Hey Ricky I was where you were 4 years ago.
Previously I mixed and recorded via mainly overdubs when they needed someone to Sub for the engineer, in a nice studio in the 80's right out of School.
Then gave it up once I didn't have access to all the big name equipment. I Shouldn't have done that.
Lots to learn for me as I never used plugins and such until 4 years ago.
So, is this the way it sounds when you play it at home? I have listened to a couple mixes here and they seem scooped out, no fullness. So lacking the lo mids.
Eq out boxiness but not any other mids.
I'm new so I have not read any documentation but if it sounds better at home then maybe the quality is not good here?
I have not listened enough.
Also it sounds like your kick may be over compressed or you have too much click on it that is not balanced with the thump.
Tip. Definitely mix with a console channel and tape plugin on every channel plus ...
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Critique my first mix on here
I haven't mixed in a while and I was better on analog. Can anyone provide any comments of the mixing, writing performing, etc? Thanks!
country
Your Reply
Mark, if you're still around, sorry it's taken so long to get back to you but hope you're still around. I'd almost forgot about this song until I ran across this email. I only have the stereo track now since I'm too far ahead of that project to bring it back up. The bass/midrange thing is killing me. No matter what I do, to my ears, things get too high-end or too muddy when I try EQ'ing in that range. I know my mixes end up in with more highs when listening to professional mixes. Any suggestions?
Hi Ricky,
I apologize in advanced it is long but I covered many things of what I do that hopefully maybe some of them will help.
Mixing has changed a little over the decades.
When I said don't cut mids I meant as a whole. You can turn down on some instruments if you feel one may be too much but don't turn it way down .
Anyways for modern production especially country I make a copy of the bass.
One I hi pass around 200 and the other I low pass.
This way you have one to eq for bass and another to eq for frequencies above 200. Then blend.
That snare, if you didn't record it, the tendency is everyone records the snare wrong.
Mainly because equipment is so cheap musicians are recording themselves and they are not engineers.
If that is a bad snare you need a sample.
If it is a good snare it needs around 100hz raised.
If you add a sample the sample may need the same.
Via. I'm sur... (read more)
I apologize in advanced it is long but I covered many things of what I do that hopefully maybe some of them will help.
Mixing has changed a little over the decades.
When I said don't cut mids I meant as a whole. You can turn down on some instruments if you feel one may be too much but don't turn it way down .
Anyways for modern production especially country I make a copy of the bass.
One I hi pass around 200 and the other I low pass.
This way you have one to eq for bass and another to eq for frequencies above 200. Then blend.
That snare, if you didn't record it, the tendency is everyone records the snare wrong.
Mainly because equipment is so cheap musicians are recording themselves and they are not engineers.
If that is a bad snare you need a sample.
If it is a good snare it needs around 100hz raised.
If you add a sample the sample may need the same.
Via. I'm sur... (read more)
BTW my settings on pitch II is fine - 3 left +3 right
25ms delay left 10ms right.
25ms delay left 10ms right.
Hey If you want to give me the tracks I'll mix them in Cakewalk which is free.
I use all the stock plugins because they are that good and don't use any of mine anymore except for the Pultec plus the free plugin deesser and free Bark at the dog.
I think there is a free Pultec that is decent somewhere that I can use or I can download a free trail of waves Pultec.
This way if you like my mix you can download Cakewalk and the free plugins to see what I have done.
You can PM on Facebook unless there is a PM here which I can't find.
I use all the stock plugins because they are that good and don't use any of mine anymore except for the Pultec plus the free plugin deesser and free Bark at the dog.
I think there is a free Pultec that is decent somewhere that I can use or I can download a free trail of waves Pultec.
This way if you like my mix you can download Cakewalk and the free plugins to see what I have done.
You can PM on Facebook unless there is a PM here which I can't find.
Mark, really? Awesome! Thanks! I use Sonar Producer 8.5 which of course will open just fine as a Cakewalk project. The files can be found here; True Love of My Life
I will mix this weekend.
BTW, when you say muddy do you mean it sounds muddy as a mix when you check it across multiple devices via like your mix sounds good until you check it or your mixes translate you just can get it to sound good at your desk?
Because if your mixes are not translating you can do one of two things or both.
Room treatment. This could just be putting something in areas to break up the sound or simply move your mixing space so curtains or something behind you break things up like even a closet with a door open if there is clothes in it.
If you don't know the mirror trick look it up.
When you mixed analog where you in a studio or a treated place or possibly the space had some things around that absorbed sound?
Also, via still on the first item, you could also get a software like Sonar works.
That helped me a ton. I got Arc II but it is difficult to get right so Sonarworks would be best.
(read more)
BTW, when you say muddy do you mean it sounds muddy as a mix when you check it across multiple devices via like your mix sounds good until you check it or your mixes translate you just can get it to sound good at your desk?
Because if your mixes are not translating you can do one of two things or both.
Room treatment. This could just be putting something in areas to break up the sound or simply move your mixing space so curtains or something behind you break things up like even a closet with a door open if there is clothes in it.
If you don't know the mirror trick look it up.
When you mixed analog where you in a studio or a treated place or possibly the space had some things around that absorbed sound?
Also, via still on the first item, you could also get a software like Sonar works.
That helped me a ton. I got Arc II but it is difficult to get right so Sonarworks would be best.
It sounds "good" to me on all speakers but it doesn't sound like "other" recordings, meaning pro recordings. Thanks so much again. I've actually sped up the tempo and redone the bass track which is distorting. All instruments except the acoustic guitar as softsynths. If you haven't started already can I upload the latest project? Thanks again so much!
I will mix this weekend.
BTW, when you say muddy do you mean it sounds muddy as a mix when you check it across multiple devices via like your mix sounds good until you check it or your mixes translate you just can get it to sound good at your desk?
Because if your mixes are not translating you can do one of two things or both.
Room treatment. This could just be putting something in areas to break up the sound or simply move your mixing space so curtains or something behind you break things up like even a closet with a door open if there is clothes in it.
If you don't know the mirror trick look it up.
When you mixed analog where you in a studio or a treated place or possibly the space had some things around that absorbed sound?
Also, via still on the first item, you could also get a software like Sonar works.
That helped me a ton. I got Arc II but it is difficult to get right so Sonarworks would be best.
(read more)
BTW, when you say muddy do you mean it sounds muddy as a mix when you check it across multiple devices via like your mix sounds good until you check it or your mixes translate you just can get it to sound good at your desk?
Because if your mixes are not translating you can do one of two things or both.
Room treatment. This could just be putting something in areas to break up the sound or simply move your mixing space so curtains or something behind you break things up like even a closet with a door open if there is clothes in it.
If you don't know the mirror trick look it up.
When you mixed analog where you in a studio or a treated place or possibly the space had some things around that absorbed sound?
Also, via still on the first item, you could also get a software like Sonar works.
That helped me a ton. I got Arc II but it is difficult to get right so Sonarworks would be best.