Posted a while back whilst I was mixing my new tracks for an upcoming album. I posted a track and received comments mostly centring around the mixes being too rough and raw.

Here is the thread:

http://www.soundonsound.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=production&Numbe r=1016693&Searchpage=8&Main=1016535&Words=&topic=&Search=true#Post1016693

In hindsight these comments were mostly right and I went back and remixed quite a few things, making the drums less roomy and more punchy and adding some subtle delays etc to add interest, harmonies and extra parts. I didn't go crazy but I'm very happy with them now. So I thought I'd post tracks from the album. They have gone off to be mastered now, so In a way it's too late to change anything, but I thought I'd let you see my progress. All the songs were tracked entirely live including vocals (apart from vocal harmonies as you canna change the laws of physics captain..)

http://www.postboxantiques.com/maninstreet/The%20Streets%20of%20Amsterdam_ NEW.mp3

http://www.postboxantiques.com/maninstreet/Body%20And%20Soul%203.mp3
http://www.postboxantiques.com/maninstreet/Minutes%20to%20Midnight_NEW.mp3

Hope you enjoy.

The songs are good, and the mix is not bad, but you have very little stereo spread in the mixes. The vocal harmonies do push out to the sides, but unfortunately this makes them so different to the rest of the mix it leaves them sounding a bit odd.

All of this is obviously academic now - what's done is done.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

I think you and I come from different places when mixing. Although dont get me wrong your comments we're helpful in the first instance. I'm not really a fan of obvious stereo effects and like to keep things quite central unless there is a good reason not to. Translates far better for radio and mono systems plus to me it sounds less artificial and mucked about with. My mix is not mono, The kit is stereo (4 o clock and 8 o clock on the overheads) plus effects/overdubbed parts further out but the main parts are central. I prefer to hear the song and the band rather than a production. I can't stand most modern music and wish I could take all the effects of it and hear the song. Problem is that with a lot of modern music, if you took away the production, there would be no song left.

I'm not talking about stereo 'effects'. I'm simply suggesting panning sounds across the soundstage to separate them and add clarity. Sensibly panned mixes certainly don't have to sound artificial - after all, how many bands do you hear that all stand in the middle of the stage? And then have backing vocalists standing in the wings?!

And, as I said before, if *you* are happy with the mixes, then that's all that really matters.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Putting the mix technicalities to one side and just listening to the songs as a whole, I think you've recorded some smashing tracks narpin99. You can be proud of these.

Well actually the majority of mixes of live bands are mostly mono as stereo would only work if you were in the audience exactly in the middle.

If you stand infront of an acoustic guitar for example. The sound is essentially mono. Maybe two feet wide at best. Recording it in 'stereo' is more an effect than an actual representation of reality.

The drums are panned

Overheads at 4 0 clock and 8 O clock
Hi hat at 3 O clock
Ride at 9 O clock
Toms at 2 O clock and 10 O clock respectively.
Kick and snare central

Now this to me seems a pretty standard (sensible) mage for a real kit. Anything more extreme would get into the realm of effect.
The backing vocals are panned wide, but are doubles of the same performance to create a pseudo centre image with a wide chorus effect. Perhaps not to everyone's taste.

Sorry if I'm defensive. I don't mind criticism. Your comments on my initial mixes were accurate and helpful, I just feel that it's nitpicking to start discussing minor panning decisions that are more down to taste. Plenty if great songs were recorded and mixed entirely in mono.