Mix Challenge

Thanks for the mixing opportunity, dude.


WAV: Contest over, link removed.


MP3: Contest over, link removed.


General/Plugins

F6 Dynamic EQ - Used to make frequency space for each instrument. For example, if two different guitars have a peak at 2K, one of them has the 2K peak lowered. I also used it to notch out any annoying frequences that squeal or ring when they build up too much.

SSL-E Channel - Used on every track. It takes care of most of the additive EQ and compression in the song. I didn't use the gate/expander.

Scheps 73 - Used on lead vocals. Preamp on, set to 0. High shelf and low shelf.

J37 Tape, H-Delay, and H-Reverb - Used for delay/reverb ambience, vocal doubling.

Guitar Rig - I used the Bass D.I. but also made a copy and ran that through the Jump amp and cabinet in GR.

Pultec EQ - Bass D.I.

SSL-G Master Buss compressor - Despite the name, I did not use it on the master buss. It's used in parallel with the drums for transient enhancement.

Smack Attack - Transient designer, used to shape the bass D.I. and room/overheads.

J37 Tape, NLS - Used for saturation. I like saturated reverbs especially.

SlickHDR - The compressor on the master buss. Good for not choking mixes.

Sibilance - De-esser. Automated the threshold. It was only needed a couple times.


Other Details

Placed multivelocity acoustic samples for kick, snare, and toms by hand. I don't have a plugin that does it.

For the pads, I automated a low pass filter at the beginning and end of the song. It moves from low to high in the beginning, high to low at the end. Think of it as depth of field in film, bringing something into or out of focus. Or think of it as a curtain opening/closing. It's more interesting than volume fades, though I did that too.

Aligned room and overheads. Mixed them together and compressed. Made a new room with multiple reverb instances. All drums sent to parallel compressor.

Cut extreme lows on the drums and guitars.

Hunted down and cut annoying frequencies on every guitar track. Roughly 150, 1500, 2500. Acoustic guitar centered and sent to reverb. Electric guitars panned a bit left and right, then sent to delay. Heavy guitar is wide. Tremolo guitar sent to multiple very short and pitched delays with no feedback.

Added attack and lowered sustain on D.I. bass. EQ resonant shelf at 60 Hz on D.I. bass. Tape saturation on amped bass.

Made copies of every vocal track. Pitched some up, some down, blended them in. Did volume automation of every vocal track, plus reverb and delay throws. I did both a reverb-to-delay send and a delay-to-reverb send, saturated. Lead vocal is compressed with SSL plus tape. Automated threshold on de-esser so it would avoid the word silence. It already sounded de-essed. Added NLS drive in parallel to lead.

Volume automation on nearly everything. It helped a lot with bringing the dynamically different sections together.

On the master buss, used NLS buss and J37 tape for saturation. Then the SlickHDR compressor. Slick has three drive knobs. I put the left and middle up a little, and right down a bit.

Here's mine:

mp3:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AtefJ ... x1Wx8wd7Fb

wave:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=19gnP5 ... kXyy5a_yVm

time-edited drums and some of bass and guitars. Theres definatly kind of slow breathing groove encoded but poorly i couldn catch up with it

tapesim on el-guitars, reverb on solos and trem guitar(pretty wet)
Bd replaced, and compressed, snare - sample added, compressed and eq'ed. Cabsim, eq, compression on di-bass.
Lead vocal - tdr de-edger, smooth hf roll off, dyn eq, de-esser, send to reverb
Backs - totally squashed with doubler and delay to empty mid-channel, low cut

also made double track for dist. guitar chords from other chorus

made clean el. guitars fade in after acoustic

Some delay send automated on guitars in few places

MP3: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1w_55P ... hKwcdQG2Xk
WAV: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1pdM8m ... 9xrkiZ4fVi




Tracks:
Bass DI - Split in to two tracks at 170Hz as high pass/Low pass. Low passed one was SC to the kick drum doing around 3db GR. High passed one was saturated with TSE Audio's BOD

Drums were run thru MAudio's MAutoAling just because im lazy to check for phasing issues
Kick - Waves SSL channel adding hell lot of 8Khz and 90Hz and after that compression round 6db, little bit of limiting and Rbass adding some more bottom
Snare - Adding some 6KHz 3KHz 1Khz and 150Hz, and bout 6db GR
OH - High pass at 50Hz, adding some 8Khz and bit 450hz, compressing somewhat 12db with fast attack and fast release
Room - boosting 60Hz and 4.5K, Hitting Compressor with fast attack and 50ms release round 10db
Toms - Little Eq and some limiting and Rbass
Snare and kick was send to paraller bus with transient desinger

AcGTR Body - Highpassing around 70hz, boosting 1,5k and 450hz compressing around 3db with fast attack and semi-fast release and after that adding some air at 10k
AcGTR Neck - Highpassing around 70hz, boosting 1,5k and 450hz compressing around 3db with fast attack and semi-fast release and after that adding some air at 10k
ElectGTR 1 - high passing around 150hz, some dips to cut mud and low pass at 4.6k
ElectGTR 2 - high passing around 150hz, some dips to cut mud and low pass at 4.6k
Trem Guitar - high pass at 120hz and some dips, low pass at 6.5k
EGT GAIN - high pass at 50hz, boosting some lows and some highs, light compressing, after that using doubler to get bigger gtr sound (hard panning), minor dip at 2.6k
EGLEAD - Some eq nothing fancy, after that compressing with RenAxx doing some what 10db GR, some saturation with Aphex aural exciter to add brightness, light delay
Pad 1 - some distortion
Pad 2 - some distortion
Vox Lead - Console emulation, De-Esser, taming peaks with CLA-76 and Devil-Loc, bringing tails with LA-2A (every one doing just a bit of GR), after that some microshift to thicken it up. Some Eq and final Compression
BG's and double Vox - De-esser -> EQ -> Waves Doubler -> Some MicroShift to thicken and Compression with CLA-76
Some automation on vocal reverb and vocal volume's

On MasterBuss Console emulation for saturation -> SSL Comp just tapping the needle (fast attack and auto release) to glue it together, and some boosting at high

This is my mix.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/er2hd0az9dv5l ... v.wav?dl=0

In the mix:
1. Pad1 and Pad2 -12.2db i played whit some panning at the start of the song, when guitars came in the paning is in center.
2. AGTBody and AGTNeck are bused for easy controling -6.3db TR5Classic EQ (HPF 285hz, -2.3db 360hz, hi-shelf 5Khz 1.3db), CLA67 fast attack and release, RDeeser to control the hiend.
tracks panning in verse LR 30, in chorus and solo full LR
3. EGT1 and EGT2 are bused too, -10.2db REQ 2 (hpf 100hz, -3db 356 hz) TR5 Bus Compressor fast attack and release.
4. BASS DI - REQ 2 (hpf 30hz, -3.8 346hz), RCompressor saide chained from kick fast attack and slower release, REQ 6 (-3db 122hz, -1.2db 354 hz)
5. EGT Gain - in chorus panned R68 - Pro EQ from Presonus Studio One 4 (hpf 130hz, -3db 357hz, -5.4db 1.8hz, 4.2db 5.4Khz), CLA76 Comp. not too fast attack and release. Send fx mono plate verb from FabFilterProR panned full L.
6. KICK - 2.7db - ProEQ (hpf 40hz, -4.1b 250hz, +2.6db 3.7Khz), RCompressor Fast attack and fast release 2db GR. Sent to "Drum Buss"
7. SNARE -6.8db - ProEQ (hpf 250hz, -3.6 394hz, +3.1db 2.95Khz) CLA76 fast attack slower release. Sent to "Snare verb" AbbeyRoad Plate. Sent to "Drum Buss"
8. HIGH TOM (-6.2db) and FLORTOM (-6db) - ProEQ (hpf 127hz, -3.6db 350hz, +2.7db 5.23Khz), HIGH TOM panned R82, FLORTOM panned L82, little sent to "Snare verb", and sent to "Drum Buss"
9. OH left and OH right - stereo bussed (-4.8db) for easier control, panned full L and R - TR5ClassicEQ (hpf 1.35Khz, -3.6db 2.48Khz, Hi-end boost 2.6db 5Khz) Sidechained key input "SNARE" becouse I wanna to eleminate snare from OH - RCompressor fast attack and release 3.4db GR, RDeEsser to control boosted hi-end. Sent to "Drum Buss"
10. ROOM -13.1db - RCompressor fast attack and release
11. Trem Guitar -12.2db - it starts on the beggining of the verse, panned L68. ProEQ (hpf 120hz, -4.5db 350hz)
12. VOX LEAD -2.3db - RVox (-7.2 compression) ProEQ (hpf 240 hz, -3.6db 360hz, +2.12db 2.3Khz, +2db 5.06Khz), CLA76 Fast attack slower release 3db GR. Sent to "vocal.verb" FabFilterPro-r medium hall, and sent to "vocal.dly" TR5TapeEcho 1/8 tempo sync.
13. BG VOX1 and BG VOX2 stereo bussed, panned full L and R. CLA76 fast attack and release 2.3 db GR. sent to "vocal.verb"
14. EGT Lead -6db - ProEQ (hpf 140hz, +6db 5Khz), RDeEsser set to 5Khz to control the high boost.

First of all, I really enjoyed mixing this song. Loved the vocals and guitars!
I started with instrument alignment; not only the phase but also the tempo.
I then did a rough balance and panned the tracks.
On drums, after eq´ing, compressing and applying transient shapers I used kick and snare samples to reinforce the original audio. I bussed kick and snare and parallel compressed them. I blended a reverb on the room mic to make it feel bigger. Another reverb went to the snare sample. I finally compressed the whole kit as a group and sent the snare/kick bus to a delay (Soundspot´s Nebula) which I fed into the song to add some rythm underneath. I narrowed its frequency and image.
On bass, I splitted the frequency so I got clean low end and saturated mids which I achieved by using Voxengo´s Boogex. Usual eq and compression on the bass group.
I grouped the guitars into acoustics, electrics and pads so I could treat them differently. I used the acoustic more as a percussive instrument, filling the gap left by the (absence of) hihat. Put a delay on the opposite side to open the image. Did some automation on the choruses. I panned the arpeggiated electrics left and right (no hard panning) and added the tremolo and distorted guitars just beneath. Eq´ed and compressed the group. Volume automation on the solo (some notes were lost) and distorted guitars (the endings). On the pads, I just roll off some hi and lows.
Finally the vocals. I loved the lead vox. I hi passed and compressed (twice) the lead, then added a desser and some top end afterwards. Send it to an exciter, short reverb and slap delay. I automated a longer dynamic delay on the choruses. I panned the duplicated vocals to one side and added a delay to the opposite side which also has some modulation. The backing vocals are panned hard left and right, heavily eq´ed and compressed and sent to reverb and chorus effects.
On the master bus, I had a bus compressor, some top and low end Pultec eq style and tape saturation.
Here´s my mix:
WAV:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5vdlzcbjf2ldp ... o.wav?dl=0
MP3:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ncyddr9ltxusy ... o.mp3?dl=0
Hope you enjoy it as I enjoyed mixing this song.
Thanks for the opportunity and good luck to all the participants.
GIANCARLO

I will participate this time as well.

wav: https://colabo-share.s3-ap-northeast-1. ... ruhitp.wav
mp3: https://colabo-share.s3-ap-northeast-1. ... ruhitp.mp3

• Drums
  1. For each track "Scheps Omni channel" is used.
     After EQ processing, i set it to emphasize attack sound with the compressor of OPT mode.
  2. use "Waves H-Comp" at the release time of the sixteenth note on the whole drum bus.

• base
  1. I copied the track, and I am using a reamp (Amplitube 4) effector. The other uses "SSL-G EQ" and a parallel compressor.

• Acoustic guitar
  1. For each track "Scheps Omni channel" is used.
  2. The track containing the body is set to the EQ setting which emphasizes the good midrange sound from the midrange range.
     Do not use a compressor.
  3. The truck that recorded the neck emphasizes the high-pitched sound in the high-pitched region, and the FET mode compressor
     It is setting to emphasize the attack sound.
  4. Panning is the same orientation as the original.
  5. To shorten the buses of two sound sources, i use "CLA Unplugged" to add a short slap delay and two kinds of reverb.

• EGT 1 and EGT 2
  1. For each track "Scheps Omni channel" is used.
  2. EGT 1 makes EQ setting emphasizing good midrange sound from medium to low range.
     Do not use a compressor.
  3. EGT 2 is set to EQ setting emphasizing good reverberation of midrange and treble.
     I'm making a setting to crush a bit of attack with a compressor in FET mode.
  4. Although EGT 1 remains the original sound, EGT 2 panned a little to the right.
  5. I added short slap delay and reverb using "CLA Guitars".

• Trem Guitar
  1. I use "Scheps Omni channel" for tracks.
  2. I am setting the EQ setting highlighting good midrange to mid-high sound.
     Do not use a compressor.
  3. Panning to the left.

• EGT Gain
  1. I use "Scheps Omni channel" for tracks.
     Do not use a compressor.
  2. We are setting the EQ setting highlighting good midrange to midrange sound.
  3. I copy the track and delay the sound generation through 30 ms single delay for one.
  4. Two different tracks are added with different chorus of modulation and panning left and right.
  5. A small amount of reverb is added to the bus channel that organizes the tracks.

• EGT Lead
  1. Tracks use "CLA Guitars" only. I boosted Bass a little.
  2. Delay uses "eighth notes" of "CLA Guitars".
  3. Reverb blends "Large Hall" of "CLA Guitars".

• Pad 1 and Pad 2
  1. vI use "Scheps Omni channel" for tracks.
  2. Using HPF cut the bottom from around 100 Hz.

• Instrument summing bus
  I use exciter and "SSL G - Master Buss Comp".

• All vocals
  1. "Scheps Omni channel" is used for tracks.
  2. Limiting is done using Kinghelm's MJUC.
  3. Using "CLA Vocals" on the vocal bus, slap delay and reverb are added.

• Total summing bus
  "CLA Mixdown" is used.

Alright, new to the site, happy to have found it though! Notes on my mix:

I didn't grid edit everything because that always sucks the life out IMHO, but I did go through and move stuff by ear (and somewhat by eye as well) so that I could keep the natural groove but have it feel like a band playing tightly together. You'll see in the first screenshot how many little splices I had to make. A little time consuming, but worth it I feel.

I also tuned all the vocals with Melodyne Editor. I sincerely considered "T-Pain"ing the vocals, but I was able to hold myself back and keep it natural as well

I felt like this session had good roots to it, so I didn't want to take it too far away from what it was, but just enhance what was there. You'll see in my screenshots that I used a LOT of plugins, but for the most part each one is just making a small difference to the overall picture. I also didn't want to wash things with too much reverb, despite the fact that the artists given as reference all tend to use a fair amount of reverb on most tracks. To me, this song just felt like it wanted to breath. I did use some very gentle mixbus eq and compression for flavour and glue, but most of my work was on the tracks themselves, or on busses.

You'll also see in the screenshots my notes in the comments for each track, but it's tough to explain every little mix move. Hope that's enough detail, and I hope you enjoy!

-Brad

MP3
https://www.dropbox.com/s/am4p87unptbwn ... e.mp3?dl=0

WAV
https://www.dropbox.com/s/s1y5ihv1iwb02 ... e.wav?dl=0

Editing Screenshot 1
https://www.dropbox.com/s/252ace5n9aqh5 ... 8.png?dl=0

Editing Screenshot 2
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ff7unl1h0qg4g ... 7.png?dl=0

Mixing Screenshot 1
https://www.dropbox.com/s/qyvzlzxvbdoy6 ... 9.png?dl=0

Mixing Screenshot 2
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m1d1rrcgx1zi1 ... 9.png?dl=0

As soon as I started the mix the first thing to do was to choose which tracks work and which tracks make the mix dirty. After settled i started editing every single track on the interpretation, as we were told it has a rough 72 BPM. Of course I didn't fix every transient but in the melodic or harmonic tracks the target was to fix mainly the strong beats. I did some tuning work on the voice but not that rough so it still feels natural. On the rhythmic tracks I used the Logic Pro X quantize and then had to check if all beats were correctly quantized. On EGuitars I used basic EQ and Compression with the Logic plugins, on AcousticGtrs I used Neutron 2 for EQ, Exciter, Transient Shaper and Compression. With the Bass I used an EQ after Compression to enhance the low end and after the EQ a MaxxBass(I think it is pretty heavy though). On the Pads I only cleaned the low frequency's. The Drums had a tough work on which I avoided using some tracks and kept the basic combo. Parallel compression, limiter, EQ, Kick and Snare trigger and that's it.

The lead voice has one tube EQ and one non linear EQ which leads to a soft compression and at the end of this chain the Logic Pitch Correction. The voice has a Delay on a bus, the acoustic guitars a reverb on bus, the Lead EGuitar a direct AMP, the tremolo guitar was quite annoying to deal with but a stereo spread helped me with that.

Here is my mix:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

There is a sub folder called Audio in which are the final Bounces.

HI... So this is my mix for Gary Germaine
I use England Mix technique ..
my focus is making this song clearly and sound so naturally ..
I do several reamping on guitar then I use some Tubieess (TUBE EQ, TUBE COMP, etc)
Drum I make sound so natural I don't want to lose the essential of drum it self ... so I treat it different from commercial mix ...
I hope you can enjoy

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gqdma67mr4chz ... C.wav?dl=0

Thankyou ...
PS: Please listen it in studio level
Peak -1 dBFS
RMS -19 dBFS

jorgeaferroj wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 11, 2018 02:28 CET

As soon as I started the mix the first thing to do was to choose which tracks work and which tracks make the mix dirty. After settled i started editing every single track on the interpretation, as we were told it has a rough 72 BPM. Of course I didn't fix every transient but in the melodic or harmonic tracks the target was to fix mainly the strong beats. I did some tuning work on the voice but not that rough so it still feels natural. On the rhythmic tracks I used the Logic Pro X quantize and then had to check if all beats were correctly quantized.

Hi Jorgeaferroj,

I'm sorry to say that but you should have check the artist mix as a reference, because you changed the whole song with your auto quantize tool, everything is playing late.. :/