MIX CHALLENGE - MC099 August 2024 - Winners announced

[floodo]

Before I begin, I’d like to clarify that I’m not using any external references while mixing. One of my goals in my learning process is to develop my own sonic identity as a mixing engineer, drawing from a blend of musical tastes ranging from heavy metal to reggaeton. With this in mind, I started crafting my unique vision for the project (although I would have loved to have a conversation with the artist to align our visions).

Once I had a clear direction, I imported all the files into my Studio One template. Like many of you, I equalized and compressed some tracks. Surprisingly, most of the tracks remain uncompressed, except for the bass—I heavily compressed it using a distressor to give it character, and I also applied compression to the vocals for consistency within the mix.

Here’s how I approached specific elements:

Drums: I spent considerable time on the drums, aiming for an energetic and organic sound. I saturated them both in parallel and on the drum bus. Additionally, I used a transient shaper and added some reverb. To enhance their organic feel, I automated parallel processes and drum fills throughout different sections.

Bass: As mentioned earlier, I compressed the bass using a distressor. I also added parallel saturation and a short reflective reverb to make it larger. I widened the stereo image slightly for the upper frequencies.

Guitar and Piano: I balanced these instruments using EQ. While I avoided compression, I did limit their peaks with a multiband limiter (around 1.5 dB reduction in specific parts). For the piano, I applied a telephone-like preset from Studio One’s native EQ.

Marimbas: I left them mostly untouched but added a touch of saturation.

Vocals: I balanced them using EQ, applied various types of compression, and added effects like hall, plate, a large room reverb, mono delay, and slap delay. I also automated a unison effect during the choruses—a subtle change that energizes the mix. Just before the second chorus, I heavily distorted the vocal to create a megaphone effect (which can be removed if desired), adding an unexpected twist for the listener.

Trumpets: I felt they needed more presence. I distorted them slightly and increased their transients for added attack.

Tackling Frequency Clashes: The midsection had a lot of frequency clashes. I used dynamic EQ with sidechain to give each instrument its space and achieve separation.

Analog Touch and Mix Bus Processing:
I used Studio One’s API console emulation with crosstalk enabled to achieve a vintage '70s/'80s vibe.
On the mix bus, I applied SSL compression (1–2 dB max), used a Pultec EQ for low-end color, and added triode saturation to the low and mid frequencies using Ozone Exciter.
I automated Yori Semenov’s EQ1 to boost 16 kHz during the choruses, distinguishing them from the verses.
Finally, I used Soothe to tame any harsh frequencies.

I hope I have been understood, it was translated, from Spanish to English with Copilot AI, here I leave my mix --> https://drive.google.com/file/d/17w1YiV ... sp=sharing

If it's not too much trouble, a little feedback would be very good for my learning.

[Mister Fox]

A friendly reminder:
Including today, 14 days left to submit your mix.


So far, we have 10 entries (compared to 87 Mix Pack downloads -- 24x LZMA compressed ZIP, 63x regular ZIP).
Please continue to pay attention to detail (see bundled TL;DR Rules.txt and/or post #003)

[Ojo]

I appreciate this game!

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bl3z0hqq ... lvn6q&dl=0

I explain about my mixing.
First, I got just level. I touch only Fader balance.
next, checked phase and thought "What should I do?"
So I felt muddy at first impression.
I used a High pass, added saturation, and limited peak sounds.
But adding high pass makes a little bit of a peaky sound. So I care around 2k - 4k.
Also, I added reverb Coz, I felt need more ambient.

What impression at first time is important to me. And compare to reference and my mix.
Recently I've always done that.

If you have questions please let me send comments!

Thank you!!!

[LowlandsWave]

Hello and thanx to all making this challenge possible!

What to do with this song? I tried to expand the contrast between de choruses and the verses. Choruses more punchy ad verses more laid back.
I did do some work on the vocal using Melodyne. not completely 100% tuning but keep the character and even out the vocal tuning.

LowlandsWave MIX

DRUMS:
Kick side changed to a dbx 160 with a low pass filter after
Kick got an automated Transient shaper on it to automate the punch.
Snare got some reverb and some automated eq to add some high end towards the chorus
drumbus got an ATR102

BASS:
Split in high and low
Low got LA3A compression
bass bus got a SSL channel strip with some saturation using the pre amp

ACOUSTIC:
SSL channel strip with mild compression and some top end
Chandler Zener Limiter in mid/side mode
Ozone eq in mid/side with some extra high end on the sides

PIANO:
Some automated panning using Module8 by SSL

TRUMPETS:
some widening

VOCALS:
Melodyne for some tuning and volume smoothing
Distressor compressor
Deeser
Some sheen with maag eq4
Slapback Delay

All buses were send to a general reverb
PIANO TRUMPETS and BASS have Soothe2 sidechained to give vocal and kick some space

[JanLefr]

Hey folks,

once again thanks to the song provider and Mr Fox for making this possible!

My mix: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lsphrgam ... 11jh7&dl=0

I went for a kind of creative mixing approach, because Isaac pointed out that this is not his strong suit - of course these are blind shots and may as well go in a wrong direction, but I really think they helped the song shine!

I'll highlight some of the decisions I made in my mix:

- Vocals: These definitely needed some love. I did some tuning in graphical mode using Steinbergs Vari Audio, because I found there was no "one fits all" autotune setting due to the recurring vocal pitch bends.

What really made a difference for me was adding some "faked" double tracking/ backing vocals. I did this by duplicating the original take, then detuning the tracks by a few cents, delaying them by a few (<25) ms and panning them hard left and right. Additionally I pitched one layer up by an octave - that actually made a huge difference in the chorus!
Then of course volume automation so the vocal support is only there when needed.

- Guitars: for these I went with some resonant filter automation to add some movement, notably e.g. in the intro and in the end.
I also went with four different instances of EchoBoy as send FX with different settings, and automated the send levels, so the effects are more or less audible depending on the song parts (verse/chorus/...).

I ended up dynamically using these FX for the other instruments and percussion too - added really nice rhythmic layers and depth to them.

For the song ending I went with a "FX decay" contrary to a fade out or an abrupt ending.

Cheers
Jan

[MadMav]

Thank you @Isa for providing the tracks for the MC099 challenge.

When I listened to this track, I felt it needed an element in the instrumentation the matched the vibe of the vocals. So I felt the bass to be the best candidate, because if its movement and performance.

On all tracks, including the mix bus I used a Brainworx bx_console AMEK 9099. I feel this console emulation gives a nice focus and warmth.

On the bass, I duplicated the track to split the DI and a bass amp.On Both tracks I used an exciter on the low end to give it focus. On the bass amp I used a TH-U bass rig with a distortion pedal. On this same bass rig track, I bussed the bass to another TH-U rig, this time a guitar amp with a compressor, trem, delay and reverb pedals. This was bold to do, but I felt it gave the track character and it was fun to do.

Below is a link to my mix:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vz3nyr4a ... lb5bw&dl=0

[DIVESPANNER]

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ipighbsb ... e7hcy&dl=0

Hi
Thanks again for providing another fantastic mix for our attention

Thanks to everyone who has commented, critiqued, suggested, and advised I'm very grateful for your time and effort

This month I spent a lot of time on a static mix doing some manual dressing HP/lp filtering setting levels
My main compressor this month was Amek 9099 I just felt it seemed a bit cleaner and clearer sounding for this mix
I bussed the drums and other percussion to their respective busses and treated them to Shadow Hills LA2A Townhouse compression and a bit of Dynamic eq
strings and trumpets went to an instrument bus with Tommo Lisa I've applied saturation at various points in the form of the Oven and Black Box
vocal had compression and eq with 2 instances of True Verb at different settings also Klanghelm Tens has also been automated to a grove delay at certain points of the song. i instruments went to another Klanghelm TENS and a grove delay
master buss BAX eq and ELYSIA Master compressor
Thanks again for all your comments feel free to add any critique or questions as you like they are very much appreciated and hope you enjoy my version
many thanks
DIVESPANNER

[Jon Thompson]

Hello. First time poster here.

My amateurish production design style is all about giving instruments a sense that they’re in their own space, that they’re kind of “there”. This means treating each sound on its own and “placing” it with distance cues before assembling the whole thing into a single mix.

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

Before I start my description, I want to say that if it wasn’t for the length rule, I would have submitted this track at 130BPM. It really bangs at a higher speed!

So, here’s what I did.

The kick was really uneven in terms of volume and dynamics. A long-trace oscilloscope shows a lot of variation in both amplitude and length of hits, so I first put it through Ableton’s saturator to beef the sound up a bit and then used Ableton’s envelope follower going into the gain of an Ableton utility module to make the hits more uniform. I then used the OrilRiver reverb set to a small room size to give it a sense of place, and pushed it through Analog Obsession’s SPECOMP spectral compressor, and finally into a free TDR Nova dynamic EQ to high pass it a bit, gouge out the boxiness, and expand the sound of the beater hitting the drumskin. This helps with the placing.

For each snare, I first saturated, then put them through a Nova and gouged out the boxy energy, then put them through a SPECOMP compressor, and finally placed them using an OrilRiver. I then grouped them, applied further saturation, placed them (OrilRiver again), applied overall dynamic EQ with another Nova to just allow low frequency transients through for a few milliseconds and to expand the high end for a few milliseconds, then I use Ableton’s limiter to bring the levels of all the hits in line, and finally put then through another SPECOMP compressor.

For the hi hats seem to support the guitar, which they do well once processed to fit. I used the same technique of an envelope follower driving the gain of an Ableton utility module to make the hits more uniform, then I placed them using an OrilRiver, and put them through the stock Ableton glue compressor to tame them a bit more before putting them through a SPECOMP compressor.

The shaker is a smooth and fizzy sound, but it seemed weirdly dull, so I added some interesting harmonics with just a tiny bit of free NUBE delay by Ronan Fed set to 1/64 and appreciable feedback time but turned down low and wide, before placing it with an OrilRiver reverb. I put the whole thing through the stock glue compressor to give it more presence as this brought it out better than the SPECOMP.

I saturated the guiro, then placed it with an OrilRiver Reverb, and finally compressed it with a SPECOMP compressor.

I compressed the bass quite aggressively with the Analog Obsession Atone to bring out its detail without making the pluck overwhelming because it’s job seems to be to sustain the low end. As the name suggests, Atone has tone controls to shape the sound, so I brought out the mids and warmed the lows a bit. I then high passed it a little and dynamically expanded the mids when they’re present around 2K with a Nova. I then used a second Nova in wideband mode side-chained to the kick to give the kick priority over it in the mix. I then placed it with an OrilRiver reverb before adding a tiny amount of Dead Duck chorus to give it a bit of movement.

I treated the marimbas as one. I grouped them and first saturated them, then used a Nova to high pass them. The marimbas are a big sound, and I wanted them far back yet complementing the vocal, so I used a long pre-delay of 1/8 the BPM and a long reverb (just a tiny amount!) and set the width very wide to give a sense that they’re loud but far away. I then put them through a fairly aggressive SPECOMP compressor to accentuate the pre-delay, before limiting them using the stock Ableton limiter to keep the levels even and under control.

I wanted to add more focus to the piano, so I pulled the width in with an Ableton utility module, then saturated a little, used a Nova to high pass, dip the low mids to remove mud, and boost the highs a little to boost the sound of the hammers. I then used the Analog Obsession MoMa saturator to add a little sparkle, then placed the sound with an OrilRiver reverb and finally used a SPECOMP compressor to add a little more definition.

The trumpets were a problem because they’re a big sustained sound. It takes up much space in the stereo field and in the spectrum. I initially thought I would duplicate the track and pitch the second one up 1 octave to add brightness, then kill the overall gain to give the impression that the trumpets were far back but loud. However, my reading of the rules said double tracking is forbidden, so in the end I decided to use an OrilRiver to place the sound, then use a Nova to high pass and sculpt the sound, then put it through a SPECOMP compressor to bring out some detail, and finally use a stock Ableton delay to create the Haas effect to push the trumpets right out to the sides where they can support the vocal and sound like they’re coming from the back and sides of the band to reach the listener. The Haas effect is done by setting the left delay time to 0ms and the right to about 15ms. Dry/wet is set to 100%.

The acoustic guitar sounded a bit dull, so, I saturated, then used a Nova to high pass and gouge out the upper lows and boost the highs. I then placed the sound with an OrilRiver reverb, used a tiny amount of the ViatorDSP free exciter to sparkle up the sound of the plectrum on the strings, and compressed the whole sound with a SPECOMP compressor.

Finally, I addressed the vocal. I like the natural delivery. I think there’s a certain “David Sylvian” quality to the low notes that I wanted to enhance. Because the whole track has a “live” vibe now it’s placed, I decided to start by saturating. I then gouged the mids at around 1k with a Nova. I added to the low notes by adding a tiny bit of 1/64 delay using a NUBE delay. This has the added effect of giving the vocal more presence in front of the other instruments, as if it really is in front of the band. I then compressed with a SPECOMP compressor, and de-essed with an Analog Obsession LOADES before adding more context with an OrilRiver reverb. This time I did actually use quite a lot of reverb (4 seconds!) but it is so very faint and set so wide that it occupies nearly the same stereo space as the trumpets.

OK, so, onto the mix bus.

I started by bringing the bass into mono below 120Hz with an Ableton utility module, and adding 6dB of gain to give the signal chain a little more to play with. I then compressed very slightly with an Analog Obsession BUSTERse compressor just to bring things into more focus. I did quite a complicated bit of dynamic EQ with a Nova on the bass end and on the mids between 1K and 5K to keep the overall energy in check. I then added a bit of warmth and sparkle with an Analog Obsession OAQ EQ, then added a little more presence with a stock Ableton glue compressor, and finally added a couple of tiny peaks with a final Nova to make sure that the spectrum was nicely full and flat at 4.5dB/Oct. I made a final gain cut with an Ableton utility module of 7dB to bring it in line with the competition loudness rule.

Anyway, that's me.

[Alex Van mixland]

Hello,
Here is my mix:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZNUKpu ... sp=sharing

Bass: I added distortion to bass and add some widener.
Vocals: I controlled vocals with compressor and cut mud and harsh frequencies.
Drums: Snare and some shine, Kick - i cut unwanted boomy frequencies at around 450 hz, and controlled high end, because it has sometimes too much highs.
Instruments: in my opinion the guitar needed more attention in the mix which gave the music more of a moving feel.
Master bus: just 3db compression.

Cheers!
Alex

[EKVelika]

Thank you for nice opportunity to mix and be a part of this project. To be honest it was very challenging for me to mix this song. I was going for more mellow sound with lots of reverb and spatial fx. mixing a snare and hihats was nightmare and I am still not happy with result 100% but this is my best.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11O_-xZ ... sp=sharing