Mix Challenge

Mister Fox wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 31, 2017 20:41 CEST

Giving feedback to each other:

• giving feedback to each other is highly encouraged. This adds to the learning process
• please hold back the feedback until at least Mix Round 1 has ended. This is to not influence others during the current running challenge
• the thread remains open for discussion post Mix Round 2

Mbarathi wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 19:59 CET

8. Stereo Bus

Logic Compressor - 1.5:1 Ratio, Attack - 10ms, Release 81ms, threshold to only compress 3db

Ozone 8 Dynamic EQ

Ozone 8 Exciter

TR5 One

Mister Fox wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 31, 2017 20:41 CEST

Rule set for mix participants

• This is a mix challenge, NOT a (pre)mastering challenge (unless declared otherwise). The main focus is to create a balanced mix, which can later be used for a possible mastering process
• ...
• ideally, the final mix shall be anywhere within the the following range: -21dB RMS realtime to -15dB RMS realtime on average, alternatively -16LUFS ILk, while the maximum digital signal strength shall ideally not exceed -1dBTP (True Peak)
• ---
• We do recommend to not send in your mix within the first 24 hours of the Challenge. Take a day off, give your ears time to relax, take another listen the next day. Your entry is final - no re-submissions with changes allowed unless you're selected for Mix Round 2 (see FAQ)

EchoOread wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 18, 2019 00:36 CET

F3zM4d wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 22:32 CET

EchoOread wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 20:31 CET

F3zM4d wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 16, 2019 18:22 CET

yes, for my personal deformation, when I work I tend to keep the sounds mainly in the center because today's kids listen to everything from smartphones or mono Bluetooth speakers. if you used a lot of stereo, some sounds would risk disappearing.

Hi. Have you considered the following:

1. How many people you know or see actually use their cell phone or bluetooth speakers to listen to music in real life? If you have to put it in percentage, how much? And when they do: do they really care for the sonic quality?
* In my experience, I am the only person I know that sometimes use my phone to listen to music when I am working. I am sure some do, but either I never saw them or didn't pay enough attention. And those are the occasions when they, I suppose, care very little for the sonic quality of the song.
2. How many people you know or see that actually use the headphones to listen to music? At what percentage?
* In my experience, I see a lot of people use their headphones when listen to music. Those and from the cars, of course. Same difference. And most times, in my case, I listen to enjoy the music+mix.

**if the arbitrary percentage of #1 is greater than #2 then keep on doing what you do. If it's not, perhaps reaching out for a bong to "seriously" think about your decision is a good idea.

Note: Sure, some of the sounds would disappear when folded to mono, but that is not incurable, is it? We have a bunch of techniques for that. Cutting the stereo spectrum out entirely for something that "might" happen, in my opinion, is unnecessary. You are missing out not having a stereo spread in your mix.

Why I write this? Because I read somewhere on the internet someone wrote: Mono to stereo=heaven. I agree, and I hate seeing my fellow mixers miss out on something good. Ask anybody, especially CLA

if you analyze the spectrum of my mix you will realize that it is in stereo but I made sure that in mono it feels good anyway. I wouldn't hasten to shoot sentences without first listening to or analyzing the mix. A greeting

O.K. I see how it is, eh.

Let me ask you this: need I listen to your mix after I read your statement? What is it in your statement that compels me to take a listen to your mix to make sure? Have you not read what you wrote? You made it very clear (1) your vision of your mixes concerning the stereo spectrum and (2) the reasons for such action.
So, no. I didn't need to listen. I could imagine the mix already. But I did listen to it. (In fact, I listened to it the first time I saw the post from the other guy asking you if you mixed in mono on purpose). It confirmed exactly what I imagined. What is the chance of that? One thing to point out is I am not sure the other guy asked you ("to be sure" his words) because he thought it was good. But no need to go down that rabbit hole

Second, and I am feeling a little hurt in the smallest corner of my weak fragile easily bleeding heart, I think you should be thanking me instead. Here I am trying, god knows I do, to convince you to consider another avenue where you can roam free-er instead of being, to borrow Mr.Fox's words, "narrow-minded." Even if the road is winding and rough, at least, the good intention is there. At least I tried to show you an alternative. A better man would at least throw a bone, in my opinion.

Third, and hopefully finally, what I wrote were merely just questions that I thought you did not consider. I did not offer any help, criticism, or praise. I wrote base only on your statement. Maybe I did tell you to grab the bong, so, technically, I did offer some help. But even if I criticized your mix for being too mono, why the upset? It is. And again, I am not alone in this.

I put my trust in the readers, and I don't demand much, just ½ a brain should do, to see that all I did was raising a point to counter your statement for your consideration. Your response leaves, to borrow the words of U2's One, "a bad taste in my mouth."

Should it end here and now?

Mbarathi wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 19:59 CET

8. Stereo Bus

Logic Compressor - 1.5:1 Ratio, Attack - 10ms, Release 81ms, threshold to only compress 3db

Ozone 8 Dynamic EQ

Ozone 8 Exciter

TR5 One

Mister Fox wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 18, 2019 01:25 CET

However... please do educate yourself with the Rules and Guidelines on "recommended signal levels". Just out of pure curiosity, I pulled one track from recent submissions and ran it through analysis tools and listened to the material.

Mbarathi wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 17, 2019 19:59 CET

8. Stereo Bus

Logic Compressor - 1.5:1 Ratio, Attack - 10ms, Release 81ms, threshold to only compress 3db

Ozone 8 Dynamic EQ

Ozone 8 Exciter

TR5 One

Just some stats:
ILk => -11,5 LUFS
RMS => -11,83 dB RMS avg
dBTP max => +1,008 dBTP (Clipping, signal was limited to -0,01dBFS)


This might put your edit in danger of getting into the next mix round, as your track is "premastered". (technically, a rule violation)