Feedback on my rejected ReMix

[Composer1992]

Hi, I submitted my Final Fantasy IV "Zeromus" remix to the judges panel (it was rejected) and they suggested I post here for more feedback.

Here's my track: http://tindeck.com/listen/ansr

The original:

Basically my problem has always been production. I don't tend to notice things that lack like audio engineers do and I want to improve my skills. The judge said the lower frequencies were lacking, but IMO I can hear plenty in my headphones.

I'm aware that the samples can be better for drums and strings. I made this before I had better drum samples. But audio production is really what I'm looking for advice on.

Can someone please help me out? Thank you!

Judge feedback:

"Hey Andrew, you've got a good start here. Lots of energy, some cool interpretation with the guitar parts and drums. Unfortunately, the big problem is the execution. Some of the instruments just aren't that high-quality (drums and strings) and the sound balance is way off. The bass and lower drums sounds need to be fuller because right now, there's almost nothing happening in that frequency range. I'd suggest taking this to our Workshop forums where you can get some more detailed advice. Thanks for submitting, hope this helps you.

Vinnie"

[Grayburg]

Compare your song to one you want yours to sound like, and EQ until they sound similar.

They don't have to end up sounding close, but your song should sound better than when trying to mix it in isolation (for now).

[Moseph]

The overall mix is very mid-range heavy, which I think is because, as Vinnie mentioned, there's just not a lot of bass going on. Bass guitar and kick drum are, I think, the biggest problem areas.

For the kick, you might want to start by just raising the level. If the kick track clips and it's still not loud enough, put a compressor and/or limiter on the track so you can boost the level even more. Once it's loud enough to hear clearly, you may have to do some EQing to get it to sit well in the mix. Typically, you'll want to emphasize ~100 Hz for oomph and ~3000 Hz if you want beater noise. I'd recommend googling mixing kick drum and doing a lot of reading.

For the bass guitar, it just sounds like you need more low end. I'd start by bringing the level up (maybe +6 dB) and experiment with EQing down some of the midrange, maybe 400-900 Hz.

EDIT: Also, what model of headphones are you using? It's possible that they're coloring the sound in a way that obscures the problems in the mix.

Edited October 20, 2014 by Moseph

[Argle]

Some things that stand out to me, without reading the judges thread.

- String attacks are quite slow and fall behind the beat.

- Horns sound kinda fake, I think it's the sharp attacks or something.

- Mixing overall could be sharper and cleaner. Drum kit is a little muddy.

- A single rhythm guitar part panned centered doesn't sound nearly as good as double-tracked parts panned L and R. It sounds like your guitar is doing both lead and rhythm duty. It's ok to have the lead part center, consider making a doubletracked rhythm part.

- The rock elements don't feel as energetic as they should. Getting fuller rhythm guitars would definitely help.

- Some parts of the sequenced guitar sound cool and fairly realistic, other parts seem choppy and unrealistic.

Edited October 21, 2014 by Argle