Mix Challenge

Thank you for providing the song. I really like it. Thanks!

I made copies of: vocal, guitar, cello, paralleled them, panned to different positions in an attempt to widen stereo field. Used 3 delays and a verb for vocal to create space. Very little use of fancy moves; there is no need for it. I just worked that EQ until they sound good at the same time trying to keep it intimate. Hope you like it. Thanks.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1exWNc6 ... sp=sharing

Hi all,
this is my attempt to mix:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zfa1gw0s6huie ... m.wav?dl=0

For all track are used:
- Waves Q10;
- Waves C4;
- Db ProComp.

AUX Effect;
- Waves TrueVerb;
- Waves SuperTap;

Good luck to all.
VasDim

File: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kbmk8j ... sp=sharing
True Peak: -2.0
LUFS-I: -17.9

Guitar:
duplicated it to keep it mono in intro and outro and stereo in verses, choruses and bridge (by panning the reverb opposite to the original track)
HPF, low-mid and high end boost + notched out annoying frequencies
LA-2A to level out the mono guitar, SSL style compressor an stereo guitars
different stages of saturation (mic pre, console saturation and tape saturation)
in verses and choruses the guitar gets ducked by the violins

strings:
cello piz got some low and high mid boost while notching around 750hz
cello got a low shelf boost at 240hz to serve as the main bass
violins are quite hard panned and only got some saturation
all but the cello got sends to different reverbs

piano:
panned 20% left with a reverb send that is panned the opposite
different stages of saturation
HPF, notched out low mids, boosted high mids and highs into a Distressor

vocals:
low shelf boost at 250hz, notched out annoying frequencies, API EQ with a 6dB boost at 20kHz. Serial compression (1176 into Slate Custom Opto)
sends to a plate and room reverb. 1/4 delay for some phrases in the choruses

mixbus:
console and tape saturation, smiley eq (100hz and 10kHz boost) into SSL bus compressor (3:1, 30ms attack, auto release, max 3dB gain reduction)

automation:
a lot of volume automation for nearly all instruments. width automation on the mix bus to make transitions between parts more interesting.

Good luck everyone!

Hi all !
Thanks you for this song, i had a lot of fun doing this mix !

Here's the link : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bbo3sh ... sp=sharing

A little summary of what i did :

Cellos:
Comp, Low shelf boost at 250 Hz, Low pass at 4500 Hz, Saturation and Bass enhancement for the 80 Hz.

Strings:
I didn't do a lot.
Just comp, High pass at 275 Hz, saturation and reverb

Violins:
I hard panned L/R the two tracks.
Then comp, EQ (I did 2 differents EQ to accentuate the stereo : one centered at 1000 Hz and the second at 3000 Hz) and reverb

Guitar:
I duplicated the track and added a 40ms delay. The, I panned the 2 tracks 50/50 L/R.
I had to put a gate to eliminate some noises.
The Comp, High pass at 81 Hz, Low shelf boost at 200 Hz, Notch 3000 and 3500 Hz, saturation, delay and reverb

Piano:
Just some compression, High pass at 275Hz, Low pass at 10 KHz and saturation

Vocals:
Melodyne to pitch correction
EQ : High pass at 200 Hz, Cutting at 475 and 1000 Hz, Boost at 2000 Hz and High shelf boost at 7600 Hz
De-esser
Comp
Saturation
Reverb

Mix Bus:
EQ to boost low and high frequencies
Comp bus to glue the song

I mixed in Reaper and i mostly used the IZotope plugins (except for delay and reverb)

That's it, hope you will like it !

Good luck to all,
Havol

Hi All,

Here my shot at this months song. Really enjoyed it. Not easy to mix a song with few tracks.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RS9NPm ... sp=sharing

Acoustic Guitar

This one drives the song so I spent some time to get it right. I've used PA Lindell 80 channel on it with some EQ and a little compressio. Sent it to a room reverb (Valhalla Room)

Piano

Panned a little to the right and added some EQ moves with BX SSL 400 E console

Violins

Panned them hard L/R. Some EQ on the BX SSL console added some saturation (Black Box Analog Design) to make them poke through and sent it to a hall reverb (Verbsuite)

Cello

EQ with the BX SSl Console and added RBass to make it thorugh small speakers. Sent it to the room reverb

Cello piz and strings piz

EQ on the BX SSL Console, saturation and sent it to the room verb

Lead Vox

Subtractive EQ using Pro-Q, tone shaping on the BX SSL Console, Deesser (Eiosis), Rvox, Overlaouds Com670, another light deesser and the PuigTec EQ just to give the edge back. Sent it to a SLAP, Plate and Room Verb. Also sent it to Echo Boy for some delay (those are sent to the plate reverb).

I'd love to hear some feedback on it and good luck to everyone.

Cheers,
dadomachado

This is my entry:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qM77Ww ... sp=sharing

Thanks Eavesdrop for providing such a beautiful song, and for MisterFox for hosting the challenge!

Here are some notes on the mixing process:

I used the BX Console SSL 9000, which emulates a SSL 9000J desk, in all channels, for light compression and EQ (enhancing some frequencies, taming some resonances). All instruments sent to room reverb auxiliar channel with Softube Tsar (Lexicon 224 vintage room emulation).

Vocals: started with Softube Harmonics, for some harmonic enhancing, eq and compression with desk channel, vocal rider, Ren DeEsser, CLA2A and RenVox for compression, and HDelay - no reverb for the vocals, just 300ms delay without feedback, for ambience. I tried a plate reverb, but the provided references were a bit drier.

Acoustic guitar: console desk channel follower by Ren Axx for compression.

Piano: console and SPL transien designer to enhance attack.

All strings: console channel for eq and compression. Strings pizzicato have some Eventide H949 for delay/widenning effect. Violins panned 60% wide.

Master bus: Bettermaker for subtle eq enhancement, Oxford Inflator for saturation, and SSL Bus Compressor for classic desk compression.

I checked the mix using Mastering The Mix Expose, and it seems to comply to the rules.

Thanks!

MC080 Eavesdrops
Hello This my mix.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hgWwpa ... sp=sharing

Firstly I completed edit process at whole session. I used sweeping EQ technique for undesired frequencies in all tracks. And than I do volume balanced after gain staging for some tracks.

Acoustic Guitars
I routed and panned all the acoustic guitar parts to the bus channel. I duplicated mono acoustic guitar track and first I right panned it. I applied native instruments guitar rig 6 amp simulator on duplicated mono acoustic guitar track and send to aux track. I panned to the left as opposed to the duplicated mono acoustic channel and I used for wide stereo image 30 ms value tape echo plugin on aux track. I used Fab filter Pro Q3 on all acoustic guitar tracks. I cuted with wide Q value 400 Hz frequency band approximately -2 dB with amek 9099 plugin. I added aux track for guitar signal in bus channel send to reverb plugin. I used different aux track for fabfilter timless plugin.

Vocal
I duplicated mono vocal track and first I right panned it. I routed and panned all the vocal parts to the bus channel. I applied chorus fx and reverb on duplicated mono vocal track and send to aux tracks. I panned to the left as opposed to the duplicated mono acoustic channel. I used Fab filter Pro Q3 on all vocal tracks. I cuted with wide Q value 400 and 600 frequency band approximately -2 dB. I used townhouse buss compressor on bus channel.

Cello (Piz on a separate track)
1. SSL 4000E-channel: -11dB at 350Hz (Q: 1). Post-EQ compression with 3:1, fast attack and 790ms release (piz 390ms), 3dB GR (piz 6dB)
2. Bass-boost with a passive EQ
3. I used townhouse buss compressor on bus channel

Violins - on two separate tracks, panned %70 L/R, but with the same adjustments (volume automation slightly different)
1. used fabfilter Q3 for frequency setting
2. used bx saturator slightly
3. Volume automation, especially between 2:56 and 3:26 to support the vocals
4. I used townhouse buss compressor on bus channel

Piano on two separate tracks panned L/R, I routed all the piano tracks to the bus channel and send to aux tracks for FX
1. Narrow – 2,5 dB cut at 225 – 680 Hz
2. EQ adjustment
3. Panned 30% right.
4. I used townhouse buss compressor on bus channel

Strings piz
1. Narrow -2dB cut at 5kHz
3. Panned 55% right and left

That's it, hope you will like it !

Good luck to all.

I took a lot of risks on this one - lots of delays and panning
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E6MK9s ... sp=sharing

Vox: mild tuning, Mouth De-Click
PuigChild
TDR Kotelnikov 3db compression
Pro Q 3
sends:
1. H-delay 1/4 > MicroShift > plate
2. H-delay ½ > EchoBoy > MannyM Reverb
3. OldSchoolVerb with lots of low end taken off
4. very mild parallel compression with Vertigo VSC-2

Guitars:
EQ
Abbey Road RS124
CoffeePeople
Trackspacer
1. OldSchoolVerb (same as vox)
2. Space designer verb + TrueVerb

Violins:
CLA-2A
C6-SideChain
Linear EQ taking out a ton of 4k
sent:
Chorus/TSAR-1R Verb

Cello:
HoRNetTotal EQ
Channel EQ boosting mids,
Plate
AMBEO Orbit for imaging
Trackspacing

Cello piz:
PanMan
TSAR-IR Reverb
API-560
Gain
Channel EQ
Tube

String piz:
Small EQ bump in the low mid range

Pianos:
EQ taking out low end
PuigChild
Decapitator

Mix bus: MAAG EQ4, 650hz and 2.5khz
Acustica BlackGuru for that extra bit of color

Hi zeminor,

I've no problem with it that your documentation is inspired by mine in it's form (fat titles, numbered bullet points). But you copied some phrases and their content word by word ... for example:

m_tree wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 15, 2021 17:22 CEST

Cello (Piz on a separate track)
1. SSL 4000E-channel: -11dB at 350Hz (Q: 1). Post-EQ compression with 3:1, fast attack and 790ms release (piz 390ms), 3dB GR (piz 6dB)
2. Bass-boost with a passive EQ
-> Emphasized it's role as the bass instrument and leave some space for the other instruments and the vocals.

zeminor wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 19, 2021 20:56 CEST

Cello (Piz on a separate track)
1. SSL 4000E-channel: -11dB at 350Hz (Q: 1). Post-EQ compression with 3:1, fast attack and 790ms release (piz 390ms), 3dB GR (piz 6dB)
2. Bass-boost with a passive EQ
3. I used townhouse buss compressor on bus channel

...

m_tree wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 15, 2021 17:22 CEST

Violins - on two separate tracks, panned hard L/R, but with the same adjustments (volume automation slightly different)
1. Narrow -2dB cut at 5kHz
2. SSL 4000E-channel: HP at 150Hz, -12dB at 200Hz with the low-shelf, -7dB at 3kHz (Q: 2). Post-EQ compression with 3:1, fast attack and 790ms release, max. 10dB GR
3. Volume automation, especially between 1:47 and 2:42 to support the 'drama' in interaction with the vocals

zeminor wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 19, 2021 20:56 CEST

Violins - on two separate tracks, panned %70 L/R, but with the same adjustments (volume automation slightly different)
1. used fabfilter Q3 for frequency setting
2. used bx saturator slightly
3. Volume automation, especially between 2:56 and 3:26 to support the vocals
4. I used townhouse buss compressor on bus channel

...

m_tree wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 15, 2021 17:22 CEST

Strings piz
1. Narrow -2dB cut at 5kHz
2. SSL 4000E-channel: HP at 150Hz, -12dB at 200Hz with the low-shelf, -7dB at 3kHz (Q: 2)
3. Panned 25% right

zeminor wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 19, 2021 20:56 CEST

Strings piz
1. Narrow -2dB cut at 5kHz
3. Panned 55% right and left

Very confusing, mate ...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HUaZ1a ... sp=sharing
This is fantastic piece. Really was hard at first. My uncle died from Covid complications a couple of days after I began to work on it. This may have put me on a weird “level” so my approach may have been ..unusual . The vocals were a battle. At times I wanted her right next to you, present. Then I tried to fade her into emptiness and isolation. I corrected only three notes, for moments of emotional enhancement. I wanted the piece to really express the disconnect with a loss, so, there is an attempt to do this with some subtle phasing of instruments throughout the piece. I tried to do this by basically panning the track, say, L and sending a bus, Pre fader, to a parallel compression aux panned R . then summed those in stereo (instrument Bus) and sent a bus to the FX(RVB) from the instrument Bus. Did not work so well. But this was the “level “I was on.
Each section, vox, cello, strings, piano, and AcGtr has parallel compression, then sent to a master bus that has some Glue. I have an FX stem and a Space(reverb) stem that are also sent to the master bus.