Okay, here we go. Feedback first then I'll do another post for the selections for the next round.
Please remember, these are my opinions - just because I wrote the song, it necessarily mean I'm objectively correct, or that your mix isn't any good.
Also bear in mind that these are quite general impressions, by necessity done quite quickly - so feel free to ask me for clarification.
Without further ado, and in the order they appear when downloaded;
Erictracks
Pros
Vocal nicely mixed eq'd and mixed for the most part, but also see below!
Vocal delay effects done well
Delay on the clap sound is very striking and stands out – echoes (hohoho) of Joy Division
Balance between the drums is spot on
Acoustic guitar done well
Overall, mix is nicely balanced and easy to listen to
Cons
Think you need automate the de-esser on the vocal a bit – in the loud part at the end it's too much!
Not got the triplet delay on the Celeste right (you won't be the last!) and it needs to sound 'harder', cut the lows and boost the mids...
Both drums and bass are a bit 'polite' in terms of compression/saturation
Rendyarr
Pros
Lofi effects at the start very good – this could be automated if possible so it builds into the full sound
Vocals audible – but see below!
Harmony vocals sound really nice
Reverse transition part at 2 mins is a good idea – could start earlier and be even longer using reverse reverb (I'm nicking this!)
Little bitcrushed bit at the end is also a good – you could use the effect on the drums in other places in the track – e.g. the transition part , ..”buildings they keep falling ..” etc
Cons
Main vocal is much too wet in terms of reverb. It needs to be much more upfront with quite a large predelay before any reverb kicks in
Mix is (for my money ) just a bit too trebly overall. Certainly at the start the hi-hats/top end of the acoustic etc are quite a bit overloud for my taste. Tambourine is also too prominent.
Not really getting the 'thump' so much from the electronic kick – I recall that I had it in with the rest of the drums in the bus so it really pushes the compressor.
Bass again a bit polite
Jesper Waller
Pros
Really like the lofi sound you've gone with for the vocal here...but...I'd rather have it as an occasional spot effect rather than for the whole song.
Similarly, the drums are smashed to bits – it's a great sound, but perhaps a bit much for the full thing
Cons
Not got the celeste delay right.
The big gap at 35 seconds! Stick something in there.
The mix is overall overcompressed. This can be a good sound (and it is here in parts) such as in 'Extermintr' by Primal Scream, but this is a song with quite a bit going on so the more extreme compression needs to be focussed where it's needed – such as the drums. Subtlety is the key elsewhere.
Bass is very boomy – I've always had the same problem when I've done mixes of this before
Arthur Labus
Pros
Almost got the celeste delay right – just needs to trip over itself a bit more, just needs a bit more feedback. I like the modulation effects you've got from it as well. These probably need to be in additon to the more 'straight' sound though.
Gated drum effect in the intro is great and later
Love the distortion that comes in at 2 mins 06 – probably needs high-passing a bit , but a great sound
Cons
As with a lot of the entries the drums are a bit' flat' for me – they need to be quite heavily compressed and 'snappy'
Bass is a bit indistinct as well – when the filter opens it really needs to be audible
Vocals are a bit 'roomy' . Like some other entries they need to be more upfront in terms of reverb – which should have quite a big predlay, proibably up to 100ms off the top of my head, and not kick in till at least 300 hz. Use delays to add spaced instead.
Herb Felho
Pros
Good overall mix with nothing overly loud/sticking out eq wise
Drums nicely punchy there – can really feel the impact, nice job! You've done the best so far with them. Great lofi intro too.
I like the delay effects for the backing – not sure about just having one repeat though, perhaps this can increase as the song builds up?
Vocal nicely clear..but...hehe see below
Cons
Overall not many but;
Celeste delay rhythm not correct
Bass could still have a bit more agressive tape style saturation
Vocal is a little bit distant in terms of reverb. Along with a lot of entries, here it needs to be more upfront with less reverb.
I think you got reverb on quite a few of the instrument tracks. Which culmulatively gives it all a little bit of a 'roomy' sound. For things like the arp synths/acoustic guitar etc I'd dispense with reverb completely and create any space with eq and delays.
Jim Kennedy
Pros
On the whole a good balanced mix, but see below
Vocal treatment is good – unlike some entries the big delay/reverb is there but it's sat back with the direct sound coming through first. Harmonies are very well done. You could really go to town with distortion a bit more with the shouted, 'on a screen' bit at the end.
Drums mixed very nicely – almost there in tems of compression etc. But...see below!
Cons
Celeste delay not right!
Bass could do with a bit more saturation
I found the cymbals/hi-hats to be a bit loud which in turn is making the whole mixc just a bit tinny. Don't think anything else is majorly wrong in terms of eq so it's probably just these which need toning down a bit.
Electronic kick needs to punch through more. As with other entries this probably needs to go in the main drum bus so it really pumps the rest of the drums.
Slick3gz
Pros
Interesting modulation effects at the start and that bitcrushed synth is great!
Vocals nice and clear, if a little 'roomy' as with others
A good attempt at something different in the 'transition part', although the transition from lo-fi needs to be a bit more gradual and smoother
Cons
Whilst I do like the effects on the Celeste, you'd also need to keep the original delayed version as well, as this is the backbone of the track withe the repetition.
I think you've gone for the big compressed drums but haven't adjusted the relative levels afterwards so the hi-hats/cymbals etc are way too loud in comparison with kicks and snare
Bass needs more saturation
Photonic
Pros
Aha, someone's got the bass right! You could push it a litle bit more in terms of saturation, but definitely along the right lines
Drums almost there too. I think that's a good mix if we were treating it as a 'live' kit, but in this case you need to push it a bit further in terms of compression.
Vocal harmonies sound great
Cons
Vocals again have that 'roomy' type of sound rather than a big ambience with delays
Mix overall sounds just a bit trebly- not major but could do with a bit of smoothing
Celeste delay not quite right!
VasDim
Pros
Vocal eq'd well and good use of the additional files (which did need pitch correcting!)
Cons
Celeste delay not correct
Bass seems to be very rumbly at the expense of the drums
There seems to be a lot of reverb on a lot of instruments (or perhaps even overall) which is giving the whole thing a distant 'room' sound. Things like the drums/acoustic need to be right upfront with very subtle reverbs
Mix seems a bit 'fizzy' to me- is there some kind of exciter being used?
Sean Carango
Pros
Not far off on the drums there. Perhaps emphasise the big electronic kick more
Bass is getting there as well, but as with some others really don't be afraid of pushing the saturation
Love how the clap reinforces the rhythm in the last part
Vocals nicely direct, but...see below
Good overall mix for me.
Cons
Celeste delay not right
Vocals are good, but just a bit low in the mix and could do with a touch more top end.
Fix in the mix
Pros
Drums compressed well, but give the snare a bit more upper mid 'bite', and overall the drums seem to be lacking a bit of low end
Vocal reverb done well and harmonies good
Cons
Celeste delay not right
Some of what I'd call 'incidental' sounds are taking precedence in the mix (e.g. the 'bell' like synth) and seem to be louder than the vocal
Mix overall seems to lack a bit of clarity – probably more cutting of low end needed and the balance between bass and drums looking at.
Mork
A brief interlude here, just to inform you that your username made me chuckle – there's a nutter in the pub next to my work (Whispering Don) who constantly tells people he's talking to Mork....
Right, on we go
Pros
Drums very good. Compression really pumping and the balance between them seems to be spot on
Overall the instruments are nicely balanced...but see below
Vocal clear..but see below
I love that little pitch-shifiting effect at the end, nicely disconcerting!
Cons
Celeste delay not right
Bass needs more saturation
Overall seems to be far too much reverb on everything. It's of course a matter of personal taste, and mine is to have things quite direct! A pity because I can tell that this is a good mix otherwise for my taste.
Vocal particularly is swamped in reverb. Again, I can tell it's eq'd/compressed etc well though
Mr Drew
Pros
I think you're closer than most with the celeste
Drums are a good attempt – not too reverby and balanced. Again, the compression could be pushed a lot more.
Cons
Mix balance is quite out -bass is very low with some of the incidental stuff taking a front seat
Vocals are very muffled. This would be a good effect for a section or part, but all the way through it sounds like I'm singing from next door – perish the thought, my neighbours are crazy people!
Mix also lacks high end or 'air' as the big boys like to call it.
Devin Wickens
Pros
Celeste almost there, and the off the wall effects are marvellous!
Like the drums treatment..but see below..
Vocal is quite direct and like the little incidental effects and the crazy delays at the end, but again see below
Bass is great – nicely ripping!
Cons
I think overall the elements of this are really good, it just doesn't all sit together properly at present. Sounds to me like there's a compessor on the mix bus, and it's just a bit too aggressive – you can really hear it on the vocals and crash cymbals for example. It's a pity as I do like what you've done otherwise and you've not been afraid to really push the drums and bass, for example. I think there's plenty of potential here with some refinement.
SRMIX
Pros
I like that in parts you've gone for a slight distortion on the drums
This is quite a different mix than most of the others, focusing on the softer sounds and using small reverbs/delays. Whilst it's not the approach I took, it's interesting nontheless. Perhaps venturing more into 'remix' teritorry.
Cons
Celeste not right!
Bass needs saturation
Vocals are quite muffled and set back.
There seems to be some massive limiting going on as far as I can tell, which robs it of the subtlty which your mix has otherwise, which is a pity.
Studio Saturn
Pros
Celsete almost right!
Drums nicely punchy – the reverb on the snare is good as well, if a bit long. Not really getting much of the electronic kick though
Main vocal very clear..but see below
Cons
The vocal does seem to pump occasionaly as the compression settings seem wrong.
The mix overall is quite nice (perhaps a bit trebly, not by much), but the pad sound seems to be way too loud in that it's drowning out a lot of the other stuff.
As with a lot of the mixes, there's a surfeit of reverb. I'm of the old-skool, in that if you can really notice the reverb, then it's too much!
And as promised, a bit of feedback for Small Ocean, who was a bit late through mis-reading the rules;
Small Ocean
Pros
Celeste almost right
Drums compressed nicely, again the electronic kick perhaps needs to have a bit more impact, but it's not far off
Bass sounding good and like what you've done to make it pump like that
Mix overall has a quite good balanced sound to me, perhaps lacking a bit in the mids, but not unpleasant. But..see below
Cons
There does seem to be some overall pumping going on with the mix- the compressor release settings. It's making the bass sound good but has unpleasant side effects for the rest of the track.
The vocal has nice presence but is quite low in the mix.. You do seem to have got the reverb about right though from what I can hear.
Bad Timekeeping! Sorry.....
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