Hello,
I am trying to learn mixing and have been teaching myself with youtube videos and tutorials for a some months.
I have done about 5 mixes while following along with tutorials, this is my first mix without following a tutorial.
This is not my song I did not write it or record it, it is a multi-track I found online.
Song:
The Elephant, by Robert Hammon

I would class it as rock or grunge so if that style makes you sick then don't waste your time downloading.

Any tips or pointers you can give me on my mix of it would be appreciated.

Yes I know one of the guitar riff's in it is a rip off of the riff in the song "Local H - Bound For The Floor" but I still like the song.

Download my mix here-
https://ufile.io/7l3rs59y

Update: Thank you all for your input I have used every suggestion I could that you have given me and here is my second attempt, V2-
https://ufile.io/kw7d6d0u

Feel free to make any suggestions / opinions or comments to help me along.

 

Last edited: Jul 2, 2021

Hi @Mooly_Lee, I heard the band Nirvana with the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as a counter-reference.

In my opinion, everything sounds too dull. The bass frequencies are at war. The bass guitar and the base drum differ too little. the kick and bass should have different frequencies. Bassdrum 60 to 80 Hz - bass 80 to 250 Hz. Eliminate unnecessary bass frequencies (below 30 Hz for the kick drum and below 50 Hz for the bass, but this can vary and depends on the style and taste) so that these the don't make the sound "boomy" or undefined. The combination of these two instruments together should give the sound drive and a solid foundation.

 

Last edited: Jun 24, 2021

Hi BEAT16 thank you for this great advice <3 I will try out the changes and see how it it sails. Some of what you say I should have known as it was in the videos I watched but you forget little things when you are in the trenches digging for a good mix, I guess it takes lots of practice.

 

https://bobbyowsinski.com
I bought books from him. For me personally a very good decision. but everyone must know for himself what is good for him.

 

Last edited: Jun 26, 2021

Since they're uploading the finished mixes at cambrigde-mt.com EDIT: cambridge-mt.com (sorry), you should compare their version to yours. Usually they're quite good even if I find their main guitars too loud in this mix.

Try to hear the difference and reproduce their sound first. This is a good exercise and will show you how and why a mix is working.

But for your sixth mix it's quite good. I'm afraid mine was worse.

 

Last edited: Jun 27, 2021

I think I have problems with the low frequencies, bass and kick. When I get time I will go in and work on them and use some pointers that BEAT16 suggested.

I did listen to the original and did not like the guitar but I could hear that the bass and kick were more clear.
I also listened to the song Local H - Bound For The Floor on youtube, the guitar on that is very bright but the bass and kick were a lot better than the other two. I'm not sure if rolling off some lows on the guitars in my mix will bring out the bass and kick but will experiment.

I find that when mixing and listening to a mix over and over, you brain gets to like it and you think that it's correct, even if there are problems you can't hear them. This to me is the hardest part of mixing.

Thanks for the encouragement.

 

Last edited: Jun 25, 2021

There's a bunch of free m/s tools with wich you can mute the sides so you can listen to the kick and bass better. Also some DAWs have this as stock plugins.

Good observation. That's why referencing is important, especially when you just have started to mix.

 

When you say sides do you mean the left and right pans?

 

Err, yeah, on principle. You could try this free one and hear yourself.
M = mid, S = sides (not mono and stereo )

 

Thanks will look for it, I am using studio one do you know off hand if there is s stock plugin for it?

 

Molly, there is an abundance of ebooks and videos to help you learn on many sites just search and I'm sure you will find exactly what you are looking for.

 

Singing - Magical Frequencies

- Fill at 120 Hz
- Roar at 240 Hz
- Presence at 5 kHz
- Sibilance / sibilance 4 - 7 kHz
- Airy at 10-15 kHz
- Increase 125 - 250 Hz to emphasize the foundation of the voice
- The range from 2 to 4 kHz emphasizes the consonants and the voice appears closer to the listener

 

Last edited: Jun 26, 2021

Nope, I don't think that S1 has such a tool. But that's not a biggie, right?

 

Err, what? Where do you have this from?

Maximum 75%??? Panned instruments are move towards to background??? Have you every listened to Rock/Metal guitars???

Do yourself a favour and drop this source.

 

Panorama - The placement of the sound in the sound field / High - low and wide (thinking three-dimensionally)

The aim of panning - or "wide" is to place a sound element in a sound field in such a way that an interesting, appealing soundscape is created.

 

Last edited: Jun 26, 2021

I heavily disagree with this statement.

 

Top 9 Best Stereo Imaging Plugins For Your DAW In 2021
https://mynewmicrophone.com/top-best-stereo-imaging-plugins-for-your-daw/

 

Last edited: Jun 26, 2021

Before a beginner starts abusing stereo imagers, which come with phase twists, he/she should learn how to apply basic panning.

 

Yes I understand. As a mental stimulus, a small timetable ...!

Spoiler: Crash Course Mixing: Mixing Tutorial for Beginners

Crash Course Mixing: Mixing Tutorial for Beginners

Mixing #1 - Preparations for the perfect mix
Before you start mixing, you should first ensure order and structure. Labeling tracks and channels, setting markers, etc. makes the work easier.

Mixing #2 - Listening correctly
In this episode you will learn everything you need to know about monitoring to create a good mix.

Mixing #3 - Cleaning up the mix session
Tidying up is half the battle - so this episode is all about how to perfectly prepare a session for mixing.

Mixing #4 - Using EQ
Gain? Frequency? Q factor? In this part of the course, you'll learn what an equalizer does and how to use it.

Mixing #5 - Dynamics processing
The compressor is a very important tool, but not everyone knows what it does and how to use it. Learn it here!

Mixing #6 - Delays in the mixdown
This tutorial explains how to use delays correctly in the mix. This effect is quite simple, but besides delay time and feedback it is important to...

Mixing #7 - Panorama settings
There's no need to explain "panorama" and "stereo", is there? Yes, because there are a few things to consider in the mix....

Mixing #8 - Reverb in the mixdown
This workshop episode deals with the basics of reverb in the mixdown. It becomes clear: It doesn't always have to sound natural - and there are very many...

Mixing #9 - Subgroups
It makes sense to combine some signals into subgroups in order to be able to control and process them together.

Mixing #10 - Parameter automation
Once a parameter has been set, it may fit at one point in the song, but maybe not everywhere. That`s exactly what automation is for!

Mixing #11 - Mastering and Bouncing
The last episode of our online tutorial series on creating a mix explains the basics of mastering and what to look for when bouncing/rendering....

Source: www.bonedo.de/artikel/einzelansicht/crashkurs-mixing.html
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

 

the vocal placement is okay
the vocal seem dull
add abit of shine

let d beat be close to - 12 same with d vocal
master d song hitting 0
d mastering is low