MIX CHALLENGE - MC086 June 2022 - Winners announced

[shroom feverish]

Hi

Shroom Feverish mix
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SJVRH6 ... sp=sharing

Intention was to bring out elements that create atmospheric mix with techno influences.
Bass region with thinner/shorter kick and perceptible presence of sub bass.
Synth sounds more forward in mix.
Fx sounds with added delays and reverbs.
Hats got mostly eq cuts and boosts
Percussions went through FabFilter Saturn, eq and different reverbs and delays.

Master bus – dynamic eq, spectral compression, smile eq, clipper.

[cpsmusic]

Hi Everyone,

Here's my entry for Mix Challenge 086.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eP6Yvf ... sp=sharing

Thanks to the song provider and to the contest organisers.

I found this to be a very interesting challenge for a couple of reasons. Firstly, as this is an "electronic" project, everything within it has been controlled by the producer from the outset. This means that the balances, tone, dynamics, etc. are all pretty much as the producer wants them, so it begs the question as to what should a "mixer" do that hasn't already been done? Secondly, on a practical level I initially found it a real challenge to identify sources within the mix. For example, after setting up a static balance, I found the overall tonality too bright. With an acoustic mix I'd be able to narrow this down to particular instruments with HF content pretty quickly, (e.g. cymbals, etc.). However in this case I was muting/soloing sources trying to find where something was coming from. Renaming the tracks would help although with abstract samples it becomes a challenge even to give them a meaningful name!

With the above in mind, I approached this mix with the following two main ideas - create a more "polished" tonal balance, and add a sense of space and depth to the mix.

In light of this being an electronic production, I thought I'd take a more top-down approach to the mix. I grouped the tracks into the following - Drums/Percussion, Bass, Synth, FX, Vocals, Spatial FX.

Each track had Flux Epure for HPF/LPF and a small amount of tonal shaping. Nembrini LoFi and Little Clipper were used on a few unruly percussion tracks.

Bus Processing was as follows:

Drums/Perc: mpressor, Black Box, TB EQ4
Bass: Little Clipper, RBass, P42, Slam (ducking)
Synth: Iron, P42
FX: Nil
Vocal: Nil
Spatial FX: Nil

Spatial FX were as follows:

Front Verb: PSP 2445 Bright Room
Middle Verb: Blackhole Biggest Reverb Evar
Back Verb: Valhalla Room Clear Hall
Stereo Slap: Instant Delay
Mono Slap: Instant Delay
1/2 Delay: Instant Delay
Dub Delay: Instant Delay, Kiive TapeFace

Mixbus was as follows:

Ozone 9 Jaycen Joshua Mixbus Preset
S1 Multiband Dynamics (high-end air)
Oxford Inflator
bx_refinement

Additional Techniques:

* Full mix and bass were ducked using the kick, using Dyna-Mite Slam.
* Side transients were enhanced using Newfangled Punctuate.
* I tried to create a different "space" for the breakdown section.

Specs:

48kHz/24-bit
-16.1 LUFS (int.)
-5.1 dBTP

Good luck to all contestants.

Cheers!

[_spafles_]

Hi guys,

Here is my mix:

MC086_7thPyramid_NoEscape_spafles.wav

Loudness:

- -18.3 LUFS integrated
- -2.1 dB True peak

Short summary:

On almost every channel:
- API 550A equalizer
- API 2500 compressor: ratio mostly around 3 with a Gain reduction of about 3dB

DeEsser:
- Hat 1 and 2, Shakers 1

Ping pong delay:
- Hat 1, Perc Snarey

Supertap delay:
- Scream, chant

Mondomod (panning, modulation effect):
- Main synth

No FX:
- both crash tracks, Fill, Main pad

On the "impact" channel:
- Ableton Erosion, phaser and filter delay

On the "dialogue" channel:
- "AM radio" style EQ

I've added 3 return tracks for colouring purposes. These are turned quite low in the mix, but add enough to my taste.
- Return 1: All tracks: Lewitt Polarizer + SSL comp: extra focus in the centre (turned off in the quiet parts)
- Return 2: All tracks: GTR amp simulator + API 2500 comp + L2 Limiter (extreme limiting): adding distorted "saturation"
- Return 3: Sub channels only: Ableton Saturator + SSL compressor: for adding a distorted sound, kinda like a bass guitar distortion.

Master bus (all quite subtle, mostly making the mix more coherent):
- Ableton saturator
- SSL comp
- API 2500 comp
- API 560 EQ
- IR-L hall reverb
- L2 limiter (to bring up level to about -18LUFS and add dithering)
- Youlean loudness meter 2

[Andreas_Ko]

Hi everyone,

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

I used very little EQ across all the tracks and most of it is subtractive since the tracks is already good sounding.
an EQ is the same on all over the tracks + several additive EQs for the sound shaping on several tracks.
compression was used as needed again with the same comp across all the tracks + a couple different comps on certain tracks for the color.
my FXs are 3 reverbs and 2 DDLs : 2 room reverbs, large hall, DDLs are only for the artistic sounds and they are not time synchronized very precisely.

[SuC76]

Hi,

hello everyone on the mix challenge and thanks for this song !


Here's the mix:

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


KICK EXTRA AND kick - subbed together, added parallel distressor comp.

SNARE - hp 300, added some bottom and tops, added 120 ms delay, synced

HIHAT1 - hp 160, added some tops

HAT2 - hp 160, added some tops

BONGOS - hp 100, some crush, added some 1/8 delay, synced

CHANT - hp 150, added some parr. delay, one is 1/8 dotted, second is 1/2 straight, synced

PERC KICK SUPPORT - hp 100, added some tops

PERC LOOP 1 - hp 100, added some tops

PERC LOOP 2 - hp 430, added some tops

MARCHING SNARE - hp 130, added some bottom and 5k shelf eq, some plate reverb

PERC SNARE - hp 300, added some plate reverb

PERC DRUM - hp 30, added some tops

FOLEY 1 - hp 100

FOLEY 2 - hp 200

FOLEY 3 - hp 300

SHAKERS 1 - hp 350, added some tops

SHAKERS 2 - hp 200, added some tops

RIDE - hp 350, added some tops

CRASH - hp 300, added some tops

CRASH AM - hp 400, added some tops

MAIN RIFF - hp 80

TAMB - hp 100, added somme tops

SQUARE SUB - mono, compressed, lp 60, copied to another trackm added some saturation and blended together

WARM SUB - hp 30

BASS HIT - hp 30

all 3 basses subbed together and added some SC to kick

MAIN SYNTH - hp 30, added some tops

VOX ATMOS - hp 200

DIALOGUE - hp 100, some saturation, added 1/8 dotted delay, synced

SCREAM - hp 80, some saturation, added some 1/2 dotted delay, synced

BACKGROUND - hp 80

IMPACT - hp 30

SWEET END - hp 30

FALL - hp 100

FX 1 - hp 30

IMPACT - hp 30

RAISER - hp 30

RISER SHORT - hp 500

ADDED SOME MASTER BUS COMPRESSION 4:1, few dB of GR



Bye.

[Mister Fox]

It is the 22nd June 2022, 00:15 UTC+1/CET - the first Mix Round has officially ended

Another very warm welcome to all new participants, nice meeting you and I hope you'll enjoy your stay. As usual, a huge thank you to everyone that is spreading the word about the Mix Challenge. Please help get the Songwriting Competition as popular (less than 3 days left).


STATISTICS:

• If I didn't miscount, we have 43 submissions this month (43 prior to the deadline, 00 after the deadline)
• We have 0 submissions after the deadline (as of 22-JUN-2022 0:15 UTC+2/CEST)
• We have 1 submission that could not be downloaded by the time of this post and is therefore disqualified (@takafinir, warning for @someswede as this entry is uploaded to WeTransfer)
• We have 0 submissions not submitted in public, but via PM (see Rule Book, post #6, Upload and Submission Guidelines)
• We have 0 submissions that have been withdrawn (but counts as entry within the deadline)
• Overview of Submissions - is your entry within given parameters? (PDF - updated: 25-JUN-2022 06:30 UTC+2/CEST, full sheet)
• Overview of Submissions (disqualifications only) (PDF - updated: 25-JUN-2022 06:30 UTC+2/CEST)

INFORMATION:
Statistic Sheets have been updated (on 25-JUN-2022 06:30 UTC+2/CEST)
Statistic Sheets are not available yet, please wait for the official announcement post -- sheets will arrive by mid 25-JUN-2022 latest
.

⚠	Moderation Message from Mister Fox
	Important Update: As of MC081, the Song Providers can now decide from the start, or once the Statistics Sheet has been provided, which route to go in terms of providing feedback. You can read more about this in the Mix Challenge - changes to main game (October 2021) thread. We will keep you updated which route our Song Provider goes.

.


I now open the field for everyone to give each other feedback (highly encouraged). This will be independent to the client feedback however.


Please watch this spot for the statistics sheet, client feedback and Mix Round 2 participant announcement.

Good luck to all participants.





The Songwriting Competition 58 (SWC58) is still in full swing.
The deadline is 24th June 2022, 23:59 UTC+2/CEST. The genre is "Jazz" ("Late Spring Cleaning"). So far we have 3 entries, with (sadly) slow interaction.

Please spread the word!

[scottfitz]

hi all,
great job everyone, I've listened to all the mixes and there's such an abundance of great work and cool ideas that have gone into this challenge. I particularly loved @JeroenZuiderwijk version and makes me wish I'd done a more creative mix.

As a topic for discussion, I have been thinking about compression. On this mix I barely used any because I kept asking myself what is the point of adding compression here? The answer was I didn't want it, every time, I'd rather have the more 'real' dynamics. if you listen to a live drummer it sounds great to have the sound hit you that hard. Sometimes I wonder if compression is a bit of a devil, we are seduced with it because the overall sound of the track is louder, but yet you can just turn up the less compressed track and then you experience the full dynamic range. I'm sure that the answer is that the transients coming from uncompressed drums will be either too dominant, or if you turn down the drums they will become too quiet, there is no position for the fader that will make the drums equal to the rest of the track nicely. But if this is the case, shouldn't the answer be to play the drums in a softer way, or to have a band in which the drums do sit with the other sounds instead of trying to force it together with compression? I dunno I had a classical music upbringing and so I think I've had this traditional attitude bred into me. Something about music with lots of compression always seems unsatisfying to me, like we've all taken this wrong turning and we need to get back to finding the magic of dynamics.

Perhaps someone else here has a better way of thinking about this tool?

Anyway well done again to all, is great to participate alongside such a talented lot of mixers.
Cheers

[Jorgeelalto]

hi all,
great job everyone, I've listened to all the mixes and there's such an abundance of great work and cool ideas that have gone into this challenge. I particularly loved @JeroenZuiderwijk version and makes me wish I'd done a more creative mix.

As a topic for discussion, I have been thinking about compression. On this mix I barely used any because I kept asking myself what is the point of adding compression here? The answer was I didn't want it, every time, I'd rather have the more 'real' dynamics. if you listen to a live drummer it sounds great to have the sound hit you that hard. Sometimes I wonder if compression is a bit of a devil, we are seduced with it because the overall sound of the track is louder, but yet you can just turn up the less compressed track and then you experience the full dynamic range. I'm sure that the answer is that the transients coming from uncompressed drums will be either too dominant, or if you turn down the drums they will become too quiet, there is no position for the fader that will make the drums equal to the rest of the track nicely. But if this is the case, shouldn't the answer be to play the drums in a softer way, or to have a band in which the drums do sit with the other sounds instead of trying to force it together with compression? I dunno I had a classical music upbringing and so I think I've had this traditional attitude bred into me. Something about music with lots of compression always seems unsatisfying to me, like we've all taken this wrong turning and we need to get back to finding the magic of dynamics.

Perhaps someone else here has a better way of thinking about this tool?

Anyway well done again to all, is great to participate alongside such a talented lot of mixers.
Cheers

Well in this genre for example, we definitely use much less compression than you would think -- most of the times it's either soft or hard clipping to reduce dynamic range for drums and other sounds. Compression might be used more frequently to glue busses together, but still...

[shroom feverish]

Compressors can be used for ADSR manipulation.

[Jorgeelalto]

One more awesome contribution from the artist. I also loved the original mix. It felt better than the references.

My mix →

I established the general balance, and started my processing top-down, with the mixbus and sub-groups. On the mixbus, I had a couple of tape emulators, an SSL-style compressor with 2db GR, and an EQ. The mixbus EQ did most of the tone shaping, which is unusual to me. Most notably, it had a 4+ db shelf boost from 600hz. Alternatively, I tried to get the same tone from group EQing, but preferred the move on the mixbus, it felt more coherent.

On the individual tracks, most of the processing was slight EQing and saturation, rarely compression to add a bit of movement. Quite a few things had inserted reverbs. For example, I pushed a few percussive elements back in the room.

Hey delicate, I'm unable to download this file Edit: I couldn't with Safari but I managed to download it with Firefox