Thrash Metal Mix Critique? (a minute of your time.. literally)
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Posted on Oct 03, 2010 08:09 pm
Aenima7988
Member Since: Apr 10, 2006
www.sendspace.com/file/9u8tm1
This is by no means mastered version, so expect to have to turn your volume up to hear this (i didn't even bother compressing the master)
The song's a minute long, so this will literally just take a minute! This is my first rough mix of the track. Some of the songs don't even have guitars on them, and none of them have vocals yet, so this project is still in its early stages. But that's why I'm doing rough mixes now. Once everything's in place I want these songs to already be well on their way to perfection.
Be ruthless. Tell me every single detail of this mix that could be better. Maybe the overheads aren't bright enough, maybe the snare is conflicting with the guitar, maybe the bass is buried. Go nuts.
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Oct 03, 2010 08:18 pm the snare may deserve to be sample-replaced, but i'm holding off. i don't quite agree with it. if you can't capture a great snare sound off the bad either change snares or engineers. one of the two is not good at what they do. i realize sampling is something that professionals do, and who am i to thumb my nose at them? But the whole idea still doesn't sit right with me.
also, a track like this with so many blast beats may call for sidechaining the drums to compress the guitars (and cymbals) on the attacks, but I hate that thumping sound. I can directly cite Dillinger Escape Plan (Ire Works) as overusing it- they're obviously amazing musicians recorded by amazing engineers, but I don't like the way the thumping makes it sound. It's a taste thing. I'd rather use careful notching to make room for everything than have the drums squash the guitar and cymbals on every hit. But you may listen to this mix and say I did a poor job notching too!
In any event, the bottom line is I'm not settling for anything less than professional quality. So if it's not there yet, tell me why.
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Oct 03, 2010 08:41 pm seem the oh's could come up in vol for sure.
Kick needs more bottom end, though i am on a lapy atm.
guitars seems to be back too far, could be the verb on them though.
tis coming along good man.
Oct 04, 2010 02:08 pm thanks for the feedback. if you came up with that much from listening to it on a laptop i'd love to see what you have to say if you hear it on bigger speakers!
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Oct 04, 2010 09:19 pm well, my opinions are are based mostly on vol and presence, which i seem to be able to pick up easy enough on compy speakers.
Im away atm but will be back to chuck it on my mons in my studio.
will have abetter idea then.
Oct 06, 2010 08:47 am for me it sounds cool - i like the surf guitar style very much!!!
the spectrum is quite linear, maybe some more deep bass. all other frequencies are there and present. mono is fine as well
did you add some mix compression already?
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Oct 06, 2010 10:34 am had another listen, on my headphones this time, still needs more cymbals, whether thats oh's vol, or because of mic placement, im not sure.
Sounds like i can hear the oh mix but not much of the cymbals.
can hear the kick bottom end alot better now with the headphones, seems to be a frequency around the bottom end there that needs to be backed off a bit, its a bit thuddy/muddy.
Maybe around the 200 to 300hz.
this is only my opinion.
Oct 06, 2010 05:11 pm my mixes are usually a little too warm in the 200 range, i've taken some out since.
I noticed the OHs too, it's all cymbals, but there wasn't enough high end. it sounds much better now
i didn't add any mix compression yet, that's why it's a bit low. the kick seems to stand out too much, do you think it's because of this? it gets lost when i lower it in volume, and i thought i had done some notching to avoid that
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Oct 06, 2010 08:49 pm How many mics you using for kickers?
Oct 07, 2010 03:44 am four. one on the beater, one in the hole, one up the guy's @$# and a boundary mic in the middle of the room
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Oct 07, 2010 05:01 am well that's what i can hear then, the brown frequency!
na just kidding.
Try bringing the beater one up in vol, and the hole one, down a bit for more click.
If yer still getting the thuddy sound, then scoop out the midrange with a wide setting on the beater one and leave the outside one for the body of the drum sound.
at the end of the day its your project, you go for what you want obviously, but for that style, if you wanna emulate that style, then you'll need more click.
Before you go uping certain frequencies on the beater kick, try compressing it with a resonably fast attack to get more of the beater click.
another 2c
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Oct 08, 2010 09:46 pm dude! a massive improvement. good ****!
Drums sound so much more together now.
Makes the whole track so much nicer and cohesive.
