Tomb Raider Mix
- Thread starter jimmys69
- Start date
VomitHatSteve
Hat STYLE. Not contents.
Cool! Sounds a lot clearer than I've ever been able to get things without some severe panning.
Welcome to every day of my life! That's why I record these things. TO foist them off on someone else!
Welcome to every day of my life! That's why I record these things. TO foist them off on someone else!
jimmys69
MOODerator
One of my favorite plugs on the bass (PSP Vintage Warmer). Always seems to grind it into a rock mix.
CMB Studios
New member
Very nice Jimmy, i like it
VomitHatSteve
Hat STYLE. Not contents.
The next Tomb Raider game is going to have Lara as a teenager, so that works, right? (A bit creepy though...)
VomitHatSteve
Hat STYLE. Not contents.
So, the more I listen to this mix, the more I realize that it blows all mine out of the water. What'd you do?!
jimmys69
MOODerator
Well, I am not quite sure how to explain, nor what you wish me to elaborate upon...
After listening to your mixes, I wanted to try a different approach. I worked with the drums first (as I always do). I have found for myself, that getting the drum track to sound good, makes everything else much easier to place.
Specifics;
All 'Abom' tracks were muted. I couldn't find a way to get them to work, so I went without.
Drum tracks:
Typical sending of kick/snare/toms/OH's to their own individual group channels. Needed EQ/compression for each. OH's get no compression for me. Not a fan. But they do get some sweetening with PSP NobleQex. Actually, I just used the 'OverHeads 2' preset here. 80hz HPF, 3db boost @ 120hz, Atten @4.5 (whatever that means), 4db (I think) cut at 1.5 kHz with fairly sharp width, and 6.5 db high shelf at 15kHz. The 'valve' thing active with a bit of that. I know, proprietary stuff means nothing in translation, unless you have purchased the same gear. I understand it is just some saturation type of (dare I say-'warming') processing. No idea how it works, but it sounds good to me, so I just leave it...
Snare gets API 2500; 1ms attack @ 6:1, with .1 release. Transient Monster; +12db Attack @60ms-+12db Sustain. PSP NobleQex eq; This is a Pultec style eq, that is hard to explain. HPF is at 80hz, but an extreme shelf at 100hz, with attenuation. I'm not sure I understand exactly how it works, but it sounds good, so I forget to worry... Not really anything important really IMO.
Kick has API 2500 3ms attack @ 6:1, with .2 sec release, medium knee. Transient Monster again here, with +10db Attack @40ms-with -6db Sustain.
Am I going total geek on ya?
I can continue if you like.....
I must say that I just took what I had (you gave), and went with my instincts. Not sure that that is always a good thing, as I also struggle to get things to sound right, especially after hearing them over and over. It is kind of pleasing to take a mix without biased opinion from recording it myself, and listening from an outside perspective. Quite enlightening actually.
Really helps that the song is catchy too. Goofy to a degree, but damned if it ain't been in my head for the last three days! I somewhat hate you now VHS! lol!
After listening to your mixes, I wanted to try a different approach. I worked with the drums first (as I always do). I have found for myself, that getting the drum track to sound good, makes everything else much easier to place.
Specifics;
All 'Abom' tracks were muted. I couldn't find a way to get them to work, so I went without.
Drum tracks:
Typical sending of kick/snare/toms/OH's to their own individual group channels. Needed EQ/compression for each. OH's get no compression for me. Not a fan. But they do get some sweetening with PSP NobleQex. Actually, I just used the 'OverHeads 2' preset here. 80hz HPF, 3db boost @ 120hz, Atten @4.5 (whatever that means), 4db (I think) cut at 1.5 kHz with fairly sharp width, and 6.5 db high shelf at 15kHz. The 'valve' thing active with a bit of that. I know, proprietary stuff means nothing in translation, unless you have purchased the same gear. I understand it is just some saturation type of (dare I say-'warming') processing. No idea how it works, but it sounds good to me, so I just leave it...
Snare gets API 2500; 1ms attack @ 6:1, with .1 release. Transient Monster; +12db Attack @60ms-+12db Sustain. PSP NobleQex eq; This is a Pultec style eq, that is hard to explain. HPF is at 80hz, but an extreme shelf at 100hz, with attenuation. I'm not sure I understand exactly how it works, but it sounds good, so I forget to worry... Not really anything important really IMO.
Kick has API 2500 3ms attack @ 6:1, with .2 sec release, medium knee. Transient Monster again here, with +10db Attack @40ms-with -6db Sustain.
Am I going total geek on ya?
I can continue if you like.....
I must say that I just took what I had (you gave), and went with my instincts. Not sure that that is always a good thing, as I also struggle to get things to sound right, especially after hearing them over and over. It is kind of pleasing to take a mix without biased opinion from recording it myself, and listening from an outside perspective. Quite enlightening actually.
Really helps that the song is catchy too. Goofy to a degree, but damned if it ain't been in my head for the last three days! I somewhat hate you now VHS! lol!
VomitHatSteve
Hat STYLE. Not contents.
No Abom(ination)? That's part of my signature sound. You'd think I'd have noticed!
I'm happy to have technical details. At this point, I've got 4 completely different sets of EQ recommendations for the drums. Between them, I oughta be able to cobble together something decent sounding, right?
I'm happy to have technical details. At this point, I've got 4 completely different sets of EQ recommendations for the drums. Between them, I oughta be able to cobble together something decent sounding, right?
jimmys69
MOODerator
The drums are pretty easy actually. Mostly compression and that wonderful Transient Monster thingy that made them cut through. <Get the free trial there. It is like Reaper. Full version free, pay to get rid of nag screen. Well worth the $49. Only $25 for Reaper owners.
I could see if I could get some of the Abom to work in the mix, but they were all sounded like they were destroyed by distortion/clipping, I was not sure how to handle them....
I could see if I could get some of the Abom to work in the mix, but they were all sounded like they were destroyed by distortion/clipping, I was not sure how to handle them....
VomitHatSteve
Hat STYLE. Not contents.
Oh yes, it is destroyed by distortion! I find that mixing the DI abomination guitar channel down about 3-4 dB and the abomination bass channel down by 8 or more gives it a pretty good tone. (Though, it covers a WIDE frequency range,* so finding where to sit it can be a challenge.)
* Precisely why it's the signature sound. It fills up the entire low end so that I don't need any other rhythm musicians in my band!
* Precisely why it's the signature sound. It fills up the entire low end so that I don't need any other rhythm musicians in my band!
rayc
retroreprobate
rayc thumb rider mux
View attachment rcmxd1.mp3
This is a quicky mix I did in about an hour on headphones - sorry.
I concentrated on the bass & drums then main vox, then guitars then the other bits.
I need to fine tune some vocla bit where they come in a little low at the beginning of lines etc and I want to fiddle some more with the synth lines.
I used all of the files excpet the synth drums.
I wanted bits of that but not all so opted out.
I was astounded at the number of tracks.
Makes me feel conservative!!!
After I added the last few tracks my upstairs computer couldn't run the song in reaper & that's with no VSTs and only throwing reverb on the drums and a bit of compression & EQ on the primary bass track.
I'll get back to the mix in a day or so to listen with fresh ears & do things as mentioned above.
View attachment rcmxd1.mp3
This is a quicky mix I did in about an hour on headphones - sorry.
I concentrated on the bass & drums then main vox, then guitars then the other bits.
I need to fine tune some vocla bit where they come in a little low at the beginning of lines etc and I want to fiddle some more with the synth lines.
I used all of the files excpet the synth drums.
I wanted bits of that but not all so opted out.
I was astounded at the number of tracks.
Makes me feel conservative!!!
After I added the last few tracks my upstairs computer couldn't run the song in reaper & that's with no VSTs and only throwing reverb on the drums and a bit of compression & EQ on the primary bass track.
I'll get back to the mix in a day or so to listen with fresh ears & do things as mentioned above.
VomitHatSteve
Hat STYLE. Not contents.
Yep, three days later, woke up and took a shower. Guess what song is playing in my head?
Ha ha! Victory is mine!
Cool, Rayc! So did you end up using any of the synth drums? (The other part of my signature sound!
)Which reverb plugin do you use? I've found that Reaverb eats a lot of CPU cycles. Reaverbate is faster if less full-featured
VomitHatSteve
Hat STYLE. Not contents.
So per Jimmy's demonstration, I started playing around with a transient controller on the main drum bus. Holy carp! Those things are a like a magic "drums sound better" button, aren't they?
rayc
retroreprobate
Pahtcub,
I like the "sped up" version. Very cool -I particularly like the emphasis on the sustained guitar.
VHS,
The drums are complicated things to work with. I'm amazed how effective flipping phase om the snare & kick can be in some mixes.
I'm going to try to pull the syn drums in when I take the project to a more powerful coputer & a set of monitors.
I like the "sped up" version. Very cool -I particularly like the emphasis on the sustained guitar.
VHS,
The drums are complicated things to work with. I'm amazed how effective flipping phase om the snare & kick can be in some mixes.
I'm going to try to pull the syn drums in when I take the project to a more powerful coputer & a set of monitors.
Mr Clean
AKA Teddy Wong
Awesome! I like that