Hey guys. I wanted to see how the most un-metal compressor would sound on a metal mix, so I used MJUC as the main comp for all trks. Except for one plugin (Satin), this is a cheap/free plugin mix.
Plugs used for all trks:
SDRR-cheap
MCUJ-cheap
Ochre-free
Charly-free
Satin-AZ
Exception is the kick, which has a kiss of Little Dev-loc. Also, Charly is all buses, not trks.
Do you think this works at all?
Thx
https://app.box.com/s/kovhigcn17stwxly4dnlinnuxre8mek2

Oh, the song itself is by a band that posted their stems on Cambridge:
Titanium
Song: Haunted Age

 

Last edited: Jan 22, 2016

Was wondering did you DI the bass and guitars? Where are the drums from? I have ideas that would help you a lot. Stuff I learned from my buddy Joey Sturgis. One thing that will help a lot is the advice I can give you is for your bass guitar that will clean your mix up a lot. Let me know if you would like to get together and chat on this? You are getting there. What DAW are you using?

Cheersa

 

Hey Rich, what a helpful response!
The tracks were raw stems I downloaded from Cambridge-mt.com. They host raw band stems there for mixers and list genres. I'm mostly hard rock, but I specifically wanted something metal for this "experiment."

Admittedly, I did this in just a few hours mainly to see how an old opto modeled compressor would sound with modern music. So it's not one of my most "detailed" mixes, just a quicky for sound. I was wondering what others would think of the "sound" of old vs new mainly.

Judging myself after the fact, I'm thinking the guitars might need a more modern type compressor. What are you hearing?
I use Reaper.

 

Last edited: Jan 22, 2016

a link to the stems please ? wanna see how they originally sound ?

 

Sure man:
http://cambridge-mt.com/ms-mtk.htm
search for Haunted Age on the page (I don't think you can link directly to the mp3).
Raw stems are in the same spot.
But fair warning, the original is like a thousand times louder than mine.
Mine has no "mastering" or anything on the Mix bus except for Charly to "sum" it all.

 

downloading i'll keep you posted!

 

thx MLM. Looking forward to what you think.

 

the overall is actually very good, it is just feels that it is kinda overcompressed no headroom, pull the threshold a bit down, that's my only advice for now...

& that clean guitar at 1:32 sounds kinda weird put some small reverb delay, and put it back in the mix, we hear it we can feel it but is not that present...

when done send it in private, i'll try to master it, Wav 16bit 44.1.

 

Thanks man! Odd with the compression because when I compress, it's just one or two db max--if that much (excepting bass and kick). I totally don't like an over-compressed sound--fatiguing and flat. I live in Georgia and we actually have a little snow! So I'll be in all day tomorrow and will add your suggestion for the clean gtr. I'm guessing I'll send you the mix prob tomorrow early afternoon.
On my end, I have only one pref: I'd like it loud, but not quite so loud as Titanium's original square-block wav mix. Any prefs on your end?

 

The guitar part at 1:30ish is just out of tune.

I wouldnt worry about what compressors you're using. MJUC is actually one of my favorites on drum busses and bass. Just the tone of it sounds really good, genre doesnt really matter. Just know how they react and you can apply them to any song. I think I use an SSL style compressor on my master bus for every song I do haha.

Thats a cool site. Im always looking for songs to mix but ive never found a collection like that before.

I have a mix ill post maybe tonight or in the morning. Want to give my ears a break and seperate myself for the song a little before checking it again and uploading.

 

Here we go i've been working on a it for few hours now, i mixed it & then master it, had to export more than 5 version to get here(PC Problem)...

Tell me what do you think is it loud lol,

@Friggy i hope i don't embarrass myself, as i didn't give my ears a break before uploading... lol

ps i've never heard this song before, or heard the original so this is all my ear's judging...

enjoy,

https://mega.nz/#!0scSGC7b!1FHHKcYtl8mDUM-MsnZvIREjKLriDydKrDnS0nbIpos

 

Here is mine. MJUC ended up on Drum bus, bass, vocals, and all of the guitar "solos".

https://clyp.it/sezdgo2v

 

I know right? The out of tune kinda jumped out when I heard it. But I still dig the song though.

Thanks Frig, that's what I was after because I love the depth that comp gives to just about anything. But I wasn't sure how it would sound on a contemporary song to contemporary ears. I think you nailed it with: "Just the tone of it sounds really good, genre doesnt really matter. Just know how they react and you can apply them to any song."

Looking forward to your version.

 

Yeah, def loud enough!
Cool vocal delay! That's my favorite difference. I think I could feel a touch more bass, though, but otherwise it's rockin as hell.
I just listened to both your and Friggy's version and see I could up my mixed guitars about a db. They shine more on both of you guy's mixes.

 

Last edited: Jan 23, 2016

I like your mixed guitars! Just to me, I hear a lot of upper mids overall, and like MLM, I think there could be a little more holistic bass fullness. Imma bro, but I love rock and metal as well as my "roots," so I think I'm just used to that "fullness." Maybe too much so. Your separating and clarity are great, though!

 

MLM and Frig, what plugs do you guys generally use? Or do you just use what you feel is needed for any given particular track? I'm in the "use the same general plugins" camp and wondering if I should expand (a little).

@richsketchy
I'd still like to hear more on what you think too, RIch. I'll pm.

 

i prefer to go safe on the Bass Part, my room isn't professionally treated, i don't want ending up fuckin' lows...

anyway i'll try re listening later on my studio to see how i did and listen to Friggy's version too...

 

My main bundle of plugins I guess would be Fabfilter Pro Q2, The Glue, the majority of Tokyo Dawn Labs, Toneboosters Reelbus and Isone, and everything Valhalla DSP puts out. Those pretty much cover all of my eq, comp and verb/delay needs.

Ive been trying out the slate stuff more, but the compressors dont sit well with me. I do like the EQs and forms of saturation that he puts out.

EDIT-Yeah my room isnt fully treated either, ended up checking the low end stuff with my headphones. Usually I take it out to the car for the full check and make revisions after that but I decided to skip that on this mix.

 

Still sounds great. I think my nit is just a personal thing, hardly universal. Besides, you did a pretty fast mix.

Appreciate the info Frig, got some TD stuff myself, Nova for one when I want some sharp cuts. For algo verb, Valhalla is what I like too, but I mostly use ir's (who the hell does that anymore)?