MIX CHALLENGE - MC102 February 2025 - Winners announced

[keyhengchan]

Hello everyone, This is Key and I am a secondary school student who is really keen on mixing. I have been learning by practising but often don't have much opportunity of getting feedback. I would be delighted if any of you skilful people can criticise and give some constructive comments on my mix, if you have spare time of course. Thanks a lot and I am learning so much just by reading and listening to all the amazing mixes! I believe my post is on page 16.

[scottfitz]

I am always game for this as it helps massively for me to understand what's going wrong. I personally always end up viewing my mix as not bright enough, not 'modern sounding' enough. The main reason is I think I just don't like that sound. I try to force myself to like it more, each mix I do I try to edge it up a little more. However I am making tiny changes which I think are going somewhere at the time but that on reflection are leaving things largely as they were. There are only a few sounds which even contribute to the brightness. The vocals, which I'm routinely brightening quite a bit, an acoustic guitars which I will boost to crisp up that top end and then overheads which rarely seem like they can take very much before they are wrecking the mix. I'm always toying with these parameters and maybe a 1-2 dB boost on the mixbus if it still seems dark. In spite of my efforts I think it still doesn't get close to the goal. It's possible that I just have the bass too high and solely that element will guarantee the whole thing sounds dark. So I will try notching it down ever so slightly and then as soon as the mix sounds bright I'm unhappy because it definitely now sounds really weak and devoid of bass. I wonder if the darkness is caused by over compressing things and not making enough post EQ compensation for the way compression acts on the sounds? Again it's something I play around with but I inevitably dislike the artificial nature of how things sound when I apply this agenda of making things brighter. I think I dislike when you have a bright mix but strange dynamics. I prefer the dynamics of the sounds to be super together and natural sounding and unfortunately I am not sure that can be preserved with a super bright modern mix. Anyone else have this problem? Will listen to your mix shortly and give feedback

Yes, i totally understand what you are saying. I don't like a lot of the mixes i hear on the radio...the vocal is to sharp sounding and the overall mix is too hyped in the upper freq range. it hurts my ears. I like a more natural sound overall.. But as a mixer we need to do our best to follow our clients wishes and those are sometimes to make it sound brighter then we personally like. For me, having the bass balance right is a big part of making things brighter. I like mixes with lots of bass....but without muddying the mix. That is a challenge. It doesn't mean you need to lower the overall volume down of the bass...just try to avoid the frequencies that makes the mix sound dull and lifeless. Aiming for a cut at around 200 - 300 Hz can help a lot of times. Personally I think the most important thing is to get a great balance....doesn't matter if it is bright or not. If the balance works, you can feel the energy of the song. Bright or not is then an artistic choice. If the balance is right to start with, you can alter that choice (bright or not) just by adding a little(don't overdo it!) extra high freq on the masterbus without destroying the balance of the mix.
Cheers,
Jeroen

These are the Bass EQ curves that I used on this track

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

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12CoiBt ... sp=sharing

And here is my sonible True Balance graph, on the Rock template

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uU3Q6t ... sp=sharing

But I still find my track a little bit dull sounding. I think I have a similar situation with the use of saturation. I like the way that the sounds pop out more and are more gritty with the saturation, but then when I A/B with a volume match I usually prefer it without because essentially we are doing something unnatural to the audio, adding in harmonics that were not naturally there. I feel that it's good to help a Lead Vocal to stand out, but I have a suspicion that if we analysed the totality of the submissions for this month or any of the Mix Challenges for that matter, it's most likely that people are putting this control up too high in general. On this track I used 0 saturation on the lead vocal, 0 saturation on the electric guitars, 0 saturation on the bass. The drumbus has a tape saturation and the kick + snare have the Black Box on them also, those were the only places I used it. Maybe it wasn't enough for a 'modern sound' and this could be the source of it being 'not bright enough' ?

[scottfitz]

Hello everyone, This is Key and I am a secondary school student who is really keen on mixing. I have been learning by practising but often don't have much opportunity of getting feedback. I would be delighted if any of you skilful people can criticise and give some constructive comments on my mix, if you have spare time of course. Thanks a lot and I am learning so much just by reading and listening to all the amazing mixes! I believe my post is on page 16.

Hi Key,
Your mix is excellent! Very well done if you are new to mixing. If I was judging this one I would probably put this through to the 2nd round. In searching for possible improvements for you, I find the attack of the bass a little too much, that area around 800Hz, when I'm trying to focus on the vocals it's jabbing away at me a bit. The main thing to improve is I think the drums are a bit weak. The snare has loads of snap and is high enough, but maybe a bit too thin sounding, the rest of the drums seem too low for me. Maybe you have scooped too much out of the middle of the drum bus? what did you EQ on the drum bus?

Anyway if this is your early in your attempts at mixing, then work hard and I think you will go far!

[BenjiRage]

Hey Pitta, Key and Scott,

All good mixes, collectively you've actually made me hear mine in a different light! I think my vocals are a tad toppy in comparison I need to rein that in a little if I get the chance.

Here's a quick bit of mix feedback for you all...

@Pitta
• Overall the mix in general seems very dry. This does make it nice and upfront on one hand but also makes it feel like it lacks some excitement and sheen on the other
• Something weird is going on with the vocal top end, in places it sounds very lispy like it's been too harshly de-essed (eg: "second" and "smile" in the first line)
• Vocals aren't quite loud enough in the choruses, they're being drowned by the guitars and drums
• To me the drums sound too dry and a little too loud on the whole (hats / snare / kick in particular), but they have good punch.
• Conversely though, the overheads aren't loud enough - the crashes are very quiet (eg: at 1:03) so you're missing some of the musical punctuation they bring
• Cool effects on the "dig your own grave" line, very creepy and powerful

In summary a pretty good mix I would say, just largely level balance issues to deal with.

---------------------

@keyhengchan
• Drums sound a bit thin and weak against the guitars
• Love the chorus effect you've used on some of the guitar tracks throughout, very cool sound!
• Not sure the guitar delay effect in the first verse works though, it's a bit distracting
• Chorus vocals are a bit narrow and not quite loud enough - there's not a lot of difference between the verse and chorus in terms of width / level, so you're missing the emotive impact the extra vocals tracks can bring

A great job for a headphone mix though, and especially for someone still at school starting out, I wish I could mix this well when that was me back in the day!

---------------------

@scottfitz
• A main issue is you didn't include a fade out at the end. I'm not sure if this was just a technical oversight in the bounce down, for instance, or you just missed it
• Pad in the verses is too loud, I think it's swamping some of your vocal clarity
• However, I really like the level of the all the keys and strings in the chorus - gives it a wonderful sorrowful boost as they ascend, you really feel it, nice job here!
• Some harsh frequencies to tame on the strings / mello in the solo section, really quite piercing in places
• Vocals in general are a bit quiet in both verses and choruses
• Drums are good, all elements nicely balanced
• Solo guitar could be louder
• Breakdown is a bit one-sided with both the acoustic and tremolo guitars off to the left, maybe split them left and right

You've done a good mix here, but my advice would be not to focus too much on the technicalities. Try and look at the broader picture of the musical product you're crafting - does it sound cool? Will people enjoy listening to it? How does it make you feel? I know as mix engineers we're ideally supposed to remain objective and somewhat clinical in the process, but it's music after all.

One of the most eye-opening stories I heard from a good friend of mine who runs a studio professionally - when he was starting out some years ago he met the engineer who mixed a lot of George Ezra's tracks and my friend had the chance to play him some of his mixes. He didn't respond with technical details, in fact the very first thing he said was "the vocals aren't cool enough". For me that just said it all - focus on the outcome, the musical product. I try to remember that with each mix I do.


Best regards,

Benji

[scottfitz]

Hey Pitta, Key and Scott,

All good mixes, collectively you've actually made me hear mine in a different light! I think my vocals are a tad toppy in comparison I need to rein that in a little if I get the chance.

Here's a quick bit of mix feedback for you all...

@Pitta
• Overall the mix in general seems very dry. This does make it nice and upfront on one hand but also makes it feel like it lacks some excitement and sheen on the other
• Something weird is going on with the vocal top end, in places it sounds very lispy like it's been too harshly de-essed (eg: "second" and "smile" in the first line)
• Vocals aren't quite loud enough in the choruses, they're being drowned by the guitars and drums
• To me the drums sound too dry and a little too loud on the whole (hats / snare / kick in particular), but they have good punch.
• Conversely though, the overheads aren't loud enough - the crashes are very quiet (eg: at 1:03) so you're missing some of the musical punctuation they bring
• Cool effects on the "dig your own grave" line, very creepy and powerful

In summary a pretty good mix I would say, just largely level balance issues to deal with.

---------------------

@keyhengchan
• Drums sound a bit thin and weak against the guitars
• Love the chorus effect you've used on some of the guitar tracks throughout, very cool sound!
• Not sure the guitar delay effect in the first verse works though, it's a bit distracting
• Chorus vocals are a bit narrow and not quite loud enough - there's not a lot of difference between the verse and chorus in terms of width / level, so you're missing the emotive impact the extra vocals tracks can bring

A great job for a headphone mix though, and especially for someone still at school starting out, I wish I could mix this well when that was me back in the day!

---------------------

@scottfitz
• A main issue is you didn't include a fade out at the end. I'm not sure if this was just a technical oversight in the bounce down, for instance, or you just missed it
• Pad in the verses is too loud, I think it's swamping some of your vocal clarity
• However, I really like the level of the all the keys and strings in the chorus - gives it a wonderful sorrowful boost as they ascend, you really feel it, nice job here!
• Some harsh frequencies to tame on the strings / mello in the solo section, really quite piercing in places
• Vocals in general are a bit quiet in both verses and choruses
• Drums are good, all elements nicely balanced
• Solo guitar could be louder
• Breakdown is a bit one-sided with both the acoustic and tremolo guitars off to the left, maybe split them left and right

You've done a good mix here, but my advice would be not to focus too much on the technicalities. Try and look at the broader picture of the musical product you're crafting - does it sound cool? Will people enjoy listening to it? How does it make you feel? I know as mix engineers we're ideally supposed to remain objective and somewhat clinical in the process, but it's music after all.

One of the most eye-opening stories I heard from a good friend of mine who runs a studio professionally - when he was starting out some years ago he met the engineer who mixed a lot of George Ezra's tracks and my friend had the chance to play him some of his mixes. He didn't respond with technical details, in fact the very first thing he said was "the vocals aren't cool enough". For me that just said it all - focus on the outcome, the musical product. I try to remember that with each mix I do.


Best regards,

Benji

Thanks Benji,
Your mix was so good, and you pinged it out in no time at all, pretty pro level in my opinion. I used that mix as a reference for mine. I totally get what you're saying about focussing on "is the music cool?" and not getting too bogged down in technicalities. That's me all over unfortunately. Making my approach different in the future comes down to understanding what makes something sound cool? I think I have probably under-processed it vs your mix. I tend to under-use compressors because I a little scared of over-using them. I tend to under use saturation because I'm scared of frying the thing. I probably need to use like 10%-20% more of both in general. I also notice your vocal delay is much more noticeable and stylish. I cut my vocal delay on the verse altogether. But I need to be thinking constantly is this good music? is this working? rather than wondering is the bass compression too high? This is very good advice Sir, thanks for this.

Feedback for your mix from me is that I think your toms overload the bass end at times and those bass notes which rang out so loud on the recording, it must be the open A string 110Hz? I think they dominate a bit much. I tried dealing with the resonances in the bass with Soothe2 which I hadn't done before. I may have overdone this aspect, but it definitely addressed the problem.

[scottfitz]

Just seen in some commentary, that on the third post, was a request from the song provider. Sorry that I overlooked those "hidden" messages. Didn't know if I should edit my submission post with these text or what but, here and now, maybe it will give more chance of discussion. Also, after reading some of your thoughts and listening to some of your mixes, puts my thoughts and choices in new perspectives.
I think I've fairly adressed the reasons behind my mix choices on mix submit post but, heres some more. I think I wanted a bit more of the anger too, not just the sadness, as I think, inspite the darkness of thoughts and choices, there's also a strong drive to the character.
I don't remember who's comment was, and wasn't as simple as I will put it, but was about dark or bright mixes, according and respectively, to sad or happy songs. Personally I don't feel that. In this song, I feel that much of the feel comes from the airyness in his voice (great performance by the way), that I've tried to enhance and then, everything around it has somehow to be taylored around it. For me, the interest and challenge was the contrast of softness and hardness that is contained in the arrangement in all sections. Meaning, I feel there's contrast not just between sections , but within each and in the character.

Also as requested: Mixed in the box, on Reaper DAW, RME Firaface 802 audio interface, mainly on headphones, Hifiman Sundara and 7hz inears, with some crossfeed, equalized targeting Harman curve, amped by Sabaj A20, with some help of my vertically stacked Auratones, with an Auratone amplifier. Also the help of home stereo as "car check", that conveniently is listened to, at the sofa that is less then half meter behind the mixing listening spot, as it all happens in my living room. I also have, and didn't even turned them on for my last 3 mixes, a pair of Genelec 8040, with two SWS subs, corrected with Sonarworks. Fairly treated living room.

Give my mix a listen if you please. I'll try to do the feedback for feedback thing. Maybe that's not the most pretty request but, not having much time, I'll sometimes in a bit, in a very random way, read a comment here, listen to a mix there, return to my doings and ending up not writting about nothing.

Cheers!

Hi,
You mix is decent. You've definitely got some aggression working effectively on the chorus, I think your guitar processing has worked well.
I have the same issue on the bottom end of the toms that I have with quite a few mixes, but that is a minor issue.
I think you have done most things to a good standard.

I personally find the snare a little too in your face, it could be that it's too bright sounding, could be that it's been pushed too hard on the transient enhancer? I'm trying to listen to the vocals and it's a bit distracting. The kick is also too much for me, I don't think it needs to be so hyped, I would like it a little lower and a little softer sounding. I think the mix is lacking in the low end.
Cheers and don't feel you have to comment on mine if you don't have time

[BenjiRage]

Thanks Benji,
Your mix was so good, and you pinged it out in no time at all, pretty pro level in my opinion. I used that mix as a reference for mine. I totally get what you're saying about focussing on "is the music cool?" and not getting too bogged down in technicalities. That's me all over unfortunately. Making my approach different in the future comes down to understanding what makes something sound cool? I think I have probably under-processed it vs your mix. I tend to under-use compressors because I a little scared of over-using them. I tend to under use saturation because I'm scared of frying the thing. I probably need to use like 10%-20% more of both in general. I also notice your vocal delay is much more noticeable and stylish. I cut my vocal delay on the verse altogether. But I need to be thinking constantly is this good music? is this working? rather than wondering is the bass compression too high? This is very good advice Sir, thanks for this.

Feedback for your mix from me is that I think your toms overload the bass end at times and those bass notes which rang out so loud on the recording, it must be the open A string 110Hz? I think they dominate a bit much. I tried dealing with the resonances in the bass with Soothe2 which I hadn't done before. I may have overdone this aspect, but it definitely addressed the problem.

Hmmm yeah I can't really define what the "cool" is, and perhaps that isn't the right word for this track. The vibe to aim for varies of course depending on the material. To hone in on whatever "it" is, referencing is a big help, experimentation can often result in happy accidents too, the rest kinda just comes with practice over time. Vocal delay in particular is a sure-fire way to add excitement, more so than reverb. If you told me I could only use one of the two, I'd pick delay (almost) every time.

Thank you for your feedback on my mix, very kind words and much appreciated . I also think you're onto something with the bass, I perhaps didn't give it enough technical thought. I added an additional amp sim to the amp track to help it fill a bigger spectral area and cut through on small systems but I probably didn't pay enough attention to some of the resonances, thank you for the pointer.

I can honestly say too that I really hear your mixes improving as the competitions roll on. You are making big strides forward and I admire your technical ambition so keep pushing

Best,

Benji

[White Punk OD]

I would be delighted if any of you skilful people can criticise and give some constructive comments on my mix,

I like it a lot and it sounds fresh and powerful.
There is a few optional issues that I would say are cultural.
You are developing your own sound well, but your words confirm, that you have to do it together with some audience, like a dozen of your student comrades, or a hundred listeners at some local channel, whatever.
So, I don't know what is "cool".
But to work for another artist, means to take all of their work and put it together in such a fresh and beautiful way.
If I did't know the original tracks and heard no other mixes, I would perhaps not have the following ideas.
I would think we should hear the keyboards and string sounds a bit better in the chorus, so they are adding to the drama.
The attack sound of the bass is quite brilliant, it is nice but the bass is not normally used this way, so you have to agree with the producer and artist about that, being some form of individual style or innovation. Sure it has been done by others as well.
The snare top also has a transient that reaches high up above 10k so it is perhaps nice while guitars and cymbals also are playing very high frequencies, but in the darker parts it sticks out a bit. It is only for a nuance. You can softly lowpass, or try soft clipping or saturation, but don't weaken it. Let the snare not normally get in the way of the vocals. It should follow tightly behind.
Vocal balance between verse and chorus might expect a higher vocal level in the chorus, relative to the verse. But bg voc plays a role here also.
Good luck and keep striving!

[scottfitz]

Thanks Benji,
Your mix was so good, and you pinged it out in no time at all, pretty pro level in my opinion. I used that mix as a reference for mine. I totally get what you're saying about focussing on "is the music cool?" and not getting too bogged down in technicalities. That's me all over unfortunately. Making my approach different in the future comes down to understanding what makes something sound cool? I think I have probably under-processed it vs your mix. I tend to under-use compressors because I a little scared of over-using them. I tend to under use saturation because I'm scared of frying the thing. I probably need to use like 10%-20% more of both in general. I also notice your vocal delay is much more noticeable and stylish. I cut my vocal delay on the verse altogether. But I need to be thinking constantly is this good music? is this working? rather than wondering is the bass compression too high? This is very good advice Sir, thanks for this.

Feedback for your mix from me is that I think your toms overload the bass end at times and those bass notes which rang out so loud on the recording, it must be the open A string 110Hz? I think they dominate a bit much. I tried dealing with the resonances in the bass with Soothe2 which I hadn't done before. I may have overdone this aspect, but it definitely addressed the problem.

Hmmm yeah I can't really define what the "cool" is, and perhaps that isn't the right word for this track. The vibe to aim for varies of course depending on the material. To hone in on whatever "it" is, referencing is a big help, experimentation can often result in happy accidents too, the rest kinda just comes with practice over time. Vocal delay in particular is a sure-fire way to add excitement, more so than reverb. If you told me I could only use one of the two, I'd pick delay (almost) every time.

Thank you for your feedback on my mix, very kind words and much appreciated . I also think you're onto something with the bass, I perhaps didn't give it enough technical thought. I added an additional amp sim to the amp track to help it fill a bigger spectral area and cut through on small systems but I probably didn't pay enough attention to some of the resonances, thank you for the pointer.

I can honestly say too that I really hear your mixes improving as the competitions roll on. You are making big strides forward and I admire your technical ambition so keep pushing

Best,

Benji

thanks Benji, I could definitely do with using more referencing of commercial tracks, what I really need is a library of maybe 100 go-to tracks to pull straight in. Without that prep, I'm reluctant to go hunting for reference tracks in the middle of mixing as it ends up as a rabbit hole to find the perfect track and then ooooh this music is good, how have I never heard this before etc. Anyway thanks for highlighting the importance of referencing again.

I'm pleased someone else thinks I've improved because it's quite a lonely road at times and you always hope you're getting somewhere but there's plenty of doubters around and when you have a family, it can become hard to justify your hobby if it's not going anywhere. I feel like we're all racing against AI. When AI can produce a pro level mix in a matter of seconds, we can all give up doing this, or at least give up the dream of getting some work doing it. I've spent the last 3 years trying fairly hard to improve partly because of this feeling that time is running out to fulfil a dream I had. I've definitely wasted a huge amount of time and money in the process, but it's been fun.

Cheers all

[keyhengchan]

Hey Pitta, Key and Scott,

All good mixes, collectively you've actually made me hear mine in a different light! I think my vocals are a tad toppy in comparison I need to rein that in a little if I get the chance.

Here's a quick bit of mix feedback for you all...

@Pitta
• Overall the mix in general seems very dry. This does make it nice and upfront on one hand but also makes it feel like it lacks some excitement and sheen on the other
• Something weird is going on with the vocal top end, in places it sounds very lispy like it's been too harshly de-essed (eg: "second" and "smile" in the first line)
• Vocals aren't quite loud enough in the choruses, they're being drowned by the guitars and drums
• To me the drums sound too dry and a little too loud on the whole (hats / snare / kick in particular), but they have good punch.
• Conversely though, the overheads aren't loud enough - the crashes are very quiet (eg: at 1:03) so you're missing some of the musical punctuation they bring
• Cool effects on the "dig your own grave" line, very creepy and powerful

In summary a pretty good mix I would say, just largely level balance issues to deal with.

---------------------

@keyhengchan
• Drums sound a bit thin and weak against the guitars
• Love the chorus effect you've used on some of the guitar tracks throughout, very cool sound!
• Not sure the guitar delay effect in the first verse works though, it's a bit distracting
• Chorus vocals are a bit narrow and not quite loud enough - there's not a lot of difference between the verse and chorus in terms of width / level, so you're missing the emotive impact the extra vocals tracks can bring

A great job for a headphone mix though, and especially for someone still at school starting out, I wish I could mix this well when that was me back in the day!

---------------------

@scottfitz
• A main issue is you didn't include a fade out at the end. I'm not sure if this was just a technical oversight in the bounce down, for instance, or you just missed it
• Pad in the verses is too loud, I think it's swamping some of your vocal clarity
• However, I really like the level of the all the keys and strings in the chorus - gives it a wonderful sorrowful boost as they ascend, you really feel it, nice job here!
• Some harsh frequencies to tame on the strings / mello in the solo section, really quite piercing in places
• Vocals in general are a bit quiet in both verses and choruses
• Drums are good, all elements nicely balanced
• Solo guitar could be louder
• Breakdown is a bit one-sided with both the acoustic and tremolo guitars off to the left, maybe split them left and right

You've done a good mix here, but my advice would be not to focus too much on the technicalities. Try and look at the broader picture of the musical product you're crafting - does it sound cool? Will people enjoy listening to it? How does it make you feel? I know as mix engineers we're ideally supposed to remain objective and somewhat clinical in the process, but it's music after all.

One of the most eye-opening stories I heard from a good friend of mine who runs a studio professionally - when he was starting out some years ago he met the engineer who mixed a lot of George Ezra's tracks and my friend had the chance to play him some of his mixes. He didn't respond with technical details, in fact the very first thing he said was "the vocals aren't cool enough". For me that just said it all - focus on the outcome, the musical product. I try to remember that with each mix I do.


Best regards,

Benji

Thanks so much for your feedback Benji! This place might be my best discovery on the internet in a while and I will definitely keep participating in the upcoming challenges! I do intend to lay the drums a bit back in the mix but not sure if it is sitting right, thanks for commenting on that and I will keep that in mind. The vocals during chorus, yep I completely agree with what you said and it is what I should have done given the added material, thanks a lot for pointing it out! Thanks so much for taking the time to listen to my mix critically. BTW the chorus effect is the Waves abby road ADT plugin, I do love it a lot, a bit too much. Cheers!