Riggy Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 First of all, let me say that I'm pretty new to the whole recording/mixing process, and know virtually nothing about mastering. Using Guitar Rig 5 for tones, Superior Drummer 2.0, some random free bass VST for that. Maybe about 2 3rds of the initial arrangement done, figuring out what I'm doing for a lot of it, as I go along. http://soundcloud.com/marc-rigg/lances-theme/s-jMAwj Thoughts, advice etc would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebrained Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 The drums are pushed way too back and squeezed into a pretty thin frequency band. You could try using a preset drum set as-it-is and then mix everything else relative to it. That alone could improve the overall sound a lot. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggy Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 Drums are loosely based on this. http://www.boyinaband.com/2011/03/tutorial-metal-drum-sound-in-superior-drummer-2/ I'll have a fiddle with them, see if I can get them sounding any bigger. Anything on the mix of the guitars/bass? Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebrained Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Anything on the mix of the guitars/bass? Other than slight timing issues here and there, I really can't say. I usually avoid wandering into that territory as I'm not a guitarist/bassist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magellanic Posted October 29, 2012 Share Posted October 29, 2012 Welcome to the forums. Erm, yeah the drums are too pushed back and thin. Overcompressed probably and just need the right EQ. The guitars are a bit too muddy and could do with a bit of cutting in the mids. The bass is fine, but could perhaps be spiced up a bit with how its written/programmed. Overall the balance needs a bit of attention. Either bring the guitars down in volume to match the drums and bring the whole track up in volume or bring up the volume of the drums. The mix overall could use some EQ to brighten things up and a lil' reverb splashed on the drums would be a nice addition. The ending is really cool. You can get some nice seperation of the lead guitar by adding more reverb. The panning is all a bit narrow and mono in feel. If you can introduce some more parts. Whether they be synths or guitar, it could just get a bit more excitement going and interest. Overall, this is a really great start. The production does need some attention but I think you can get a bit more going arrangement-wise. Have some counter-melodies going or harmonies on lead lines. Seriously, keep on refining this as with some more polish it'll be awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I'm not home yet, so I can't give a proper look into this yet, but here's some advice for now. I find it ideal that, after my own experiments: - Drums should peak at 0dB, but be careful not to overcompress them. Get it to exactly 0dB or slightly less, but don't allow the amplitude without a limiter on to get too far above 0dB, or it'll add an unnecessary pumping sound that will dull the track. Very very slightly over in the 'correct' way adds some 'glue' or 'punch' to the drums (mainly the kick and snare). Watch the kick most often, as that is the most prone to be the cause of overcompression. - The rhythm guitars should be peaking close to -5dB. - The lead guitar should be peaking close to -4dB. - The bass guitar should be peaking close to -4.5dB. The reason that the bass is higher than the lead is because the bass frequencies are harder to hear, so boosting them by a reasonable amount winds up giving them a higher amplitude than another instrument with the same specifications and a higher frequency range. Rhythm guitars are a combination of both, but primarily the lows, so it should be slightly less than the bass, and the grunginess of rhythm guitar chugs should allow them to cut through, compensating for being at a lower amplitude. At least, that's what works for me, more or less to those specifications, but remember that those specifications are for when the EQ is already perfectly established and the only things left to do are master (track) compression work for punch/face-melting and instrument balancing for clarity. s(M)exoscope is a free spectral analyzer that you can use to preview your track's final waveform for the left or right channel so you can fix stuff and make it look and sound right before rendering, saving loads of time. Google it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timaeus222 Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Okay, yeah, I definitely hear the drums are overcompressed. You might be accidentally reducing the dry signal too much somehow. Reload the drum patch to how it was by default, and do what you need to to get completely dry, unprocessed drums. Then add your own reverb sparingly, just so it sounds like it's in a room, but nothing close to an auditorium. More like a studio. The guitars are too soft. I think the bass is actually at an alright volume, possibly. We'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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