Participants for the Next Round
1.
@alanvaldez
2.
@artisan.au
3.
@Cadence Soundlabs
4.
@Davias
5.
@Dodgingrain
6.
@Eastpark Sound
7.
@JanLefr
8.
@jaThum
9.
@M.P.3.
10.
@Michael_K
11.
@Madmav
12.
@PonySho
13.
@Spyart
14.
@useruser
15.
@wkanegis
Wild Cards
3.
@Cadence Soundlabs
5.
@Dodgingrain
7.
@JanLefr
12.
@PonySho
15.
@wkanegis
Critique to top 15 Participants:
1.
@alanvaldez
:09s The vocal is noticeably cut at the low end. Revise EQ or any cuts you have made. Don't cut too much of the low end. At best you can decrease it with a bell curve.
:30s The hi-hats are way too loud and seem screechy. Find a way to lower them. Or make some high or low end cuts.
:50s I think the vocal should be a bit louder. Increase the vocal by about 2db or so.
2.
@artisan.au
:45s the Shakers are really loud. Decrease the volume or make some cuts.
1:10s Same with the hi-hats they're too loud.
I notice that there is a lack of reverb on the Marimba. Make it more noticeable with either a combination of delays and reverbs.
3.
@Cadence Soundlabs
0:02s I hear some strange hissing noise right when the bass drum plays. Find where that is and decrease it or cut it out.
0:15s Vocal seems a bit drowned out. There seems to be a lot muddiness with the instruments. Find some space for the vocal by making cuts to the other instruments. Also the guiro is too loud decrease drastically at least ny 2.5db.
Also try to avoid using pitch correction where it is very noticeable. You may need to decrease the speed.
2:00s Maybe instead of delay on vocal use a reverb instead. Try a reverb of at least .2s decay.
4.
@Davias
0:12s Vocal seems a bit drowned out. There seems to be a lot muddiness with the instruments. Find some space for the vocal by making cuts to the other instruments
0:47s piano far too loud. Decrease drastically at least by 2.5db.
1:45s The guitar is probably in the way of the vocal. Consider finding some cuts here.
2:50s Is that reversed reverb? It doesn't sound pleasant try lowering it down or using a delay instead.
5.
@Dodgingrain
0:28 The pitch correction of the vocal here doesn't sound good. It is noticeable and a bit too robotic. Consider decreasing the speed, or leaving it unchanged.
1:45s the trumpets are in the way of the vocal. Consider cutting the trumpets for some space.
2:45s the piano sounds a bit distorted. Consider increasing the reverb here or using some sort of delay instead.
6.
@Eastpark Sound
0:02s Why does the bass drum sound like that? It sounds almost electronic. It should sound a bit more acoustic. Maybe decrease the volume or reduce any effects you're using.
1:00s consider adding some sort of reverb or delay on the marimba. Make it almost sound like a pad.
2:45s the piano sounds a bit distorted or too loud. Consider increasing the reverb here or using some sort of delay instead and decreasing the volume.
7.
@JanLefr
0:15s Tune correction is noticeable here. Consider decreasing the speed, or leaving it unchanged or continue to revise tune pitching.
0:28s No Harmony please
1:15s try not to double the vocals like that. Instead of doubling try using some sort of delay or reverb instead to highlight the chorus.
8.
@jaThum
:15s The vocal is noticeably cut at the low end. Revise EQ or any cuts you have made. Don't cut too much of the low end. At best you can decrease it with a bell curve.
0:45s The guitar delay should really stop once the first verses happened. It's a bit too distracting.
1:45s Guiro way too loud. Decrease drastically at least by 2.5db.
9.
@M.P.3.
0:15s guiro and shaker far too loud. Consider cutting some of the frequencies or lowering it. also the vocal seems to be cut at the low end. At best try not to do that.
0:45s Piano a bit too loud. Decrease drastically at least by 2.5db.
2:00s It's very hard to hear but I can hear like a doubling of the vocal that's almost like an octave. Try not to double the vocal like that. It sounds robotic and alien.
2:53 Detuning at the end of the song is strange. Try not to do that. Do something else like the fading of the piano.
10.
@Michael_K
0:02s The guitar seems really wide. Try not to make it too wide during the verses. Make it less wider.
1:19s Marimba a bit too loud decrease by 4db.
0:44s I think the drums are a bit too loud. Decrease them by about 2db or 3db.
11.
@MadMav
0:14s Tune pitching is very obvious try to make it more subtle. By decreasing the speed, or not using it. (I did not use autotune)
1:00s Try using a delay or reverb on the marimba. Try to make it more pad-like.
2:15s Consider decreasing the volume of the piano by about 3db.
12.
@PonySho
You changed the arrangement, and it sounds more like a remix. But I'm interested what would happen if you mixed without changing the arrangement.
0:02s I hear some strange hissing noise right when the bass drum plays. Find where that is and decrease it or cut it out. Also you changed the arrangement by shifting some of the audio clips and putting the piano at the beginning.
0:26 You changed the arrangement again, but it works.
0:45s Sounds like you removed the breathing. Doesn't sound nice, just leave them in.
1:11s "Falling" double is a bit robotic. Just don't use it or do something else.
2:00s Some of the samples aren't playing? It works, but a bit strange.
2:39s "Falling" double is a bit robotic.
13.
@Spyart
1:02s I'm not sure what kind of effect your using on the vocal effect but try to make it a bit more dry.
0:08s That delay on the guitar is really distracting, try using something else instead. Maybe decrease the time it takes to move from the other audio channels. Or using a different sound effect.
2:08s could you add some sort of delay to the vocal and try emphasize on the words "Falling".
14.
@useruser
0:03s Guitar a bit too loud decrease it by like 3 or 4 db.
0:47s I'm not sure what kind of effect your using on the vocal effect but try to make it a bit more dry. Also it seems the low end is cut a bit. Try not cut too much of it.
0:56 the drums are a bit too loud maybe decrease by 3db.
1:41s Guiro a bit too loud, maybe decrease it by 3db.
15.
@wkanegis
0:02s There is some strange clicking noise I can hear on the bass, try to reduce or remove them. It might be part of your effect, not sure what it's called maybe make it a bit more drier and just consider using a delay.
0:40s The mid-bass seems to be muddying the mix. Consider just using distortion, decreasing the volume, or making some cuts.
1:53s the drums are a bit too loud here. Decrease them like 3 or 4db.
Autotune or Pitch Correction
It sounds like a lot of the participants wanted to use auto tune or pitch correction. I
don't use auto tune or pitch correction, but it seems like it's a popular choice, so I will be providing the piano track and midi file for the notes. (
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... y5TONYmhPP)
I remember someone saying the my vocals were sliding a lot, and I completely agree. Don't think pitch correction would work well here. Or at the very least, it would difficult to manually edit the notes.
u]"Creative" things I heard in mixes that caught my attention[/u]
- It seems to me that there needs to be some clarification on what I meant by "creative." I was looking for alternative mixes of my music that would have something unique about it. This could be a distortion, delay, or other effect that I did not use on my original song.
The following effects I heard caught my attention and I suggest that those who had effects to still have them. If you didn't use these effects, that’s fine and you can use the following effects as a source of inspiration. But try not to copy other mixers, make sure if it sounds like it fits in your mix.
-
Delay on marimba. For some reason the marimba does not sound like the original in the song. This is probably because there was a dry/wet knob that was similar to the knob a synthesizer would be like. It was a digital instrument (with real samples) so that may have been why. Some of you added a delay.
-
Distorted Bass Guitar. I thought this was interesting and it leaned to more of a pop-rock sound.
-
Some effect on the snare. Some of ya'll put something on the snare. It was probably some sort of compression or reverb.
Common Mistakes
- The vocal was sometimes too loud. Or either drowned out by the other instruments. In other genres this may be acceptable and a creative choice, here I was not looking for that.
- Sometimes a bit too dry. This might be from a lack of adding reverb or forgetting to add something "creative" to the mix.
- Robotic voicing or doubling of voice. I remember hearing doubling that was a bit too distracting.
- Distracting instruments. This might be because the drums were too loud or there was a lot of panning that distracted from the vocal or main instruments.
Okay, I think it's time to retire this topic.
I also just updated the