Mixdown rant & asking for the SECRET TO SUCCESS haha

[zetamale]

I've been making music for years but never truly faced the challenge of finishing tracks. I'd come up with an idea, a riff or a melody and then when the excitement wore thin, I'd ditch the project for a new one. The classic 'unfinisher' or '8 bar wonder'!

Here I am now trying to master mixing (to a standard I would regard as 'industry level') and the results are continually disappointing, incredibly inconsistant standards across different tracks and similar to the story of Goldilocks, my mixes are always 'too' or 'not enough' something... too bright/too dull, too boomy/too nasally etc.

I've attached a rough mix that is slowly progressing but it feels like 1 step forward and 2 back some days. I share it so you can see where I am roughly at...warts and all.

View attachment trap trial v3.mp3

I would like to ask those working at a level beyond mine to share that one magic tip/technique/approach/guide that took their music to the next level?

If you can shape your advise to address issues in my mix, even better!

Gracias

 

[kiiskamusic]

Something that really helped me was referencing my mixes to other songs that I thought sounded really good. This will get you closer to the “professional” sound your looking for. Also, im not sure what your monitoring situation is, but generally, unless you’ve invested a ton of money into monitors and room treatment, your speakers/room is probably playing tricks on you and cause your mix to sound weird on different speakers (car stereo, iphone speakers/laptop) Try and reference your mix on as many speaker systems as you can before you bounce it down to audio, making little tweaks along the way. Preferably the speakers should have as close to a “flat” response as possible, meaning its not boosting any frequencies. Hope this helps!

 

[LevLover]

Did I just get tricked into reviewing your beat? lol For a rough mix, this doesn't sound bad. I can't stress reference enough though, it's the key to a great mix. Not just reference tracks either, you have to reference your mix on other systems, ie; in the car, on a boombox, in the living room on the home theater system, in your friends car, on your phone and anywhere else you can play your mix to see how it translates to other systems. This will help you to learn your monitoring environment (your monitors in your room) and how your mixes will sound in other places.
Aside from that, this beat is groovin! I'm at my desk bobbin away!

 

[acetheface954]

I think you did a well enough job. I see it more of a filler track though you know? something you'd hear in the background of a show or series, a movie from where there's no dialogue. Those type of situations.

 

[zetamale]

Something that really helped me was referencing my mixes to other songs that I thought sounded really good.

Thanks dude, I'm using Mackie 824's which are fairly flat and solid, although my mixing area has little treatment and maybe problematic. I do reference against other tracks and listen in the car etc... I'm sure the penny will drop soon!

Did I just get tricked into reviewing your beat? Aside from that, this beat is groovin! I'm at my desk bobbin away!

No buddy it really wasn't a cry for listeners.. I'd have soundcloud linked for that, to get my play count up It's a work in progress. I am referencing in other environments, but I obviously haven't made the connection between what my studio sounds like and how that translates across the board.

I think you did a well enough job. I see it more of a filler track though you know? something you'd hear in the background of a show or series, a movie from where there's no dialogue. Those type of situations.

Thanks dude. This project was really about me trying to make it sound good, rather than being a club track or whatever, but I get what you mean.

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Thanks for the responses so far. I appreciate the input about referencing against other tracks and seeing how the music translates in other environments, but I think my issue is mostly that I probably don't know what the right EQ'ing decisions are yet. My mixes are inconsistant, always having problematic areas and I'm probably at a point in my progression where I just need to learn something to move forward and I haven't found what that is yet! I need a lightbulb moment where the penny drops and things just become clearer. Practice makes perfect I guess!

 

[Pappa E Mastering]

I think the mix sounds great. I feel the overall master is a bit too bright with too much mid frequency.

As for the mix, I feel that the dominance of some of your synth instruments are drowning your snare. I suggest reducing them by 4.5 dB. I would also narrow the relationship between the kick and synth bass. Presently, I feel that the synth bass is drowning the kick a little. I would raise the kick up by 3 to 4.5 dB. Just my 2 cents