I've been using MC for a year or two now, recorded a bunch of tracks and over time taught myself how to use it, the little tricks and shortcuts etc. But while I can create musical tracks that are reasonably OK, there's something missing. I know some - maybe most - of this may be down to the quality of the inputs (garbage in garbage out), but I don't really know what I'm doing when I'm trying to tune up the tracks with compression, EQ, reverb, pan settings etc. And then mixcing down to an MP3 - again, not sure what I should be doing to make it sound less muddy and more "professional". I think I make the classic rookie error of overdoing everything. I feel like I'm 90% there but the last 10% is the difficult bit.
So (finally) my question: any tips on how you learn to turn an OK track into something sparkling and vibrant? Anyone out there willing to take a listen and tell me where I'm going wrong?
Optimizing the mix and mastering
Moderators: Acoustica Greg, Acoustica Eric, Acoustica Dan, rsaintjohn
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Mark Bliss
- Posts: 7313
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:59 pm
- Location: Out there
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
Give me a little more info.
Genre, style, source, goals.......
Genre, style, source, goals.......
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Vibrant Audio
- Posts: 981
- Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:24 pm
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
Sounds like a little mastering will help. And you CAN do it yourself.
First, do the best you can on the mix itself. But don't make it too loud. Leave room for another round of processing. Mix the song down to wav. Then load the new wav into a track in a new Mixcraft project.
On another track load another file of any song with a sound that you want to mimic. This gives you a reference to the eq and sound you're going for.
Now load in an eq, a reverb, and a compressor on your song track. The eq will help you tweak the overall sound to be similar to your reference track, very light reverb will help glue the mix a little, the compressor will do the same and help raise the overall volume and punch. You can a/b compare as you tweak to improve your master.
This is a very basic approach. You can definitely get a lot more involved, but this is a start.
Here are a few quick references that might help:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov08/a ... 1108_3.htm
http://www.tweakheadz.com/perfect_mix.html
http://www.mixmymusic.net/complimentary ... entary-eq/
Hope this helps! As you might guess, I am a big fan of sparkling and vibrant audio.
P.S. Here's a link to an Acoustica Tips and Tricks forum post where mbliss has posted a lot of good advice and added links to tutorials and such.
First, do the best you can on the mix itself. But don't make it too loud. Leave room for another round of processing. Mix the song down to wav. Then load the new wav into a track in a new Mixcraft project.
On another track load another file of any song with a sound that you want to mimic. This gives you a reference to the eq and sound you're going for.
Now load in an eq, a reverb, and a compressor on your song track. The eq will help you tweak the overall sound to be similar to your reference track, very light reverb will help glue the mix a little, the compressor will do the same and help raise the overall volume and punch. You can a/b compare as you tweak to improve your master.
This is a very basic approach. You can definitely get a lot more involved, but this is a start.
Here are a few quick references that might help:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov08/a ... 1108_3.htm
http://www.tweakheadz.com/perfect_mix.html
http://www.mixmymusic.net/complimentary ... entary-eq/
Hope this helps! As you might guess, I am a big fan of sparkling and vibrant audio.
P.S. Here's a link to an Acoustica Tips and Tricks forum post where mbliss has posted a lot of good advice and added links to tutorials and such.
*Vibrant Audio*
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smallinson
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 2:43 pm
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
Thanks for the suggestions and very much appreciate the ideas.
Here are some examples of what I've done:
http://soundcloud.com/accessallaliens/w ... s-may-come
http://soundcloud.com/accessallaliens/wishlist
So sort of acoustic-folk-pop-rock genres.
When I'm trying to master the mix I lose track of what I'm aiming for, and end up over-tweaking. I saw a YouTube video yesterday where the guy pulled back frequencies centred at 400Hz by 3dB and said it removed the mud. But I couldn't tell the difference. Maybe I need better headphones or ears.
Here are some examples of what I've done:
http://soundcloud.com/accessallaliens/w ... s-may-come
http://soundcloud.com/accessallaliens/wishlist
So sort of acoustic-folk-pop-rock genres.
When I'm trying to master the mix I lose track of what I'm aiming for, and end up over-tweaking. I saw a YouTube video yesterday where the guy pulled back frequencies centred at 400Hz by 3dB and said it removed the mud. But I couldn't tell the difference. Maybe I need better headphones or ears.
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
Smallinson,
I didn't think your tracks sounded bad. The second track could use a little sparkle in the upper mids but overall you're pretty close to what sounds good to my ears anyway. I'm not a fan of modern day mastering, I know many are. Personally, I like mastering to be around the quality of the Stone's Let it Bleed album. For me, if it's too slick it loses that magical feel of real music being played in a room. That said, my drummer loves it and we go back and forth on this subject all the time concerning our recordings. So much of mixing/mastering comes down to personal taste. I saw a documentary about Joe Meek, where he was chastised for mixing a record with the drums too loud and the piano distorted, but it became a hit.
I didn't think your tracks sounded bad. The second track could use a little sparkle in the upper mids but overall you're pretty close to what sounds good to my ears anyway. I'm not a fan of modern day mastering, I know many are. Personally, I like mastering to be around the quality of the Stone's Let it Bleed album. For me, if it's too slick it loses that magical feel of real music being played in a room. That said, my drummer loves it and we go back and forth on this subject all the time concerning our recordings. So much of mixing/mastering comes down to personal taste. I saw a documentary about Joe Meek, where he was chastised for mixing a record with the drums too loud and the piano distorted, but it became a hit.
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Mark Bliss
- Posts: 7313
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:59 pm
- Location: Out there
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
Let me apologize for the shortness of my first reply, I was very tied up with a job. I'll likely make up for it now.......
I dont want to portray myself in any way as an expert, nor do I have years of professional expertise. I have studied a bit and feel I have some grasp on the subject, and feel I can get pretty good results on my own projects. A great deal better than what you have presented? I dont know. I think I have a pretty good "ear", but then anyone who messes with this is going to say that.
The first problem is I dont know what you had to start with, I can only guess. The second is I dont know what you have done, nor what equipment, plug-ins and so on you possess. Lastly, I would hate to be overly critical of a project you have spent a great deal of time and effort on! I have the tendency to be blunt, it can be perceived as rude. I dont like to be perceived as rude. And in the end, it often comes down to matters of taste and opinion anyway.
All of the above responses make good points. I would like to start by adding some general tips for you, and for anyone else with the same questions, along the topic of avoiding common mistakes.
Recording: We can assume that the average home recording hobbiest doesnt work in a sound treated room and have a bunch of mics to choose from. Thats ok, I think technique, knowledge and effort trumps having a bunch of expensive equipment anyway. In fact, for the most part I would put all that wish list equipment at the far end of the "needs" list.
Study and learn about recording levels. Make sure that you are aware of where -18DB is and how it relates to 0 VU. Most people record way to hot and it has poor effects on the final result. This cannot be over emphasised!
Record at 24 bits if possible and utilize reasonable efforts to minimize unwanted noises. The refrigerator, air conditioner/heater, the landlord banging on the floor from downstairs.
Experiment with mic location and position and try alternative mics if you have them. (An example-if you position the mic at the right angle you get a certain degree of sibilance reduction, or de-essing, reducing the need to run a de-esser later which all to often removes some of the sparkle and presence we desire to achieve or retain!)
Get the best source you can with what you have.
Composition: Just as musicians and songwriters, producers should study and be aware of aspects of music composition. It should be obvious that you dont get get people to get up and boogie by presenting a 70 BPM snoozer, or on the other hand write some sad down and out blues lyrics and set them to an upbeat 144 BPM number, it just comes across weird. Yet it happens, perhaps to lesser degrees all too often. Aside- I read somewhere that someone had done research that showed that the majority of hit records had tempos very centered around 120. I am not sure what to think of this, maybe its natural for people to respond with smiles and tapping feet to this tempo. Maybe successful songwriters just seem to gravitate to it?
Very important, learn about cadence. Successfully manipulating the tension and release of a song creates a lot more interest and more memorable songs. It makes a huge difference in my opinion. Once you learn to recognize it, and hear it in songs, go back and listen to your favorites. Its very likely that it is as big or bigger factor in your appreciation for the song than a lyric you can identify with or are moved by, or even a passage of your favorite instrument well played.
Mixing: Well recorded tracks need far less work in the mixing stage. Simple right? Well no, but dont expect or attempt to "fix it in the mix" and get great results. The very best results in my opinion come from just very light polishing, not heavy effects that cover up the natural sound.
Also be aware that it is often the case that musicians who think that the mixing stage will come natural or be easy have to learn a lot more about it than they think. In fact they often and famously make for very poor mixing engineers. I suspect part of the problem is that they have trained themselves to focus on one instrument and have trouble adapting and hearing the mix as a whole, I dont know.
Study all the information you can gather. Pay particular attention to not only what effects and processing is often used for certain instruments, but the order they are used in the chain, makes a big difference.
The advise you mentioned about pulling down a certain frequency really only works for his material and the instruments used, it may not apply at all to what you are doing. Just consider the concept of the tip. reducing "mud" with eq'ing first requires recognizing where frequencies overlap, build up, become exessive or share the same space. You can hear it, now you have to learn how to locate and correct it!
I think I have written enough on my thoughts on monitoring elsewhere, and wont get into that here and now, beyond to say be aware that mixes sound different on different sources. I suggest considering your most likely audience and their listening preferences and adjust accordingly.
The stuff I have posted over in the tips and tricks thread is in my opinion, the information that stands out as useful and valuable. I may read a hundred articles and post a link to one that I especially like. And I will keep adding to it as I find more interesting links and articles. Watch for edits and updated posts as well. Some is redundant and repetitive, and I think needs to be. But then again its my perspective. *Note: The series of videos from puremix.net on tracking and mixing a live band might be particularly useful at this stage.
One piece of advise that should be obvious, but is worth a reminder. Listen to a lot of music. Especially live music. How are you going to decide what sounds right without a trained ear to reference what instruments and mixes should sound like?
Lastly, practice and experiment. Nothing develops experience better than that.
Mastering and finalizing: Forget about it until you have mastered and feel comfortable with all of the above. Seriously.
Now, do you want to discuss your specific songs? (I have to get back to work right now, but I will of course check back when I can respond.)
I dont want to portray myself in any way as an expert, nor do I have years of professional expertise. I have studied a bit and feel I have some grasp on the subject, and feel I can get pretty good results on my own projects. A great deal better than what you have presented? I dont know. I think I have a pretty good "ear", but then anyone who messes with this is going to say that.
The first problem is I dont know what you had to start with, I can only guess. The second is I dont know what you have done, nor what equipment, plug-ins and so on you possess. Lastly, I would hate to be overly critical of a project you have spent a great deal of time and effort on! I have the tendency to be blunt, it can be perceived as rude. I dont like to be perceived as rude. And in the end, it often comes down to matters of taste and opinion anyway.
All of the above responses make good points. I would like to start by adding some general tips for you, and for anyone else with the same questions, along the topic of avoiding common mistakes.
Recording: We can assume that the average home recording hobbiest doesnt work in a sound treated room and have a bunch of mics to choose from. Thats ok, I think technique, knowledge and effort trumps having a bunch of expensive equipment anyway. In fact, for the most part I would put all that wish list equipment at the far end of the "needs" list.
Study and learn about recording levels. Make sure that you are aware of where -18DB is and how it relates to 0 VU. Most people record way to hot and it has poor effects on the final result. This cannot be over emphasised!
Record at 24 bits if possible and utilize reasonable efforts to minimize unwanted noises. The refrigerator, air conditioner/heater, the landlord banging on the floor from downstairs.
Experiment with mic location and position and try alternative mics if you have them. (An example-if you position the mic at the right angle you get a certain degree of sibilance reduction, or de-essing, reducing the need to run a de-esser later which all to often removes some of the sparkle and presence we desire to achieve or retain!)
Get the best source you can with what you have.
Composition: Just as musicians and songwriters, producers should study and be aware of aspects of music composition. It should be obvious that you dont get get people to get up and boogie by presenting a 70 BPM snoozer, or on the other hand write some sad down and out blues lyrics and set them to an upbeat 144 BPM number, it just comes across weird. Yet it happens, perhaps to lesser degrees all too often. Aside- I read somewhere that someone had done research that showed that the majority of hit records had tempos very centered around 120. I am not sure what to think of this, maybe its natural for people to respond with smiles and tapping feet to this tempo. Maybe successful songwriters just seem to gravitate to it?
Very important, learn about cadence. Successfully manipulating the tension and release of a song creates a lot more interest and more memorable songs. It makes a huge difference in my opinion. Once you learn to recognize it, and hear it in songs, go back and listen to your favorites. Its very likely that it is as big or bigger factor in your appreciation for the song than a lyric you can identify with or are moved by, or even a passage of your favorite instrument well played.
Mixing: Well recorded tracks need far less work in the mixing stage. Simple right? Well no, but dont expect or attempt to "fix it in the mix" and get great results. The very best results in my opinion come from just very light polishing, not heavy effects that cover up the natural sound.
Also be aware that it is often the case that musicians who think that the mixing stage will come natural or be easy have to learn a lot more about it than they think. In fact they often and famously make for very poor mixing engineers. I suspect part of the problem is that they have trained themselves to focus on one instrument and have trouble adapting and hearing the mix as a whole, I dont know.
Study all the information you can gather. Pay particular attention to not only what effects and processing is often used for certain instruments, but the order they are used in the chain, makes a big difference.
The advise you mentioned about pulling down a certain frequency really only works for his material and the instruments used, it may not apply at all to what you are doing. Just consider the concept of the tip. reducing "mud" with eq'ing first requires recognizing where frequencies overlap, build up, become exessive or share the same space. You can hear it, now you have to learn how to locate and correct it!
I think I have written enough on my thoughts on monitoring elsewhere, and wont get into that here and now, beyond to say be aware that mixes sound different on different sources. I suggest considering your most likely audience and their listening preferences and adjust accordingly.
The stuff I have posted over in the tips and tricks thread is in my opinion, the information that stands out as useful and valuable. I may read a hundred articles and post a link to one that I especially like. And I will keep adding to it as I find more interesting links and articles. Watch for edits and updated posts as well. Some is redundant and repetitive, and I think needs to be. But then again its my perspective. *Note: The series of videos from puremix.net on tracking and mixing a live band might be particularly useful at this stage.
One piece of advise that should be obvious, but is worth a reminder. Listen to a lot of music. Especially live music. How are you going to decide what sounds right without a trained ear to reference what instruments and mixes should sound like?
Lastly, practice and experiment. Nothing develops experience better than that.
Mastering and finalizing: Forget about it until you have mastered and feel comfortable with all of the above. Seriously.
Now, do you want to discuss your specific songs? (I have to get back to work right now, but I will of course check back when I can respond.)
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smallinson
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 2:43 pm
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
Thanks mbliss and teljax, and again to those who replied earlier. I appreciate the time you've taken to capture your thinking in writing. I will certainly do what I can to adopt the ideas and concepts you've described.
I think I get the rudimentaries of avoiding frequency overlaps - on my What dreams may come, I chose a low reedy drone sound for keyboard chords and took the tin whistle up and away from the frequencies where the guitars were so you could hear it without straining. Maybe I'm trying to overcomplicate things but when I use some widely-described techniques for setting EQ (eg move one slider all the way up and if it's annoying, keep it knocked back - simply put) I end up concluding it was better left alone. Until someone with an ear for it can explain what's wrong, I'm going to find it difficult - just as you can't expect to fully appreciate a work of art without some help to see what's there.
(As a sidenote, I never understood what a "corked" bottle of wine was until someone gave me a glass of badly corked stuff and said "doesn't it remind you of the smell of a mousecage" - and then I "got" what they meant in an instant.)
Anyway - you've given me loads to think about - thanks again. If you end up listening to my tracks and anything is obviously off, I'd welcome comments.
I think I get the rudimentaries of avoiding frequency overlaps - on my What dreams may come, I chose a low reedy drone sound for keyboard chords and took the tin whistle up and away from the frequencies where the guitars were so you could hear it without straining. Maybe I'm trying to overcomplicate things but when I use some widely-described techniques for setting EQ (eg move one slider all the way up and if it's annoying, keep it knocked back - simply put) I end up concluding it was better left alone. Until someone with an ear for it can explain what's wrong, I'm going to find it difficult - just as you can't expect to fully appreciate a work of art without some help to see what's there.
(As a sidenote, I never understood what a "corked" bottle of wine was until someone gave me a glass of badly corked stuff and said "doesn't it remind you of the smell of a mousecage" - and then I "got" what they meant in an instant.)
Anyway - you've given me loads to think about - thanks again. If you end up listening to my tracks and anything is obviously off, I'd welcome comments.
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
I thought it sounded good but I had a lot of trouble understanding the lyric on that, likely caused by reverb mudding it up, and I've experienced a similar problem. I got round that and achieved clearer vocals by making three identical versions of the lead vocal track, each one identically EQ'd and compressed. I do the usual practice of slightly staggering all three, making the first track about +30 left, the second +30 right, and the third in the centre. I have absolutely no reverb on the first two tracks and apply it only to the last one in the centre; it's a kind of superior pre-delay and sounds full, warm and clear.
Incidentally, ever thought of manually lowering the squeaking of the guitar strings on the first song? To me it sounds a bit too upfront.
Incidentally, ever thought of manually lowering the squeaking of the guitar strings on the first song? To me it sounds a bit too upfront.
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smallinson
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 2:43 pm
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
Ianpb - thank you for comments - all helpful. I like the idea about improving the reverb - great idea - never heard that one before and will try it. I agree with you about squeaking strings - part of me was thinking - "well it sounds authentic" and part of me thought "yeah, but it's annoying". I wondered if a de-esser would be a quick fix but ultimately I think it's going to need a second by second tweaking.
Incidentally, I found a guy on Fiverr.com who offered to remix and master for $5 so I gave him a go so I could hear what a more experienced person would do, and I think it sounds better. I've uploaded it here:
http://soundcloud.com/accessallaliens/w ... come-remix
Incidentally, I found a guy on Fiverr.com who offered to remix and master for $5 so I gave him a go so I could hear what a more experienced person would do, and I think it sounds better. I've uploaded it here:
http://soundcloud.com/accessallaliens/w ... come-remix
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
I agree, it does sound better, but the vocals are lacking a certain crispness and depth that I think it needs. I would suggest you give a certain free two-band compressor plugin called 'Endorphin' a go on the vocals, using the 'loud and punchy' preset and then maybe tweak the bass (mix low) and treble (mix high) together with their respective compression levels. I've found this plugin great for helping the vocals cut through the mix with clarity.
I would also suggest that you use something like "One Slip" by Pink Floyd as a comparator track. In my opinion the vocals on 'What Dreams May Come' would benefit from a crisp Dave Gilmour kind of EQ.
Edit: I went back and listened to both yet again through my Shure SRH440 headphones, and it occurs to me that you have very low bass levels in your mixes. If you have a bass guitar there I can't hear it, and 'Wishlist' definitely needs it.
I would also suggest that you use something like "One Slip" by Pink Floyd as a comparator track. In my opinion the vocals on 'What Dreams May Come' would benefit from a crisp Dave Gilmour kind of EQ.
Edit: I went back and listened to both yet again through my Shure SRH440 headphones, and it occurs to me that you have very low bass levels in your mixes. If you have a bass guitar there I can't hear it, and 'Wishlist' definitely needs it.
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smallinson
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 2:43 pm
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
Thanks again - more good ideas and great advice there - will go and investigate. Wishlist doesn't have a bass track - sounds like I should add one. Cheers!
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
A new question now occurs: what microphone are you using on these projects?
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smallinson
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 2:43 pm
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
Hi - it's an Audio Technica P48 condenser, through a little Behringer MIC200 valve pre-amp. I recently added (not sure it's worth it, but I picked it up cheap on eBay) a Behringer Composer Pro unit but to be honest, it doesn't do much. That's plugged into a Line6 UX1 interface that connects to my laptop.
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Mark Bliss
- Posts: 7313
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:59 pm
- Location: Out there
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
I think Fivvr's mix helped some of the things I was going to point out, did they give you any tips on what they did different or just offer an alternative mix?
Honest evaluation from my perspective, please dont take any of it as anything but suggestions-Its really hard because its your baby, and I have no way of judging what you are going for! And I certainly dont suggest making major changes or redoing the project. At some point you have to let it stand on its own legs and move on, my comments are meant merely as thoughts for next time.
Arrangement: The original is a bit minimalist, which I actually like. The minor key/chords give it that sad/haunting mood. Which I like. But you have to be careful to keep it interesting or it can quickly become a bit of a droning bore.
Mixing:In the original mix, the acoustic guitar is a bit overpowering in spots, relative to the vocal. As far as the fingering noise, I agree with both camps, in the beginning/solo section it adds "intimacy" and "reality." But in the body of the song it can be distracting. I think if it were my project I would have tried to reduce that in a few spots and reduce the guitar level slightly overall.
The background strings and such kind of blended together, and needed some pop, which the remix seemed to do. I might have experimented with taking this a little further by panning the instruments slightly to separate them and make the instrument changes slightly more defined and interesting. The ending part with the drums could possibly be changed by the slightly lower level guitar and making those drums pop a little more yet, and then when the guitar goes solo at the very end, bring its level up ever so slightly for the finish.
Have to agree (sorry) that though the remix is an improvement, the vocal is still its weak point. To be honest, if I were your producer I would have pressed for another set of takes, and talked to you (I assume its your vocal) about capturing the mood of sadness and emotion, which is very hard advise to give or get. But in this end the song is about the story, and the vocal is the centerpiece right?
That said, the remix is pretty good, and you could just leave it as is, or if anything were to be changed I would try as Ianpb points out, to make the vocal rise out ever so slightly and call it a day, kick it from the nest and move on to a new project. Seriously, if this song means as much to you as I suspect, you can always start from scratch at a later time (Much later even) and re-do it if you really feel the need.
Just my opinion, and I am no body!
Now about the second song, and backing up, are you trying to work with the track at a mastering stage or are you still working with the stems at a multi track level?
Another question, I am just becoming familiar with Soundcloud. Do they offer any kind of drop-box service where you can share the original tracks? If you could remove all the effects, center the pan and zero the sliders and post the dry stems I might take a stab at experimenting with remixing it from scratch. Although I am very strapped for time and certainly cant turn anything around as fast as Fivrr did! I'd be willing to play with it in my spare time and discuss any attempt I made on it however.
Honest evaluation from my perspective, please dont take any of it as anything but suggestions-Its really hard because its your baby, and I have no way of judging what you are going for! And I certainly dont suggest making major changes or redoing the project. At some point you have to let it stand on its own legs and move on, my comments are meant merely as thoughts for next time.
Arrangement: The original is a bit minimalist, which I actually like. The minor key/chords give it that sad/haunting mood. Which I like. But you have to be careful to keep it interesting or it can quickly become a bit of a droning bore.
Mixing:In the original mix, the acoustic guitar is a bit overpowering in spots, relative to the vocal. As far as the fingering noise, I agree with both camps, in the beginning/solo section it adds "intimacy" and "reality." But in the body of the song it can be distracting. I think if it were my project I would have tried to reduce that in a few spots and reduce the guitar level slightly overall.
The background strings and such kind of blended together, and needed some pop, which the remix seemed to do. I might have experimented with taking this a little further by panning the instruments slightly to separate them and make the instrument changes slightly more defined and interesting. The ending part with the drums could possibly be changed by the slightly lower level guitar and making those drums pop a little more yet, and then when the guitar goes solo at the very end, bring its level up ever so slightly for the finish.
Have to agree (sorry) that though the remix is an improvement, the vocal is still its weak point. To be honest, if I were your producer I would have pressed for another set of takes, and talked to you (I assume its your vocal) about capturing the mood of sadness and emotion, which is very hard advise to give or get. But in this end the song is about the story, and the vocal is the centerpiece right?
That said, the remix is pretty good, and you could just leave it as is, or if anything were to be changed I would try as Ianpb points out, to make the vocal rise out ever so slightly and call it a day, kick it from the nest and move on to a new project. Seriously, if this song means as much to you as I suspect, you can always start from scratch at a later time (Much later even) and re-do it if you really feel the need.
Just my opinion, and I am no body!
Now about the second song, and backing up, are you trying to work with the track at a mastering stage or are you still working with the stems at a multi track level?
Another question, I am just becoming familiar with Soundcloud. Do they offer any kind of drop-box service where you can share the original tracks? If you could remove all the effects, center the pan and zero the sliders and post the dry stems I might take a stab at experimenting with remixing it from scratch. Although I am very strapped for time and certainly cant turn anything around as fast as Fivrr did! I'd be willing to play with it in my spare time and discuss any attempt I made on it however.
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smallinson
- Posts: 27
- Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 2:43 pm
Re: Optimizing the mix and mastering
@mbliss: thanks for the considered response. On the droning bore point - yes - you're right. In previous compositions I've tried to innovate more. In this song (yes, it is a bit personal) I was following a style of someone I've recently come across and been hugely impressed with (Karine Polwart). Her music is not normally my thing, but the strength of her poetry complements her simple, slightly orchestrated compositions and I wanted to emulate that a bit. I probably didn't get as far as I'd hoped, but ended feeling I'd done the subject justice. Anyway - point taken. And there comes a point where you just can't face yet more tweaking and that's it; move on. I may be getting to that point soon, but hopefully not before I've learned more. Again, I have to agree with you about the vocals, which are mine and I'm very conscious that they're weak. I have spent ages using the punch in and loop function (thank you Mixcraft) trying to get it right - not sure I can do any better. And - confession time - there's a tad of Kerovee in there helping me hit the right note. I asked the person who did the remix what he'd done to improve it, but no reply yet.
As for a second song - that's a bit older and I haven't looked at it for a while, but could easily get back to it. It was a song I put together from an old riff that I found and thought - I can do something with that. As for Soundcloud, I've collaborated with someone else on there and we used Dropbox to share WAV and MP3 files because we were both familiar with it. I'm grateful for any help offered, so if you're willing to have a go at a remix and remaster with the raw elements, then I'm up for it, and thank you! Don't think I can do much more with the vocals though!
As for a second song - that's a bit older and I haven't looked at it for a while, but could easily get back to it. It was a song I put together from an old riff that I found and thought - I can do something with that. As for Soundcloud, I've collaborated with someone else on there and we used Dropbox to share WAV and MP3 files because we were both familiar with it. I'm grateful for any help offered, so if you're willing to have a go at a remix and remaster with the raw elements, then I'm up for it, and thank you! Don't think I can do much more with the vocals though!