2024-MAR-01 Info: Check out Songwriting Competition 079 if you're into "Synthwave" music making.

MIX CHALLENGE - MC065 May 2020 - Winners announced

Join the Mix Challenge - recurrence: February until December
neuro

Re: MIX CHALLENGE - MC065 May 2020 - Submissions until 21-05-2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST

#91

Post by neuro »

hello

nice song and music. really enjoyed mixing this song.

little info:
mixed with reaper
guitars were re-amped


my attempt:
mp3
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zfKPS ... IWyIY69W2q

wav
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1jEiap ... ZIZ3e3odPq


and good luck for everyone!
Miha

Re: MIX CHALLENGE - MC065 May 2020 - Submissions until 21-05-2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST

#92

Post by Miha »

Hi everyone,

here is my submission :
Mp3 : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1PAUY8 ... ssMnqoZ2_k
Wav : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gg_Lo ... ir6vnhQvV6

I mixed Take Your Time in Reaper with Softube Console 1 (SSL E series and API emulations) on every track, TSAR reverb and Soundtoys effects on send channels. For me, the snare was a bit difficult to shape but the bass was a real pleasure to mix, tambourine and shakers tended to brighten up a bit too mush the overall balance so I choosed to under mix them.

I used four busses to organise the tracks :
- first for lead vocal, guitar solo and sax
- second for guitars, bass and piano
- third for drums and percussions
- fourth for back vocals and keys

I used a short room (0.67s) reverb for drums, a long hall (7s) reverb for back vocals and keys and a mix of the room plus a medium plate (1.4s) reverb for leads, guitars and piano. I also used a micro-pitch doubling effect on vocals and keys.

I put Izotope Nectar vocal tuning utility on the lead vocals and their double tracking.
I used the DI guitars with Softube Vintage Amp simultor to add weight and counter act the brightness of the amped guitars.
I used API 560, ten bands EQ to shape the snare, the kick and the bass.
I put Izotope Spectral Shaper on vocals as a De-esser and on overheads to keep highs under control.
Finally, I used a mid-side processor on the "guitars, bass and piano" buss in order to keep the lows (>125Hz) centered.

On master bus, I just put a TubeTech style compressor in order to glue things together.

I really enjoyed mixing this tune, thanks for sharing it !
Take care.
Lewshwa Music

Re: MIX CHALLENGE - MC065 May 2020 - Submissions until 21-05-2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST

#93

Post by Lewshwa Music »

WAV - https://www.dropbox.com/s/t7oytop7zwedn ... c.wav?dl=0


SETUP - enter tracks into My LEWSHWA INTEGRATED PRODUCER template. template is already grouped and routed with sends to fx and parallel processing. EMI emulation of NLS pre-loaded across most of the board, NEVE and SSL emu scattered in. More template preloaded processing listed below.

GAIN STAGIN / BALANCE - reduced most tracks by 3-9dB

REPAIR - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ztp4bfto323m ... miYXa?dl=0 (I edited this post to add this link)
1) dog bark in BVOX2, last aahh ooohh, second chorus. (replaced w/ last oohh from first chorus) - see screenshots 1-3
2) Drums lost the beat for a bar or two in first verse. (replaced with nearby similar two bar phrase)
see screenshots 4-6

TUNING - Tuned in stages to help preserve natural sound, but substantial tuning was needed. Used logic flex ptich analyzer and pitch correction on all vox, bringing pitches closer without adding artifacts. Logic PLUGIN pitch correection then employed delicately (200-400ms) to reduce pitch waiver and add final gentle correction.

ROUTING - CHANNELS grouped to BUSSES, w/ PARALLEL COMP channels for each GROUP BUS
FX sends from GROUP BUSSES to verbs, ambience and CRUNCH channels.
VOX to PLATE and very short DELAY and to verb, ambience and CRUNCH
FX and VOX FX along with BAND BUS and VOX BUS sent to BUS 19
BUS 19 - CLEAN, PARALLEL, SIDECHAIN (not used this project)
PARALLEL channel has BERZERKER, AURAL EXCITER and CLA 76.
Blended with CLEAN into 2bus (BUS 20)
BUS 20 - NLS BUS, VIRTUAL TAPE MACHINE

MIXING - Kick and Snare sent through my OUTBOARD gear to shape and add punch. JOE MEEK VC6Q, Liquid Saffire, JOE MEEK SC4 MID/SIDE compressor.
Lots of eq and compression on the kit. all sent to parallel compression, and also hitting logic's DBX emulation. RM mics barely used.
BASS - all three channels blended. Some crossover eq used to separete. Then into Black Box and EQ on the bus. Parallel Compression as well.
GUITARS - gentle eq and mid side compression on Rhythm Guits, panned a bit to the right to balance PIANO. Amp emulation on LEAD. Parallel on both. LEAD SOLO might be a tad hot.
PIANO - Spread out and to the left. run through Foscusrite RED 2 and 3 plugins from focusrite.
KEYS - felt the verses were a little bare without some time-based effects, as suggested. I added H-Delay with some compression after it and an autopan to get it to bounce from side to side and linger in the gaps.
SAX - API eq (mostly API eqs above, as well) with an fx send with two delays. one fast the other REALLY fast. felt it matched the sax on MONEY (pink floyd) and I liked it for the vibe of this thing.
BVOX - Doubler on buss to add depth.
AUX PERC - MID/SIDE compression two lighten up and move to sides.


EXTRA TOUCHES - I did a tiny sidechain ducking on the clean channel to clear a little low end room for the KICK. I also added a mono verb to preserve depth on mono systems.

I REFERENCED the Toto song and MONEY and some other 70's classics to catch the vibe.

Really fun to mix and great uplifting message for anyone who's ever been there! Thank you, and hope you enjoy.

Lewshwa Music
Franz

Re: MIX CHALLENGE - MC065 May 2020 - Submissions until 21-05-2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST

#94

Post by Franz »

Hi Cameron, Mister Fox and everyone,

With this title we are right in the original idea of the mixing competition, ie MIXING.
Sound and instrumentation + voice are pretty in the spirit of the 70s / 80s. So I exclusively oriented
my mix with this in mind, avoiding the sounds of today which are characterized by a completely artificial side
due to the massive use of plugins that did not exist at the time.

I tried to have the most "natural" sound of the instruments.

Starting with the drums: a light treatment on the snare with saturation for more presence,
use of the "ROOM" track very useful to obtain the "coherence" of the drum kit.
I didn’t change the sound of the bass guitar which is great. As for rhythm guitars,the same thing.
Fortunately there are direct tracks.
What annoys me most about the original mix is the use of rhythm guitar tracks to which a "spring reverb" effect
has been applied.
In the 1970s, apart from the super big professional studios, there was mainly spring reverberation. There were also
plate reverberations and then digital reverberations arrived later. The incurable problem of springs is their sound.
Although widely used at the time in guitar amps or Hammond organ, the use in the studio was relatively limited
to avoid on anything percussive, otherwise "zzboiingg ...."

A lot of work on the piano and Rhodes tracks to make them harmonious with each other.
Besides and mainly, we are in a delicate configuration: piano, Rhodes, guitars and the voices share
a good portion of frequencies common to each.

All the art of mixing is there ....

The voices have not undergone any particular treatment. I used all the tracks.

The only "fantasy" that I have allowed myself is the re-amp of the solo guitar. The original solo is a bit "chopped up"
and lacks fluidity. So, in 1970, an inimitable and so personal sound ? Carlos Santana of course !
I find that my new solo guitar sound perfectly integrates the title and the link sound with the sax solo is great.

Personal opinion...

Everything is said, now just listen to it here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cyy214wz7vhxw ... v.wav?dl=0

Cheers

Franz
Nick Kodonas
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu May 21, 2020 23:09 CEST

Re: MIX CHALLENGE - MC065 May 2020 - Submissions until 21-05-2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST

#95

Post by Nick Kodonas »

Hi guys, this is my first submission here!

My approach was slightly more modern while definitely retaining that vintage vibe, through usage of UAD Tape emulations, Abbey Road Vinyl etc. I first did some editing, mostly nudging certain tracks just to fit better with each other, and then did the same with the vocals, along with some Melodyning. My goal was for everything to sound organic and not "perfect", but also like something that could fit with today's standards when it comes to editing, High End, Low End, Dynamics etc. I used the usual plugins like Waves, UAD, Soundtoys, Fabfilter.

Hope you like my approach!!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mxPkU ... KYBbp4TF90
Mork
Wild Card x1
Wild Card x1
Posts: 123
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 21:55 CEST
Location: Hamburg

Re: MIX CHALLENGE - MC065 May 2020 - Submissions until 21-05-2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST

#96

Post by Mork »

Hi,

thanks for the Song!

When I listended to the rough I thought 70s, when I checked out Rosanna I thought 80s. I think the recordings have some kind of 70s vibe in it, so I tried to bring that out, but give it a more modern and spacious appearance.

Drums got quantized but not to perfection, because everything is a little bit wonky in this so drum machine accurate wouldn't have made sense. At least we have a little bit more groove going :)
Learning the Pro Tools way of drum editing has been on my list anyway, so thank you for that (Beat Detective - it's awesome)! Other instruments got edited here and there, mostly the piano. I fought with the hihat quite a bit because I think that it's supposed to be like in Rosanna, but no chance. There's an Oxford Envolution on it to make it shorter and create some attack, but it just refuses to behave. I flipped the OHs to audience perspective because the room gave me the impression to be recorded that way and I prefer it anyway. Vocals are tuned with Waves LT. Everything else is mostly saturation and EQ work.

WAV: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Y7X4C ... 3gJO7fluXT

Cheers
Mork
Nick Watson

Re: MIX CHALLENGE - MC065 May 2020 - Submissions until 21-05-2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST

#97

Post by Nick Watson »

Hi got in just in time!
Here is my mix, loved the song, it was right up my street.
Ill add more info soon but here is the link to the mix.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mv3RBV ... sp=sharing
Cheers
Nick
Last edited by Nick Watson on Thu May 21, 2020 23:53 CEST, edited 1 time in total.
marc clement
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 19:39 CEST

Re: MIX CHALLENGE - MC065 May 2020 - Submissions until 21-05-2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST

#98

Post by marc clement »

Hiya ,
Love this song, the sax and solo are sublime.....

Basic balance and sum of bass channels etc...Mostly Acustica plugins


Kick- Pink 4 ..Api, pultec
Snare - Pink and Pultec
Ovhds-- Bx v3 to narrow
Rooms - transient designer and BX v3 to narrow
Drum bus - Coffee----Curvebender

Bass- Coffee

Guitars- Di re amped with Scuffman
keys--- roll off lows
piano-- roll off lows
Sax-- Pink eq and 24112 comp
Solo - Coffee

Voxes ---Pink Eq and comp, deesser, Lemon delay, Microshift and Melodyne to tune

2 bus----Pultec,,Ultramarine light comp, Taupe tape, TP limiter

My mix

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17TP0_v ... sp=sharing
Matik

Re: MIX CHALLENGE - MC065 May 2020 - Submissions until 21-05-2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST

#99

Post by Matik »

Hi everyone,

Here is my entry: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6i13on3m69dxc ... k.wav?dl=0

I was trying to achive more early 70' live sounding mix, than 80' studio feel. I was trying to emulate this by using some tape plugins (a lot tracks have Hornet Tape on start of the fx chain, same is on the master bus and also I used PlexiTape delay for solos), ADT for vocals (that give some Beatles feel to my mix) and a lot of light saturation from Saturn. I also automated Wow Flutter for ending with fade-out. For old-school feel I also used plate reverb from Arturia.

For Bass I omit Ribbon track and mainly used RE27 with bit of DI signal for highs.
I didn't use DI tracks for guitar, I just like orginal sound of guitars.

Good luck everyone!
Denzzony

Re: MIX CHALLENGE - MC065 May 2020 - Submissions until 21-05-2020 23:59 UTC+2/CEST

#100

Post by Denzzony »

Greetings! Last minutes. Here is my mix. Description later
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Qadyi ... 58fA6qInne
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