how is the balance of this mix

Discussion in 'Mixing and Mastering' started by samsome, Apr 10, 2021.

  1. samsome

    samsome Guest

    i tried to do a mix from a multitrack on https://www.cambridge-mt.com/ms/mtk/

    its on this link https://files.fm/u/hce3b4767

    Peter White
    'The Blues Is A Lady'

    can you please advise me how is the balance of this mix?

    i also just used stock reaper effects, only eq and compression

    I didn't do automation or panning,

    i'm more interested about the balance overall

    thanks guys
     
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  3. Smoove Grooves

    Smoove Grooves Audiosexual

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    Hi man. I know you've obviously been working towards this moment and asked lots of interesting questions prior to this.
    But I still have to be honest!
    Couple of places where the bass guitar pokes out way too much and I think it's way too loud generally. Needs compression.
    Same with the vocals; they jump out a couple of times and are too low at other times.
    @ 2:10 that new part that comes in seems too loud.
    I don't think you should just focus on "overall balance" as if you think you can conquer different aspects separately.
    At this stage of your mixing learning, there won't be a huge amount that people can comment on about whatever you've done.
    And you should at least be able to hear if you think you have done a good mix or not. I hope you don't think that everything is mixed via a definite text book as such.
    And? People swear by it.
    The word "just" implies to me where your mind is coming from...
    20 years ago we were "just" using 1GB of RAM and stock Cubase or Logic plugins...on #1 albums....

    Can you tell me, what have you done on your master?
    Because I am hearing some serious level fluctuations when the vocals are out and it's just instrumental.
    As if things were ducking sometimes and not at others.
    Otherwise, I can't understand why the bass suddenly gets louder near the end!

    Why is there a cymbal crash at 0:25? 2 bars through a section? lol.
    Why is the bass out with the drums?
    Because, as suggested by the extra footage at the end, you have not aligned the tracks properly, I reckon.
    It most probably is drums and acoustic on their own before the bass comes in.
    Then I think the crashes would be in the right place.
    Also, I'm thinking the bass was not aligned with the drums at all well, as I don't believe some of the shoddiness of the bass playing!
    Obviously, if all the tracks are exactly the same length and some have blank at the start, and you have them all starting at the same place, then I am talking absolute bollocks! But not everybody always thinks to track out stems in this most obvious, fail-safe way!
    But there are too many things that are standing out to me that suggest the stems weren't all the same length when you got them?
    Please let me know! I'm really intrigued now!
    I hope you didn't cut out any blank and align them yourself?
    But hey, we've all got to learn, and mistakes are the best way!
     
  4. samsome

    samsome Guest

    hi i'm just learning so no worries at all!

    as i said i just found the multitracks on the cambridge site and just experimented to learn to balance in terms of EQ and volume


    so in regards to the master i've put the reacomp and did just slight compression (i've chosen master bus glue preset)
    and threw on it also the JS: master limiter

    regarding the crash! it was just part of the multitrack i didn't care much about those
    i did not do aligning either! i wasn't caring about this much, I'm not trying to fix the arrangement of this

    its the balance i'm more interested in terms of EQ and volume
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 10, 2021
  5. Smoove Grooves

    Smoove Grooves Audiosexual

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    Oookay...
    So timing effects eq perception, you know?
    When that kick and bass are happening together as they should, and not all wrong as they sound to me now, THEN you will see how different things sound eq wise, and the 'empty' space will be different. You cannot compartmentalize these aspects; they are not separated.
    So now you're choosing to decide what you think is the way you want to learn all this?
    I really think there are some misconceptions you need to let go of...
     
  6. No Avenger

    No Avenger Audiosexual

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    Reaper project sent, hope that helps a bit.
     
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