Mix Challenge

This project was quite interesting, because there were relevant issues to train and improve skills, on very different faculties or areas of knowledge.
The vocal recording has some issues, so how much of editing and surgical EQ is the right way, before dunking too much energy in the diminishing returns? (I have still some ringing around 6k and will address it. It shows only in the car, on notebook speakers, and with the cheap earplugs.)
The instrumental sounds were of course professional, and needed almost zero EQ. But they have a footprint. So, what @Ungifted did, was an interesting approach, I liked it a lot, but then also, the EQ issues rushed in immediately, when we want to shift that footprint into a different direction.
Masking issues will come up, transparency will suffer, which is perhaps legit when we want to sound a bit more "industrial/underground".
The orchestral sounds were just that, so I left it there, and worked them out to sound as organic as possible.
The "keyboard" sounds were not very promising at first glance, these old-style choirs and pads, and the bass, can we pimp that up somehow?
So, for my next update, I am trying to follow this path, and introduce more electronic sounds, and do something with the didgeridoo, to bring it forward and interact with these. Thanks for the inspiration.
Last not least, there is something to do about the arrangement. The didgeridoo did not play where I wanted it to play, but shifting around parts of the music among sections of the song is not allowed in this type of contest. Some timing issues probably might be worthy to check out.

Many mixes have the issue that everything plays all the time, and sounds practically all the same, in every roundtrip of the song structure.
This is of course very boring.
So here comes really a skill challenge. How to use automation and also reverbs, to bring sounds to the foreground, and disappear them again.
I have to improve, but also I wanted to be reasonable, I edited some vocal tracks on day 19, and used two evenings for the mixing on days 20 and 21.
I hope I will receive comments on what is preferred, in this task of arranging. My current version is a bit melancholic. Is this good? More lower drone and growl sounds will make it more "fierce".
Because eventually, this is arranging already, when everything sounds the same and static, and we start to add dramaturgy, and let come in the sounds one part of the song after the other, gradually.
On that behalf, and for the overall sound, I like the mixes by Kirurg, denzzony, maxovrdrv a lot, but I did not listen to all mixes, so there may be others that are at least as great. Frequency painter again had rich and exciting effects, good dramaturgy. TomImmon, also very balanced sound, but for me, some delays are a bit loud, and flute+vocals still colliding, this mid-range monotonous frequency may distract from beautiful aspects in other instruments.
For Ungifted I think, more of stereo width, and some unmasking, would make the mix perfect.
In general, when there was boldness with effects and more "alternative" approach, masking issues were more serious.
What to do should be addressed in public, for the tournament to be instructive to the participants.

Probably, most folks are swimming in the lake or something, but if some time, this song is worthy to discuss and comment.
Thanks again to the producers and composers.

I am happy to announce the following sponsor for the Mix Challenge audio community



NUGEN Audio is kind enough give away one license from the depicted tools (see image) to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on NUGEN Audio: https://nugenaudio.com/



A huge thank you goes to NUGEN Audio for providing the licenses.

Mister Fox wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 25, 2021 01:03 CEST

I am happy to announce the following sponsor for the Mix Challenge audio community

NUGEN Audio is kind enough give away one license from the depicted tools (see image) to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on NUGEN Audio: https://nugenaudio.com/

A huge thank you goes to NUGEN Audio for providing the licenses.

Wow... very cool. Nugen makes good plugins... I use a few...

Thanks NUGEN Audio!

congrats to the new deal! looks like very serious no-nonsense stuff.
the linear phase option in the monofilter and others seems very interesting,when it can avoid phase-smearing or dispersion.

I won't have need for sigmod though, because my DAW has "racks" that can span tracks, and can wire everything with everything, and can host inside a ton of plugins including volume faders and meters, with free internal wiring including parallel routings, and a free number of rack inputs and outputs.
I built presets for multiband transient enhancers, multiband limiters, parallel compressor stacks, sharp bass fret-noise busters, and trackspacers, and more.

Glad you folks like this announcement. I am happy to see NUGEN Audio back on board.

Don't judge certain tools by their cover though. As somebody that has been using SigMod since it's early incarnation, I don't want to miss it anymore. It is sometimes essential for my custom sound design setups. Not to mention, one of the modules is also a "signal fuse" that prevents destruction of your speakers if your host glitches out. To me, it compliments certain DAWs/hosts quite nicely.

Greetings! When will the result of the first round come out?

The 14-days time frame for the Song Provider is not over yet (that would be around the 7th July) -- but I will reach out via mail over the weekend.

Once Mix Round 2 starts, things will be updated accordingly.

Thank you! ✌

Thank-you everyone who had a go at mixing our track “Afterglow”. Its been a very interesting and educational experience to listen to so many mixes and hear all the different approaches taken.

I have approached my critiques to all the mixes as if I am talking to a professional mix engineer and asking for a revision.

Askandy
Nice overall tonal balance. Like the drums working together. The reverse cymbal is a bit loud especially in the higher frequencies. I like the tonality of the vocals however I think it is being masked a bit by the higher frequency percussion I realise this is a tricky thing to balance. Also I would like to hear the piano and flute sound louder in the mix.

EchoOread
Like the solid sound of the bass. The overall tonality however sounds a bit constrained. Everything above 5khz drops off and as a result the mix lacks sparkle. I like some of the percussive elements in the low mids but I feel the piano is too low in the mix. The vocal I think has too much cut out of the low mids and sounds a bit thin

dhiser21
Good balance across the spectrum. I think the low drum and bass are fighting each other a little. Maybe EQ or side chaining a compressor on the bass to the kick. I like the tonality of the vocal and the reverb but Im hearing a bit too much distortion. I think the piano could be brighter and more present.

Studjomix
Like the sub on the bass drum. The vocal sound is good however I think the mix as a whole is too bassy with not enough top end. A high shelf boost over the whole mix would help. I actually really like the balance between instruments. Maybe more upper mids on the piano.I realise this is a tricky balancing act.

fdelmo
Nice mix. Like the level of the piano and flute sound. The vocals needs maybe a bit more presence. Good low end. Also where is the Dideridoo?

denzzony
Quite like the overall balance. I think the bass and low frequency percussion elements are fighting each other a bit. Maybe some judicious EQ and sidechaining. More presence on the piano would be nice. And although its nice to hear the hand claps I think they sound a bit disconnected somehow. A bit more high mids on the vocal.

DeifDiamond
Very full sounding mix. Like the low end the piano is nice and the reverb. I feel there is a lack of definition in the top end. I realise its a delicate balance to not have the high frequency percussive elements mask the vocals. I think the vocal could be boosted in the high mids to help it cut through.

TheLordRudman
Overall I like the fact this mix uses the whole frequency spectrum however I think that there are problems within certain elements. The low end percussive elements seem to be boosted around 150hz which sounds a bit boxy although it does solve the problem of them fighting with the bass I don’t think its the best solution. Also I feel piano is a bit buried and needs more presence.

diegonerysts
I think the low end works well here and also the higher percussive elements. Good to hear the piano and flute. I think sometimes the vocal is being masked by other elements in the upper mids and needs more energy in this region to make it pop out more.

Beja
I like the sound of the piano. I think the vocal needs more energy in the 2 to 5 kHz region to help it cut through. I don’t mind the low drum sound in the 80 to 150 hz region although its quite different. Im not hearing enough of the bass.

Chistoph_k
The overall balance of this mix is OK however I think the reverb/ambiences especially in the low mid and mid area are making it a bit muddy. I think the low end is pretty good. I think percussive elements are overwhelming the more melodic piano and flute parts. Maybe the vocal could have a touch more presence in the 2 to 5 kHz region.

Ollio
Nice mix. Really enjoying the sub bass energy and the low drums.nice vocal sound. One issue is I would like to hear a bit more of the high frequency percussive elements I realise its a tricky balance between this and not having these elements mask the vocal.

Ronson79
I like the relatively dry sound of all the percussive elements although I think the piano actually needs a bit more ambience/ reverb added to it because some of those notes do sound a bit short without a bit of help from some kind of reverb processing. Also I think the vocal needs a bit more energy in the 2 to 5khz region just to help it cut through a bit more.

aalekso0
Although I think the low end here is pretty good I think there is not enough of the mid frequency attack element in the low end percussive sounds. Maybe the mids of the bass drum has been scooped out a bit too much. Also I feel the piano is a bit low in the mix.

coiled_ear
Nice overall balance however I think there’s too much reverb and it is making the mix a bit muddy. I like the reverb on the vocal but there’s just a bit too much of it. Id like to hear a bit more of the high end percussive elements.

patriktors.
Although the bass here is powerful I think its a bit too much and there’s really not a lot of clarity there. Also the mid range doesn’t really hold up when you listen to the mix on an auratone mid range speaker.

dnltpn
Nice mix. I like the overall balance. I think the vocal could have a bit more high frequency energy to help it cut through also I think more energy in the high percussive elements. I realise this it a tricky balancing act to not have the high percussion and vocal fighting each other . Ultimately the vocal should win but the higher frequency percussion really helps drive the track.

Ungifted
Really like the powerful bass drum sound and the phasing sound. I think a bit more bass would be good although it is of course always going to be a compromise with the drum. Its difficult to get this vocal to cut through and I feel it sometimes gets a bit buried.

A-Max
I think like a lot of the mixes I’m hearing the vocal on occasion get just a bit overwhelmed and maybe needs a bit more automation here and there.

AndyM
Really enjoyable listen. Nice balance. My only comment would be that I think the reverb on the vocal is quite nice I feel that it pushes the relative position of the vocal little too far back. That is to say I’d be great to hear vocal as if it were closer to the listener.

BOLOGNA57
Interesting mix. I like the panned claps but they sound just a little disconnected maybe the reverb on it. Also I think the piano needs to be louder in the mix.

Clueless
Nice bright mix. However I think the vocal sound is way to distant and is very overwhelmed by the other high frequency elements. I think too many delays and too much reverb is muddying the mix a bit.

David_Hernandez
Really nice balance and clarity in the low end. And punchy across the mids. My criticism would be that the vocal notes that sustain get a bit buried it would be great to hear some of these vocal tails automated up a bit.

Dodgingrain
Nice balance overall. Hard to critique too much really. I think the piano gets lost sometimes and the word dance coming into the didgeridoo part could be a bit louder as it starts.

Elroms
Solid mix. Nice low ends and high end also. Although I don’t mind the reverb on the vocal I feel it pushes the relative position of the vocal when compared to the music too far back into the distance. Also it would be great the hear the piano cut through a bit more especially between vocal phrases.

FrequencyPainter
Quite a different sound to the low end than what I am hearing in other mixes, I don’t mind it, quite punchy. I think maybe too much ambience/ reverb on some elements is muddying the mix through the mids.

Karlxvinten
Really like the balance of the piano in this mix. Solid low end. I think the vocal needs a bit of work to even it out dynamically. Maybe some automation and also aligning the doubled part .This is particularly noticeable because of the widely panned vocal which I’m not a big fan of

Kirurg
Nice mix. I think the piano could be a bit brighter to help it cut through. And although I like the sound of the percussive elements I think they overwhelm the more melodic elements.

Nimli
Like the different reverbs and sense of space. And the delay on the piano tail. Solid low end. I think the Lyric”dance leading into the didgeridoo could be louder.

Odistan
Punchy low end. I think the mix lacks a bit in the mid range. The piano could be a bit brighter and the vocal lacks a bit of presence in the higher frequencies. I realise its difficult balancing act not to have everything fighting in the upper mid range.

S&F
Very strong bass drum I think maybe a bit too much. Think maybe this needs more attention to getting the low mid region too work. The piano and vocal in the 150 to 500 hz region.

Tomimmon
Really emphasises the tribal beat elements of the song. However I think the percussive elements are over whelming the more melodic elements such as the piano and vocal. Perhaps the vocal needs a bit more automation.

UHLS
I think the bass elements are fighting each other bit. Maybe some more eq to separate the low drum and bass or maybe some side chain processing. I think the piano could be brighter although I realise this is a tricky balancing act in that busy upper mid region.

VasDim
The vocal and other elements seem to lack body in the low mids. I think the piano could be louder. Also the upper mids seem quite scooped out causing a lack of presence.

WhitePunkOD
Nice balance. I think the issue is that the very dry sound of some of the percussive elements especially the claps sound very close while the vocal sounds very distant. I like the reverb on the vocal its just not fitting with other elements.

alavault
Nice mix. I think a bit too much reverb is mudding the mix a bit maybe in the low mids particularly on some percussive elements Quite like the reverse vocal ambience bit.

bitpart
Good solid low end. And I like the delay on the piano. But the vocal needs to be a lot more present in the mix

domachado
I think this needs more attack and presence in the high mid region between 2 to 5 kHz. The piano is not cutting through enough and the vocal needs more presence and sparkle.

Jules666
Strong low end. I think this mix lacks high end attack and presence. The high percussive elements sound a bit muffled.

julio
This mix sounds heavily limited. It really sounds very congested. The piano is not loud enough and I think too much reverb.

maxovrdrive
Nice mix. Think the high frequency percussion elements could be louder. Punchy low end. The piano could be a bit more present.

Mix49248076
I think this has too much energy in 2 to 5khz region. Its a bit ear piercing. Im hearing some quite un-natural sounding pumping compression in the low end and I feel reverb in cluttering the mix a bit.

Gensabuncu
Very powerful bass but I think too much reverb is clouding the top end. I would probably reduce the bass a bit and take some reverb off the top end to increase clarity.

pabloAT
Nice clear mix. My criticsim would be that certain elements sound disconnected. For example the clap sounds like it is in a small room completely different to the rest of the track. The vocal sounds OK I like the reverb on it but it sounds a bit distant at certain points.

pemberley
I feel that this mix needs work in the mid range feels like too much of certain elements has been cut out of the low mid range where the warmth is. I think the piano and vocal are lacking body. Also I think the bass elements are fighting each other a bit.

canese
Solid mix. Like the low end however I feel that the vocal sounds way too distant. And the piano need to be more present.

These are the 12 mixes I have chosen for round 2:

DeifDiamond

Ollio

AndyM

Dodgingrain

Elroms

Kirurg

Nimli

Odistdan

S&F

WhitePunkOD

alavault

maxovrdrive