Mixdown problems... help!

[John Ferraris]

Hi, I really need some help on this track I'm working on. I've been told that it's not of a releasable standard because it needs to be wider, phatter and smoother, and to make it so each part needs to be polished so it sounds as big as possible. Some pointers I was given were to experiment with compression, eq, reverb etc.

Now, I can see this as being the next milestone in production for me but I really don't know where to start. :cry: The track isn't a techno track but a hardcore track, but I'm sure the principles will be the same. Unfortunatley without someone pointing some general problems with the track I wouldn't know where to begin. I can see that it doesn't sound as big as the commercial releases, but if u guys could give me some food for thought then at least it'd be a starting point for my learning.

Anway, here's the track (I'll upload the main bit first, there's a seperate breakdown I'll include later for further advice):

www.surrender2dance.co.uk/blackoutaudio/blackout_forum.mp3

My personal thought were the following:

* There is reverb and delay on the vocal and lead, but maybe a bit more?
* To me the mixdown is failry clear (well.. to me, anyway :lol: ), maybe it needs to be more so? If so, what would u say was clashing?
* ..and, urm, thats about it :eh: :lol:

p.s. much thanks in advance

[Agility]

Hmm, The Kick is a bit soft and the Leads are pretty thin, Try putting the Poly up or layering? Maybe use a Bass with Unispread or put some Chorus on that one? More reverb on the Vocals would be cool too..

Other than that, sounds fine to me. :D

..Why didn't you post this on USH? :lol:

[slavestudios]

advice ?

bin the whole thing, do an IT course, never make music again


your welcome :lol:

[Barely Human]

You've got too much seperation between the sounds. It sounds clean, but its lacking the fullness because of it. Some decent eq should sort this out. And id get rid of that kick, change it for another and put some serouos compression on the bottom end to fatten it out a lot more. I think maybe you could do with a couple more elements in there aswell....

[Mattias Fridell (emb)]

I agree with the others here, change the kick!
Sub the kick channel down together with your LF bass and compress it together, then adjust the kick channels gain so it will be louder than the sub to make a fair and hard "pumping" gainreduction effect.

Try it cause i think this track is not moving enough.

[eyes without a face]

:shock:

[Mattias Fridell (emb)]

:shock:

And what does that mean? :lol:

[John Ferraris]

Wicked stuff people, some op adice here. A couple of q's, though. IQ, you say I've got too much seperation between the sounds. Maybe I was a bit too heavy with the EQ? Maybe if I toned it down a bit that'd help? or... as you say, fill out the space with some light sounds to fill up the gaps? I might try what Agility said and layer up the lead a bit more.

So, it a nutshell: it sounds clean, maybe a little too clean, with a few sonic gaps making it sound a bit thin. Areas to concentrate would be beefing up the kick and bass, beefing up the lead a bit more and possibly puting a tad more reverb on the vocal (plus maybe an teeny bit more delay).

Her's an idea: I created the lead on my Virus so originally it sounded pretty thick. If I duplicated the lead track, then mixed the EQ'd lead with the unEQ'd lead (and maybe a bit of chorus) u reckon that'd work? or maybe just layer up another synth... :eh:

Again, cheers for the advice. p.s. the reason i posted this on Blackout is because (cue major bum-licking) as far of forums go, this is the best for no-nonsense high quality technical advice for dance music. ;) :lol:

[neilried]

as far of forums go, this is the best for no-nonsense high quality technical advice for dance music. ;) :lol:

Ill second that....

Nice one everyone..... :clap:

[audioinjection]

:doh: