0x000000FF Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 (edited) Amateur hour. I'm really not sure how to approach the mixing of this track. It's an attempt at performing Another Termina as a sort of acoustic ensemble, mainly using guitar, melodica, and penny whistle. There are most certainly more problems than the mixing, but right now that feels like the most frustrating part. To my ear, the melody doesn't seem to fit into the mix and feels "subdued". I've also listened to this too much, so I may just be crazy. In any case, I'm not sure how to handle that; I've tried carving some more space using EQ, but my initial attempts have gotten messy pretty quickly. Does anyone have any guidance on that? I think this track is comprised of the most recorded instruments I've ever tried to work with, and I think that's making it a bit tougher for me since the mix is "crowded". Anyway, any other thoughts, advice, or help is appreciated. I apologize in advance for trying to play the penny whistle! Thanks!https://soundcloud.com/0x000000ff/termina-5a Edited December 25, 2015 by 0x000000FF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T- Ape Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 So southing, makes me want to go to a guild bar. Tip: don't excuse yourself upfront in the description box. It gives away unnecessary information and it doesn't even have to be true. Apologize afterwards if necessary, otherwise 'Fake it 'till you Make it!'. Your whistle was nice, it sounds clear, in tune and really adds to the overall environment and air the music creates. If you want to create space, use a reverb. EQ is used to manage frequency in music. Reverb simulates a room or space. The first lead melody sounds out of tune, a little bit too high, but after listening to it a few times, you kinda get this real feeling about it. It feels alive, human. I don't know what words to use to explain what I mean. Hope u can relate to what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0x000000FF Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 Thanks for the feedback. I was hoping that pulling together all of these different instruments would give the mix a "real" feeling, even if it sometimes comes from subtle errors like the tuning. On 12/27/2015 at 3:15 AM, T- Ape said: If you want to create space, use a reverb. EQ is used to manage frequency in music. Reverb simulates a room or space. Hmm, I'll see if I can make some improvements by adjusting the reverb. I'm also using a bit more compression on the master than I usually do; not sure if adjusting that would help. On 12/27/2015 at 3:15 AM, T- Ape said: Tip: don't excuse yourself upfront in the description box. It gives away unnecessary information and it doesn't even have to be true. Great tip. I'll keep this in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnWake Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Ah this sounds great! There's a few tiny mistakes in the guitar sections, but who cares it sounds lovely as it is. Regarding the mixing, it sounds a bit crowded in the first sections since everything is playing similar octaves. I'm not very good at mixing TBH but maybe it'd help to cut more frequencies of the acoustic guitar. You should leave the higher frequencies to make it sound clear and noticeable while removing some of the mid since that is often very crowded with acoustic guitars. You shouldn't remove that much though since it could sound very empty otherwise (especially since the guitar is driving all the chords and base of the song). Panning also helps a lot. I'm not sure how you're doing it here but you could have acoustic guitar tracks panned hard left/right and leave the melodies at the center. You could also experiment and do the exact opposite to simulate more of a live experience. Like, imagine where each musician would sit and pan accordingly! Comparing to the source material, the main difference is the lack of a bass. If you listen to how the original is mixed, the rhytm guitars are much less present and it has more percussive instruments to drive the rhytms. In any case, I feel this sounds great. Performances are pretty good! T- Ape 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sh0rtCircuit Posted January 2, 2016 Share Posted January 2, 2016 On 12/27/2015 at 6:15 AM, T- Ape said: If you want to create space, use a reverb. EQ is used to manage frequency in music. Reverb simulates a room or space. ^This Honestly, I'd suggest adding some slight reverb to the lead parts. Not a lot, just enough to give some nice presence and depth. Maaaaybe adding a tiny bit of reverb on the rhythm guitar as well. On 12/31/2015 at 10:20 PM, jnWake said: Panning also helps a lot. This. This is also true, though I wouldn't pan anything hard left/right. Just enough to make it feel like the musicians aren't squished together while playing. But with both of this, I guess it'd be easier to imagine what setting this would be played in. I think once you figure that out, it'll be easier for you to imagine what kind of panning and reverb is best suited for what you have. Which, is great. The organic feel with live-recorded sections really gives this track life, and it was definitely one of my favorites from Chrono Cross. Get up the good work, sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troyificus Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 I really really like this. I love your guitar tone mixed with the (what I'm assuming is an) accordion. The comments about panning are spot on, but as Sh0rtCircuit said don't pan all the way in both directions; that can make the 'centre' of the track feel empty. Maybe start at 20% each way and adjust as necessary. My only real gripe with this track is that it's too short! Moar pls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0x000000FF Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Thanks for all of the helpful feedback, everyone. I'm sorry I let this thread die! I've put together another mix (embedded in this post). I went back to the drawing board. I applied more panning and completely changed the mastering, which ended up pulling back the middle frequencies quite a bit. I also recorded a bass track. I actually dialed back on the reverb. I'm not sure if that was a good idea, but I had an easier time mixing without it. Any thoughts on that? My feeling is that I should throw some reverb back into the mix. How's the panning? So... better or worse? Thanks for all of the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0x000000FF Posted February 24, 2016 Author Share Posted February 24, 2016 Here's another, more subtle update. I think that last one was a bit boomy and muddy, so I tried to clean up the low end. I also narrowed the panning just a bit, and applied a bit more reverb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnWake Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 It sounds a lot cleaner now! Panning really helps, and the bass adds a lot too. The flute sounds a bit dry as you mentioned in the previous post. I wouldn't pan that particular instrument too since it isn't that powerful sounding (at least in the part where it plays solo). Also, being super nitpicky, the note at 0:42 in the flute seems to go off-key a bit near the end. Sounds pretty nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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