Would Appreciate Some Techie Critique On This Mix - Updated

The mix sounds pretty good to me... you might want to hi-pass  filter the guitars just enough to clarify the bass & kick... also maybe try widening the rhythm guitar with Channel Tools...
the drums sound dry but that's ok if you're happy...
Very nice production so far...

On my good play back system it sounds full spectrum... lots of bass.

If I were mixing I might try for a bit fatter tone on the kick, but I'd clear out some room for it by trying to get more attack on the bass notes and then cutting some of the low few energy witha very soft lo-cut. That would make the kick more apparent without really turning it up. The bass almost sounds muddy... but I'm not saying change your mix... some people like that exact tone. I'm just saying how I'd treat the song.

I'd also ride the organ a bit towards louder, but I'd back off it's high frequency a bit so it doesn't compete with the guitar as much... I'd try to really use it as a pad and glue. There are places where the bass is on top of the organ and I'd try to gel them up into one vibe. Not every where. The places where you lose the organ seems spot on... it lets the bass figure pop out.


I really like the edgy guitar tones. They have a sort of aggressive mid freq character... that reminds me of what I hear in real life... I like that. I think I'd give them a little extra lo-cut as has been suggested and see if I could get them to sound a bit airier without adding any more aggressive bite.


Then I'd fold it all up in some light reverb. It sounds like a band playing in a room. I'd use reverb to reinforce that impression.

That's how I would try but I also think what you have done seems confident, strong, and fully realized so there's hardly a need.




all the best,
mike

@mike_mccue: Thanks so much for listening and the tips.  I'm especially concerned about the low-end cause I had a null problem with my room and have been working frantically trying to resolve it.  I think part of the muddiness on the bass could be the DimensionD Chorus I have on it, along with it being just a synth bass (Machfive Jazz Bass Emu).  I'll take your tips though for when I throw replace it with live bass.  Also I think you're spot on with the organ.  A pad type effect is exactly what I was shooting for, still need a few more tweaks I guess.

Best,

vechung


Sounds good. The song have a good beat and chord progression and I supposed your are working on the melody. Nice guitar solo. To fix the brittleness maybe use an eq to tone down the high end or use a tube distortion. It sounds like you are using an FET distortion.

Thanks for listening & commenting.  Very much appreciated.
I'm using a PodHD with a Treadplate for the left channel and one of the High Gain Line6's for the right channel with the drive at about 45% on each.  No other FX on the Pod other than a noise gate.  I've been kinda struggling to find a tone I really like on the pod or trying to create my own.  That brittleness has been driving me nuts, especially when it crackles louder than the stinking notes on the guitar.  I've got a 1176 on the track (post Pod), I wonder if maybe I'm compressing it too much giving too much life to the  crackle?
Best,

im with chad on drums sound really good untill the lead comes in and then drowns it out a bit.
There are a few ways to combat that and all have been discussed so its no point in repeating them.

catchy tune though,listen to it twice.
Reverb..light reverb will also help livin this thing right up

Hello All,
    Another thanks too all for listening and the very helpful tips.  They're very much appreciated.
    I don't know why I haven't tried posting here before.   Much more helpful than anything I could get from friends (non-engineer types) who feel the need to spare my feelings and in turn spare some honesty.  I can't fix what to me doesn't sound broken to me or may sound broken and I blow it off to listening fatigue.

    What a wonderful place and what a fantastic group of people & peers.

    Thanks again!

Best,

Nice tone on the guitars. I can barely hear the kick through my headphones, though. On a song like this, I would definitely beef that up. Maybe a little more tightness on the snare. I'd probably pan that main rhythm guitar to the left some, since it sounds like you have another to the right. This would open up a center spot for the lead and spread the stereo effect out some. Just my thoughts.

Well, I think you already heard from some of the best ears around these parts, and I think about the only thing I would add is that the snare sounded a bit 'tight' and dry to me... like maybe too much comp and not enough verb... BUT... that may be the sound you're after, as those things are largely a matter of taste as opposed to right or wrong.  Nice tune.

Hey Chuck
I don't know how much help I'm going to be because I'm listening on a pair of computer speakers but I guess It's just the fact that the mix comes across sounding good on whatever your listening on.
     
The KRK' mix is very brittle sounding.  The high end is definitely standing out compared to the mid and low end which sounds muddy and hard to hear instrument separation.  The snare/bass guitar are heavy on the mid/low end muddiness. The kick drum is very hard to hear.
 
The JBL mix has a nice warmth to it. The snare now has a nice mid range and snap. The bass guitar doesn't sound muddy or like its fighting the snare for space in the mix. If anything it sounds like you have some room to play with mid and high end on the mix if needed.
 
That's what I'm hearing on my end hope it helps.  GREAT sounding tune looking forward to hearing the finished piece.



Kev

Proper monitoring... yes, that is the trick... I try to listen on as many different systems as possible...

Lstening to the re-mix... the kick & bass sound better than I remember, but the guitar is very harsh to my ears... but that doesn't mean much, because harsh is arbitrary, and a subjective non-techy discription...
I should have said; I don't care for the guitar sound, and would probably never use that sound in a production, but a lot of other great producers might... it's just a personal taste issue...

I still think it's very well done...  

guitardood 


 What made things even worse was trying to adjust all those knobs through a system that was adding an artificial -12db shelf at about 130hz and a +12db shelf at about 8k.  I didn't even realize this driverack (and my ignorance to it's proper operation) was causing 80% of the problem.  Hopefully I'll be able to start churning out some tracks once I get the new Yammies online.


Thanks again.

Wow, you were at a disadvantage from the get-go... I have no doubt you'll be churning them out like mad... Looking forward to hearing more of your music...

blipp


Hi Chuck.

Listened to both mixes and the new mix is definitely better sounding and less harsh and fatuigeing.

The sound balance still sounds off in places though: The guitars sound a bit too loud and the drums are far too weak and lack punch.

The bass sounded a bit boomy on some notes too and drowned the kick out.

Those are just a few immediate thoughts that came to mind listening on my speakers.

There are many here far more qualified to give you more accurate advice than i can  for this type of track.

Musically it has great promise and vocals would really make it shine.

Hey Blipp,
     Thanks for taking the time to listen, for your tips and compliment.  Very much appreciated.  Hopefully I'll have another stab at this next week once I get the new monitors in place and properly tested.

To me the guitars in the JBL mix sound thin and not in the same room with the other instruments and can't tell them apart. The mix sounds like it has too much verb to me.
The guitars in the KRK mix have a good tone. I can tell them apart.
The kick does get lost in both mixex. Once you get a good balance the organ will pop out nicely. Good tune.