Mix This - "Already Here"

Mike, any more comments on the new mixes? You've got several options now, but it would be nice to know if we are understanding what you are after.
 
@TalismanRich

I think we’ve come a long way. I'm liking most of what I'm hearing. I have a lot to say in my comments below about the technicalities that might come across as overly negative, but I really want to emphasise that I really like your mixes.

I feel like I’m asking for everything on the menu all at once, but I really liked the amount of double bass in mix 1a. Could just be my headphones and car speaker, but it feels like there’s not enough low end when comparing it to a few reference tracks. Is that in conflict with the main goals of making the solo cello and the voices prominent? (but not the Cello-DoubleBassDoubling tracks. They're just there to mix in with the double bass and make it sound a little more human.)

I don’t feel anyone's mixes have really nailed the crescendo dynamics. It’s meant to be a major feature of the song. But how can we make the crescendo at the end of the chorus so much louder without overly minimising the rest of the mix? I feel like, in my amateurish way, that was one thing I got right about the demo mix was the range of dynamics. Although frankly, it was probably clipping at the louder points.

Is it a "mixing sin” to actually have the main volume of the song a bit low so the listener turns it up a bit and then really hit them with a properly loud crescendo once in a while?

Also, on the first part of the two Cello-DoubleBassDoubling tracks, I’m hearing laptop keyboard tapping noise after the first few phrases. Also a timing problem and low pitch boominess after the staccato notes. I’ll fix it and re-upload.

@dantinok
I really like the mix overall.
  1. The long tail ambient reverb is too obtrusive on the quiet parts, even at that low level.
  2. On the final chorus, if it’s a case of the solo cello vs the french horn, I would say cut the french horn and emphasise the solo cello.
  3. And at the very end where it’s’ suddenly quiet, it needs to cut right out. I don’t want to hear any reverb at all. Just the vocals.
  4. Also, see comments above to TalismanRich about dynamics.

Both:
I notice some weird low pitch distortion on the chorus just after the words “the kingdom of God is here near”. I’m assuming that’s on the stems, so I will find the culprit and re-upload really soon.

Also, do you have any comments or suggestions for each other? You’d probably be able to explain more technically than I would.

EDITED to correct names of stems and lyrics
 
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Also, I'm having trouble hearing the Slow Attack Piano. It's just texture, but it's important texture. I've uploaded an updated stem that mutes out during the last chorus when so much else is going on any way.

Fixed/Uploaded Cello-Marshall-DoubleBassDoubling.wav stem by adding a noise gate. Cello-Small Condenser-DoubleBassDoubling.wav was a lot less boomy so didn't need fixing.

Also updated demo mix in first post with these updates.

Having listened back, the "distortion" after "The kingdom of God is near" wasn't in the original tracks, but I was thinking.... That's where it really starts to crescendo, and I was getting similar problems on my demo mix when I was over limiting on the mix bus. Could it be something like that?
 
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I gave it one more shot, using the updated files. I brought up the shelf on the low bass a few dB, brought up the reverse piano as well. I can't say that I'm hearing a low pitch distortion. I've played it on 2 different speaker systems and can't hear this. Car speakers are ok, but you can get all sorts of rattles and buzzes, especially after a lot of miles. Things do start to get loose with time.

One problem with the crescendo is as I bring up the deeper lows, it got more muddy sounding. Things seemed to conflict.

Anyway, here's mix 4.
 

Attachments

  • Already Here TR Mix 4.mp3
    8.9 MB
@TalismanRich
Wow. Yes, you have nailed it. Thanks so much for sticking with it.

In the spirit of this forum, I will be happy to give feedback if anyone else decides to do a mix, but as far as I'm concerned, this is the one.
 
It's good that we were somewhat thinking in the same direction, just a matter of degree.

If you don't find another mix you prefer, I'll be glad to send you the wave file. It was all done in Reaper.
 
Yes, please. I'd love to have both the wave and the Reaper file. It would be a great educational experience. Would you like to temporarily upload them onto your or my Google or iCloud drive? I will PM you with my Gmail / iCloud account id.

If I open it in Reaper, are there any additional/3rd party plugins I need to make it sound right?
 
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