MIX CHALLENGE - MC098 June 2024 - Winners announced

[bluesation]

Thank you for choosing me into Round 2.

first of all I reworked the bass, to get the sound more prominent, but filling his space. Second I examined the drums. all in all, now it has a bit more width. Third, the back vocals were moved up in level to help the vocal parts to be more present. Also I changed some panning slightly. Last, I separated the guitar and piano a bit more. Together with the bass now we have a nice moving. On top I added some more automation, for more excitement. I hope you like it.

Here is the file: https://my.hidrive.com/lnk/VMjnJ5ur8

Ciao bluesation

[BenjiRage]

@Arnwyn, thank you very much for putting me through and giving me the chance to revise the mix. Dave's production notes and the mix feedback was very helpful in honing in on the sound I think you are after. In combination with some other points I and others had noted, this is what I have done to try and improve the mix:

• I've done quite a lot of work on the bass guitar sound, trying to maintain the bottom end but making the top end more audible. I had a room reverb on it, which I think was responsible for some of the washy/boominess - this has now been removed. I've also added some extra automation between some phrases and a slight chorus effect, which seemed to be present on a lot of the mixes where a "good bass sound" was noted.
• The drum kit in general is now more prominent, with some added low end on the kick. I played around with the levels of the kick, snare, toms and hi-hats to redress the balance.
• I think the "jangly" top end was coming from a combination of the guitar and the tape saturation plugin on the master bus over-exciting the highs. I've changed the balanced of the guitar tracks to compensate for this and moved the tape saturation to the vocal bus only as it still gives them a nice air, which was missing when removing it altogether.
• In combination with the guitar tweaks, some compression on the piano and a little bit of automation seems to have separated these instruments more.
• I've automated in some extra vocal reverb, similar to the coda, during the humming section so they don't sound quite as dry. I've also adjusted the balance between the lead and BVs in this section.
• Dave's backing vocals are now a little louder (around 1dB) as I didn't think I'd made them quite loud enough before.
• I've added a subtle triplet delay to the guitar tracks, which I think gives the rhythm of the track some extra drive. I wish I could take credit for this, but it was a feature of @grvirus's mix, which I thought sounded really cool so I've used it here.
• I thought the mix in general could do with a bit of extra width so I added a stereo widener at 107% on the master bus, just to give it a little enhancement.

Additionally, after reading the production notes from Dave I tried reducing the lead vocals to a single track for the majority of the song rather than using both takes. However, purely as a listener, I found it just didn't seem to have the same "likeability" as before, so in the end I kept both together.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BcMX8C ... 4bTEI/view

I hope these mix tweaks have put the sound more in the ball park.

Best regards,

Benji

[O'MIX]

Hello,
Thank you for choosing my mix for the second round, I took your comments into account while keeping a little of my DNA and my sensitivity, my goal is to offer a balanced mix with good quality sound in the end and with good dynamics.

What I have done:
Increase the level of the toms, rework the sound of the bass guitar, rework the bass drum, rework the chorus and vocoder effects, raise the vocal level a little, the dynamics and equalization have been refined on the master bus to better match the style of the song.

File in 24Bits/44.1 Khz
Integrated Loudness-18LUFS
TP -5.65
DR 10.04

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

Good listening to all,
Patrick

[asiohead]

Hey everyone,

@Arnwyn thank you for selecting my mix for the final 15, appreciate it !

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


I made some changes as you suggested

- made some volume and panning adjustments to make the drum kit sound more balanced
- turned up the cymbals a few dB
- added a touch of reverb to certain tracks to give mix a bit more depth.
- removed the de-esser and used dynamic EQ instead
- adjusted the lead vocal as it was indeed a bit to far forward


all the best !

[Ronson79]

Hi, thanks for picking my mix. Glad you liked something about it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SQUl4w ... sp=sharing

Made changes according to your suggestions.

-lowered the subs of the bass to raise it in the mix and make the fret more recognizable, added additional mids
-controlled the esses - with this I could lift the whole track in the highs a bit
-lowered the piano level so that it's not dominating anymore
-added a touch of additional width and space
-lowered the bass information of the drums and lowered the level of the side stick
-lowered the level of the male backings
-left the guitar as I'm liking it this way. Honestly don't know what you mean in this specific case. More panning or lower compare to the piano?

Anyway, hope you like it.

[Mister Fox]

It's the 24th July 2024, 09:00 (UTC+2) - the 2nd Mix Round has officially ended.


STATISTICS

• Unfortunately, not everyone has sent in an edit, we therefore have 2 disqualifications (@UHLS, @unclesnuggles)
• We have 2 Wild Card uses to advance into the next round (@O'MIX, @Ronson79)
• We have 0 participants that decided on not to advance through the use of a Wild Card (02 were available this month)
• We have 0 submissions after the deadline
• We have 0 submission that could not be downloaded by the time of this post and are therefore disqualified (re-checked 24-JUL-2024 9:00 UTC+2/CEST)

I will reach out to @Arnwyn and forward all entries/statistics by sometime tomorrow (Thursday, 25-JUL-2024). Please have an eye on this thread for more feedback and a possible Mix Round 3, or an announcement of the final results.



I'm now opening up the room (again) for Q&A's and giving each other feedback (which is highly encouraged)

Please check out all other games on the community. Most notably our Songwriting Competition - which is currently in the final 24 hours.

Please also consider becoming a Song Provider. Our Song Pool is empty! No more material means no more Mix(ing) Challenges. The genre is not important.


See you on the flipside.

[Arnwyn]

Hi Folks,
As promised, here is some more feedback for some of those who didn't make the top 15 this time. We will keep adding feedback over the coming days and will try not to miss anyone out. We made more notes for some mixes and less for others... just the way it goes- please don't take it personally!! We are also still listening to the final 15 from round 2... feels busy here.




@kombainera
Kit is a good sound but slightly unbalanced- stick & kick are loud and toms are quiet in comparison. Nice cymbals- great sound and good placement. Good placement of toms too. The hats have just the right “sizzle” (from the foot) but would prefer to hear them up the middle rather than panned left. This mix is quite piano-heavy and the guitar is difficult to hear well. However, the guitar is a good sound when it is coming through. The bass guitar is not shining through enough, both at the top end riffs and the lower notes. It sounds like the bass is too “fat” and the top end riffs aren't present. The vocals are set far back in the mix, almost behind the piano. We weren't keen on the de-esser as it's making the vocals sound lispy. The overall feel of the mix is good- it's not in your face and not pulling our ears out!

@Emil
Cymbals very far forward. Bass very bassy & rubbery. Piano & guitar lacking- far away in mix. Need to hear more of instruments as sounds like singing to just the drum track in some places.

@Ohbeejuan
Middly mix overall. The lead vocal sounds loud, hard and boxy. We felt they sounded more harsh than the original vocals, but perhaps it could just be because the vocal sounded louder. Nice guitar sound. This mix sounded really good from the next room, which is not intended as an insult at all! It was interesting to hear how the frequencies were all working together. Not keen on de-esser.

@leslingle
Really interesting idea having the contrasting vocals in this mix, almost like a question and answer between the lead and backing vocals. The backing vocals were nice and clear. The mix overall sounded bass heavy and muddy in the mid & bass end.

@Mellow Browne
Dry sounding mix. Missing second lead vocal and sounds thin and rough. Would like to hear more backing vocals in this mix.

@quaint twang
Too much de-esser! Good drum sound and good panning on drums, nice reverb on sidestick. Bass riffs lost.

@josh26757
Fun spaceship sound. Backing vocals imbalanced- no low end vocals and the higher harmony is way too prominent.
Kit well balanced but slightly too forward. Good cymbal sound. Vocals at end out of balance and out of tune? Have they been de-tuned? Switched lead vocal at end to have harmony in place of lead. No guitar at beginning?

@Strange
Fun Q&A with vocals and robot baby harmonies. Slightly too much effect on the robot babies as it's giving an odd overtone which sounds out of tune.
Good bass sound sits well in mix and not overpowering. Humming section needs EQ as middly tone. Effect at end on lower voice sounds like a blue bottle! The effect is too harsh in this instance.

@jules666
Quite a harsh, hard feel to it and a toppy mix. Bass pokes through nicely but we weren't keen on the electronic, wiry sound. Lullaby vocals out of time with each other (sounds like they sing “ker-plugged in")?

@Dodgingrain
Nice crisp piano sound. Too much de-esser creating lispy vocals! Would like to hear more reverb on backing vocals. Drums & cymbals unclear and undefined- snare sounds like a cardboard box. Guitar not shining through enough. Final “robot babies” at the end of the song are quite well balanced.

@AuderMarr
Great cymbal sound. The mix overall is awash with effect and reverb on the vocals. It sounds like it's all “up in the air”, very toppy, and it would benefit from more of the bass end to hold it all down. Couldn't really hear the bass guitar in this mix.

@Vanilla Puff
Sounds clear and spacious overall. Bass too far away. Very bassy reverb on drums was overpowering track in some parts. Kit needs a little attention as it sounds unbalanced.

@LCM!
Drums sound disconnected- sticks too loud. Vocals harsh sound. Muddy sound in lullabies. Nice guitar sound and we like how the bass sits in the mix. Need more of vocals at the end.

@maxovrdrive
Piano is a good sound but poking out a bit too much. Uneven kit- uneven panning. Vocals toppy and lead vocal very far forward. Quite toppy mix overall. Needs more guitar throughout as it disappears. More bass needed to ground it.

@RobertWalter
In your face, toppy high hat! We liked the robotic voice sounds but it's tricky to hear the rest of the mix beyond the high hat as it's so forward and distracting, it's taken over the mix.

@grvirus
Good kit sound but stick slightly forward. The effect on the guitar was interesting but we weren't keen on the way it altered the rhythm as it doubled the beats in a each bar. Too much de-esser! Lisping lead vocal. More backing vocals needed as they are almost inaudible but a big part of the song.

@DIVESPANNER
Really different approach! Vocal heavy mix. Electronic sounding drum kit. No piano at beginning? Changed drum pattern? This became known as the “under the sea” mix due to the frequencies sounding like the song is underwater.

@JeroenZuiderwijk
Toppy sound. De-esser giving lispy sound to vocals. Drums sound a bit dry and sitting too forward in the mix. End vocals are still part of the song so really do need to be there!

@Hoek
Drums sound too toppy and harsh. Bass could do with a bit more definition so you can hear all the riffs. The piano swamps the bass at the beginning. Some whistling on vocals at end need EQ adjusting.

@DSBotez
Toppy vocals. Toppy guitar. Bass sound is middly and subdued rather than being defined. It's overpowering and washing over the track, rather than holding the track down. Good panning on drums but kit sounds unbalanced and needs pulling together.

@gioele.cortese
Muddy. The extra “little alter boy” vocal on the Ab sounds like a really dodgy backing vocal and it was so distracting we couldn't easily listen to the rest of the mix! The effect was over-used in this instance.

@Miha
Sounds like there is a lot of compression and the compressor is pumping throughout. Instruments need more definition. Vocal effect sounded like someone coughing in the studio- it sounded randomly used and seems to pop up out of nowhere.

@leoenne
Can't hear the guitar at all. We're a piano/guitar duo and need to hear both.

@dstra
Lead vocal sounds very dry. Bass too much low end and riffs disappearing. Vocal panning and balance needs evening out.

@Fabox
All out of tune! We guessed the auto tune was likely trying to tune the vocals to 440hz when the instruments are all tuned to 432hz, so the vocals are sounding terribly out of tune here!!

@MattP
Sidestick poking forward too much. Kit levels, balance and panning needs attention. Bass riffs disappearing. . Lead vocal very harsh and forward. Lacking dynamics.

@Gertius
Quite a good mix overall. Piano is overpowering the guitar slightly. Good hi-hat sound. Kit slightly unbalanced in terms of levels- kick drum is toppy and sounds too prominent, cymbals sounding too quiet.

@Pingafuego
Bass too far back in mix. Very drum heavy (unbalanced drums) and harsh lead vocals- almost uncomfortable to listen to, quite “biting” tone to the vocal. Nice guitar sound.

@GersonArdilaVerjel
Side stick sounds dry poking too far forward. Kit needs re-balancing so you can hear less side stick and more toms and make it a complete drum kit. Humming is very quiet! Backing vocals at end- where are they? Almost inaudible- need to hear the vocals.

@ggibson1988
Very toppy. Vocal toppy, confused drums, strange echo/delay on drums is making it sound out of time. Great cymbal sound.

@wkanegis
Sidestick sounds like a ping pong ball! Backing vocals unbalanced. mix sounded slightly better in headphones compared to speakers.

@Clueless
Side stick too loud compared to rest of kit- perhaps you could re-balance the drums? Vocals sound like they are pumping- is there lots of compression on those? Volume levels sound erratic with sudden changes. The sudden volume changes make it sound unnatural- it needs to be more subtle. Very forward backing vocals at the end- perhaps soften and add reverb.

@elements
Toppy mix. Distorted voice. Vocals all sound thin and at the end they sound out of tune. Was vocal correction used? Vocals unbalanced.

@cpsmusic
De-esser over used. The delay on the kit is altering the timing of the drums. The kit sounds separate to the rest of the track.

@AskAndy
What is the “lead harmony”?! Harsh cymbals. Harsh, toppy lead vocals. Bassy bass losing riffs and top end twang. End lead vocals too loud.

@Emelowsky
Track jumping at 4 seconds and 10 seconds, also jumps at 2:59 and 3:05
Bass guitar sounds quite harsh in the higher registers. What does timing aligned mean? Slightly dry mix.

@Piranha
To much de-ether! Vocal dissapeared at the end. Bottom end frequencies are washy.


@pabloAT
Wibbly vocal effect sounds like singing sheep!! Guitar sound is strange, heavy and clunky. Basic kit has a good balance, toms are a little bit boomy. Nice bass sound.

@Drannob
Stick is slightly too loud. Too much de-esser. All sounds a bit “plain”. More reverb needed? Delay maybe?

@sthauge
Something missing from the beginning? Left hand piano channel? Or low end piano frequencies? Sounds loaded to the right. Bass guitar is really clear and easily heard but can't hear other low frequencies. Sound empty and unfinished.

@Atelier174
Slightly muddy sound overall- could you work on more separation for instruments? Vocal effects interesting but perhaps pan the delay to one side to help separate. Phaser effect too whistly at the end.

@Herbalizer
Vocals too quiet in the mix. Bass guitar overpowering as too far forward. Drums sound distant for most of the song but could be because of the bass overpowering the song and throwing everything off balance. Bass need re-eq-ing. More top, less bottom, possibly more compression?


@kRisnadiza
Bass drum very prominent. Bass riffs not coming through- no definition on bass guitar. Unbalanced backing vocals- they also sound out of time. Have they been moved/slid along? Sounds like not all backing vocals have been used and they sound thin. All kick drum and vocals.

@zed999
Vocals really toppy. Drums missing? Too much de esser. Missing beginnings of words! Weird sound to vocals.

@Davias
Kit and vocals sound out of time. Kit way too far forward. Cymbals are a good sound. Vocals sound thin and dry.

@shoma
Kit mostly good sound but too far forward- Cymbals need attention- sound overloaded.
Whole mix sounds very dry. Good sound overall, nice feel to the mix.

@Blang
Bass riffs not poking through enough. Side stick too forward and toms wooly. Vocal delays over the top. Drum removed!


@Tony Black
Very dark mix. Guitar not shiny. Quite flat sound to all of it.


@viklundorama
Wooly, undefined bass. Lead vocal very far forward.

@scottfitz
Sounds lispy. Interesting effect on lullabies. Nice cymbal sound. Bass riffs could be more forward.

@VasDim
Too much de-esser but good vocal balance. Needs more guitar – guitar is blending in too much with piano. Drums sound a bit dry.

@LowlandsWave
Bass effect makes it sound overloaded. Drum sitting very far forward in the mix and too much of a boomy effect on the drums. Very “in your face”! Vocal effects sound like our neighbour's (questionable) singing.

@jw_
Don't like panning on side stick. Pretty good bass sound. Changed drum track- removed some drum beats??

@floodo
Volume drop for the lullabies is too obvious- it sounded like someone had turned down the speakers.

@approxgo
Where is the drum kit? Can only really hear the sidestick! Deesser making vocals too lithpy.


@mix.altmsh
Clear vocals. Kit and lead vocals slightly too forward. Disjointed drum kit.


@SimaGT
Confused, muddy sound. Very harsh and scratchy/toppy reverb. Good decrescendo in the lullaby section- really nice sense of calm for the lullabies.

@nico.mayorgaa
No reverb on snare? Aggressive sounding vocal, sounds harsh. Backing vocals minimal. Crisp sound to sidestick.

[elements]

Thanks @Arnwyn for your feedback.
It’s funny as I didn’t use any pitch correction on the vocals, but at one point I was tempted as the lead vocal did sound a little out of tune in that last section on the first 2 babies. I looked into it and realised that the whole track was tuned flat (I didn’t know that it was 432Hz at the time), but that discovery was enough to keep me away from any tuning editing. The extra detuning was probably a result of a little tape emulation I put on at the end. Yes, I had been playing with the saturation plugin in Logic and that might have got a little out of hand. Cheers.

[kombainera]

@Arnwyn Thanks for the feedback !

[pabloAT]

Hi @Arnwyn, many thanks for the feedback!
viewtopic.php?p=17496#p17496:~:text=Wib ... ng%20sheep!! haha, I don't know what I was thinking about :-)
Cheers!