MIX CHALLENGE - MC090 February 2023 - Winners announced

[GeorgeCorg]

Hi, nice song to work on!

I had a blast working on it and without even noticing I was dancing alongside the song during work, nice job Cristian!

A little about the process:
I mainly focused on the vibe, and as mentioned above, I wanted to get as much groove from it as possible in order to dance to it,
thus I emphasized and spread tracks around to achieve that.

First things when opening a project, I make sense of the tracks, balance them with volume, get a listen of how the song sounds, if the DIs are provided I listen to what sound was chosen by the artist and try to decide if there is a need to change anything in the tracks, I want to make sure the tracks work with each other prior to applying any FX.
In this case I changed the sound of the lead acoustic guitar sound(the intro one) to make it more natural sounding and changed the sound of the rhythm electric guitar track.

When I was happy with the sounds I got and they worked for me I started to apply all kinds of effects, mainly EQ and Compression.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VBJfO5 ... share_link

[jake sg]

What a great song. A real pop gem. The hook line definitely has potential for a hit.
It was a lot of fun mixing these very well recorded tracks.

I hope you like my mix: https://www.dropbox.com/s/aj2vfv873yab5 ... n.wav?dl=0

Drums: I used saturation on almost all tracks to make the somewhat dreary and sample-sounding drums more interesting. Above all, Abbey Road, Blackbox Analog Design HG-2 and the new Magma Tube from waves were used. On the kick, snare and toms I did the sound shaping this time mainly with a multi-band compressor (C6 from waves). This was the best way to bend the static sounds. Kick gots some subs from bx_sub.
I also used saturation to create harmonics on the overhead and room, and used the Scheps Omnichannel and Izotops Neutron for EQ.
The drum bus was fitted with Soundtoys Tape, HG2 and New York style compression.

The claps gave me some trouble, I would have liked to have had a different sample here. But with Soundtoys TransientShaper, CLA76, C6 and HG2 I got the sound a bit shorter, stronger and darker because it fits better with the snare. I also advanced the clap track by 10ms.

For Bass i used CLA Bass (really 1st time ;-) ) and added double saturation with HG2 and Magma Tube. RBass from Waves added some subs.

I edited the sound of the acoustic rhythm guitar a little differently for the verse and chorus. I also doubled the track with a Hass delay and panned L/R. The Amek 2098 and Neutron were used for sound processing. Here, too, strong harmonics with saturation were added.
The original amp track was used for the acoustic solo guitar and edited with Magma Tube and CLA76 and Neutron. It was also converted to a stereo signal with bx_stereomaker.
The funk guitar was re-amped with Presonus Ampire. In addition, Cymatics Diabolo was used for a bit more bite and the MannyM Tone Shaper for the sound.

The HG2 with its saturation was also used discreetly on the keyboards and the stereo width was increased using bx_solo.

All vocal tracks were pretreated with Nectar and optimized with the Milennia EQ and Neutron. Additionally, the CLA76 was used along with the Hill compressor for compression.

Vox-Back 3 was difficult to integrate. Especially the last line (tacos) doesn't fit that well rhythmically to the lead vocals. So I decided on a kind of ghost whisper and realized it with extreme compression and extreme EQ.

A 6/12ms slap delay without feedback for depth gradation was used for effects, a vocal preset was selected with Epic, only a small additional space for the drums. div. Delay for the solo guitars. The snare got a nonlinear reverb from the TC6000 to make it a bit fuller.

On the master bus, the Townhill was used for the glue and EQ adjustments were made to the sound curve using Izotope. A limiter was used to eliminate just some nasty peaks. And to add some warmness again the Magma Tube was used on the master.

Greetings from Berlin
TOM

nice mixing bro

[TomImmon]

nice mixing bro

Thanks a lot, Jake

[m_tree]

Thanks for this multitrack. Nice song and performance. I like the video, too.

This time I focused primarily on the learning aspect and practice. I compared my mix with the reference mixes (including the youtube version) and some others while mixing and questioned some of my approaches.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nblh5aisyn438 ... e.wav?dl=0

Lead vocals
At first I limited the highest peaks and cut out 1.5 dB at 400 Hz. I ended up using black 1176 compression (4:1) after experimenting with parallel compression (blue 1176, fast and aggressive) and LA2A compression on the bus.
I further kept it simple here with subtle de-essing, cutting some lows (shelf) and boosting some mids (broad bell) and treble (shelf) with the SSL 4k-E. Post-FX volume automation.
Sent to an EQed delay, which is sent to a plate reverb. Both tracks are panned in different directions.
I also added two shortly delayed, slightly pitch shifted and 100% L/R panned tracks to produce a light stereo effect.


Drums, percussion and FX tracks
All these tracks are finally treated on one bus with some soft-clipping, subtle 2nd order distortion and EQ (two different EQs for cutting and boosting). After I've tried two different compressors on the bus I decided so leave the drums almost uncompressed (without classic compression at all). I don't like parallel compression on drums and added just a parallel track for the kick with limiting and a presence-boost to strengthen the quiet hits. I distorted the room instead of compressing it and added three differently adjusted and EQed plate reverbs for the snare, kick+toms and percussion+FX. There was a harsh frequency near 3 kHz of the ride cymbal bell which I tamed on overheads, ride and room. Used a transient shaper to smooth out the hi-hat, ride, crash, belltree and tambourine a bit.
Volume automation of the crash cymbal and hi-hat. The whole bus is automated louder at the fills.

I was wondering how the drums were created. Because to my ears this is definitely not a real drum recording. But they sound fine, actually more 'real' than artifical and fit the track good.


Bass
I like 'in your face' mixed basses which are hearable also on very small speakers - if the setting demands or allows.
FX-chain: Limiting of the highest peaks, Waves Bass Rider, 4:1 compression with the SSL 4k-E, adding some subbass with Waves LoAir (without the actual 'LoAir'), gentle distortion with pure 2nd order harmonics and a boost at 1.3 kHz.
Post-FX volume automation.


Guitars
Acoustic solo: limiting, 3rd order distortion, cut bass and low mids with the 4k-E, LA3A compression, boost at 4k (actually 5k) with another EQ
Electric rhythm: 'chirurgical' EQ in the midrange (two bells), LA3A compression, cut bass and low mids with the SSL 4k-E (HPF and low shelf).
Electric solo: Like the 'electric rhythm' just with different EQ settings after the compressor.
Acoustic (rhythm) guitar: 'chirurgical' EQ (two bells), limiting of the highest peaks, taming bass and low mids with a dynamic EQ, cut out in the lower mids for the vocals with the SSL 4k-E (HPF and low shelf). Tamed the grinds on the strings with volume automation. Smoothed it out a bit with a transient shaper.

All in all I added four differently delayed tracks and another plate reverb to create ambience for the guitars. One delay with volume automation.
I used the amped tracks only.


Keys
Rhodes: Compression and EQ of the SSL 4k-E. Sent to a haas delay with volume automation.
Organ: Compression and EQ of the SSL 4k-E.
Piano: Compression and EQ of the SSL 4k-E.
Bus: Broad bandpass at 1 kHz to focus the midrange. Sent to a plate reverb.
Post-FX volume automation of the single tracks.


Strings
Compression and EQ of the SSL 4k-E, broad bandpass at 1 kHz to focus the midrange. Sent to a plate reverb.


Backing vocals
Cutted out the noise at 2:40 on 'back2'.
All tracks (separate editing): SSL 4k-E - cut out some bass with the HPF and low shelf and some treble with the LPF, post-EQ compression (3:1, short release). Followed by de-essing. 'Artificial back octave' and 'back3' are sent to different haas-delays.
The whole bus is sent to the lead vox delay.

I used the transient shapers to flatten, not to sharpen the transients. Apart from the delays I used one reverb for the electric rhythm and acoustic guitar, the keys and the strings.


Masterbus
1.5:1 compression with fixed attack and release ('Elysia Alpha Master', stereo mode), Ozone 7 Vintage Tape, subtle refinement with two EQs, volume automation to decrease the volume of the acapella part and increase the volume of the last choruses a bit.


Good luck to all participants.
Cheers!

[Davri]

The filename template is:
MC090__Cristian_Condrea__Big_Eyes__Davri.wav
Hi, this is my second mix and is mixed in headphones.





https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xvtwjs ... share_link

[Eclipse]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EioY9e ... sp=sharing


I had two personal goals on this mix, that I achieved:
First was to use BX Focusrite Channel Strip on every tracks and see the result of this (I've needed to reduce THR and V noise Gain for that).
Second was to build some nice echoes on chorus.

Starting from basics - listening dry tracks, here and there adjusting some volume levels.

Next moving on to vocals, adding BX console on lead vocal, general equing and compressing to get balance. Then doing the same things with vocal harmonies but also panning.
Then taking care of (in this order) rhytm accoustic guitars bass and synths, doing the same things on it and also adjusting the settings of vocals little more to get nicer balance. Vocals bus track has also bus compressor in parallel to gluing a little more vocals.

Next the drums, begin from adjusting pannnings, adding BX consoles, adjusting volumes etc. to nice correspond to the rest of instruments.
The drums bus has also some additional eq, bus comp for glue and Lindell 80 Neve strip for color.

Having some dry but stabile mix it was time to build some reverbations and delays. Starting from overall room reverb on one track, using some old fashioned Lexicon reverb inpulses (480L and PCM 70). Sedning there all of my tracks and adjusting the levels of sends, also a little touch of compressor for glue. Next went with additional snare reverb on separate tracks, also sending there toms and claps, because it sounds nicer in this case.

Then I've moved into some more details care, starting from adding another reverb track, more distinguished one for vocals and guitars.
Adding also delay vocals (Valhalla Delay - HiFi, Past mode with automation) for choruses.

The final stage was solo guitars, adding some more reverbs and delays only for this fragments, also adding a little more colors to electric guitar solo, by using Ignite Amps TS-999 pedal on one of two electric guitar solo tracks and some Klanghelm SDRR2 Tube vibe on bus.

That's it.

Here and there I've added some additional eq plugins if I've needed to go more surgical. Also when I've found some clicks or dirt in tracks I get rid of it or changing slightly settings.

[scottfitz]

Hi all,
As usual I loved it, thanks to Cristian Condrea for allowing us the use of your work and to Mister Fox for hosting.

Here's the link to my mix.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mLIpaR ... share_link

Again I used the Michael Brauer approach 100% ITB and working on headphones as my room is acoustically very poor.

Notable settings:
-----------------------

Vox
Maag EQ4 +7dB @20kHz
TubeTech PE1C +2dB @1.5kHz (widest bandwidth)
TubeTech ME1B +2dB @1kHz
sent to a valhalla plate for verse and then adding a valhalla delay + valhalla shimmer on chorus

LA-2A doing 2dB GR max, I felt the vocal take was very consistent and didn't need much.

Bass
runs through fabfilter Saturn, on preset Dynamic Transformer. I've dialled in lots of Warm Transformer for the above 270Hz band and plenty of Subtle Transformer for the below 270Hz band. This helped the bass to be rich and punchy.

Drums
just basic EQ on each instrument, then Snares sent to Valhalla Room - SnareBigRoom, Room goes through API2500 started at Drum Smash preset
OH goes through API2500 started at Overhead Fattener preset

Guitars
Some multing used to give different sections a different panning position
Used an amp model for the opening solo

Keys

Rhodes
Germanium Compressor to add some warmth
1kHz, 1.5kHz and 5kHz added via TubeTech EQ
UAD Oxide Tape - crunchy keys preset

Piano
sent to 1/8th note delay using EchoBoy, splattered style

Organ
Used MaxxBass to warm it up
+5dB @100Hz and +8dB @12kHz via TubeTech, also 2dB dip @2kHz

MixBus
Germanium Compressor - Michael Brauer Mix Bus preset tweaked
+3dB @1kHz broadest bandwidth TubeTech
+3dB @16kHz broadest bandwidth TubeTech
bx townhouse compressor 2:1, 30ms attack, 100ms release, not doing less than 1dB GR

On the quieter middle section, I cut lower and higher frequencies to exaggerate the dynamic change.

Good luck all and remember the main thing is to enjoy music

[Alex Van mixland]

Hello,
Nice song.
Here is my mix:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19o1kn0 ... sp=sharing

Kick: I cuted some mids.
Snare: I cut unpleasant frequency, but i would not able too get bright enough so i eq OH to work with snare and add some shine.
Bass: compressor and a little bit mud cut.
Vocals: I controled vocal with compressor and also i cuted untwanted hash mids. I added delay and reverb but not too much.
Overrall: Overall: I tried to make a good balance.

Cheers!

[Mister Fox]

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[pabloAT]

Dear all,
Many thanks for the song provider for such a nice track to mix and to Mr. Fox for taking careful care of this game.

Please find below the Dropbox's link with my mix:
[Link for MC090]

Drums: used instances of saturation on most of the kits. I’ve tightened the whole drum sound with alignment and phase checking. Gluing the drum stem with just a bit of gain reduction using an emulator of classic RED-faced compressor and tape machine.

Bass: added saturation, a classical sequence of 2 compressors (76 + LA-2A) and tape machine.

Acoustic Guitars: just some frequency cleaning, and one instance of LA-2A.

Electric Guitars - Rhythmic: frequency cleaning, and one instance of LA-3 A / Solo: just a bit of extra saturation and a touch of H949 to widen the guitar sound.

Rhodes: clean the low end and console saturation.

Organ: clean the low end and vintage compressor to keep it under control.

Piano: console saturation + Fairchild compressor for heaviness.

Strings: added saturation and a bit of chorus.

Keys and strings were sent to an stem containing a tape machine.

Vocals: used saturation, Pye & MV2 compression, and a deeser.

Most tracks benefited from instances of Lexicon-like reverbs and the excellent EC-300 magnetic echo simulator.

Mixbuss: gentle bus compression (RED), Pultec-like EQ to reinforce the mids, and a tape machine at the bottom of the chain.

Best wishes,
Pablo