Critique My Tone!

R

Revan132

Member
Hey guys! Been reading a lot on these forums lately as I just got my Axe FX 2 weeks ago, but this will be my first post here! I am an amateur producer out of Long Island, New York. This is one of my first full recordings with the Axe FX Ultra, and it is of a local pop punk band. I am most familiar with producing metal, and the mix is incredibly rough, but what I am really looking for is some insight into how I can make this tone better!

First a little background of what I am using as far as programs and gear...
Guitars are rendered with an Axe FX Ultra as well as the bass guitar
Using the "Orange Recto" guitar amp head with the V30 cabinet into a R121 Mic... Any ideas on how to make this better? I was thinking of trying to screw with the master volume to achieve the perfect amount of tube/pre distortions (I haven't tried this yet).
I'm using Superior 2.0 for the drums
SM7B for the vocal microphone, and all of this is going into an EMU 0404 USB interface (Upgrading to a fireface soon!). I am using Reaper as my DAW.

About the track: guitars are panned extremely hard left and right, not sure what the protocol on punk is, but I think it gives it a lot more room in the mix if it retains extreme panning. I have a hi cut on the patch for the guitars to take out some of the fizz. The guitars are also double tracked. A little bit of EQ and reverb is on the vocal line, but I think the vocals sound pretty good right now. The bass and vocals are directly down the center and I have nothing but a compressor on the bass. Vocals also have some compression on them.

I guess what I am really asking for here is detailed advice on how to make this sound better mix wise, and quality wise. I have the equipment to get it up to commercial quality, but lack the know-how. Please be gentle with the advice, and constructive as well! I get upset easily :eek:ops

Here's the track! Thanks for your time and advice guys!
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15435455/Wi...LL%20AXEFX.mp3

Note: This isn't mastered at all.
 
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Maybe slightly more bass, about 1 or 2 db, couldn't really hear it.
Little roll back on the Guitars maybe 1db. Some vocal production, choruses needed to be doubled, some harmonies or doubling. This sounds GREAT. Id keep the mix formula.
Drums are nice!
I find the secret to a great mix is not overdoing anything, barely touching anything as far comps, lmtrs, eq's, and starting with a good tone, and the right takes.
GREAT JOB!
 
TSchwarzendorfer said:
i actually think, that it sounds pretty good :D
did you record the guitar in stereo or mono?
Click to expand...

I recorded mono - double tracked and panned hard left and right.
Thanks for the great compliments and critiques guys! I am a serious newbie when it comes to vocal production especially... maybe my ear for this band is just worn out; I'm really trying to get it to sound commerical and make a name for myself in the local area to all the bands! The Axe FX is definitely helping me get there!

Again thanks for the compliments and comments/critiques! I really, really appreciate it. Hopefully they keep coming! :D

Do you guys think recording in Stereo would help me out at all?
 
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recording the guitar in stereo makes no sense to me as long as you don't have any stereo effects happening.
i just asked, because of this out of phase stuff...although i don't hear any of that ;D

btw it is very important that every instrument has it's own frequency range...if you make a low cut on the guitars the e-bass can be louder without even making it louder.
this can make your mix much cleaner and it is much more effective and intelligent than making everything louder you don't hear...

but great work!
 
Hey guys! I just completed a new mix... definitely an improvement with all of your suggestions! Please let me know what you think of it, and as always throw any criticism you have at me, I am really satisfied with the instrumentals (Probably my best instrumental work to date in production) but I am really looking to advance my vocal production abilities so anything pertaining to that especially would be appreciated as I am stuck. Any general advice is also very much appreciated! Thanks guys! Here's the new link:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15435455/With%20You%20AXEFX%20NEW%20MIX.mp3
 
Nice dude!! Definite improvement.

I would recommend reading up on surgical EQing, and giving everything it's own frequency range. Bass, drums, guitars, vocals, etc....

For Drums: Sweep your EQ setting until you find the kick in your chest, and keep it there. Do the same for snare, toms, and cymbals.
Bass: Same thing just make sure it's not in the same frequency as the drums. Spike and cut where things sound good, and where they sound terrible.
Guitars: I ALWAYS cut at 250K, then sweep and usually only cut the stuff that sounds bad, I only do boosting on the guitars if I cant hear the natural amp response. Notice how on the old mix the guitars were louder and you could hear the grit on them from the amp settings. This gets lost in the new mix. They way to fix it would be Surgical EQing, without having to adjust the levels too much, and you should get the grit back.

Bass sounds way better!

Vocals: I sweep these surgically too. Only cuts , hardly any boosting, just like. I usually put a LOT of reverb and a little delay on them. Making a double of the track, or double tracking like you would a guitar and panning left and right slightly until you find a sweet spot, is a great way to make things sound loud and huge in the mix.

Get a good mastering plug -in. You should have something in Reaper.
Find something called a Multiband-Compresser and try out the different presets. Add the one you like after you've done the Surgical EQ sweeps by doing each instrumental alone by itself, and A/B in and out of the MIX.
Last, I always add a Limiter on my Master out. I usually don't touch it, just stick one on there end of the mix, and turn it up as loud as is needed. NOT as loud as I can.
 
Panned the vocals and doubled them (17%). I think it definitely beefed them up a bit! Thanks for that tip! The only thing I cut from the guitars on the updated mix was a bit of the low end (up to 200k) to make room for the for the bass... didn't cut any hi's whatsoever. Any advice for this? Maybe a bit more for the vocals? I can't thank you enough for your advice!
Here's an updated mix:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15435455/With%20You%20AXEFX%20VOCAL%20PLAYS.mp3
 
Thank you for the kind words!

Would you guys recommend a hi-cut on the guitars to reduce some of the harshness? Perhaps I am overproducing them! For the bass I was also thinking about blocking some frequencies but I wasn't entirely sure, the same goes with the vocals. Which needless frequencies should I block or cut to reduce the busy-ness of the track? Is there anything else I can do to make this track better? I was also thinking of panning the vocals a bit more...
 
Yep, big vocals panned, that will give you a Chorus feel.
For reference check out the Nirvana classic albums where Butch Vig talks about making "In Bloom" sound bigger in the chorus.

You only need to drop the guitars at about 250k. With ANYthing else, just make sure it isn't sharing the same frequency. Example drums and bass don't share whatever K, or Hz. ALl the guitars "can" have the same but be careful. When your cutting frequency, your just cutting the bad sounds your instrument is making on the track, only keep the good stuff. This goes for vocals too. It just lets everything have it's own space and breath better ont the mix.
If you'd like I could post pics for you.
If you be interested in sending me an OMF file from Reaper, or wav files of each track, I'd like to try and do a mix, and show you what I mean. That's how I learned.
Soundshell777@yahoo.com
-Ben
 
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