Three-piece indie-pop-rock band - how does this mix sound?

[GarryJ]

This is one track from a demo I'm recording for a band of a workmate. I'm pretty inexperienced when it comes to mixing, so I'd really appreciate any feedback on how the song translates onto other people's systems, and any general comments on how to improve the mix.

http://download.yousendit.com/023A393102CA0B92

Cheers!

[E Car]

I think it sounds pretty good. I laughed when I saw the name--I'm working on a song titled that as well. I'd make the kick pop more--even if that meant it needed something behind it, but I have a pretty pop/hip-hop sensibility.

I'd probably compress the bass a bit more and tweak the volumes here and there, maybe double or put some delay to make the guitars bigger when they aren't distorted. I'd put the vocals way out front as well--that's what will carry it if it is to be carried (sometimes that can be done by eqing a notch out of the the rest of the mix so you don't have to raise the volume too much--like a little hole for the vocalist to pop his head out of).

Overall I think it's pretty well done. Most of those are personal preferences, not technical whatever.

Something to give it a little more drama would be good as well--riding the faders, automating panning, etc. It's pretty long and you want to keep people's interest.

Best of luck--the mix sounds decent and the band has some talent, you're half the way there.

[weatherbox]

I'm pretty much with him... overall sounds are good, just a few little tweaks.

I like the basic tone of the drums... present but the cymbals aren't overpowering. I think maybe running a parallel compression channel with the kick and snare might give them a little more weight without getting overbearing - it can bring out a little more resonance in each, which I think would be nice. Not like the super-smashy limiting thing, just enough to add a little more depth and ambiance.

I think the bass could be a little heftier - a little deeper low end, and a little grit to it. I often re-run signal out to my V71 in occasions like these. It fattens it up nicely with just enough fur around the edges.

The parts where there's just the one quieter guitar, I'm also feeling it could maybe use a reverb or delay signal quietly panned out the other way to give it some richness. Again, like the parallel compression, not enough to sound like an effect (lest if compete with the bigger post-chorus echoey part) but just enough to enhance the depth.

All in all sounds pretty good to me.

[fossiltooth]

There are definitely many good things about the mix, but depending on what purpose this recording is supposed to serve, it could use some work.

The vocal sound is good by itself, and appropriate for the style of music. However, it doesn't sit very well with the very dry elements, especially in the more sparse sections. It just feels kinda out-of-place at first. Don't be afraid to go a bit more ambient with the instruments the less dense sections. In these sparse sections, the snare sounds far too dry, unruly, up front, and real n' raw for this style. Same goes for the hats.

When the guitars hit in the first chorus, the whole track jumps in way that's unpleasant and jarring rather than kick-ass. Once the first chorus, the settles in, the balances are pretty good, although I'm not a huge fan of the overhead sound. The following instrumental bridge is also decently balanced, but the cymbals feel a little too close to the listener. The guitars in the end chorus are murky and make the mix sound congested and unbalanced, and the vocal gets totally buried for the first time in the mix. The bass tone could use a little work throughout.

Good work overall though. It doesn't sound "finished" to me, but it could easily suffice as a good demo. If you're aiming for a legitimate commercial release or looking for a thoroughly impressive sounding track for your reel, I'd say to go back for another crack at the mix. Otherwise, don't be afraid to present it if the clients are happy.

I don't know if you'll get too many responses to this thread. That track was a pain-in-the-ass to download, and the site had obnoxious pop-ups that broke right through my blocker.

[auralman]

I immediately thought of Boys Don't Cry-era Cure...so my instinct is get that vocal effect outta there.

The sudden wall of guitars is...sudden. Like a little too much all at once, and it totally eats the space the drums and bass were in. Dial it back a bit. The vocal is completely obscured when the big guitars are going off.

Some nice stuff in there. Nice job on recording.

[GarryJ]

Many thanks for the detailed replies. I've changed the original download link, I didn't realise how far Sendspace has gone down the shitter.

After having a few listen-backs over the last week I've came to similar conclusions, so I'm definitely going to go back over the mix, using what I've got at the moment as a starting point.

The bass is already as compressed as I'd like it to be, so I'll try riding the faders a little more vigilantly. (I generally try to avoid n00b-questions and realise it'll vary from person to person, but out of interest, how much gain reduction do people typically settle on when compressing bass in pop-rock tunes?)

A more natural-sounding, shorter reverb on the vocals is another sure-fire change, as well as making the drums sit better in the mix throughout. To my ears, there's too much low-end on the snare too, it needs trimming. The drums were the toughest part of the mix by far, as the source audio wasn't great - a really weak kick drum track, and a generally boxy sound. A lot of "EQing the crap out of it" went on.