Mix Challenge

Hi all,

Very nice and emotional song. Lack of bass and metal (cymbals) elements from a drum kit, made it challenging, albeit very interesting to mix.

Here is my submission:
WAV: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zyvj7cehqmhn4 ... y.wav?dl=0
MP3: https://www.dropbox.com/s/q0dlwirhi1bqp ... y.mp3?dl=0

I mixed the song ITB with Studio One.

Main elements of my approach to this mix were:

I decoded M/S recorded tracks in the old-fashion way (double the side track, flip the phase)
As per client’s request, tuning was minimal. Used a very subtle pich correction on selected parts of a vocal and reso guitar.
Every group of instruments was routed to a dedicated subgroup, and processed acordingly. Little EQ and compression on single channels, but heavy lifting processing was done on buses and subgroups
Low strings were treated in a way that bass guitar would be. It took some heavy processing to maintain a steady and (hopefully) consistent low end.
Other elements were processed in mainly standard manner, using mostly Acustica Audio, Fab Filter and Plugin Alliance plugins.
Almost forgot, I duplicated one of bow tracks, processed it with filter plugin, and used it to make an alert-like sound that goes through whole mix.
Also used few reverbs (Slate on snare, Nebula on vocals and guitars) and lot of automation.

Thanks to David Paul Paige for a beautifull song and to Mr.Fox for maintaining this great platform.

Best,
A.

Hello everybody.

A new challenge, a new mix of mine. Late as normal. Beautyful and touching song this time. Thanks to davidpaulpaige for providing it.

Wav-File_44k_24bit

I had a lot of frequency issuses this time so I cleaned up a little bit to get the most under control. The hardes of it was the guitar bow.

Parallel compression on kick out and summing compression on drum group, Bit of room and EQ too.

guitars cleaned up and colored with bx focusrite sc, the gitbow compressed and colored with elysia museq und mpressor and bx console N. Summing compression with bx dyneq v2 to get the hi-mid a little bit more under control.

on backing vocals I used the Maag EQ4 on every channel an in Summing room MS and bx spreadshred.
on main vocals I used the acme Opticom xla3 and on the summing a very tiny bit of pitch correct.
on summing of all vocals I used the focusrite sc, the townhous compressor and the maag eq4. the room i created with abbey road chambers.

Strings where fine so I only colored with phils cascade and ssl 4000 e and also the bx spreadshred a tiny bit.

on stereo bus i used the spl twintube to ad some harmonics and the bx townhouse to glue it together.

I hope you like it and that the pool is getting filled next time! It is a very interesting and challenging work for me to learn a lot and to get contacts with other mixers.

Special thanks to Julien Monroe for giving me a lot of tipps for build up a mix.

good luck to everyone!!!

Hi,

Here is my mix submission:

WAV
MP3

I will update this post with some details later, as I am already late with the submission.

Update:

First, this was a really nice song and interesting to mix. Thank you for making it available to this challenge.

In general, I found making it big without going overboard with the reverb not too easy, so I hope it sounds big enough, as I usually prefer to not use too much reverb.
I made the drums louder as in the reference mix, as I wanted to put more emphasis on the marching military beat to set the scene for the piece.

Drums: I used bx_console SSL E channel strip to EQ and compress the drums to taste and used the ButterComp2 compressor from Airwindows on the drum bus for a slight overall compression. Waves RVerb used for added reverb.

Guitars: Scheps Omni Channel used on the guitars for a bit of EQ and compression, Airwindows Spiral2 added for a touch of distortion.

E-Bow/Strings: Neutron 3 used for shaping the sound of the E-Bow tracks, smartEQ2 used on the Strings

Vox: Nectar 3 was used on the lead voice tracks for EQ, compression and de-essing, TR5 White 2A on the background vocals to shape them a bit. Waves TrueVerb added for the reverb.

2-bus: Airwindows Console 5 is used for summing of all subgroups. SSL G bus compressor for overall glue. Airwindows ToTape5 and Elysia Museq to finally shape and balance the sound.

It is the 22nd September 2019, 00:20am GMT+2/CEST - the first Mix Round has officially ended

Once more, a very warm welcome to all new participants. A huge thank you to everyone that is spreading the word about the Mix Challenge. Although, I'd love to see just as many for the monthly recurring Songwriting Competition - which is still running. Same goes for the currently running Remix Challenge


STATISTICS (simplified again:

• If I didn't miscount, we have 050 submissions this month
• We have 0 submission after the deadline

I'll be doing a submission count the next 5 days - apologies for the waiting time.



Please check all if your links again, make them downloadable(!). Those that uploaded MP3s only, please take note: providing a WAV file is mandatory. Please also update your posts with documentation for others to learn from (see Rules & Guidelines).


I now open the field for everyone to give each other feedback (highly encouraged). This will be independent to the client feedback however.


Please watch this spot for the client feedback and Mix Round 2 participant announcement.

Good luck to all participants.






The Songwriting Competition 25 (SWC25) is still in full swing.
The deadline is 24th September 2019, 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST.

Those that reached out with a production for a future Mix Challenge, I've caught up with the Integrity Checks. Please get back to me at a timely manner. We're however not save of the song pool running dry.

Please spread the word!

Mc0058 Entry

mp3 https://drive.google.com/open?id=1VTTso ... MI1e73UF0a

wav https://drive.google.com/open?id=1dlVFx ... npsBcBrgNb

Treatment is as follows mixed with a behringer x32 console and protools. (console adds lots of color)

Mid side treatment done with GHZ free mid side matrix (cant believe they don't charge for that its amazing)

Each track in the vocals and backing vocals treated differently to add color and separation. mostly waves plugins.

The rest of the instruments are treated with my slate vmr plugins and or my unversal audio solo card plugins.

Mix bus vmr mixbus compressor into slate red compressor than into tone empires goliath with lots of automation.

finally run through the sonnox oxford inflator..

there were some really drastic reductive eqing done on the snare top and matt vocal..

Thanks guys for this mix challenge this was a alot of fun especially the mid side setups dont get many to mix nice challenge

Ah - I was mixing away and not paying attention to the time zone (it's 6:59 PM here PST).

Oh well. Good practice!

Have posted my mp3 version here for any comments: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r9Q2lY ... sp=sharing

("Rifle shot" at the end is the Floor Tom track delayed, EQ'd and verb'd - no samples. )

Mix Challenge: R1 Finals

I would like to begin by saying thank you to all the participants for all their efforts to keep this site up and running. It has been my pleasure to help facilitate this months mix off.
Secondly please don't discerned by my criticisms or take them to heart, instead learn to understand how you view mixing and another artist's music.
I am a musician by night and an audio engineer by day. I have had many harsh critiques over the years and even submitted a few distorted mixes early on in my career. I've worked with many talented producers and artists and I certainly understand what a competitive environment the creative fields can be. In my time I have had to grow a thick skin, understand budgets, details, deadlines, cultivate awareness as well as consistently grow my compassion, understanding and patience. As a musician, engineer or producer these are my biggest assets. Believe me no one cares about the knobs, eq, compression or minutia! They do however care for the how they are treated as artists. Trust me I learned this the hard way.

My apologies to the late entries that were disqualified...

iMax:- Fair onset and balance really crunchy though. Shaker becomes increasingly distracting. Vocal tone is consistent with the crunchiness. Guitars seem diminished in this environment. Melody section is diminished as well.

Michael Schneider:- No mp3... Drum tone seems to be distracting, possibly over processed. Vocal tone seems very boxy and distracting. BG vox are diminished to non existent at the breaths section as well as the chorus'.

Pavel Nebesky:- Nice onset and balance. There is some weird echo at one of the ebows. Vocal tone is a bit over processed and over present. Overall mix has a bit of a buzzy sound distortion. Melody section seems nice but I still feel the sizzling distortion thing.

Blang:- Drums are distracting at onset. Vocal tone is good but over present. BG vox are diminished to the main vocals. Guitar's melody is diminished to the drums. Vocal reverb becomes distracting possibly because of the over present nature of the vocals. Distortion on rest guitar seemed very disrespectful and unkind. We had thought of that but as there are no other passages like this on the entire record we declined the idea as overkill.

GB Real:- Drums seem over processed and smack. Melody is diminished. Vocals have significant reverb.

Nick Watson:- No mp3 file... Distorted audio. Sounds like a very harsh limiter.

Miha:- Good onset and balance. Kick gets distracting. Vocals seem a bit thin. BG vox have a good relationship to the main vocals.

RING_LOUD:- Drums are very over present and distracting at onset. Kick drum seems to be in a tunnel. Vocal has good tone. BG vox have a good relationship to main vocals. Guitar's melody is diminished to the drums and vocals.

Mork:- Drums are a bit over processed and distracting at onset. Vocal tone and presence are good. BG vox are slightly diminished to the reso guitar. The melody section is what I would expect and the drum's processing there seem nice. Very modern sounding mix.

ArneB:- No mp3 file... Nice onset good balance. Vocal tone is good. Presence seems a bit thin. BG vox have a good relationship to the main vocals and melody. Guitar melody is good . Chorus' seem strong. Although distracting from the melody, the melody section seems a bit key dominated but the swell was good.

Franz:- No mp3.... Drums are over processed. Vocals seem to be thin and in a bathroom.

Lastdegree:- No mp3... Some weird things happening at intro. Sounds like holes were cut in the program material. Vocals are certainly over processed.

Jerze:- Drums are over present at onset. Also a squeaking sound from something. Vocal tone is a bit edgy and over present. BG vox at chorus are severally diminished and barely audible. Melody section is diminished due to the drum's presence.

bluesation:- Couldn't play file? Download only.

kirurg:- Good onset. Drums have a bit of boxiness making them a bit distracting. Vocals have a fair tone but are slightly processed and over present. BG vox seem a bit under whelming. Melody section is nice but slightly edgy on the rest guitar.

SDB_12:- Drums seem over proccessed making them distracting to the melody. Vocals have a good tone but are a bit over present. BG vocals have a good relationship to the main vocals. Guitar's melody is vastly diminished. Melody section seems ok although drums are very distracting.

canese:- Drums seem pounding at onset and a bit crunchy. Overall mix has a harshness.

Olli H:- Onset could use some more oomph. Nice tone. vocals have a great tone but certainly over present. BG vox have a good relationship to main vocals. Guitar's melody seems buried in vocals. Overall nice tone. Melody section was very strong. Keys seem a bit thin.

EyeForMusic:- Good onset and tone. Nice balance. Vocals have a good tone and presence. BG vox seem a bit distant and a bit over processed. Drums get a bit distracting as the song progresses. Melody section seems good. Some weird echos on main vocals.


philk:- Really loud drums at onset. Vocal seems a bit thin and over present. Guitars seem a bit diminished. Drums become increasingly distracting at the melody section. BG vox are very understated.

gloukin:- Kick drum has a less than desirable 'room' sound like drywall in an untreated room. Snare is distracting from the melody. Guitars seem diminished in the environment. Good overall vocal tone. BG vox seem to be diminished to the melody. Drums get increasingly distracting. The reso guitar gets weird and out of tune.

OXE:- No mp3... Overall mix seemed a bit crunchy and even a little harsh.

Wizzo:- Drums seem pounding at onset. Nice keys swell but seems to squeak at end. Prob a delay. Good vocal tone and presence. BG vox could be a bit more present. Snare gets distracting and seems to smack as the song progresses. Good melody section.


MattRocket:- Great onset. Drums work well and sound nice. Great keys swell. However things drop out before the intro of the vocals. Good vocal tone and presence. BG vox have a good relationship to the main vocals. Really nailed the main vocal seconds and the chorus'. Melody section is what I would expect and well done.

Green-Dog: - Nice onset. Good acoustic melody relationship. Vocals are a bit thin but have a good presence. BG vox have a fair relationship to main vocals but could be more present. Guitar melody section seems like it could stand up a bit better. Snare gets distracting as song progresses. Overall good warm tone.

shroom feverish: - Good drum onset and nice tone a bit crunchy and over present. Higher ebow has a sine wave feeling. Guitar's melody are buried by the drums. Nice vocal tone although slightly nasal. BG vocals seem are diminished and do not have a strong relationship with main vocals.

VasDim: - Drums seem pounding at onset. Nice key swell. Drums distract from guitar melody and are too present. Vocals have a nasal sound but fit into the mix well. BG vox have a good relationship with the main vocal but could be slightly more present. Chorus' do what I would expect. Guitar melody section is well done and what I should expect. Overall nice warm tone.

shoma: - Nice onset. Electric guitar seems to have a guttural sound like an anvil, interesting although distracting. Great vocal tone. Bg vox have good relationship to the main vox. Guitar melody section is nice and what I would expect.
*There seems to be a distinctly stark and similar relationship between your mix and my original mix. I will investigate this further.


AndrewMcPherson: - Drums seem crunchy and dominate the keys at onset. Guitars have a a nice presence. Vocals seem a bit edgy with a distorted tone and reverb treatment seems a bit too much with drum/guitar relationship. The rest seconds really stand up well. Guitar melody section could be addressed to let the melody ring out, similar to the seconds. Overall nice mix and relationships.


elliottkolburn: - file won't play, asked for log in. Prob put the file in a non public access OR got the URL wrong

Coiled_Ear: - nice treatment of vocals. Kick has noticeable reverb- drums are in a metallic hall maybe automate the reverb to not give up the trick early on. Didn't like the kick reverb.

delicate: - Drums seem to be missing something at onset. Guitars are very small and distant. Vocals seem nice but drums are distracting. BG vox are nice with relationship to the main vox. Keys seem to be lacking in girth.

noogard: - Drum presence distract from melody and vocals. Guitars have nice presence and the 2nds on Reso guitars and BG vox really stood out well.

PeterM: no mp3? Drums at on set seem distracting and diminish the guitars. Nice vocal treatment. Electric gtr has the right sparkle. BG vox have a good relationship to the main vox. Guitar's melody section seems a bit distant.

rawdrewage: - Especially thin. Vocals stand well. BG vox seem thin. Drums sink the guitars and melody.

TomImmon: - Drums seem to smack in the intro and overpower the guitar's melody. Vocals seem edgy against the mix. BG breaths are very distinct and distract from the mix.

White Punk OD: - Intro seems "missing" something. Vocals and drums seem to dominate the mix. Guitars seem diminished and do not provide for the melody well. The compression on main vocals seems to grab too hard. BG vox are lacking and the guitar's melody section doesn't change, the keys during this section distract greatly from the melody.

SoundBeing: - Drums at onset seem to smack and distract. Kick is smacking and distracting. BG voc nice release but breaths are distracting. Vocal treatment is nice.
Drums diminish the melody from guitars.

Dodgingrain: - Drums are smacking and distract at onset some sort of slap back.

maxovrdrive: - Although there was no mp3 file.... Great onset. Good relationship for the melody. Good vocal tone and presence. BV have a good relationship to both the main vocals and the melody. Really liked the way the rest seconds came up in the chorus. The melody section could use some strength.

EchoOread: - A touch thin at onset. Drums distract from guitar's melody.

jeffssoloband: - Nice drums at onset however, a touch edgy and a bold. Worked well with the melody at onset. Shakers are in a space echo,Q: would they sound like that if you hear them in person? Just a thought. Vocals work well with the drums however, like to hear more guitar melody. BG vox have a nice warm reverb. Nice mix

Snarowitz: - Drums are distracting at onset. Kick and Vocals are a bit girthy for the mix and distract from the guitar's melody. BG vox seem a bit distant. Nice warm feel overall.

paperthin: - Drums are distracting at onset. Keys have a nice swell. Vocals seem a bit edgy and have a gulping sound at end of many last syllables. BG vox are thin and distant. Guitars seem to be subdominant to the keys. The guitar melody section is exactly what I expected and well done having a good relationship with the keys. Drums just seem to smack too hard. Especially at onset and outro. Overall nice mix

hjchjc: - Nice intro although drums seem a bit crunchy. Vocals could be much warmer. BG vox seem overly processed and distant. Guitars ar curried beneath the drums and disappear entirely at guitar melody section.

paglia: - Phasey drums at on set. Nice guitar melody and tone at on set. Vocals have good presence and tone. BG vox breath a bit to present and slightly distracting. BG vox could use a bit of volume nudge but have a nice tone. Guitar melody section has a good relationship with the keys but disregards the electric guitar.

ThaSome: - Drums at on set seem overwhelming to the vocals. Very dry and stiff mix overall.

Lewshwa Music: - Onset seems to have high freq issues. Drums have nice warm presence. The mix seems to screech with high freq content.

Indie72: - Onset melody is nice although a bit crunchy. Vocals are nice and warm. BG vox have a nice relationship with main vox and share the same nice tone. Guitar melody section has a good presence and relationship with the guitars melody.

JulienMeirone: - Drums seem a bit distracting at onset and overall volume. Keys have a nice swell. Guitars seem distant and thin. Vocals seem very thin and dry. BG vocals seem distant and share the main vocals thin texture. Guitars seem to be very subdominant throughout. The guitar melody section is exactly what I would expect.

Thanks to everyone for their partcipation!

Winners circle R1:

I will give a second listen and critique for these mixes by Tuesday Sept 25, my apologies as life has many responsibilities.

Congratulations to these finalists:

paperthin

jeffssoloband

PeterM

Coiled_Ear

VasDim

Green-Dog

shroom feverish

MattRocket

Olli H

Mork


Honorable mention...
Gary Mailangkay- I REALLY (really) liked your mix but although within the deadline, the submission wasn't received correctly. dang!
maxovrdrive- *no mp3 I REALLY liked this mix but... dang!

Hi David

I thought you didn't have to submit an mp3 as part of the rules (it's for reference only)? It would be a shame if you haven't put maxovrdrive into round 2 for this reason.

Hi,

since almost everybody’s drums are overprocessed for your taste, could you maybe elaborate on what you expect from them? I noticed that the snare is almost nonexistent in the original but I felt that „the march“ is a very important aspect to the song. Also it has to be somewhat connected to the huge kick drum. I for my part used only one eq for cutting and maybe some compression, that‘s it (plus reverb of course). Really not that much, but as you have said yourself, it’s not the knobs that matter. However, you do seem to have a clear vision of how the drums should be, it would be great if could go into detail a bit.

Thanks
Mork