so i just finished this mix earlier and i can't help but feel it's muddy and congested in the low end:

listen here

it could just be my reference and i'm getting paranoid. but if there is a problem can anyone suggest how i solve it? do i need to high pass the synth lead to leave more space for the bass and drums? or is the problem actually in the bass and drums themselves?

thanks!

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

btw, this is a completely new version of a track i posted before in this thread.

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

sorry, for a moment there I thought this was a topic for the Lounge!

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I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things over
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ha!

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

Quote onesecondglance:

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so i just finished this mix earlier and i can't help but feel it's muddy and congested in the low end:

listen here

it could just be my reference and i'm getting paranoid. but if there is a problem can anyone suggest how i solve it? do i need to high pass the synth lead to leave more space for the bass and drums? or is the problem actually in the bass and drums themselves?

thanks!

---

Vocal is too low in the mix and the performance is uncertain (sorry) - you talk of love and loss with all the feeling of a tax inspector!

The mix is busy in the low-mids. A shallow (but not the dogmatically narrow) cut at around 220Hz might do it (maybe accompanied by a boost at 60-80Hz: I thought dance music was supposed to be about 'whump!').

The production could do with a little more interest, perhaps along the FX line. Pomething like Zukan's excellent 'Galactic Textures' might be the sort of thing if played with properly.

The whole mix could do with a little punch and sheen, a little harmonic distortion across the whole mix accompanied by some mid-side trickery to spread the whole thing out would probably do it.

I'd be happy to tinker with it for entertainment value only as I'm currently on leave, should you be open to such an idea.

Reg

thanks Reg - as in the first thread the vocal is really just a placeholder until i can strongarm a female vocalist to do the business.

whilst i was big into dance in the 90s i've not worked in the genre since then, so i am definitely a bit clueless on how to do a modern sounding production.

i'd be happy for you to have a play if you want - what do you need from me?

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

Why don't I just do a couple of mastering things to your current mix and maybe put some FX ideas down as placeholders.

A 44.1/16 production master via email would be fine...

Reg

excellent, i'll strip the EQ and stuff off the master so you're on a blank canvas. PM me your email address and i'll get it over to you.

thanks man!

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

I hope you like whump and grime!

i'm looking forward to this now...

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

well, here it is:

remastered by reg

Reg: "Okay

This is by no means perfect. I have done little to automate some of the treatments I have applied, which means they work better at some times during the track than others. Also I have not tested the master across a variety of reproductions systems just my K701s. (It's clear but a tad boxy on iMac speakers for example ans has lost a little bit of energy in the MP3 process). The point is to add the right amount of whump and grime to the track whilst scraping the sound stage of the mix to either side to help the vocals carry. (Success on this had been variable but there was little more I could do without breaking up the integrity of the mix). You need to consider automating your vox if you have not already.

I've not done any production on it, just some basic mastering things. I thought about it and this is after all your track.

I had to add loads of energy to the kick. What do you monitor on?

I dropped out some energy in the low mids.

There is also a light cut at just under 1000Hz, things were a little busy there.

As you can here I've added piles of various kinds of distortion to try and grime things up a bit including driving it hard through a valve limiter, so I'm afraid I've had to go louder, (but I've avoided letting everything go to 0dB). I primarily mix acoustic instruments, so I've probably gone well overboard on this aspect as I have little alternative work by which to judge it.

Anyway, this is not an actual master, more of an attempt to drive things towards a more "club" sound. Towards then end of the track the distortion would need reigning back quite a lot in a proper master as things get a little mushy.

Also, if you analyse your lyric, I think you are going to have to find a male vocalist to sing it. This is very much a male view of love and loss.

Let me know what you think.

Reg"

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

wow - what a difference. sounds great here - i'd love to know in detail what you did (settings on plugs and that sort of stuff).

for the vox level i'm guessing you're referring mainly to the bridge sections. i'd deliberately kept the vocal low there so the vocoder would stand out more - in hindsight this doesn't work as a feature, and even then it would have been too low.

i too had to add tons of low end when i was "mastering" the track - for some reason the untouched sound, whilst having plenty of oomph in it, was just not cutting through (perhaps due to the low mid mud the whole thing was mired in). you've clearly done a better job than i did though. i monitor on Blue Sky Exo's in a bedroom - yes, a sub in an untreated room! - and HD650s, so whilst i can partly blame my environment for lack of low mid definition i can't really excuse myself. possibly i needed to take a couple of breaks and refresh my ears so i could hear just how "veiled" the sound was.

i'm actually crap at hearing saturation distortion - so i'll take your word for it on the limiter. i'm not completely anti-loudness and i thought what you did improved things.

anyway, thanks again!

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective

No worries, matey.

As I said, this is more of a push in a sonic direction at this stage.

You are IMO right about your assessment of the vocal production, however. This is a narrative song and you made a call to suppress the narrative.

Reg

Also...

To make it more interesting, why not post the original buss FX deleted version that you sent to me.

I'm sure other people would like to play.

Reg

not a bad idea - i'll see about putting that up. i'll take the opportunity to up the vocal in those bridge sections whilst i'm at it!

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hourglass | random thoughts | doubledotdash!? collective