Shadows - Test Mix - feedback requested

[edisonbaggins]

Thanks so much for your feedback! It will be respectfully considered when my ears are fresh again and my psyche able to handle the task of experimenting on this again!
IMO, there are easier and harder types of track to mix, this one being harder. I may, in the end, have to leave it to someone more skilled and content myself messing with more of my rock stuff. I think it's harder to screw up rock.
Again, thank you!

 

[Frogmort]

To crazy-check mixes I take a usb stick down to my main system and play them via my Oppo BDP 103.

I don't find this 'crazy' at all. If you have a decent setup (which from checking your setup, you definitely do), and you're very familiar with the way your setup sounds, especially with some great sounding surround mixes, like from Elliot Scheiner, or Steven Wilson, or Bob Clearmountain, or whoever, then I personally think that this is an absolute perfect way to master/listen to a homemade mix. Ideally, if the mixes from those dudes sounds good to you, then your mixes should be at least somewhat similar, right? And if you're familiar enough with your setup and their recording to identify what sounds good and what constitutes a good sounding mix on said system, then I think that's the best way to mix an album that you're working on.

To me, that's more of a 'real world' mix than something that sounds good on two car speakers, or a boombox, or a pair of studio monitors, or something.

EDIT: Honestly, this is my best advice, forget what you're working on, as best you can, and listen to some of your favorite albums just absorbing how great they sound and how they are mixed, then listen to what you did in comparison. If you can make your mix sound like that, you're on the right track.

 

[Neil Palfreyman]

I don't find this 'crazy' at all. If you have a decent setup (which from checking your setup, you definitely do), and you're very familiar with the way your setup sounds, especially with some great sounding surround mixes, like from Elliot Scheiner, or Steven Wilson, or Bob Clearmountain, or whoever, then I personally think that this is an absolute perfect way to master/listen to a homemade mix. Ideally, if the mixes from those dudes sounds good to you, then your mixes should be at least somewhat similar, right? And if you're familiar enough with your setup and their recording to identify what sounds good and what constitutes a good sounding mix on said system, then I think that's the best way to mix an album that you're working on.

To me, that's more of a 'real world' mix than something that sounds good on two car speakers, or a boombox, or a pair of studio monitors, or something.

EDIT: Honestly, this is my best advice, forget what you're working on, as best you can, and listen to some of your favorite albums just absorbing how great they sound and how they are mixed, then listen to what you did in comparison. If you can make your mix sound like that, you're on the right track.

I agree 100% - that's exactly the way to do it.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Awesome advice and suggestions, all!

 

[edisonbaggins]

Thanks for all the tip n' tricks, both public and private. Here is my next attempt. Again, 5.1 FLAC. Oh, any opinions on how loud the LFE should be? Or does it even matter these days?
On certain kinds of systems, I guess?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/axiwkn42t6e5lz6/Shadows-test-51-6.flac?dl=0

All advice moving forward should be about -6 please! @:

 

[ji eff]

Oh, any opinions on how loud the LFE should be?

In Cubase, for Bass and BassDrum, setting the LFE send knob to -9dB for stereo tracks, and -12dB for mono tracks, gives me a ratio similar to Steven Wilson's bass heavy albums.

 

[0tto]

All advice moving forward should be about -6 please! @:

IMHO -11dB most appropriate level for loud tracks.
quiet tracks must be experimented for best LFE level, appropriate to musical structure of tune.
another question with LFE - what to fill in it? i hate sub, filled with sound, obtained by basic simple filtering off
everything above particular given freq. threshold. rumbling and humming noise from sub really very annoying stuff.
the ideal sub shouldn't be heard but feels by all body of listener.

 

[edisonbaggins]

IMHO -11dB most appropriate level for loud tracks.
quiet tracks must be experimented for best LFE level, appropriate to musical structure of tune.
another question with LFE - what to fill in it? i hate sub, filled with sound, obtained by basic simple filtering off
everything above particular given freq. threshold. rumbling and humming noise from sub really very annoying stuff.
the ideal sub shouldn't be heard but feels by all body of listener.

Well, how'd I do!? I might have got it a skosh light.

 

[0tto]

how do you monitor the sound when working in multitrack console?

 

[edisonbaggins]

how do you monitor the sound when working in multitrack console?

See post #15

 

[mixamatt]

Ah Sonar. It looks like I will be going down that rabbit hole myself as I also have a PC and a tight budget. Plus it has a ton of instruments and plug ins and the cheaper Professional version supports surround sound . I love how I can download your songs and walk four steps and play them in the Oppo 103. Keep up the good work.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Ah Sonar. It looks like I will be going down that rabbit hole myself as I also have a PC and a tight budget. Plus it has a ton of instruments and plug ins and the cheaper Professional version supports surround sound . I love how I can download your songs and walk four steps and play them in the Oppo 103. Keep up the good work.

Thank you, so much, brother, for listening!
Here is test mix 10, y'all:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jlex6lbflxcc0jq/Shadows-test-51-10-2.flac?dl=0