MIX CHALLENGE - MC104 June 2025 - Mix Round 1 in evaluation

[cpsmusic]

Hi Everyone,

Here's my entry for Mix Challenge 104.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19H5JRw ... sp=sharing

Thanks to the song provider and thanks to the challenge organisers.

For this Challenge I wanted to create a mix with a modern tonal balance (i.e. more low end and brighter). Something I really enjoyed with this mix was the chance to use more reverb than is generally used in modern styles. In my case I have some old hardware units - an SPX990 and an SRV-330 so I used one of the SPX's ambience presets for the synth parts ("FatERs") and the SRV's "Stereo Nonlin" preset on the drums. Hopefully that gives the mix an 80s vibe. It was also interesting to work with synth vocals, something I'd never come across before.

The song was mixed primarily on Sennheiser HD650 headphones equalized to the Harman Curve using ToneBoosters TB Equalizer 4 and processed with dearVR Monitor using the Analytic Dry preset. I also used Yamaha HD625 monitors with ARC 3 room correction. The mix was checked with Beyer DT770 Pros (great for showing up sibilance) and Apple Ear Buds (2nd Generation). My room is untreated.

Mixbus was as follows:

SPL Iron
SPL Transient Designer Plus
SPL Vitalizer Jack (Hardware)
Sonnox Inflator
SPL Machine Head
Eventide TVerb
Basslane
SlickEQ M

The mix was mostly done without any mixbus processing, with the processors listed above being added towards the end of the mix. An interesting point about the mixbus was that it includes a reverb (!), something I wanted to try after reading about how Andrew Scheps uses TVerb for mix "glue" in preference to a compressor. It does seem to add a cohesion to the sound although I'm not sure how it would work in the case of styles where less reverb was used overall.

The vast majority of the mix processing was done with the Sonnox EQ and Waves H-Compressor although I used the Townhouse compressor for the drums as it provides a bit more character and pump. Even though these are fairly lightweight plug-ins the final mix still proved a bit too much for my aging Mac Mini so I opted to print stems of the mix groups (drums, bass, etc.) and then bounce the stems down for the final mix.

Specs:

24-bit/44.1 kHz
-16.2 LUFS (int.)
-2.5 dBTP

Good luck to all contestants and once again thanks to everyone involved in the challenge.

Cheers!

[Edling]

Hey @Mister Fox. I reviewed my post and realized I only mentioned listening devices and forgot to mention my room. Is it allowed to update the text of the post containing the submitted mix, just so I don't screw up

[Piotr]

Hello everyone in this summer time!
My mix:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ctB5XS ... drive_link

Processing for most important tracks, all mix in the box:
- Bass – SPL Vitalizer, EQ, Looptrotter Sa2urate2
- Bass sub rhytm - SPL Vitalizer
- Bass buss: Shadowhills comp, PultecEQ, Ampex ATR 120
- Kicks - SPL Vitalizer, VCA Comp, PultecEQ
- Snare – SSL channel EQ
- Toms - SPL Vitalizer, EQ
- Overheads -1176 comp
- Claps, HHs – maximizer
- Drums buses: Lindell MBC
- Guitars: SSL channel EQ,
- Keys Alone – StuderA800, Dirty Tape,
- Keys D50 – Verve machines Maaq EQ4, Studer A800
- Keys Diva Pad – Oxide tape, Studer A800
- Keys gated - SSL X-Saturator, Compressor
- Keys Plucky - Looptrotter Sa2urate2
- Keys piano K2000 - Looptrotter Sa2urate2, StudioDelay, Roomworks, Uad Verve machines.
- Keys Piano shim – Magneto II
- Vox – 1176, LA2A, Ampex ATR102, Maag EQ4 (at choruses – Studer 800) - to Fairchild 670

FXs sends:
- Multitap delay,
- Lexicon 224 - 2 instances,
- Studio delay+chorus,
- Roomworks reverb - 2 instances,

Mix Buss: EQ, Shadowhills comp parallel , Ampex ATR120,

This month, due to the large number of virtual instruments like keys, pads and so on, I tested some types of saturation, especially tape, trying to match them to the instrument.

The track that I paid special attention to (apart from the fundamental rhythmic, bass and vocals) are Piano K2000 due to the leading melody on the bridge, somewhat similar to the original, but still different.

Monitoring: Audeze MM-100 headphones and JBL LSR305 near-field monitors with Sonarworks correction, untreated room.

Thank you!

[Gunnar]

Hey,

coming from "handmade" music with live played instruments it was a new experience for me to mix this song. First: This song is great and I had lots of fun to mix this. Thanks for that chance! What I like most is the arrangement that creates a really full sound, excitement and an exciting dynamic.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/m9jb36uf ... rxe1l&dl=0

► Show Spoiler

My most importand decisions (I won´t mention regular treatments like eq or compression):

First I thinned out the synths and reduced each one to the most importand frequencies to achieve more clearness. The ob plucky got some autopan for more movement. The piano got automated dely and reverb.

Drums: you want 80s? You get gated reverb on snare and toms (I think this works really well here).
For more impact kick and snare go to a parallel bus with dbx160 and satuation.

For the vocals I wanted a dreamy character with reverb an delays: Room, Plate (2-3 seconds), slap delay into the Plate and an automated throw delay on some words in the chorus into the plate.
Vocal inserts: SSL E-Channel – 1176 - LA2A – Maag 40kHz – deesser – airwindows ToTape 7 – limiter.

BG Vocals got the same room and plate (just more of it).

All Vocals go into a bus with SSL E-Channel – Shadow Hills – Msaturator – pultec eq

all instrument groups (drums,bass synths, keys, guitars) go into busses with overdriven Channelstrips (SSL E or Focusrite), an additional drum&bass-bus with Airwindows ToTape 7.

Masterbus: alpha compressor – IVGI2 – Stock EQ – TDR Nova – Airwindows ToTape 7 - Limiter

Mixed in Studio One with Yamaha HS7 + AKG K240 Headphones in a semi-treated room.

Cheers
Gunnar

[Uberproduktion]

Hi,
was mixing this under a bit of time pressure, haha, but couldn't resist an opportunity to use MUCH reverb.
Basically was going for a Trip Hop sound, bit dizzying stereo effects...

- multiple Reverb-Sends
- Submix-Buses with strong stereo manipulation and super slow compression


https://drive.google.com/file/d/123ZVNu ... drive_link


mixed on my regular cheapo speakers. I hope I didn't forget anything
Best regards
Chris

[Vongluck]

Hello,

Thank you about this new challenge, It was pleasant to mix it with many old electronic sounds.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/177wX-1 ... drive_link

Best Regards, Vongluck.

[jaThum]

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v9nh8d2u ... l0lw4&dl=0

Tried to keep it as old school as possible...lots of verb and somewhat subdued drums. Vocals just needed to get lower end out better. like the author said, i tried to simply get this to meld into a mix of its contemporaries from back when....

Listening to THAT generation of music, it's surprising how little bass was often employed. But spaces were large and wide.

Equipment is just JBL 306 MII (occasionally 7506 cans) in an untreated bedroomm

[dstra]

Hi everyone,

Here is my submission: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dTI7rX ... drive_link

Many thanks to BenjiRage for providing the audio tracks. I was really amazed about the result of the vocal synthesizer, so I gave the vocals a prominent place in the mix.

Processing
Drums: no single track processing, only compression on the drum bus
Bass: sidechain dynamic eq to create space for the kick
Synths: on some tracks eq, delay, stereo movement, reverb and/or automation; compression on the synth bus
Vocals: compression and reverb on all vocals; dynamic eq for de-essing, delay and automation on lead vocals; compression on the vocal bus
Main bus: compression

Tools
DAW: Ardour (on Linux)
Plugin bundles: Calf, LSP, Zam, x42, Dragonfly and others

Mixing environment
Monitors: Yamaha HS80M with Yamaha HS10W (subwoofer)
Headphones: AKG K702
Room treatment: passive acoustic absorbers
No room/headphone correction software used

[VAK]

Hello everyone, My name is Vlad and I perform under the nickname "VAK"

My Mix:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b7GGae ... sp=sharing

Very cool source files, I am very glad that I was able to work with such high-quality sources.

Characteristics of the proetka:
Length: 4:56.333
Loudness (min/max): -24,0 LUFS to -16,0 LUFS ILk, -1,00 dBTP max
Max LUFS-S: -17.0
LUFS-I: -18.9
File Format: WAV, 44kHz, 24bit

My listening and mixing system:
VOLT 176, Beyerdynamic DT 990 PRO / 250 ohm

VOKAL: I liked working with Vocals the most, the sources are very good. I compressed it a little, added an Autotune and added spaces (I used UAD Pure Plate Reverb, and also mixed Reverb with Send Channels)

[Henrik Hjortnaes]

Hello, long time I joined because BenjiRage has made an irresistible song and I needed the challenge to mix a genre I'm not used to. Also, I need to get up to speed using Studio One for mixing.

MY MIX
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17UscM4 ... sp=sharing

MONITORING
Genelec 8030, ARC Studio, semi-treated room and far from optimal.

PLAN
Ben's original mix is really sweet, however an alternative version could have more punch and fine detail and thus less compression. So I went for that.

VOCAL CLICKS
The raw tracks have sharp T and S sounds that resemble digital clicks or mouth clicky noises in the mix. Once I notice them, I can't ignore them, so I spent time fixing it.
Examples of clicks in the original tracks:
00:41 – “...gently on your chest” <CLICK>
00:50 – “...from the west” <CLICK>
01:10 – “...you crashed into my heart” <CLICK>

SPECIALS
Keys D50 Fantasia: I crafted some pumping reverb to it, to spice up the slightly static nature of the intro.
Keys Diva Bass: I muted a couple of notes in two places to help introduce the chorus and for impact.
Lead vocal: I changed the reverb drastically just before the 1st chorus, to help create impact.
Keys Diva Bass: Low-passed the mid-channel during the verses to keep it away from the lead vocal.
Drums: I crafted a subtle room sound to the kick and snare—it works solo but might get lost in the busy mix.
VSDSX Snare: Shortened the tail of the snare a bit, because I think it sounds better. The original tail is a quick tone generator sweep from 200 Hz and downwards, and after a while, it just starts sounding too prominent.

VOCAL DE-HARSHING
Taming vocal harshness in the 2.5-4 kHz region was needed. It's a complex balancing game, as many things can affect the perceived harshness.

KEYS, BALANCING
Balancing the many synth tracks was really hard work for me. It took a lot of volume and EQ automation to maintain clarity and movement throughout the song.

COMPRESSION
I have only used two dedicated compressors in the whole mix, namely two instances of sonible:smartComp2. One on the vocal bus and one on the mix bus.

PLUG-INS
Smooth Operator Pro is everywhere in this mix and is responible for so much.
A special thanks to ADPTR Utopia reverb as well.