MIX CHALLENGE - MC073 February 2021 - Winners announced

[francobhalla]

Hi, Here is my version of the mix

WAV: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J3il4n ... sp=sharing
MP3: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Yb2_3 ... sp=sharing

DAW: Logic Pro X
Montior: Dynaudio Acoustics
Interface: UA Apollo 8p
Plugins: UA, WAVES, Logic Stock & Plugin Alliance


Fx Chain:

Chorus Loop: Channel EQ > Distresser > Rdesser
Verse Loop: SSL E > Distresser > Channel EQ
Jembe: Channel EQ > SSL E > SSL G Comp
Shaker: Rcomp > Channel EQ
Bass: BassDude > SSL E > CLA76 > Bass Rider > L2
Bridge Guitars: Compressor
Clean Guitars: Channel EQ > SSL E > Compressor
Distorted Guitars: Channel EQ > SSL E
Solo Verse Guitar: CLA Guitar > Compressor > SSL E
Gtr Solo 1: Channel EQ > SSL E
Gtr Solo 2: Channel EQ > SSL E
Gtr Solo 3: SSL E
Gtr Solo 4: CLA Guitars
Chorus Piano: GW Pianocentric
Chorus Synth: Distresser

[GUSWIS]

This is my mix, I tried to keep the imprint of the song trying to balance the almost ethereal guitars with the beautiful saturated base working on the pulse of the bass.

I use
Cubase 11 hybrid mix
Urei 1176s guitars
urei 7110 line bass
fractal axe 2 for bass reamp (used a plexi with ir cab m 1960)
dbx160, aphex 651s & old 166 in perc
moded Furman lc6 comp with UTC transf for parallel drums
Stam audio buss comp for mix buss
and cubase channel strips
Bricasti M7 irs for reverbs

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xea598y88y5p1 ... S.wav?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gykol5haa80rn ... 6.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wwaqup0y4i9c2 ... 9.png?dl=0

regards

[NIKHIL]

HELLO THIS IS NIKHIL PAUL
MY MIX
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18V4yqM ... sp=sharing

I USE CUBASE 8 ELEMENTS

LIST OF PLUGIN IS USED:

RYTHM GUITAR:
1)10 BAND EQ - ATTENUATE CERTAIN FREQUENCY
2)DATUBE - WARM DISTORTION
3) COMPRESSOR- LEVELING DYNAMICS (MEDIUM FAST ATTACK AND QUICK RELEASE WITH MAKE UP GAIN)
4) MULTI BAND
5) TUBE SATURATION AND TUBE COMPRESSION
6) TONAL EQ

SOLO GUITAR
1) MULTI BAND
2) STEREO ENCHANCER
3)COMPRESSION
4) TUBE SATURATION AND TUBE COMPRESSION
5) TONAL EQ

BASS
1)COMPRESSION ( MEDIUM FAST ATTACK TIME , MEDIUM FAST RELEASE TIME , HARD COMPRESSION THRESHOLD )
2) DA TUBE DISTROTION
3)EQ FOR TONE
4)ST ENCHANCER
5) TUBE COMPRESSION AND SATURATION.

Regards.

[alavault]

Hello,
Mix : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ii26u4 ... sp=sharing
Walkthrough :

• Drums :
  • Overall : Transient designer into Buss compressor for maximum snap.
  • Loops : Wet loop + dry snare and kick tracks as helpers. Sent into parallel comp and various reverbs and delays.
  • Djembe/shaker : EQ + autopan (for stereoization, if such word exists)
  • Bell/Riser : EQ.
• Rhythmic GTR :
  • Bussed Rhy1,2,3&4. Odd numbers on the left, even numbers on the right.
  • Multiband comp (à la Andy Sneap) into EQ (filtering and tonal shaping)
  • Sent into short room, 1/8D delay for 1&2 and parallel compressor
• Bridge (Clean) GTR :
  • Limiter on each track
  • bussed into EQ into compressor. Sent to a variery of reverbs and delay. And parallel compression.
• Lead GTR :
  • Limiter on the clean tracks
  • Filtering on the track. Distorted tracks slightly panned (~40%L/R)
  • bussed into EQ into stereo widener. Sent to a variery of reverbs and delays. And parallel compression.
• Bass :
  • DI + Parallel Sansamp
  • Bussed into compressor into EQ into Limiter into EQ. Sent to parallel comp and short verb. And flanger. Flanger good. Maybe ?
• Keys :
  • Balanced as GTR helpers, not as foreground elements.
  • Filtering and EQ
• Master Bus:
  • Compressor into Saturator into Limiter
  • Master fader automation depending on the section
• Automation:
  • Yes
  • Mostly on FX. And pickups into "choruses"

[Photonic]

Hi,

Nice track! Made fun to mix, because it is close to the music I used to listen. When I loaded the raw tracks and did the gain staging, my first thought that there is not much to do. I found some points where I wanted to make some changes. But they where not much!

WAV: https://www.dropbox.com/s/plch72wlvil54 ... c.wav?dl=0

Mixed in Reaper v5.99

DRUM-Bus: Presswwerk for a bit of parallel compression
Kick: ReaEQ to boost around 60Hz and 5kHz, cut around 350Hz
Snare Verse: ReaEQ, HP @ 400Hz, LP @ 10kHz
Snare Chorus: ReaEQ, HP @ 200Hz, cut at 400Hz and bosst with Hishelf @ 2kHz
HiHats: ReaEQ, HP @ 250Hz, boost around 6kHz
Cymbals: ReaEQ, HP @ 350Hz, boost around 3kHz
Bridge Loops: ReaEQ, boost around 200Hz and 1kHz, cut with lowshelf @ 10kHz
Jembe: ReaEQ, cut around 400Hz, boost around 4kHz, TLs-1295-LEA for compression
Bass: Transpire to reeduce hard transients, BassProfessor II
Gtr Rythm 1+2: ReaEQ, HP @ 100Hz, boost @ 4kHz, cut resonance sound @ 2150Hz
Gtr Solo verse: REaEQ, HP @ 300Hz, strong boost @ 1kHz, LP @ 8kHz, TLs-1295-LEA, NastyDLA, ThrillseekerXTC for satturation
Gtr Bridge: ReaEQ, HP @ 200Hz, boost @ 1kHz, cut resonance sound @ 3700Hz, LP @ 8kHz, TLs-1295-LEA, NastyDLA, ThrillseekerXTC for satturation
Gtr Rhytm 3+4: ReaEQ, HP @ 200Hz, boost @ 5kHz, cut resonance sound @ 2290Hz
Gtr Solo 4: ToneLib-GFX for amp-simulation, ReaEQ, NAstyDLA, Thrillseeker
GTr Solo 1+2: ReaEQ, HP @ 200Hz, cut resonance sound @ 1580Hz, LP @ 8kHz, NastyDLA, ThrillseekerXTC for satturation
Gtr Bridge 2: ToneLib-GFX for amp-simulation, ReaEQ, NAstyDLA
Gtr Solo 3: ReaEQ, DD Autopan, NastyDLA
Piano: ReaEQ, cut @ 300Hz, strong boost @ 4kHz
Synth: ReaEQ
Bell: none
Riser: ReaEQ, HP @ 250Hz, strong boost @ 7kHz
Reverbs: Arcon Digital Verberate 2

Mix-Bus: Presswwerk for a bit of parallel compression, MQ57, SPAN, Youlean Loudness Meter 2

[dadomachado]

Hi All,

Very nice song to work on.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ObprnV ... sp=sharing

Follows how I worked on this one:

Overall
I've use Slate Digital VMR with the 4K E Channel on all tracks.

Loops
I've used the dry tracks just for fun. Applied EQ and a little compression on the Kick and Snare and sent it to a room reverb.

Percurssion
Just a little EQ on the Shaker and Bell. I've added a bx_stereomaker in the Jembe tracks to make them wider and sent the into a room reverb.

Bass
Use a compressor (Pro-C 2) to control it, same EQ and a little distortion on the mids (Saturn 2)

Guitars
Rhrytm guitars with a little EQ (mainly HPF)
Acoustic Solo - Added a light chorus to make it wider and sent it into a plate reverb
Bridge Guitar - Used an arturia flanger for a cool effect
Distorted Solos - Just a little EQ as they already sounded nice
Last Solo - Added a phaser for a cool ending

Key
Just a little EQ to give them some space in the mix

Master Buss
Slates Virtual Mix Buss on the 4K E channel
FG-Red compression (just a 1db of GR)
I've used the GW Mixcentric plugin to give the song some presence
A little Multibanc compression to give it some movement
I've added an EQ with a monomaker setting (under 60Hz) to clean up the low end

Cheers from Brazil !!
dadomachado

[JohnK]

Hi everyone,

The mix: https://www.dropbox.com/s/1vnm9uyyj9kfc ... K.wav?dl=0

Went bananaz on this one. Been into bitcrush and distortion lately in my own productions so I thought, why not spice this one up lol.

Drums/Perc:
- Did'n't use the chorus premix loop.
- Crushed the hell out of the kick and snare. Found a new love for the Lindell EQ which has a nice preamp.
- Everything else was just standard eq to remove rumble, for example on the Jembe's.

Synth/Piano:
- The synth was cool as is so just M/S EQ'd it a bit to get a bit more space in the low-mid for the guitars.

Guitars:
A ton of guitars. A bit of standard EQ for tone but had some fun with the chorus plugins. Felt the individual spots got a bit cooler with that and filled out the space even more. Then I just added a plate on the actual channels.

Mixbus:
Crushed everything again a tiny bit more. Edit: Took the bounced first version and ran it through LUNA with API summing and some tape, The low-mids became way fuller and the harsh kind of went out of the door. Edit2: Added some air.

[jaganeee]

hi,

i am new to this mixing concept.
i need some clarification.
i have seen a sentence in the txt file

All the instruments that are "printed" may stay "as is"

how to find the instruments tracks that are "printed" ?

[Mellow Browne]

Hey there,

nice production, I really like the feeling it gives me.

The sound of the recording is very good and clean, so there was not much work to do.
I know, the La2a is not really a mix buss compressor, but as we all know, there are no rules. If you like it, enjoy, if not, then try something else.
So I made the whole gain staging process "into" the la2a from UAD (regular version) on the stereo buss to get a certain glue from the very beginning. Because it was too dry to my taste I added some plate reverb and delays to the guitar tracks. I did not use the stem tracks for the drums because I totally forgot them. To get a bit more glue and color I added the Fairchild 670 with the smallest amount of compression in parallel and a Pultec on the stereo buss after the La2a.
From there it was very easy to sculpt the sounds how I wanted them to be in the mix. Here some Eq, there some compression, a dynamic EQ for kick and bass, especially for the chorus, and a little bit of NYC compression to get more ooomph and punch, voilà. I never mixed so fast in my life

Here is the link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

Feel free to ask for further information.

Cheers!

Low B

[copyc4t]

Hello all, here's my entry:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/w4zio4ovv3vy0 ... t.wav?dl=0

Screenshot:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sixpihg623hsn ... r.png?dl=0

The mix is done on Ardour, with plugins mostly from the LSP plugin suite by Vladimir Sadovnikov, plus Luftikus EQ by lkjb, Dragonfly Reverb by Michael Willis and Rob vd Berg, BassDrive by Chris Johnson (Airwindows), GxChorus-Stereo by Guitarix Team, ZamDynamicEq by Damien Zammit, DR-14 meter, Stereo Dj X-Fade and Stereo Routing by Robin Gareus, LUFS Meter by Klangfreund.

Before starting to mix, I've listened to Oceans by Pearl Jam, not strictly as a reference, but to get in the mood. I've let the mix go in the direction of an ambience that matches the song theme and the printed drums, not focusing much on the genre. In the end, most of it is depth by low end presence, and spaciousness by panning and delay/reverb.

Giving the SM tracks the main role like in the provided mix, I've used all the AT tracks (jembe included) by setting them directly on a bus (Sea Bus) with a 2-tap delay drowned in a full wet plate reverb with typical low and high cuts.

The Sky Bus has the same delay and a different reverb, both with much more moderate settings, less washed out and more airy.


As for the track processing:

- The drums are treated directly on the drum bus, with parallel compression and a touch of air; the bridge loop 2, the shaker and the bell are also sent to the sky bus, while the jembe AT goes straight to the sea bus as said.

- The bass has a low shelf, drive, compression, and dyn-eq to tame some buzz brought up by drive and compression.

- The SM guitars that play together are panned in balanced pairs, wide but less than 100%, and their respective AT tracks are panned to the opposite side. The Rhythm3 and 4 are slightly lowered in gain by automation when the solos get in and, for the last chorus, the SM Solo1 and 2 are panned a little wider.

- The solo verse guitar has a gate to help cleaning up the first part ending, levelling-kind compression to bring up the quieter parts, some light compression to tame the twangs and it gets its space with chorus and reverb. The "no amp" sound won me over the various nice amp/cabinet combos I had found, and the tonal change from solo to bridge creates progression.

- The guitar bridge has its own reverb.

- The bridge riser, piano and synth have sends to the sky bus at different levels.

Overall, the tracks have EQ high-pass where and when needed.

I expected typical EQ work to get all the guitar tracks heard, but the printed tones are already distinct enough that panning alone was all it took. Also, quite a few creative experiments were ditched in favor of this simpler tone which better matches my taste for this song.

Finally, the sum bus has metering and a stereo routing plugin, used every now and then for listening in mono. On the master there's metering and a cross-fade for quick A/B with the provided mix.

The peaks are at -1.1dB, the integrated LUFS is -18.1.