses, processing. maybe a screenshoot would be great. i´m searching for this tone style.

thanks

 

[jackiscreature]

This mix sounds great! What's the band?

 

[infectdsniper]

yea i love it as well. i would like to know what LePou plugin was used and if there was much processing on the snare or if you just upped/compressed the room sound to give it that big real sound?

 

[Backe]

really nice mix.
could you share info about guitar tone if you do not mind? ampsims, impulses, processing. maybe a screenshoot would be great. i´m searching for this tone style.

thanks

sorry for the late reply, been busy mixing post-rock!

the chain for the rythm guitars and a few of the leads is TSE808 (tube screamer emulator, best free one imo), LePou HyBrit (gained fairly low, pulled some mids and cranked the contour and the pre-amp knob) and then LePou LeCab2 running Kathallen IRs (really nice ones, and free as well), ryhtm guitar processing included (in the correct order) a SoundToys Decapitator for some dirt, an EQ (just hi + lo pass and some 700hz boxiness removed) and finally a PSP MixSaturator using a neat little trick to fatten things up (crank the warmth knob on the lows and pull back the level making the percieved fatness greater without raising the level), and that's it.

maybe I'll post a screenshot too if I have to open the project again for revisions.

thanks!

 

[eternally_gutted]

sorry for the late reply, been busy mixing post-rock!

the chain for the rythm guitars and a few of the leads is TSE808 (tube screamer emulator, best free one imo), LePou HyBrit (gained fairly low, pulled some mids and cranked the contour and the pre-amp knob) and then LePou LeCab2 running Kathallen IRs (really nice ones, and free as well), ryhtm guitar processing included (in the correct order) a SoundToys Decapitator for some dirt, an EQ (just hi + lo pass and some 700hz boxiness removed) and finally a PSP MixSaturator using a neat little trick to fatten things up (crank the warmth knob on the lows and pull back the level making the percieved fatness greater without raising the level), and that's it.

maybe I'll post a screenshot too if I have to open the project again for revisions.

thanks!

Thanks Backe, i really appreciate your answer and help.
I need to try those Kathallen IRs!
And it would be great if you post a screenshoot, i never get decent results with Hybrit amp...

 

[Backe]

This mix sounds great! What's the band?

band's called Like She Said, really great and talented guys. you can check them out on facebook or spotify!

yea i love it as well. i would like to know what LePou plugin was used and if there was much processing on the snare or if you just upped/compressed the room sound to give it that big real sound?

HyBrit and LeCab

snare has 1 plugin on it. the room sound is courtesy of Toontrack, just used the mid and close room mics in the mixer with the snare blended a little higher (Superior Drummer 2), bussed them together and comped with Mellowmuse CP2A (really great vintage sounding compressor that has served me very well on room mics for a while now). since the OH's are real and the shells SD2 i only get the shells in the room mics, meaning i can raise them really high without ruining everything.

 

[Backe]

Thanks Backe, i really appreciate your answer and help.
I need to try those Kathallen IRs!
And it would be great if you post a screenshoot, i never get decent results with Hybrit amp...

here's the link: http://cabs.kalthallen.de/

it's actually kalthallen. sorry for the type-o

 

[BobDudeRad]

I think I can hear some clipping in different parts.

Overall, i'm digging this mix! Good job!

 

[Backe]

I think I can hear some clipping in different parts.

Overall, i'm digging this mix! Good job!

thanks a lot man!

yeah, the mp3's are mastered at -0.1 so they clip a little, they're just for demostrational purposes so i didn't pay too much attention. the 44/16 wav's i sent them however are mastered at -0.3, properly dithered and perfectly free of clipping. they wanted that super squashed "borderline dynamicless" All Time Low sound for the mastering portion, so I went with Ozone in clip mode at the end of the chain.