Hey
E-mails back and forth between me and labels re my new track, a couple have mentioned he has had comments in regards to the kick but didn’t say what, and a couple mentioned in general, the lack of “space” in the track.
Will one of you do me a massive fav, have a quick listen and if you can advice on how to tackel the lack of “space” (not sure what they mean) and the kick issues please let me know. I’ve watched the mastering tuts and widened it out etc so I’m stumpted, sounds fine to me but its obvisouly could be better if labels are commenting theses areas.
Any advice would be great as I’ve has offer to sign and want it to be the best it can be.
Heres the track, only 3 - 4min sample so wont take much of ur time:
Thanks in advance
[quote]gofunk (05/08/2010)[hr]Hey
E-mails back and forth between me and labels re my new track, a couple have mentioned he has had comments in regards to the kick but didn’t say what, and a couple mentioned in general, the lack of “space” in the track.
Will one of you do me a massive fav, have a quick listen and if you can advice on how to tackel the lack of “space” (not sure what they mean) and the kick issues please let me know. I’ve watched the mastering tuts and widened it out etc so I’m stumpted, sounds fine to me but its obvisouly could be better if labels are commenting theses areas.
Any advice would be great as I’ve has offer to sign and want it to be the best it can be.
Heres the track, only 3 - 4min sample so wont take much of ur time:
Thanks in advance[/quote]
you can introduce space by panning various elements about, or by adding reverb, but it sounds like you have enough on there.
another option is a stereo widener which widens above a set frequency which can help
Yeah, I done this, reverb on elements of the tarck, panning sounds, changeing stereo positions and layering synths. Changing the phase so as not to clash, all to try and add space, even used an mda plugin for imageing on some of the synths before running it throught a master chain which including the sonnex stereo thing in the mastering tut, settings at 136% width and centered below 180hz.
I dunno what else I can do… I have seen mastering plugins the add over all reverb to the track, that ozone thing… just thought of that but I dont think it would be a good idea to include that in my current mastering chain as its on all in one solution… hummm
are there any solo pluging that are for mastering reverb like the function in the ozone maybe?
Can you think of anything else mate??
Tbh it could be as simple as the actual kick that you’ve chosen and it’s position in the mix, sounds like it’s way too muted and that would make it lack drive in the tune. It needs to be further up in the mix and a much punchier sound. It sounds like it should be building into another kick coming in on top of it. All your sounds are really big and wide but it seems to be drowning out the drums almost altogether, especially in the case of claps etc.
[quote]graham ginty (05/08/2010)[hr]Tbh it could be as simple as the actual kick that you’ve chosen and it’s position in the mix, sounds like it’s way too muted and that would make it lack drive in the tune. It needs to be further up in the mix and a much punchier sound. It sounds like it should be building into another kick coming in on top of it. All your sounds are really big and wide but it seems to be drowning out the drums almost altogether, especially in the case of claps etc.[/quote]
Thanks Graham, thats give me a bit to go on and somewhere to start at least. I had a comment re the hi hats and piano added some saturation bring them out more but still more to be done than.
If I wanted to do a full mixdown of the track again in ableton via the session screen how can I do this without messing up things like the track vol automation etc?
the only other area where comments where also made is a label wondered if it was maybe the mastering suite plugins or if its something else with EQing & Compression…
Can you give me any advice there as I’m too not sure myself. 1st time I’ve tried to master…
thank for all the help guys, its great 
Create a new copy of the project Wayne - Rename it so that you never touch the original (even by accident! :w00t: )
Doesnt matter if you mess anything up… If you do, you can always copy & paste it from the original again 
[quote]ICN (05/08/2010)[hr]Create a new copy of the project Wayne- Rename it so that you never touch the original (even by accident! :w00t: )
Doesnt matter if you mess anything up… If you do, you can always copy & paste it from the original again :)[/quote]
yeah, first thing I always do mate. But in relation to the mixdown, I would still have to re programe all the automation on the track vol levels as this is what would be changing, this would be a nightmare! there must be another way?? Cant just copy and paste as it would go back to the original values of course they would be at the wrong levels… 
Then try this: 
[quote]ICN (05/08/2010)[hr]Then try this:
[/quote]
Actually I think I’ll try this this: [url=http://www.sonicacademy.com/video_popup//Tutorial_40_-_Exporting_Stems_From_Ableton_Live.cid3355]http://www.sonicacademy.com/video_popup//Tutorial_40_-_Exporting_Stems_From_Ableton_Live.cid3355[/url]
You could send the output of each track with automation to a new audio track and do the mixdown using the vol controls of the new audio track, that way you’re not moving the channel that has the automation on it.
What about adding a compressor to each track and using the volume to control the volume that will leave your automation in tact
Yeah thats a good idea Mussi… a Utility plug would just lower the Volume either 
Hey why dont you split out the stems and I will do a mixdown video
oh yeah
[quote]phil johnston (06/08/2010)[hr]Hey why dont you split out the stems and I will do a mixdown video
[/quote]
I could do that… are you offering to do a professinal mix down on my track for free phil!!
Yeah would be cool to do… I love mixing… my favourite part of production.
[quote]phil johnston (07/08/2010)[hr]Yeah would be cool to do… I love mixing… my favourite part of production.
[/quote]
That would be ace, would love to see it done by someone else too
Mixing is the hard part for me, my ears go all wonky after a while!
Ok so how should I do this, I know how to extract the stems, seen the tut but there is a hell of a lot in there in terms of tracks, synths etc, so advice there would be good. I can then e-mail a link to them over to ya in a zip file, is best to keep them as wav’s or change to MP3 (keeping files size in mind?)
Got confrimation today that contract is being drawen up by a label just now, and expected next week in my inbox, but I presum this wont affect that is anyway as long as this is for your use only and for the vid right?
Unless of course u wanted a bash at a remix… one step at time tho eh
[quote]gofunk (07/08/2010)[hr][quote]phil johnston (07/08/2010)[hr]Yeah would be cool to do… I love mixing… my favourite part of production.
[/quote]
That would be ace, would love to see it done by someone else too
Mixing is the hard part for me, my ears go all wonky after a while!
Ok so how should I do this, I know how to extract the stems, seen the tut but there is a hell of a lot in there in terms of tracks, synths etc, so advice there would be good. I can then e-mail a link to them over to ya in a zip file, is best to keep them as wav’s or change to MP3 (keeping files size in mind?)
Got confrimation today that contract is being drawen up by a label just now, and expected next week in my inbox, but I presum this wont affect that is anyway as long as this is for your use only and for the vid right?
Unless of course u wanted a bash at a remix… one step at time tho eh ;)[/quote]
I would defo check with the label… cant imagine it being a problem as it would be great promotion.
how many tracks are you talking?
is it in ableton or cubase and what synths are you using?
how big is the project etc?
Just my two cents, I think sidechaining the bass and the lead would solve the problem, unless it is not too obvious, if that is what the record company is referring to as space and then sample a different kick from Ronski speed or something.
Then again Phil would know better !
[quote]addy.hn (08/08/2010)[hr]Just my two cents, I think sidechaining the bass and the lead would solve the problem, unless it is not too obvious, if that is what the record company is referring to as space and then sample a different kick from Ronski speed or something.
Then again Phil would know better !
[/quote]
Yeah mate, already sidechained etc so think its all good on that front…