I have been told by a couple of people that the mix is fine, there's just something nagging me about it that I can't but my finger on it (other than the vocal fader should be at minus infinity!) Any thoughts?

https://soundcloud.com/richard-p-hanson/spring-thaw

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Mix is not bad (IMO).

The vocal is getting swamped in parts as it's competing for frequencies with the higher register strings. Automation / Ducking and/or Eq scoop might help. Some judicious tuning would not go amiss also.

For me, the mix is also a bit bass light.

Slightly OT but I'd consider the arrangement. I kinda felt it needed to build more than it does.This could be achieved by bringing in parts more gradually and, maybe stronger rhythmic elements.

Just my 2c

Yes, I was thinking along similar lines with respect to the dynamic. I am going to drop right bars from the intro and thin out the vocal pad during the verses which should give more sense of a build into the second section.

It's supposed to have nothing much going on in the bass until the second verse where the PolySix comes in, but I suppose it could do with being a couple of dB louder.

As for the vocal tuning, I have retuned some of it and have been umming and ahhing about whether to do some more. It's only the last half of the coda that is problematic. (It's my own fault, I recorded the first two verses and the first half of the coda before I realised that the last half of the coda is right on the limit of my range. If I had realised before running out of time I would have pitched it all done a tone - poor planning on my part! I may yet do this.) I'm happy with the pitching up to that point, though; I don't wish to go down the modern bang-on-pitch-all-the-time route.

Thanks for the feedback.


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I have updated the mix now - ran the last 16 bars of vocals through pitch correction, brought up the synth bass, and put in a subtle crescendo through the last 32 bars.

Probably doesn't make an iota of noticeable difference

Same link as before https://soundcloud.com/richard-p-hanson/spring-thaw


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I wonder if it might benefit from having some of the instruments in mono, especially the piano. At the moment it feels as though quite a few things are spread across the stereo field rather than having a specific location within it, if that makes sense.

It does make sense, yes. I already did something similar with the string arrangement, in that the original samples were all stereo, which I bounced to mono and then individually panned. I do tend to spread thing in the stereo field to create a 'hole' in the centre in which the vocals can sit but this doesn't always work and perhaps this is one of those occasions.

(Still, in reference to another thread, my mixes now are way way better than the disappointing mush I used to come up with 10 to 15 years ago! To those starting out who feel their mixes are crap - persevere, you *will* get better!)

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I've now narrowed the piano to 10% of its previous width, and panned it left to right with the string arrangement, i.e. from left Piano, Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello. It does free up quite a bit of space for the vocal.

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The piece builds nicely with some drama, like the coming of spring.

Vocal is pitchy.

That ride cymbal gets old to the ear. The repetition of the exact same complex computerized ride starts to wear on the ears if you know what I mean. Or is that just me!?! Twitch...Twitch...

Feels rhythmically loose, but maybe then sloppy at times. Could use a round of clean-up editing.

Same comment as above on too wide a stereo image for every track. This is a classic W mix.

I think we're now heading into subjectivity. I'm more or less happy with the vocal now - I'm not going down the current modern route of having everything bang on pitch. Similarly, I like the looseness (although I may get Melodyne on the opening line as the timing with the piano is a bit out).

As for the ride, it's just you

The trouble is, I've listened to it so many times now, I'm starting to hate it!

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