MIX CHALLENGE - MC071 November 2020 - Winners announced

[bexplorers]

Helo everyone

I started my mix focusing on the guitar, synth motion, violins and serum synths as the song provider asked. Processed this until in combination with the drums and then started to process all the other pads and synths around the main instruments I had already processed.

As there are many instruments on the Mid´s area I went heavier equing this tracks, used little compression on drums, bass and vocals, used some distortion/saturation on some tracks as well and finished with subtle reverb and delay to complement the tracks already processed with these.


Here´s my mix:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AQN3N5 ... sp=sharing

[CantusPro]

Hi all,

Here is my submission:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vvgswdylm1dnp ... o.wav?dl=0

Samplerate: 44,100 Hz
Bitrate: 24 Bit
dBTP: -3 dB
Integrated Loudness: -18 LUFS
Mix Length: 5 min 45 sec

Here are my plugins:
Drums: NLS for trim, JJP Drums for color
Riser FX: NLS for trim, JJP Cymbal for color
Drum/FX Subgroup: Neutron for control, VEQ for pocketing

Bass: NLS for trim, JJP Bass for color
Bass Subgroup: Neutron for control, VEQ for pocketing

Vox: NLS for trim, JJP Vox for color
Vox Subgroup: Nectar for control, VEQ for pocketing

Bkgd (copy of Vox): NLS for trim, JJP Vox for color, LittleAlterBoy and MChorusMB for width
Bkgd Subgroup: Neutron for control, VEQ for pocketing

Pad: NLS for trim, JJP Strings for color
Arp: NLS for trim, JJP Strings for color
Synth: NLS for trim, JJP Strings for color
Pad Subgroup: Neutron for control, VEQ for pocketing

Synth Motion: NLS for trim, GTR for color, JJP Strings for homogenization
Synth Motion Subroup: Neutron for control, VEQ for pocketing

Guitar: NLS for trim, GTR for color, JJP Guitars for homogenization
Violins: NLS for trim, JJP Guitars for homogenization
Serum Lead: NLS for trim, GTR for color, JJP Guitars for homogenization
Lead Subgroup (Guitar, Violins & Synth Motion): Neutron for control, VEQ for pocketing

Neoverb for reverbs

Here is my note:
I did not add any parallel compression, emotion tracks.

Thank you,
-Cantus

[PGPMixing]

Hello,

first of all: thanks to the provider for this emotional and almost epic piece of music. It was a bless to work with. Nice chromatic elements in the chord progression.
Here is my submission for this song.

I took a rather creative approach to the song - using much volume, panning and stereo automation. I wanted to make the track breathe and build up until the lead synth comes in. I also wanted to point out the emotionally strongest part of the composition: the part where the drums fade out completely and the strings come up front.

I also wanted to reduce the amount of reverb and delay effects. If everything is wet, nothing is wet.

Here are my plugins and settings:

Mixed in the box with FL Studio 20.

Kick 1 - EQ for sound and compression (transient shaping)
Kick 2 - EQ: only low mids and mids are left, gives a complementary "knocking" sound to the primary kick
Snare 1 - EQ, compression (transient shaping), saturation (transient cut & distortion) added a fat high-passed reverb to it
Snare 2 - EQ (complementary to Snare 1), left it completely dry
Internsare - EQ
Hats - EQ, compression (transient shaping) & LFO on panning for a randomly "moving" sound
Drum Bus w/o kick - stereo compression for a "rolling" drum sound

FX (risers etc) - stereo placement & EQ

Bass Hold - EQ (only bass and sub is left, area around 200 Hz lowered) & saturation for more upper harmonics
Bass Stab - EQ & short delay effect

Guitar - dry signal in mono & wet in stereo, complementary EQ on wet guitar so that there are no conflicts with the mono guitar
Pads - EQ & tasteful stereo placement, reverb on some pads
Synths - mainly EQ & tasteful stereo placement, reverb on some synths
Synth Motion - EQ, automated panning and stereo placement, no compression (i really liked the popping dynamics on this one)
Lead Synth - very little volume automation to leave the emotional dynamics, EQ, distortion, stereo placement

Violins - EQ, dynamic EQ, reverb, stereo placement, no compression (the dynamics are great!)

Vocals - EQ, compression, volume automation, saturation, dynamic EQ, reverb, delay

There are also some very small sidechain structures between instrument groups going on (compression & dynamic EQ) to fit everything together.

Samplerate: 44.100 Hz
Bitrate: 24 Bit
Integrated Loudness: -18.7 LUFS
Short Term Max: -15.0 LUFS

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qyItkH ... sp=sharing

Regards,
PGPMixing

[cdj1000]

Hi
This is my mix : Blue in grey
Daw : Studio one 5
Main plugin SSL Native
Other plugin : SO, Waves
measurments

Compress side chain on Bass Hold and Kick2 triggered by Kick1
Reverb on Snare2, Hihat, Rob Papen and Motin Synth
Chorus on Bass slabs
Delay on Rob Papen and lead vocal (high freq)
Plate on Lead vocal and Sarum lead
Compressor and saturation on drum bus
master bus SSL compressor and CLA in limiter mode

[ConcreteMixer]

Had fun with this one! I really appreciate the opportunity to mix it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xwqsxatwxaoq0 ... r.wav?dl=0

General Mix Notes:

• Mixed in Ableton Live 9

Drums:

• FabFilter Pro-C on drum bus for some glue effect
• Added some tape saturation/distortion to the drums to give them some added crunch using uHe’s Satin

Guitar:

• Used Klangehelm IVCI at the beginning of the chain to drive the guitar a bit more

Vocals:

• Added a bright parallel compression channel for the lead vocal boosting around 10 kHz and heavily compressed the signal then blended it with the main vocal
• Automated some delay for the vocals in the verse part and then just added it to the end to give the vocals that echoey sound in the end

Synths

• Mostly just panning and EQ
• For the violins, I used a Valhalla Room Room preset called LV-426 and just played around with the mix (29.5%) until it sounded really nice and big

Master Bus:

• Added a small amount (around -2-3dB of GR) of bus compression on the master using Ableton’s stock Glue Compressor (Cytomic) to glue the mix together

Loudness:
• Metering via YouLean Loudness Meter 2
• -18.6 LUFS (integrated)
• -2.0 dB True Peak

[Eduardo Dinis]

Hi!

Great fun mixing this track!

DAW: Pro tools

Here is my track: https://www.dropbox.com/s/r35ivygagwegj ... s.wav?dl=0

KICK: basic eq and compression. kick 2 with subtle saturation
SNARE: Basic eq.
Hats: D-esser
DRUM BUSS: subtle compression
DRUM Effects: Distortion and flanger automated in different sections throughout the song to give different impacts and interest.
Intersnare: Low mid small dip and phaser.

Bass Hold: LPF, compression and LFO eq to create a bit of motion in certain sections
Bass stabs: small boost around 120Hz with low shelf dip at 100Hz. Saturation and compression
BASS BUSS: sidechain compression with the kick

Synths and pads: mainly HPF to get rid of some low frequencies in order to get some space for kick and bass.
Rob Papen RG: HPF, compression and LFO assigned to the eq to create movement.
Arpegg: finisher micro with autopan varispeed mode to enhance the tension. compression to stabilise it the previous move.
SQ Harsh: HPF and sent to digital clipping and 1/16 delay

VIOLINS: HPF, chorus effect, saturation and slight compression

Vocal: compression to level the vocal, EQ with low mid automation to achieve different intimate zones, compression, and D-esser

Vocal effects: Reverb in the whole track, delay in the chorus, chorus effect automated througout the different sections to complement the automated low mid EQ. in the build up a pitch shifter used in parallel with 4 semi tones to create a small interest and tension in the main vocal.

a lot of automation to bring dynamics between parts in order to create different impacts between sections.

[JulienMeirone]

Hi guys,

i had a lot of fun mixing this track. Here what i used :

EQs: fabfilter pro q3, bx ssl j9000, bx digital v3, soothe 2, api, pultech
Compressors : Arousor, cla76, cal2a, cla3a, rcompressor, cl1b, rvox, c6, fabfilter MB, izotope dynamics, shadow hills, dbx
Saturation : devil loc, decapitator, saturn 2 , rc 20, bx saturator, inflator, VCC, lindell 80 bus
Modulations: neoverb, seventh heaven, valhalla room plate and vintage verb, enigma, echoboy, microshift

Here some screeshots of the session : https://www.dropbox.com/s/fwe79n5yr7h68 ... s.zip?dl=0

Here the mix in wav 44/24 : https://www.dropbox.com/s/zf8rv1trb18sr ... e.wav?dl=0

Stay safe. Faithfully.

[TrueFlowStudio]

Greetings everyone!

First of all, I have to say this is my first attempt at mix challenge, I hope I won't throw garbage in your ears . Should it be the case, or not, I would truly appreciate any kind of feedback.

A warmfull thank to Patrick Lord, great material, very tasty and with a very personnal aesthetic. I can't see any obvious references indeed, I agree we could think to Dream Thater to some exent, but once again it sounds very personnal, and that's definitly great.

Please find my version here : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e63rjw ... sp=sharing
And the loudness level here : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CpOeRe ... sp=sharing

Regarding the mix, at first listen I felt in love with the guitar part. So dynamic and well executed. So as Patrik suggested I put a great focus on it. Then I tried to chain it with the motion synth (very interesting sonic feeling too), then the strings, in order to have the space filled with different instruments in different parts.

The bridge part was a bit empty for me, I decided to give a try at something. You'll read more details on that in the automation part.

I've worked with the dry audio when wet parts were provided, in order to keep fine control recreating the original intent. That's probably not a great success, and it sounds not so achieved compared to the original one, but I've learned much doing this way.

A few words on the process:
- Drums
Not much on drum part : a bit of frequency separation between kick and bass, a bit of compression, a bit of drum bus compression afterward

- Bass
A very few audio edits on the holded bass to smooth the end of the track

- A lot of EQing in the low mids and mids to separate guitars and synths

- Guitar
Work on guitar stereo effects, delay, verbs, ...

- Pads
EQing, a bit of modulation on Haunt H

- Synths
Motion synth stereo effect, in the same spirit as the guitar part
Sound crafting with delay, distortion and phaser on Lead, transient shaping on Tops
A bit of compression on Arpeggiator

- Strings
A bit of EQing and a light Chorus

- Voice
Very nice, punchy and in the mood of the track, not much to perform in my opinion
A few edits on gain starting on the second chorus to smooth the work of the compressor
Slight compression with CLA2A, and 2 reverbs : one to add air between the singer and the mic, and a plate for the colour

- FX
On top of guitars, synths and voices already listed, 2 additionnal reverb bus for the overall intruments placement

- Automation
Some adjustments to lead voice, motion synths and strings.
For the bridge part, I've tried to bring some dynamic distortion and filterging with a Saturn from FabFilter to give this part a stronger identity. Hope you won't feel offended with this harsh treatment Patrick .

- Very gentle API compression on mix bus

I think I'm done with the summary, please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.

Have a great day/evening/night everyone!

[Elver]

Greetings!

I love this song! Thank Patrick Lord, these tracks are full of imagination，it gives me tons of creative thought, and to mix it I have been experiencing that grey/blue mood for like 3days I must say I try to feel you through this song.

I truly appreciate any kind feedback on my mix.

here is my mix:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PIfIdq ... sp=sharing

General Mix notes:

DAW: Protools 2020

Drums: fabfilter Q3 to clean out some freq I don't want
Softube Console1 4000E to shape and make it bigger
Also Acustica Audio Purple3M5 for the Beefy tone

Guitar: AcuticaAudio Tape and Fabfilter q3

Synth: Fabfilter q3 and SSL x-saturator

Vocal: Soothe 2 to make it smooth
Soundtoys DevilLoc and echo boy
AA EL REY compressor for the analog sound
Seventh-heaven Reverb
Maag eq2 for the high end

MasterBuss: A little Saturation from softube saturation plugin
Fabfilter q3 for some M/S and Dynamic eq
Weiss DS1 hardware to Glue it together
Sonnox Limiter V3

Loudness: Waves WLM meter
-8.5 LUFS
-0.2 dB True Peak

[Mister Fox]

So, no need to say what tec I'm using it's all about to get into this song.

Please take note of the third post of this thread:
viewtopic.php?p=9073#p9073