Thanks, everybody, so far for making all the entries.
I have been listening to some great mixes entered.
So: Here we go!
A post full of adjustments to make for the Round 2 mixes,
for the candidates that made it,
excuse me for mentioning all the details.
Here they are..
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Round 2 candidates for Mix-Challenge MC088 October 2022, song: EatMe - Shift
in *alphabetical* order.
MC088__EatMe__Shift_Alexvanmixland
MC088__EatMe__Shift__Alanvaldez
MC088__EatMe__Shift__alavault
MC088__EatMe__Shift__andreybenassi
MC088__EatMe__Shift__Davias
MC088__EatMe__Shift__dewho
MC088__EatMe__Shift__Doobop
MC088_EatMe_ForumFromAtoZMix << missing track name "Shift"
MC088__EatMe__Shift__GGIBSON1988
MC088__EatMe__Shift__maxovrdrive
MC088__EatMe__Shift__MFTWC
MC088__EatMe__Shift_PistolPete
MC088_EatMe_-_Shift_rvalle
MC088__EatMe__Shift__studio_equator
MC088__EatMe__Shift__Zajus
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All tracks have been listened to on monitor speakers, and headphones without bass boost.
The main commentary below is from listening on monitor speakers at mediocre and loud volume.
Extra notes from details listening on headphones are added.
Comments about each mix:
MC088__EatMe__Shift_Alexvanmixland
The track seems to have been limited, not too much, to good use.
The staccato synth tracks got exactly the desired pulsation.
I like the balance between all the tracks in the mix.
I especially like how the bass is treated and how good it still sounds when I turn up the bass and treble.
I am missing a bit of pulsation in the bass at some points (for example 169s, 193s).
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: good
MC088__EatMe__Shift__Alanvaldez
Very good work on gaining all tracks to a good level.
Love the subtle creative use of fx. Unique sound.
Kick drum is maybe too overpowering.
Missing the staccato strikes of track 1a 1b especially at 3:00 there is much
more present staccato note strikes in the original that make the harmony.
The loudness specs were not met. (-0.10 dB / -0.10 dB dBTP)
Speaker listening: The bass synth lacks mid/high tones and level perhaps. There is a little mid,
but no real tonality in the bass in its mid/high tones.
Headphone listening: There is a very noticeable undesired low rumble coming with the kick drum from 149 seconds in.
MC088__EatMe__Shift__alavault
Very good work on effecting and shifting some of the tracks.
Gainstaging at 100 (in) and 400 (out) seconds in quite step-wise, should be smooth(er).
Very nice sound overall, fix the gain stepping moments to smooth,
maybe a little less reverb wet mixed in which is now filling up silence in the groove between the staccato synths.
Speaker listening: apart from the step-wise gaining, good.
Headphone listening: The kick drum from the intro off sounds a little distorted in the lower bass.
The (first) kick drum also sounds noticably distorted in the later section with mausynth lead at 160 seconds and on.
MC088__EatMe__Shift__andreybenassi
At 64 and 72.5 seconds there is a very audible plop/click in the audio.
The mix is good and well balanced, and very creatively effected, the snare drum sounds really nice.
Very well treated tracks and gaining overall.
Speaker listening: good, but there is audio damage.
Headphone listening: good, but there is audio damage.
MC088__EatMe__Shift__Davias
The mix seems to have been limited, don't know if it makes it better.
The individual sound tracks have been well treated.
The snare drum maybe is a little too low in volume, and the finger snaps are not really hearable.
Some of the staccato synths are now not so staccato anymore, overall this mix still sounds good.
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: Overall there is a bit too much mid mid in the (high) synth chords in the intro and overall sound color.
MC088__EatMe__Shift__dewho
Very good subtle creative effect use and perfect balance and rhythmic momentum.
I love the extra pronounciation added to the bass synthesizer.
The loudness specs were not met (-0.85 dB / -0.14 dB dBTP) by just a little.
The kick drum track seems to have some variation from the original, it sounds okay though.
The synth introduced at the transition after 253s maybe comes in a bit sudden in level when you listen on softer volume.
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: good
MC088__EatMe__Shift__Doobop
Very cleansed up and effected mix, very well done. Good work on effecting whilst keeping it to the original song.
I'm missing the open hihats levels and sections in comparision to the closed hihat level.
The closed hihat also sounds replaced.. (with a lossy low bit-rate sample? the hihat quality is less good).
The latest kick drum at the outro is too loud (on high volume).
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: good, but the snare drum is mixed in too soft to hear.
MC088_EatMe_ForumFromAtoZMix
The track seems to have been limited, to good use.
There is a good movement going on in all sounds in this mix.
The track name Shift is missing from the filename.
The loudness specs were not met (-0.83 dB / -0.51 dB dBTP) (-12.7 LUFS).
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: good
MC088__EatMe__Shift__GGIBSON1988
Excellent mix. Very good work on the creative effect use and blending all sounds to a wonderful mix.
The ending (kick, cymbal) has introducing to it a quick step-wise, volume fade in suddenly.
Please level the ending down to the ends feel and make the transition in levels not so stepwise.
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: The kick drum is missing the click in the mid and it sounds, together with the bass, a bit muffled.
MC088__EatMe__Shift__maxovrdrive
Very good work on creatively effecting the tracks just a little.
The balance of all the synth tracks in the mix is splendid.
The swing kept at around 360 seconds in the synth tracks is great.
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: The ?distorted flanger? on the bass in the intro sounds a bit overdone.
The kick drum is a bit loud on headphones and peaks above the average level.
MC088__EatMe__Shift__MFTWC
There is a flanger on the hihat, with quite a fast rate, that replaced the good original sound of the hihat.
Maybe if the flanger on the hihat was more subtle in the track (more dry/less wet), maybe also better with a slow rate..
Good work on keeping all the synth strokes dynamic and the tracks sound balance.
Mausynth lead track is mixed in a little too loud, it overpowers the rest of the drums and synths in sound color and level.
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: good
MC088__EatMe__Shift_PistolPete
The track seems to have been limited, not too much, to good use.
The kick drum is missing at the part from 161 seconds off where it's really long without the kick drum.
The lower bass synth could have a little more pronouciation in the mid.
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: good, but I'm missing a little impact on the snare drum on headphones,
the snare drum does not have an initial plop or louder strike moment on headphones.
MC088_EatMe_-_Shift_rvalle
Excellently done. Very good mix.
Maybe get the accent back on the 1 2 3 4 in the synth hits (superwave p8, e-piano) (from 142-244 seconds and after 342 seconds).
The track seems to have been limited.
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: good, but I hear some undesirable tremolo effect in the instrumental last part.
MC088__EatMe__Shift__studio_equator
The track seems to have been limited, heavily.
I can almost not hear the some of the synth tracks in the mix.. But it's been to a good effect in some way.
The mix is good but really flat at low volume, maybe losing some dynamics.
The loudness specs have not been met (-8.10 dB / -8.36 dB dBTP) (-24.4 LUFS).
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: The 2nd kick drum and and snare drum clash, the snare drums peak is lost in the kick drum.
(maybe this is the limiting, maybe the snare needs, in its short attack, a little more hi tones or other low tones)
MC088__EatMe__Shift__Zajus
The superwave p8 synth has lost a bit of its staccato groove.
The synth tracks do not have as much momentum as the original.
The intro (gainstaging) is beautiful.
The snare drum is too snappy in its attack time and needs a longer initial attack peak.
The snare drum almost sounds replaced with a 808 snare, losing the original snare drum noise color and length.
The snaps have been mixed in at a too low volume to really hear them (on speakers).
Speaker listening: good
Headphone listening: good
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Thank you very much, participants. Good luck for Round 2!
I hope you are able to adjust your mixes (some a bit, some a bit more) according to the comments.
For everybody that did not make it into Round 2..
Thank you very much for participating.
Your effort is well appreciated: the competition was good,
the Round 2 candidates did even better.
Yours,
EatMe
