Could I get a mix critique on this song.. maybe not the actual song

[slightly]

Had a break for the summer of doing anything with music, couple of weeks ago, redone two old tracks, I used to like a bit. with the break and fresh ears I thought I got them to come out alot better, than when I first did them.

I know im not a mastering engineer but tried mastering this, and comparing to other peoples work, and was bitterly disapponited, again im not a mastering engineer..

I find when I compare my stuff, its thin, not up front, weak feeling. I find it small sounding etc.

i thought I was getting better at eq etc but not sure how much progress im making.

appreciate if people could listen to this, unmastered version and givemix critics,
not so much of the song, reallly, as i know ive a way to go with building a decent song still.
More so the quality of the mix per se.

thanks

soundcloud will have to do i guess
https://soundcloud.com/scottfitzgerald/ ... -revisited

[Sam Inglis]

The track has a lovely vibe to it and the spoken word sample is great!

I think the issue with the mix is that the main drum parts don't really have any energy in the mid-range. There's low end and there's a very clicky initial attack, but not much else, and that means they are too easily overshadowed by the parts that do have mid-range content. Consequently things like the hi-hat and synth stabs come across as being a fair bit too loud. And the synths also fight with the vocal for the mid-range when they do come in, so that the vocal becomes a bit unintelligible.

I think you probably need to do a bit of arrangement pruning to keep a hole available for the vocal, and you need to do something to make the drums a bit punchier and more forward. That could mean boosting mid-range using EQ, but it could also mean adding distortion or maybe compression. Or it could just mean making them louder.

[slightly]

thanks sam, i was told before when i did send something off for cheap mastering, that there was big gap missing in mid range, sounds like this is still happening at least with drums maybe so..

I actually use a compresser on every channel here, its prob a bad habit, something i started day one..
but i do think i prefer the compresser sound on each track more when its on, than when i bypass
I do like saturation plugins but maybe im not using where they should be going.

as far as the vocal, I could indeed be making another fatal newbie mistake with eq..
Obviously I have to start somewhere, so i always try sculpt the bassdrum first. Which I woulda been 100 times worse at before.. but from there, I take basically, the next bit to come into the mix arrangement and eq that. However; what im doing is mostly, all the time engaging a highpass filter(because its there ) and what im doing, is starting usually in the mids or high mids, ill aways boost by maybe 3-4db to find a freq spot, whether its good or bad..

then ifs its a freq thats sounds overpowering or the nastiest ill proceed then to cut, or if it seems to be adding ill make sure of the freq and start over to boost again. This may be incorrect use. I dont really so far pin point clashing freqs and cut one & boost the other, but wishfuly thinking, my adjusments will all be on alternate freq points

Wasnt going to redo this one, but maybe I should with your advice and for learning process

[slightly]

also, actually, when Im eqing say, or adding some procsessing, or even just when im recording off my synths into computer, my track will have adequate volume, not too loud but maybe a little loud for conversation in room but you could still talk..

however when I go to do levels with faders, i always mute everything and start one by one with each part that comes into arrangment first and ill lower fader fully and proceed to raise to what i think is suitable level...

what i always find, is once I do this once or twice with a songs individual parts, my monitor level becomes very low. I would say uncomfortably low for moving on to the rest of the elements. This could be skewering level judgements. I tend to go to my interface and give the level a bit more, to make things sound a bit louder to proceed

[Martin Walker]

Why not try some pink noise mixing - it's a great way to get a reasonably balanced mix within seconds before you go on to sweat the small stuff:

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... -reference

Martin

[Sam Spoons]

I seem to recall a 'how to' article by a well known mix engineer who said something like the first thing I do when I receive a track to mix is to bypass all channel eq and other processing", And (maybe a different article/guy) "I start by muting/deleting tracks where they don't contribute anything useful".

I have some modest experience mixing live sound but I'm not really a serious studio guy and both these philosophies fit with the way I mix live.

[Sam Inglis]

You'd be very welcome to send the track over for us to have a go at in Mix Rescue if you like! PM me for details if you are interested.

[Tim Gillett]

For me it's a good groove but if you want the spoken words to be heard clearly they will need to be louder/the groove quieter IMO. Somewhere tradeoffs have to be made.

[tea for two]

not so much of the song, reallly, as i know ive a way to go with building a decent song

thanks

soundcloud will have to do i guess
https://soundcloud.com/scottfitzgerald/ ... -revisited

It's a decent song already. It took off when the Vocal Female Spoken Word appeared.

Structurally the Hook is the Female Spoken Word Vocal.
This should open the track, to Hook the listener make it immediately identifiable to the crowd, they will straightaway say Aaaah I know it let's Dance.
DJ's will find it easier to mix into previous song with just the Vocal Hook Female Spoken Word to start the track.

Mint Royale's I'm the Sexiest Man in Jamaica brings in the Hook Vocal Spoken Word fairly quickly.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jvtg0GsJAQw

Similarly The Orb's Little Fluffy Clouds bring in
Hook Vocal Spoken Word fairly quickly.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m8s78iWfVHQ

[slightly]

Thanks for all comments, Ill have a think about the mix rescue offer..
This would be a basic enough groove and track, in fairness, but last poster you are correct about the vocal, would be way too boring without that.

I was kinda going for a beat intro for mixing in my last few tracks. Yes the vocal could come in earlier but decided to wait a bit.

Ive had other stuff where I tried sampling vox with the beats at start.. but appreciate the comment.

Had another go off this, it came out better but by how much im unsure..
I tried to bring out mids in the bassdrum and tom, but the bassdrum wasnt working with this approach, only cuts I found, but after I done the tom I added boost at 1.5 khz to bd which might have helped.. tried to get the vocal better and not clash,I think the vocal came out clearer and tried not to leave the dubby synth stabs clash..

think its a better mix, but I would like it to be a whole lot better than my first post.

I will consider the mix rescue offer.
this is second go at it.

https://soundcloud.com/scottfitzgerald/ ... evised-mix