Some random song I wrote and had friends provide vocals for

[selke61]

So give me your thoughts. I learned to tame that crazy low end a lot better, but I'm still learning I also got rid of my rooms annoying early reflection and I also learned to use the graph mode on Autotune. JUST A WHOLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE BRAH.

EDIT: Okay, utilizing some of ahjteam's helpful advice, I did the best I could, and in the overall outcome, I'm quite happy with the sound of this. Of course, they're are some elements that could use work, but what mix couldn't? In the end, this is a solid mix IMO and I have this forum to thank for all the help.

It's also quite louder, probably because of all the highpasses I threw in there. Good call ahjteam.

SONG REMIXED AND MASTERED
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/33877996/Song 1 FINAL MASTER.mp3

 

[ahjteam]

I give it a 6+/10.

- The low end (edit: and low mids too) is a total mess, try putting a highpass filter on all the tracks except kick and bass. Put a track on solo and start at 80hz, but don't look at the numbers, slowly turn up the frequency until you hear it clearly starts to get thinner, then back off like 10-20hz. Also if you use a spectrum analyzer and you see that there is a clear "end of the low end" (like you see at ~120hz in this picture) but only like -40dB noise floor woof below that, just put the higpass filter around there
- Overall the elements don't gel that well together. Rhythms are a bit too porridgy and leads are a bit too pokey and thin etc. Try to first to fix the balance stuff with faders, but after you think it doesn't help, start tweaking the settings, you most likely know what to do.
- The glitch surprise was kinda nice the first time, after that I thought it was redundant. Overuse is always too much.
- The drum programming sounds really robotic, especially on the cymbal department. I would also change the kick sound, it's really horrid.
- The singer is nice, needs a bit more processing tho to blend better with the music especially on the clean singing parts (try what sounds best), doubles or harmonies would've been nice also.

IMHO.

 

[DullElysium]

Quite nice dude. Way better than the last mix you posted. The guitars could cut through a bit more though.

EDIT: and oh yeah the cleans sound a bit odd to me. I don't know really what's wrong with them but they just seem a bit strange at times.

 

[selke61]

This song doesn't really seem much different from a Joey production on the Cubase Spectrum Analyzer. So I thought I was doing something right. The guitars could cut through more, I agree on that, but I turned them a bit down because most people on this forum say their too loud. This was the best median I could come up with. The drums are programmed, and that's why my cymbals sound weird, but I do what I can and work with what I got. The kick was a new sample I was trying out. I didn't think it was that bad.

Can someone enlighten me on what a highpass and lowpass is, cause I'm starting to think I go their definitions wrong. I thought highpass meant cutting in the highend and lowpass was cutting the lowend. Is it the other way around?

Well for my master, I cut the lowend around 45-50hz I think. And around 16k I dropped it. And then I threw on a multiband compressor with only the lowend compressed so I could tame it. Still trying to get that down. Thats one thing I'm trying to learn on my mixes.

My clean recording I dont think are that bad. I gave them a very slight delay for a nice effect and I autotuned the best I could, (first time using good ol graph mode)... the singer just sings some parts weird and that's probably why they sound weird. My clean recordings deff kick my old clean tracks in the ass.

 

[selke61]

And the glitches are cool, I just think I went to town all around the same area cause there's like 4 in a row then no more till the end. Too Chango-y for my taste.

 

[ahjteam]

This song doesn't really seem much different from a Joey production on the Cubase Spectrum Analyzer. So I thought I was doing something right.

I can make my diarrhea farts LOOK the same as joey's full mixes in the spectrum analyzer, but it still doesn't mean it sounds the same.

Can someone enlighten me on what a highpass and lowpass is, cause I'm starting to think I go their definitions wrong. I thought highpass meant cutting in the highend and lowpass was cutting the lowend. Is it the other way around?

Yup, the other way around. lowcut = highpass, highcut = lowpass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-pass_filter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-pass_filter

Well for my master, I cut the lowend around 45-50hz I think. And around 16k I dropped it. And then I threw on a multiband compressor with only the lowend compressed so I could tame it. Still trying to get that down. Thats one thing I'm trying to learn on my mixes.

Take them off and fix the problems in the individual elements.

 

[selke61]

I can make my diarrhea farts LOOK the same as joey's full mixes in the spectrum analyzer, but it still doesn't mean it sounds the same.



Yup, the other way around. lowcut = highpass, highcut = lowpass.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-pass_filter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-pass_filter



Take them off and fix the problems in the individual elements.

Hahaha that was great. I just thought it meant it was along the same frequencies. and thanks for clearing up the highpass and lowpass business.

And I actually highpassed everything but the kick and bass. i guess i should give them more of higher cut and move hem around a bit. thanks for the help ahjteam

 

[selke61]

Added a new version of the song.

 

[ahjteam]

Now the low end is way less cluttered, but it's still a bit too boomy (my guess is that it's the bass). And now I can totally hear how awful the kick sample is Maybe try to either use another one or blend it with some other sample. That one only has click, no punch.

 

[selke61]

Hahaha very true. Thank you for your help Anssi. And yes, it could be the bass, I gave it a lot of compression and then made up volume with a limiter and probably cranked it too much. (I don't like using Make Up Gain on Cubase's Compressor)


EDIT: Yeah, it is the bass. I compared the song to other professional productions. I wasn't too far off, but my bass is a little too loud. If I backed off on the limiter a little I'm sure it would sit a lot better.

 

[ahjteam]

Well, I don't know about you, but the kick sample is still bothering me. Even tho this mix sounds like it's a bit quieter overall than your mix, it still punches a lot more. Kick is blend of Native Instruments Sky Kit and Slate Kick10

edit: yup, your mix is -8.9 RMS, mine is -10.5 RMS, but mine is also a bit darker overall and doesn't have vocals yet. This is one of the reasons why louder isn't always better, so try to back off on the master limiter just a bit and see how it sounds

 

[selke61]

Yeah I can always use a different kick. This was a new sample I was trying out. And I'm not saying because it's loud it's the best, but I realized it's louder than my old mixes and I think it sounds good where it's at. But yeah, I have a kick ass kick sample I've been using that has lots of punch, but I was just trying this one out. I didn't know it was that bad.

BTW, love that kick. I need to snag me that kick. Lots of punch to it. Good mix you got there. I know in order to get a punchy mix, you need a good kick in there and of course EQed right. The kick I used I cranked on the lowend and turned the 4k down but I still got lots of click. It's a clicky sample.

 

[ahjteam]

BTW, love that kick. I need to snag me that kick. Lots of punch to it. Good mix you got there. I know in order to get a punchy mix, you need a good kick in there and of course EQed right. The kick I used I cranked on the lowend and turned the 4k down but I still got lots of click. It's a clicky sample.

Funny fact about that song btw... I tracked the guitars using Elixir strings... FOR A STEEL STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR I started changing the strings from the unwounded, then when the first wounded string came, I was like FUCK, it's a bronze string Then I recorded that one song and changed the strings again. And if you ever wanted to know; Yes they work, but the output level of the guitar drops a lot and it doesn't sound as pristine.

edit: fucking shit, I shouldn't have remixed that... Now all my other songs sound like crap after it on the soundcloud player

 

[selke61]

Funny fact about that song btw... I tracked the guitars using Elixir strings... FOR A STEEL STRING ACOUSTIC GUITAR I started changing the strings from the unwounded, then when the first wounded string came, I was like FUCK, it's a bronze string Then I recorded that one song and changed the strings again. And if you ever wanted to know; Yes they work, but the output level of the guitar drops a lot and it doesn't sound as pristine.

edit: fucking shit, I shouldn't have remixed that... Now all my other songs sound like crap after it on the soundcloud player

Well I think its a solid mix, good job man.