Final Mix EQ - Compensating for project Studio design flaws

[detune]

I've been mixing for a while but still feel I don't really know what I'm doing.  I'm curious what you guys would say about this mix.  I did little more than just set levels.  Any suggestions?

Mark

[NickT]

Nick-  (couldn't get myself to listen to Back in the Alley...lol)
Sweep - I always thought the sound of this was current and pro, however I always have issues with the current loudness of the stuff being released in the past 5 years.  You're stuff is certainly competitive.  As with most of your masters, I'd like them less compressed.  Just remember... this comment comes from your friend who is starting to get on in years.  Lol   Oh, I listened to the latest mix after you made adjustments to the monitors.  I think that mix had issues in the upper midrange - too much to my ears.

Need to talk. Mid Highs? I might have rolled that back to much. I want to hear about your system check.

Thanks for listening Cary. I will never forget what you told me. " you don't hire Eddie Van Halen for a air supply lead." LOL

[Cary]

Thanks for listening Cary...

Yes, you're welcome bro. 

[Sharpola]

Thanks Cary! 

I'll nstall Cubase & load the tune.. its also the first tune I archived

I'll get around to giving a listen to everybodys tunes I promise! although I find it hard to comment and critique while I wear headphones to listen & mix in My next big purchase will be awesome monitors

Ray

You guys have posted some nice stuff and I owe comments on each.  They all sound nice, but as Nick pointed out, they should. 

Ray - 'Anna' was awesome bud.  IF fact, I feel it's so much better than the other mix you put up - 'Will you follow'.  I thought Anna had so much more depth - like the type of thing you'd expect from recording with better gear.  The only gripe I have with it is that it has way too much bottom end.  I think a cut at 100hz would have cleaned it up  You say you mixed Anna on Cubase.  I'd like to know some of the other details of the recordings - if you could.

David- Oklahoma sounds real nice.  It's nice to mix this stuff - as a change from the norm.  I did feel the mix lacked a little air, not just a lack of highs, but more like a dip around 300 or 400 hz maybe.  Its something I think could be corrected in the master - that's what I would be looking to do on my first listen.

Nick-  (couldn't get myself to listen to Back in the Alley...lol)
Sweep - I always thought the sound of this was current and pro, however I always have issues with the current loudness of the stuff being released in the past 5 years.  You're stuff is certainly competitive.  As with most of your masters, I'd like them less compressed.  Just remember... this comment comes from your friend who is starting to get on in years.  Lol   Oh, I listened to the latest mix after you made adjustments to the monitors.  I think that mix had issues in the upper midrange - too much to my ears.

CD- both those sound nice.  I like the dynamics.  Trying to find the problems, I'd say there was a little harshness on Its my time.  I can't figure out where though.. I think the cymbal crashes.

[CosmicDolphin]

I've been working on ' I'm letting go...'  see how this mix sounds tonally...still got a few things to ride the levels of etc.

http://www.musicianscollaboration.com/forum/index.php?topic=2484.msg42295#new

CCD

[NickT]

Open Fire - Cary

Man this sounds nice. There is a lot of space and air. Guitar intro sounds great. What amp is that? Love the dynamics. Very cool mix.

It's all about you - Cary

Very clean mix. Nice tones on the guitars. Vocal sits right up front. Very balanced mix. I don't hear anything that bothers me.

I'm Not Sane - Detune

Mark. Levels are a little uneven. In as they don't sound like they are in the same studio. Overall feel is good. Kick and bass are a little muddy. But I like to compress, so that is just my opinion. Tone on the lead is nice. I would work on the eq of each instrument. Some of the lows in the clean guitar could be rolled off.


I will listen to CD's tonight.

Nick

[CosmicDolphin]

Detune....

I think you have a good vocal sound and a nice sound on the guitar on the intro...I think the mix starts to fall down a little once the drums and other instruments come in.

I agree with Nick the drums need some work , it sounds a bit limp the way it's been mixed ?  Needs tightening up and maybe some different eq...the bass guitar didn't really come through that much on my speakers and I wasn't overly liking the guitar that comes in on the chorus.

You have a good song and a good starting pint with the vocals and the guitar that plays throughout...you may need to eq it differently in the fuller sections of the song by thinning it out a little, but it sounds nice in the sparse parts.  Some good reverb ambience might help it gel together more.

CD

[Studioplayer]

Detune. Sounding pretty good really. Just a few things like Nick mentioned with the bass & kick. Unlike CD I really LOVE the dirty guitar in the choruses. It's REALLY cool !! I like it back in the mix like that. Wouldn't mind hearing it just a tad more. 1/2 a db or so. I think that guitar really gives it a vibe. I just picture some guy singing in small club somewhere and then start playing that dirty guitar through a small amp during the choruses. It gives it a live feel. This is one of my favourite songs on the site. I'll be playing it in my player often. 

Minor tweaks man. Don't make it too commercial. 

Dave

Jeez CD, Are we listening to the same song? Drums are super tight. Cool beat. Reverb would probably just muddy things up. Dunno. To each his own I guess. LOL

[Studioplayer]

Just to clarify a bit I think Marks song is a good example of apples and oranges. As mixers (Nick, CD, Cary, Davidinoz) I think you would all have a different vision for this song but as a listener I don't always hear that the kick should come out more or the guitar is to far in or this needs to eq'ed etc. If I heard this song on a CD right now I would buy it. That's because I kinda like the more raw sound. In a song with this kinda vibe I don't think everything has to be perfect. 

Now if one of you guys got a hold of it I'm sure you could make it better because that's what you do. CD has proven that to me before. I thought it couldn't get better and he took a song and made everything stand out so much more. Pretty amazing. But if I didn't know better I'd have been happy with the original mix.

Also I just listened to the mix CD is doing. 'I'm Letting Go' and if you listen to that and compare Marks of course you will see a huge difference. I'm not sure if that's wise though. 

Ok, I'll stand down now and go back to listening and making dirty muddy music. 

Dave

[detune]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys!  It's been very helpful.  It's neat to hear completely different viewpoints about the same mix. 

I do hear some muddiness now that I'm listening for it, especially on the clean guitar.  I'll work on some EQ changes.  I do like the raw sound for the most part, but it could definitely use some tweaks.  And thanks Dave for all the kind words, it's great to know you enjoy the song that much!

Mark

[Paulo]

[Argle]

I've meant to try Har-bal for awhile.  I dunno though... seems a bit counter-intuitive.

[CosmicDolphin]

I've meant to try Har-bal for awhile.  I dunno though... seems a bit counter-intuitive.

It's good if your room is not perfect for mixing...you can see where you're going wrong...or not....I use it more as tool to cross check a mix than correct one now.

My mixes are much closer to the ideal curve since I've had all the practice here, and as a result they travel better.

CD