Thread: I could use a critique on this mix

i'm biased. need more bass.

will comment later after a few more listens.....

Originally Posted by onglee

i'm biased. need more bass.

will comment later after a few more listens.....

No doubt a bass player eh?

Looking forward to hearing your comments.

Bass up
Sax Down - too present in the mix. Did you only close mic the sax? Everything sounds very present - I don't know how you recorded but perhaps more rooms mics over all would be good.
It may or may not be mix related but during the Key solo his/her left hand is a too heavy - if you can change it in the mix through midi controls I would reccomend it.

Overall you are headed in the right direction, but it still needs work.

Originally Posted by Digger

Bass up
Sax Down - too present in the mix. Did you only close mic the sax? Everything sounds very present - I don't know how you recorded but perhaps more rooms mics over all would be good.
It may or may not be mix related but during the Key solo his/her left hand is a too heavy - if you can change it in the mix through midi controls I would reccomend it.

Overall you are headed in the right direction, but it still needs work.

Yes the sax is only close mic'd. Should be able to adjust the eq a bit and add a little verb to smooth it out. There is a trumpet doubling that sax line that may be adding to the present timbre as well. The key solo was actually recorded as audio. I agree the LH came out too dominant but I'm not sure what I can do about it.

My first pass had the bass more upfront but came across very boomy on other systems. I seem to have went too far the other way. I'm not sure if its a level issue or an eq issue though. If I can find the freq causing the issue I may be able to get a better fit for it in the mix.

*EDIT*

I revisited the horns and lead guitars. I dropped all of them a few db in the 2-5k range which did a lot to cure the present timbre. Its amazing how if you hear a track often enough you no longer hear something like that. I have bumped up the bass a little as well. I may need to go more. Still tweaking it. Oddly enough tweaking the lead instruments also seems to have helped the bass sit a little better.

first of all, I love the "vintage" sound to it. SOunds very 70s, which I love. I think you just need some verb on the horns, bring the guitars and bass up slightly ...actually, the bass quite a bit. These are minor things as I actually like the recording overall. Totally vintage vibe man, and that sound is hard to come by. Nice job.

Good. def more bottom end, but dont over do it, remember the funky bass is in the mids too, so bass up is a good start.

Generally just a little too much contrast between the loud stuff and quiet stuff. right from the top the hard left and right sounds could be supporting the sax more, they're funky. that quiet stuff on the left following the lead line, dont be scared to try it a bit louder, at the moment its almost just distracting.

Love the stereo effect on the guitar thing before the guitar solo which cud b drier? / louder? i want it to feel almost as dominant as the sax and keys solols.

Dirty up that keys sound it sounds so clean. That left hand thing is the worst thing, try really quick automation on volume of a couple of dB on as many of these u can get away with and you may have really improved the tune.

My main prob, artistically, is with the ambiences. I think it should sound a litte freakier- i have no idea what this means. Maybe a tiny bit of small roomish stuff on the drums / snare. This wont get it freakin' but i want freakier! Compare to Roy Ayres or something

and also the rhythm elements up a bit for more drive.. so its funky!

sorry i've ranted, damn. its very almost there, good work, you da man.

**EDIT**
The updated mix. Had to delete the original, no room on the FTP server.

http://members.toast.net/dwyss/mp3/L...ne09202005.mp3


OK, here is the new mix. As previously mentioned the horns and lead guitars have had a few db in the 2-5k range taken out.

The bass is up and I redid the eq to make it fit a little better. Rhythm gtrs up a bit as well.

Ther reverb was turned up a bit on the sax as well.

*EDIT* just saw your post. I will look at the organ part. The guitar thing before the gtr solo proper isn't really an effect. Its just doubled in octaves and panned.

nice job

love the snare..the snare sound that comes to mind when i think of a snare..yummy. good mix.