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hueseph 9 January 2013

Feared have a mixing contest right now. They have a whack of stuff to give away. If you can stand to listen to this 30 or 40 times over it might be worth looking into.

http://www.fearedba…?"]fearedband.com - Competition[/]="http://www.fearedba…?"]fearedband.com - Competition[/]

I happen to like the heavy so, I'm all in but certainly there are much better mix engineers out there. I'll just do it for the fun of it.

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hueseph Thu, 01/10/2013 - 10:05

Just a note. I downloaded the files and I must say, what a pain. I don't know what I did wrong but it seemed that when I imported the files, there was nothing there! I tried importing a few mor time and it looked like nothing was there. Finally I scrolled along the time line to find the files somewhere beyond the 5 minute mark. I swear it must have been twenty minutes in. I guess when they did their export, they did it to BWAV and gigot that this essentially stamps the files at their time in th project, however many takes in it was at that point. Just to give you the heads up. Of course ther is the possibility that I'm the only one experiencing this.

audiokid Thu, 01/10/2013 - 12:35

Same, lined up perfect. I'm using Win 7 as well. Love it BTW.

What can happen when importing tracks (on my system anyway). Where ever I put the curser is where the track will import, drop in and start. Its real easy to load a track and think, hey what does it sound like. Then without thinking, you stop somewhere to check something. Now you just added the curser drop point and forget to go back to zero.
Now when you import more tracks and suddenly discover they are all over the place.

So when importing and doing these ReMixes, I create example: 24 track session, set the BPM (if you know it), then start importing each one to its channel without touching anything more until they are all in on their appropriate channels. All at Zero

Hope that helps others :)

audiokid Thu, 01/10/2013 - 13:05

This kind of music isn't my thing but experience is what I'm after right now. And all Remixes improve my chops, even if I don't enter the contest to try and win. I love these contests and hearing how people lay it all down. I can't get enough of it. Thanks for sharing this Hue!

But these vocals crack me up, ROTF! The guitars are great.

I'd like your opinions on something before I get started here:
First impression: Nice clean tracks here but where is the bottom end? Everything is rolled off which takes me to the next question. Is this a good example of kick ass sound for this style or does this song sound really un dynamic and thin? I get the processing and performance, just not familiar on how big I can make this. Right now it all sounds like it was mixed on a system with huge subs coming back at me sounding like a small radio back in the 70's. Ticky kick, thin drums etc.

Thanks for your help!

audiokid Thu, 01/10/2013 - 13:57

I'd love to hear what you guys come up with. Is there going to be a place where we can all hear what others are doing?

An observation after a few more listens,

Man, this goes to show that we all need to be really aware of styles and sonic tastes when critiquing music more dynamic than this.. Using subs for this music seems appropriate because there is nothing going on low end. But for those unaware of that, who use exaggerated subs or really bass heavy monitors to help beef this music up, then you listen to a track with full bandwidth, wow, talk about confusion and miss reading mixes.

What's ironic though, the music that comes on just before the contest song starts playing, almost blows my drivers. Then their track starts and its missing all the subs.
Looking around for more examples to get a broader sonic reference, the guitar is really the nucleus and everything else is mixed with a lot of HPF/ LPF.

Just leaving a DubStep contest, this is like listening to AM radio through 3inch speakers on steroids.

Fun track.

hueseph Thu, 01/10/2013 - 19:13

Well, it would be wise not to post more than one version and that the version you post is for the contest only. Any other uploads will disqualify you. Of course, that may have no factor in my chances of winning anyway but I like to try to stick to the rules. They are accepting uploads to youtube or Soundcloud as long as you add the hashtag, #fearedmixingcomp.

ouzo77 Fri, 01/11/2013 - 01:23

audiokid, post: 398891 wrote: This kind of music isn't my thing but experience is what I'm after right now. And all Remixes improve my chops, even if I don't enter the contest to try and win. I love these contests and hearing how people lay it all down. I can't get enough of it. Thanks for sharing this Hue!

But these vocals crack me up, ROTF! The guitars are great.

I'd like your opinions on something before I get started here:
First impression: Nice clean tracks here but where is the bottom end? Everything is rolled off which takes me to the next question. Is this a good example of kick ass sound for this style or does this song sound really un dynamic and thin? I get the processing and performance, just not familiar on how big I can make this. Right now it all sounds like it was mixed on a system with huge subs coming back at me sounding like a small radio back in the 70's. Ticky kick, thin drums etc.

Thanks for your help!

Although I like the music, I'm not really keen on that style of, umm... singing?
Some kind of melody (beside the solo, which is quite melodic) would have been fine.

Anyway, the sound of this kind of music is often very similar to Metallica's "...And Justice For All". Very mid-rangey with little to no bottom end.
I like the punchy and fat sound of modern metal, like the latest Stone Sour or Three Days Grace, which will be my approach to this song.

This kind of music requires a lot of compression and saturation. Dynamics are more or less achieved with automation, but metal isn't the most dynamic music anyway!

hueseph wrote: Well, it would be wise not to post more than one version and that the version you post is for the contest only. Any other uploads will disqualify you. Of course, that may have no factor in my chances of winning anyway but I like to try to stick to the rules. They are accepting uploads to youtube or Soundcloud as long as you add the hashtag, #fearedmixingcomp.

I think if you don't tag it and don't use the name of the song for the upload it's okay. They can't forbid discussions on our mixes, do they? I will post my mix here for discussion. If they want to disqualify me, so be it.

BobRogers Fri, 01/11/2013 - 03:46

Good luck to you guys! I was thinking of joining the fun, but that's definitely not my style, and I doubt I could really contribute anything original. audiokid's point is a good one - it would be good experience, but I think I'll pass. Besides, when I played the track and explained the contest to my wife, she said she'd divorce me if I had that thing playing for several hours.

audiokid Fri, 01/11/2013 - 10:49

BobRogers, post: 398907 wrote: Good luck to you guys! I was thinking of joining the fun, but that's definitely not my style, and I doubt I could really contribute anything original. audiokid's point is a good one - it would be good experience, but I think I'll pass. Besides, when I played the track and explained the contest to my wife, she said she'd divorce me if I had that thing playing for several hours.

MY WIFE SAID THE SAME, BOB!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is hilarious.

Thanks for explaining more on this style [[url=http://[/URL]="http://recording.or…"]ouzo77[/]="http://recording.or…"]ouzo77[/]. I think Metalica sounds incredible compared to this but its also why they need a remix.
Discussing this will not disqualify us. This is better for them because it only creates more interest. That's what these are all about. Adding buzz to a release.

I loaded this up and have it ready to expand. It seems like a time waster for me though, but I will chime in here and have fun with you guys. I think I got what I needed out of this one by just importing it up and listening to it.

audiokid Fri, 01/11/2013 - 14:13

Cool, I did a quick listen but really quick! I like how you spread it out more but you lost some center focus. Yes, tired ears is a result. Take a break for the day or some hours, come back at it, turn your monitors down low and listen is what I do at this point.
I would add a smooth curve increase by 2 db somewhere around the 1.6 k to 2.5 area so it lifts the mids evenly in your face and that will get the center focus back.

I like their mix but to me, its severely lacking bottom and top end as you just help increase. thumb And their drums sound like ass, totally wimpy. The Drums are the target on this.

Hope that helps.

ouzo77 Sat, 01/12/2013 - 04:42

audiokid, post: 398915 wrote: Cool, I did a quick listen but really quick! I like how you spread it out more but you lost some center focus. Yes, tired ears is a result. Take a break for the day or some hours, come back at it, turn your monitors down low and listen is what I do at this point.
I would add a smooth curve increase by 2 db somewhere around the 1.6 k to 2.5 area so it lifts the mids evenly in your face and that will get the center focus back.

I like their mix but to me, its severely lacking bottom and top end as you just help increase. thumb And their drums sound like ass, totally wimpy. The Drums are the target on this.

Hope that helps.

Thanks audiokid! I've updated the file on Soundcloud. I boosted 1.4 dB around 2k and raised the vocals a dB.
If you think it's okay I will leave it at that. I think there's nothing I could improve now.

audiokid Sat, 01/12/2013 - 09:05

ouzo77, post: 398935 wrote: Thanks audiokid! I've updated the file on Soundcloud. I boosted 1.4 dB around 2k and raised the vocals a dB.
If you think it's okay I will leave it at that. I think there's nothing I could improve now.

Wish you left the first mix up to A/B, but its sounds kick ass compared to the original. Nice job! I actually like this song now.

Good luck!

ouzo77 Sat, 01/12/2013 - 09:54

audiokid, post: 398943 wrote: Michael,
I've been listening to your tracks. Good voice, nice tone to it.

Kick ass song, Straight To Hell!

Who is the Girl? She's got a good sound too. Nice work.

Thank you very much, audiokid.

The girl's name is Lauren Balthrop. The tracks were contributions to a remix contest over at macprovideo.com.
"It All Comes Down To You - Ouzo's Mix" is the original song mixed by me. I then used the vocal tracks to make my own arrangements. Was really fun!
"Straight To Hell" is another track from an macprovideo.com remix competition. Here I used only the vocals and the slide guitar.
The original song is here: [MEDIA=soundcloud]macprovideo/whiskeyrain-full-mix-1

"Don't Wake Me" and "This Little Song" are originals by me.

hueseph Sat, 01/12/2013 - 17:51

Well, here's my entry. It's massacred but I just can't stand to listen to it anymore and I like metal but this genre is a bit out of my taste. I like the technical stuff but the lyrical content here is off putting. I just want the gear. LOL. The drums were a real issue for me. The kick sounds like a coffee tin....albeit a large coffee tin. At any rate I know there are deficiencies but I'm done with it.

[MEDIA=soundcloud]hue-nery/possesed-fearedmixingcomp

audiokid Sat, 01/12/2013 - 21:35

Brilliant!

Now I'm thinking more originality like that would fit here and win this, easier.Things like that will stand out. Reading the rules, they are welcoming anything from DubStep to this.

I'm hearing a bunch of screaming and howling in my head. Something right off the pig farm lol. Flying frken pigs coming at you in stereo and mon chasing the kids with a butcher knife, while babies licking an ice cream cone under the car !

But serious, that was a great idea.

Right on. More more!

ouzo77 Sun, 01/13/2013 - 00:58

Great idea, hueseph! thumb

Sounds good to me. Maybe the bass is a bit prominent. But that's just a matter of taste. Good work!

I've posted mine in the official thread over at metalguitarist.org just to make sure it will be noticed.
Many good mixes. But I haven't heard a real re-mix yet. I thought about doing something completely different to it, but I just don't have the time...

Btw, are we three the only ones reading this thread?!? howdy

hueseph Sun, 01/13/2013 - 01:19

Not sure how many are viewing this thread but there are hundreds of entries already I'm sure. Well over 100 on soundcloud already and I'm not sure how many on youtube. I feel sorry for the judges. They are going to hate this song when it's over. And, thank you btw.

I enjoyed your mix as well [[url=http://[/URL]="http://recording.or…"]ouzo77[/]="http://recording.or…"]ouzo77[/]. You've got a clarity there that I just fail at. When it comes to songs like this it's so easy to make mud.

ouzo77 Sun, 01/13/2013 - 02:38

hueseph, post: 398976 wrote: Not sure how many are viewing this thread but there are hundreds of entries already I'm sure. Well over 100 on soundcloud already and I'm not sure how many on youtube. I feel sorry for the judges. They are going to hate this song when it's over. And, thank you btw.

The judges are gonna regret this! duh

hueseph, post: 398976 wrote:
I enjoyed your mix as well [[url=http://[/URL]="http://recording.or…"]ouzo77[/]="http://recording.or…"]ouzo77[/]. You've got a clarity there that I just fail at. When it comes to songs like this it's so easy to make mud.

Thank you! I don't think there's a lack of clarity in your mix.
But I must admit that I'm used to mixing way more instruments and voices in one song. I tend to fill my arrangements with (too many?!) keyboards and sounds and triple-layer my guitars. Having to mix only drums, bass, four guitars and one voice seemed almost easy! ;-)

hueseph Sun, 01/13/2013 - 18:17

I tend to fill my arrangements with (too many?!) keyboards and sounds and triple-layer my guitars. Having to mix only drums, bass, four guitars and one voice seemed almost easy!

I actually ended up doing a lot of doubling, even quadrupling some tracks. The kick was so hard to get any meat out of. I ended up with 33 audio tracks just for the instrumentation, then the sound clips and effects sends after that. Still only 40 some odd tracks.

ouzo77 Mon, 01/14/2013 - 04:18

I didn't really double any tracks, but I used parallel compression on the drums. A tight room reverb also helps beefing them up.
The toughest part was the snare. I've made it sound as good as possible with the given tracks and then added an extra sample to give it more punch and definition.
I think I didn't eq the kick separately. Only on the drum bus.

Mike Papaleontiou Fri, 11/28/2014 - 06:46

Hello my name is Mike Papaleontiou and I am studying music technology at UEL (University of East London) my graduation project is about amps and amp models. I will try to prove that amp simulation can work as well as the real amps would in a music production. Can someone please send me the feared mix competition tracks so i can compare Ola's Randall Satan re-amp to the TH2 Randall simulation and to Ola Englund’s inspired amp simulation ?

hueseph Fri, 11/28/2014 - 08:24

Mike Papaleontiou, post: 421560, member: 48635 wrote: Hello my name is Mike Papaleontiou and I am studying music technology at UEL (University of East London) my graduation project is about amps and amp models. I will try to prove that amp simulation can work as well as the real amps would in a music production. Can someone please send me the feared mix competition tracks so i can compare Ola's Randall Satan re-amp to the TH2 Randall simulation and to Ola Englund’s inspired amp simulation ?

Hey Mike! Welcome to RO. These tracks and this contest is long gone and sharing the stems at this point would constitute a copyright breach. As many of the people here do this for a living, I doubt anyone wants a letter from a lawyer any time soon. If you go to Puremix, Indaba or Weathervane music, you'll probably find some current tracks that you can use legally. Other than that, nothing is more convincing than a session that you set up yourself. I'm sure that if you booked time at your school can hook you up with an hour or two of studio time so that you can mic up an amp. Have fun.

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