Mix Challenge

Hello all once more! Here's my final revision M.P.3. R3 hehe

This time I've had more time to deal with all the issues I found along with the pointers that @A Future In Noise gave me on my last mix revision, so now I'm much happier with the mix and I hope you'll also be very happy with it, Mr. Bellener

As for what I did this time I won't bore you all with too much detail like I used to, but I'll still go over most if not all I did: Anyway, enjoy and I hope you like it!

Good luck everyone, and may the best mix win!

Hi Per,

Here is my upload for round 3. As you will notice it is the same version as R2. The reason for this is because:

1-to be honest, I didn't realise there could be a round 3 (I forgot that was a possibility) and I changed all the settings of my outboard for another project i am working on. And I didn't print the tracks....so there was no way I could reproduce the sound of my R2 mix and work from there (I'll remember next time to write down or print my settings).
2-I was happy with the mix I made for R2, so I also didn't think I could improve much anyway.

So here is my upload for R3. Thanks again for providing this great song and keeping the challenge alive!

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ma0qwefu ... 9340w&dl=0

Cheers,

Jeroen

It's the 12th June 2024, 00:20 (UTC+2) - the 3rd Mix Round has officially ended.


STATISTICS

• Everyone has sent in an edit, we therefore have 0 disqualifications (with an exception, see below)
• We have 0 Wild Card uses (not available for Mix Round 3)
• We have 0 submissions after the deadline
• We have 0 submission that could not be downloaded by the time of this post and are therefore disqualified (re-checked 12-JUN-2024 0:20 UTC+2/CEST)

I will reach out to @A Future In Noise and forward all entries/statistics by sometime tomorrow (Wednesday, 13-JUN-2024). Please have an eye on this thread for more feedback and an announcement of the final results.



I'm now opening up the room (again) for Q&A's and giving each other feedback (which is highly encouraged)

Please check out all other games on the community. Most notably Songwriting Competition 082 (0 entries so far) and Mix Challenge 098 (17 entries so far).

Please also consider becoming a Song Provider. Our Song Pool is in trouble! No more material means no more Mix(ing) Challenges. The genre is not important.


See you on the flipside.

I'll start the Round 3 Feedback session by giving some harsh feedback to myself on my own Round 3 revision, after listening to it with fresh ears: I mean I knew it's elementary to double-check every revision with fresh ears the next day before sending it out, and yet I rushed and didn't. The result is that the Snare is now too overpowering, and also the added bigger reverb is now masking everything a bit too much Overall, my Round 2 revision definitely sounds better than my Round 3 revision, and that was obviously not the intent. Let's hope the reckoning sinks in with me so I don't repeat this mistake in the future.

.
Hello to all of you. This time my feedback will be quite brief, because a lot has already been written, and this contest will be over very soon.

1. M.P.3.
First prize goes to you. I don't find any immediate flaws except for the three notes from the sampled acoustic guitar at the very end of the bridge. They stick out a bit too much there, and you can hear that they are not quite "real". They could have been more quiet.

But you've improved your mix little by little, between all three rounds. And you've created a unique sound that's quite different from the rest of the submissions. One could have imagined a sound with a firmer and fuller bass, but if you want it to sound retro, this sound fits very well.

2. SimaGT:
I like the Wurlitzer which sounds straight to the point and without frills right from the start.

The kick seems to be a bit too loud before the first chorus starts.

As you know I have liked the electric bass, already from the beginning, as it sounds with your settings. Now it struck me that you can almost take it for a synth bass in places. But only almost, and only in a few places.

Unfortunately, the electric piano is a bit too loud at the beginning of the bridge, in relation to the singer's voice. I get the impression she feels as if she needs to raise her voice, in order to compete with the piano.

3. BenjiRage:
It was a bit difficult to assess your submission, as there are two R3 submissions from you. What you have written as an explanation is not at all difficult to understand. But when I now rate your mix, it must, for the sake of fairness, be some kind of average value for the two R3 submissions.

And I avoid going into details, because almost everything is well balanced. You can clearly hear that someone (you) who is used to operating a mixing desk is behind this. And in such cases a certain finesse is also added (where, on the other hand, it can be difficult for the listener to put his finger on exactly where that finesse is - in what details).

If it hadn't been for your first R3 version with the too loud kick, all your efforts would possibly have been placed higher on the results list.

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


Shared fourth place (alphabetical order):

Francobhalla:
I like the sound at the beginning of the song (the acoustic guitars that are somewhat wrapped in cotton). But there's something going on with the electric bass in the choruses. I don't really know what it is, but unfortunately at times it loses strength and clarity. There is still quite a forest of cymbals at the end.

JeroenZuiderwijk: You've chosen to give a lot of sub to the kick (you thought there was room to do so, without it "disturbing" the other instruments/sound). I don't mind the sub-kick so much, but on the other hand all the high frequencies in the mix (including from the singer) unfortunately cause some listening fatigue in the long run.

Juhu: I have to say the same thing again: the right-left effect could probably fit well in a messy and noisy bar, where it helps to create a sense of stereo and space. But for those listening in the quiet of the home (headphones or speakers), the constant shifts are a strain on the sense of hearing (at least my sense of hearing). But it's still an innovative idea. The snare drum is a bit too powerful and loud, just like you say, but I don't understand what you mean by the reverb hiding things.

O'MIX: In comparison with other songs, I can't help but think that the singer sounds a bit too dark/dull/damp. I think, personally, that she needs more brightness. The rest of the settings are probably excellent, but it's hard to tell when I get the impression that the overall sound is a bit too dull (maybe just due to the EQ settings for the singer).

Hello, Thank you for your comments, do you want a version with the vocal lead less dark or brighter for your learning or simply to answer your questions? I will be happy to send it to you next week, I see that the winning mixes are also not flawless but congratulations to them all the same!

Hello all!

Wow! Wow! Wow!

I didn't think that my mix would win! I thought for sure @BenjiRage would win the title of best mix because to me it sounds super balanced, and a very well done mix by an experienced engineer, despite that whole accidental kick being louder in the first R3 submission, in fact I liked it better louder!

As for my mix, it's my first mix since joining this forum and my first mix using that Braurize technique I mentioned in the first submission so I'm very pleased to say that it works well hahah!

Congratulations @SimaGT and @BenjiRage for your excellent mixes as well!

Thank you Mr. Bellener for this great song, and for liking my mix so much to give it first place!
There are some things that still need a little touch up in my mix, including what you mentioned above, but I believe we can deal with that together. Just let me know and I'll get right to it, that is, if you still intend on using the winning mix commercially.

And a very big thank you to @Mister Fox for creating this forum in the first place! I'm very glad to have found it! And here's to 10 more years of the MIX Challenge!

O'MIX wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 17, 2024 11:44 CEST

Hello, Thank you for your comments, do you want a version with the vocal lead less dark or brighter for your learning or simply to answer your questions? I will be happy to send it to you next week, I see that the winning mixes are also not flawless but congratulations to them all the same!

Could we switch to PMs, please? (Everyone is learning, hopefully.)

Congratulations to the winners!!! Great work everybody. I enjoyed this challenge very much and hope you all will be participating in MC098 as well.

Thank you Per for you detailed feedback in every round and again Mr Fox for your hard work.

See you next MC!

Cheers,

Jeroen

First and foremost, congratulations to the winners!
We are ending the game here as there is no more mixing round to go to.


The winners podium consists of:

1. @M.P.3. .....(entries: Mix Round 1, Mix Round 2, Mix Round 3)
2. @SimaGT .....(entries: Mix Round 1, Mix Round 2, Mix Round 3)
3. @BenjiRage .....(entries: Mix Round 1, Mix Round 2, Mix Round 3)

For learning purposes:
Here are the Statistic Sheets for Mix Round 2 and Mix Round 3
Mix Round 2 - Overview of Submissions (PDF - updated: 12-JUN-2024 03:25 UTC+1/CET, full sheet)
Mix Round 3 - Overview of Submissions (PDF - updated: 12-JUN-2024 03:25 UTC+1/CET, full sheet)

⚠	Moderation Message from Mister Fox
	Important Information: As clarification regarding @BenjiRage's entry. Technically, he submitted an updated entry within the time frame of Mix Round 3 - this would normally result in a "tagged OUT". However, in practice, this entry wasn't replaced, but rather added to. Yet as host and rule keeper, a decision had to be made. After some back in forth with both the Song Provider and @BenjiRage on this topic, we agreed on the following: Since this was already Mix Round 3, the entry was not declared fully "tagged OUT" as a one-time exception. However, in order to not set a precedent and still make it clear that "making mistakes will have consequences", @BenjiRage was not allowed to be at the top spot of the podium, nor was the participant allowed to pick up a free license.

We perform with the usual - in order of the winners podium, please select one license out of the pool and mention it in this thread, then (important) get in touch with me via PM with your full name, email address and your plugin selection. If one company has been selected, it is not available for the rest of the podium anymore.

I'll update the "winners podium" thread shortly.

⚠	Moderation Message from Mister Fox
	Important Information: As part of a new collaboration with Hornet Plugins, you are allowed to select either 2 plugins at a maximum value of 20 EUR MSRP for both, or one individual plugin of choice from the whole available plugin range (bundles are exempt). Due to time constraints, I could not make a bigger announcement about this yet. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Thanks again for your participation. You can leave the thread alive if you want to exchange tips/tricks, edits, etc.
And thank you @A Future In Noise for the final words of feedback and encouragement.


Please check out Songwriting Competition 082 -- this month's theme is a "Picture Theme" and the genre is "free to select" (02 entries so far, 7 days left on the clock). And of course the ongoing Mix Challenge 098 (44 entries so far, 4 days left on the clock)

See you on the flipside.