Help with what I'm doing wrong here.

Mix done with headphones, with small amount of effects on some tracks: EQ and filters, sounds ok before export thru the headphones (Sennheiser 598 with outworn earpuffs)

Then exporting the mix and starting a new project to create som kind of a preview master from the mix-export.

To the master project I am adding an EQ, de-esser, limiter and maximizer. Mostly builtin "mastering-presets" included in/for each plugin, except the limiter where I try to enhance the high frequenceies a bit.

The final result is dull and damp ... What have I missed?

 

Keeping transients.
Everything is pushed into compression.
Take the limiter and maximizer out and form the sound without compression. Mostly vocals need some work then. You can hear the dynamics the whole song should have in the part from 1:00 to 1:20.

 

Last edited: Jun 3, 2022

Firstly, that your mix is not

but lacks high mids to different amount depending on the part,
and secondly, that

have not been made for your song, this just doesn't work.

 

What i hear is the bass all over the kick. And the lower mids of the pads are too overwhelming.
I'd go back to mixing it again, focusing on the eq on each track, making room for every element

 

Thanks for your input! Tried to get rid of plugins that contributes to obvious compression and did a new export.
There is a slight difference, maybe more more dynamics in this version (?), but still much work left ..

 

Put some delay and reverb to the female vocals.

 

Yes, it's way more natural and calm now.
Not over the top excited as it was before.
I think the vocals in those "quieter" parts (1:00-1:30 for example) are a touch too low-mid heavy.
Overall I would have to dig in deeper to find some other things but all in all it's fine to me.

Btw: I do not think that it was a good idea to reduce the bass that much.
But it's basically more of a characteristical choice.

You always have to be aware that a lot of people suggest changes that sound good to their monitoring.
Like most of the so called mastering "engineers" do btw.

 

Last edited: Jun 4, 2022

I agree with @Lieglein @No Avenger @Vampiretna @Pepe2020


I suggest remove the limiter and maximizer; add some stereo fx instead, put the hat on left and snare on right, also particularly add reverb to ooh hoo you are my (first)... then again delay to ooh hoo you are my (second)... will make listeners to feel and experience.


Btw the vocals remind me of songs like...

And the beat does of...

 

Last edited: Jun 4, 2022