MIX CHALLENGE - MC101 December 2024 - Submissions until 21-DEC-2024 23:59 UTC+1/CET

[eggshell]

https://app.box.com/s/jguz061m95hkyraqgkzndzznkng89cww

Wanted a darkish vibe, pushed the mids of the HOOKl to match Kendrick - Money Tree

DAW: Logic Pro
monitor: Macbook HP + ER4XR + audiolens+ MetricAB

Kick + 808: treated as sub grp, clip + saturate. 808 heavy compression with Titanium

Kits: Mostly modulation with chorus and SPL Big. Clap Saturate

Instrument : Bus Force + Celestial + Trackspace (SC to 808)

Hook: Bus TDR Arbite for De-ess, Sitral EQ, Titanium Compress. Logic QRS verb

Verse: TDR Nova EQ, MV2 compress, Arturia Opamp Distort, bx_delay

Master Bus: Titanium MB, P42 Climax, UAD Ampex, bx clipper, Logic Master, SmartLimit

[Drannob]

Hey, this is my second post on this forum, the first was for a previous challenge, hope I'll have more time this month...

Here is my mix:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2db7t7tp ... 3dk7k&dl=0

To speak a bit about my mix direction, first I made a quick balance as usual, then the main thing was the kick/808, I wanted to make the low end more punchy/tight, I have a little less bass than originally but I find that it hits a little more.
The second point was to find a space for the samples/synths and I struggled on this point, mainly because of the Clean Bells, difficult to place them so that this sample does not fight too much with the lead vocal, both play a little in the same frequencies and in a very present way (well I think).
I then attacked the vocal mix which was not very complicated, I spent a little time on the choice of a virtual preamp to give color to the voice and make it cut through in the mix without it being too aggressive, a few EQ and compression movements, reverb, chorus, delay and that's it.
Then my usual master bus chain, I just removed the clipper and the limiter (well the limiter is active but it does not work).
I'm pretty happy with the result, at least for a V1. However, I have some click issues due to a plugin that doesn't seem to support Reaper's auto-bypass, I made mute automations so they don't hear each other too much.
Otherwise, for fun (and maybe also because I'd like to become a pro), I decided to have a timer (Hofa ProjectTime) on my mixing sessions at all times and it's crazy how you can't realize how much time you spend on a mix! This one took me 5 hours (thanks to the VCS-1 problems and its clicks!!!)
Hope @Mellow Browne likes this mix

Have a nice day guys

PS: I almost forgot! I mix with headphones (Ollo S4X with its correction plugin and CanOpener permanently on my monitoring FXs) and I check the rendering with the speakers (Event Opal and HS50) in a completely bad room with shitty acoustics!!!

[scottfitz]

Hi all,
Thanks to MellowBrowne for creating and providing this very well produced material. Thanks as usual to Mister Fox for hosting.

here’s the link to my mix

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19EGzcp ... sp=sharing

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mix Notes

I mixed this all on AKG 371s - cheap but great value in my opinion. I did not have any headphone software, just plugged straight into Topping DX7 headphone amp.

General Approach

I based my mix on MellowBrowne’s second mix which I thought was pretty darn good. I thought I would try to make it like that but just a little more punchy if I could.

A couple of specific notes

Main Vocals
---------------
I went to and fro on what the EQ should be. Some of the bottom end has to go but how much? What I noticed is that if you take plenty off then the mix really cleans up and it’s quite pleasant however it is at the expense of the groove. In the end I took only a 1.5dB shelf off at around 530Hz. I am also boosting most of the top a couple of dB though, so it’s still doing a fair bit of brightening. I decided that the groove between the drums+808+vocals is the main thing to spend the most time on and the vocal needs it’s bottom end to be high enough to cause that interplay with the kick + 808.

Then I placed the de-esser

After that I spent some time with the FabFilter C2 trying to use a bit less compression that MellowBrowne had done on his second mix, however I found it very difficult to find the right spot. In the end I used quite a slow attack for vocals, 14.7ms I was hoping this made the diction clearer. It releases 180ms which I was trying to get to be a nice groove. If you go faster than this I was finding that the words cut off a bit too sharply compared with the nature of the kick + 808, so this timing is designed to match up. I have used a ratio of 6:1, I spent most of the time working with 4:1 but near the end I tried it to 6:1 and I think that finally did what I wanted. It has a medium knee.

After this comes the tape saturation with the Oxide plugin, not too much to say here other than that it’s not really cranked, the needle is still on the move but it’s I would say a medium/high setting.

Then we have a tiny bit more brightening EQ with a wide-ish +1dB @2.7kHz.

Finally going into the LA-2A doing a little bit more smoothing.

Clean Bells
---------------
I tried a little bit of noise reduction as I thought the hiss was a bit much, taking away from the top end of the vox

If anyone would like to know any more information, do please let me know.

Cheers all and good luck.

[Alex Van mixland]

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

Drums: I added 300kz and controlled it with a bit compression. This may be a strange decision, but for me it was important that it could also be heard well on small speakers.
Vocal - reverb, delay, compression and some cut at lows and add highs.
Instruments- I added some doubler and reverb do get some instruments more modern.

Cheers!

[malene]

Thanks for the challenge.
I did a very simple mix on this. My focus was to bring a fair balance to the vocal and the kick/808. As always, the feeling of the mix is way more important than technical things.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WivN-u ... sp=sharing

I used the new Waves Curves Equator in sidechain mode on the base to let the 808 come through. I also used it in SC mode on the instruments to make room for the vocals. Harmonic distortion and parallel compression are also big parts of the mix. I always mix with routing folders, so I don't do much processing on the individual tracks after balancing all the tracks.

Did the mix in Pro Tools. Genelec 8030. Treated room. No correction. Didn't take the time to cross-listen.

[zed999]

Come on guys.
The song provider is explicitly interested in your monitoring but most of you are not providing details.
I totally agree with him, it's possibly the most interesting aspect and I was very much looking forward to that information. Personally I could not care less about which compressor or eq you used.

[Mitchellpmusic]

Hi everyone, here is the link to my mix:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/j8uku70x ... l9s6o&dl=0

This is my first mix challenge and I really enjoyed it!

I mix completely in the box (Pro Tools) on a pair of Focal Shape 65s, use SoundID Reference for room correction, and my room is semi-treated with paneling at my early reflection points.

[MixyMcMixFace]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r8niJX ... sp=sharing

Just headphones, DT770s, sometimes I'll play stuff back through other devices, like my ratty laptop speakers, or monitors on the desk but in this mix I didn't really feel the need.

This mix is sponsored by FF Saturns FX section. There's a bunch of odd choices and FX throws, I did read the authors intent regarding how effects should be used and hopefully stuck to that. Mostly there's just EQ and the mix automation, found the vocals to be a bit close mic'd even for the genre, and disregarded the autotune suggestion in favour of ye olde time filter to go with the vinyl flavour at the start, I tried to tie things together in that way throughout.

Beyond that, I'm listening as you upload and you guys are great, loads of excellent balances this time, the quality is really high, best of luck all round!

[Ronson79]

Come on guys.
The song provider is explicitly interested in your monitoring but most of you are not providing details.
I totally agree with him, it's possibly the most interesting aspect and I was very much looking forward to that information. Personally I could not care less about which compressor or eq you used.

I mix on Hedd Type 20 and sometimes check my mixes on Beyerdynamic DT1990 with no such crap as room simulations or Sonarworks curve correction. No Goodhertz Can Opener either. It's all unnecessary. Just learn your monitors and have headphones to take out the influence of your room sound and have a different perspective on your mix. Just like Andrew Sheps...

[Mister Fox]

...Personally I could not care less about which compressor or eq you used.

I care, because it is part of the rules, and the basis for the educational side of our small community. So unless you work "with stock tools only", you have to (bar minimum) talk about one sound you enjoyed sculpting, and how you did it.

This month has an additional special request.
Depending on how well it will be taken, it might actually become a permanent request.


Please do not assume my role as "host" and "Keeper of the Code", thank you.