MIX CHALLENGE - MC094 October 2023 - Winners announced

[EmClrk]

I've seen Pray for Hayden's name on gig posters at the Fulford Arms and maybe elsewhere in York so it's good to hear what you guys are up to!

Wow, small world eh?! Yes we've played at the Fulford Arms in York many a time, it's one of our favourite venues!
Many thanks for submitting a mix, I'm having a listen to it now. Excellent documentation too btw, it's great to read the thoughts behind your mix decisions
All the best
Ben

It's a great venue and was much needed in York especially after Fibbers and Duchess closed. Small world indeed!

[Punchipum]

I made a sidechain phase shifted kick triggered bass cut (Hi Dan Worrall) to get the bass out of the way of the kick in the lowest register when needed. Added a chorus effect for the Andy Wallace stereo efffect thingy too.

Is this a trick from some Dan Worrall video? Where can I watch it?

[Zsolt]

Hi,
Here is my mix: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9uorjzze ... qw7r9&dl=0

I mixed in Pro Tools

Drums: Kick - I used SSL e-channel for boost and Q4 eq for cut, compressor dbx-160
Snare - SSL e channel, compressor dbx-160
Snare bus - Lofi and API-550A for eq
Toms - PuigTecEqP1A, compressor Kramer PIE
Overheads - Q3, Eoisis E2De-esser
Drums Aux - Compressor Chandler Limited, PuigChild670, Reverb Altiverb
Drum Bus - SSL e-channel, Phoenix II
Bass: Bass Amp - SSL 9000J, Sans-amp
Bass DI - SSL 9000J, Low Control
Bass Bus - Kramer HLS, SSL e-channel, Pulsar 1178
Guitars: SSL e-channel, Q3 for cut, Compressor CLA-3A, Phoenix II
Main Vocal: SSLEV2 channel, Phoenix II, CLA-76, Reverb: LX480 short reverb, Transatlantic Plate Reverb for long reverb, Slap BBD delay
Backing Vocals: Q3, Phoenix II, CLA-76, Reverb: LX480 short reverb, Transatlantic Plate Reverb for long reverb, Slap BBD delay, Spread - H910
Synths: Focusrite SC
Mix Bus: SSL comp, PuigTecEq, Virtual Tape Machine

Cheers,
Zsolt.

[EmClrk]

I made a sidechain phase shifted kick triggered bass cut (Hi Dan Worrall) to get the bass out of the way of the kick in the lowest register when needed. Added a chorus effect for the Andy Wallace stereo efffect thingy too.

Is this a trick from some Dan Worrall video? Where can I watch it?

https://youtu.be/O8zIJ0A--lI?t=613

The technique I mentioned starts from there but the whole series on parallel filters is great

[EchoOread]

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

Great song and performance! I enjoyed mixing it. Thanks for letting us have a shot at it.
It's a Punk-pop song and quite fast, so I wanted to keep everything accordingly, short snappy snare, short kick beater, etc.
I also thought that the mix should be a little bright for this genre. All efforts are geared toward that.

Guitars: bus all to an aux and treated with Gate/comp/EQ
Snare: Flipped phase on bottom and treated them with gate/comp/EQ. Paralleled.
Kick: flipped phase, paralleled to get beater. Same processors as snare
Bass: used both. DI for the top and amped for bottom
Synths: HP/LP
Vocal: HP/comp/EQ

[Bonav]

Hi everyone here is my mix:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/r0zhah4j ... k70rb&dl=0



It was a really cool song to work on thank you !

I thought I’d struggle to mix pop punk without drum samples but it worked with how it was record, great idea to separate cymbals and the rest of the kit !



DRUMS:

Kick: Added lot of attack and body with eq and exciter , also used smack attack to add punch and shorten the kicks 

Snare: Same things, eq and transient shaper to get that exciting snare sound (used torque to bring some lows) 

Both kick and snare are sent to a bus for parallel compression

SSL channel on the other drum tracks (+ heavy compression on the room track)
SSL bus on the drum buss

BASS:

Little eq on each bass track then sum to a bus
On the bus then I used eq and compression, a touch of smooth operator for dynamic eq and some saturation to help it cut through

GTR:

Guitars were quite challenging ! Had to find the right blend between tracks, eq on each track but really different , then added lot of highs on the GTR bus and also some dynamic eq

SYNTHS: 

Only some filters 



VOX:

I Started by controlling the dynamic with a limiter so my compressors won’t have to work to hard 
Used different eq’s , some dynamic eq as well
Then I added this JPP vocals , it’s an old plugin but works well !
Finally I used a de-esser and some microshift to help with vocal placement
For effects I used CLA epic and a parallel compression bus

BGVS:

Classic eq and compression and the CLA vocals plugin , then I added even more compression to control those peaks (also sent to the same reverb as the main vocal)

MIX BUS:

Api 2500 comp, overstayer MAS (saturation), masterplan (it’s a all in one master plugin , it sounds really good I was surprised, I used it only for eq and stereo excitement) , some soustractive eq with ProQ3 and finally a de-esser/ high frequency limiter

[jaywoolcott]

I hope this is correct place to post my entry. My mix can be downloaded from the following location https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mdb1flus ... 5w418&dl=0

This was a really fun track to mix, well recorded and performed. Thank you to all involved.

ITB in Pro Tools, lots of UAD, Softube and Plugin Alliance (a little Fabfilter too).

[Piotr]

Hi!
Here is my mix:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U1OVqX ... sp=sharing

Notes:
General:
- Mix full ITB: Cubase, mostly with Plugin Alliance plugins, and UAD 1176, LA2A and Tape Studer
- On all channels inserts I start with emulating the Neve (Lindell 80 series) console and on almost all of them I use the preamp and eq module. And often the next one insert is SSL 4000 E (Brainworx) to get a few more equalizer spots, and sometimes a compressor but also some character.
- On many tracks I used additional saturation with Looptrotter Saturate 2, HG 2, or Tape Studer A800.
- Some volume automations

Routing:
- grouping of instruments of a given type (here a few more eq movements or compression) and then combined into two paths:
- instrumental (here also light compression by API 2500 Lindell SBC,) and vocals
- then summed on the MAIN bus channel, where I used compression, Bettermaker (pultec type eq), saturation (Black Box HG-2, Looptrotter Saturate 2) and FAST limiter (for saturation module, almost no Gain Reducion).

Drums: bus: eq, compression type API 2500,
Snare with Acme Opticom compressor, Snare has one send to additional channel where I make parallel compression, and eq, to blend with original. Kick with EQ, 1176 and bit of transient designer.

Bass: both tracks merged into one group, with EQ, API 2500,

Guitars: Panning - wide stereo, sharp left right and one of Tom’s guitar at center. When it comes to the guitars, I wanted to emphasize the palm mutting parts, which adds some extra rhythm here.

Synths: panned between the guitars and the center. Cut out in the middle, top added. I left them a little further than the guitars.

Vocals: stack of 2x 1176s and LA2A. Likewise the backing vocals. Some breaths lowered/cuted.

FX buses: Mostly for Drums and vocals with different proportions:
Reverb “Room” (Roomworks) / Rever “Long” (ReVelation) / Reverb Plate (Arturia Plate) / Delay (Multitap delay)

Very good prepared tracks! That was a great idea with separately recorded cymbals and shells!
It was a pleasure!

[SuC76]

Hi,

thanks, Mix Challenge and Pray For Hayden for the opportunity to mix this nice song.


Here is my mix:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DhN7eJ ... share_link



Kick_CH - parallel comp. FG-Stress, stock eq. some 60Hz, 2.5 and 8k , some short rev.
Kick_CH copy - added some drive

Snare Top
Snare Bott.
Snare Top copy - added some drive
SNARE SUB - parallel comp. FG-Stress, stock eq. some 200 Hz, 2.5 and 7k, dip at 700 Hz, some short rev.

Tom Mid.
Tom Floor
TOMS SUB - some CLA76 comp. - stock eq. some bott. and tops , few dB. - some reverb

OH Cymb
OH Shells
OH SUB - some low roll off, added some tops, stock eq

Room - some low roll off,cla-76 added some tops, stock eq

Bass DI
Bass Amp
Bass DI - copy , added modulation fx, slightly added only on choruses
BASS SUB - sidechain comp. on kick, few dB, some saturation.

GTRS - all to same group, sidechain comp. on Ash vocs., few dB , cla-3a , some top and bott eq. FG-N

Synth 1 LR
Synth 2 LR
SYNTH SUB - stock eq. added some bott. and tops

ASH voc. - stock eq. roll some lows,cla-76 blue, Pultec Eq. some 100 Hz and tops, some short rev. and slap delay
ASH voc. - copy - added some modulatiox fx on choruses
ASH voc. - copy - added some fuzz on choruses
- some delay automation during the song

Back vocs. - all to one group, some hi and low pass. cla-76, added some tops with stock eq. some slap and large hall


Master Bus - Bus Compressor2 , 4:1, 1ms attack, auto rel. few dB of GR

There's also some vol. automation on some tracks and on master bus.

Bye.

[Locrais]

Hi everyone,

Cool song, had fun mixing it.
Mostly done in the box using only Acustica Audio plugins and soothe2 on tracks and groups.
On the mix buss I used an homemade tube compressor inspired by a BA 6A and back in the box Gullfoss.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y3cfAt ... sp=sharing