Indian Rock Song, Home Studio Mix, Feedback and advice wanted.

[thePSmusic]

Hey guys! So our band recently recorded this rock song in this minimal studio of mine. I don't have much. I used an Audiogram 6 audio interface which I used to record guitars, bass and vocals (Rode NT-2A microphone),
And I used a banged up Alesis DM-6 USB drum Kit with external samples to track drums, And Finally I used a pair of AKG K44 headphones to monitor and mix the song. (Don't have a studio monitor yet.) Shot the video with some rented lights, old lights lying about and a Nikon DSLR. Would love for some feedback on the mix, What I did right, What I did wrong, And would love some advice on upgrading my gear, Like what should I upgrade first, What should be my priorities when it comes to gear, Stuff like that. Thank you!

[Milo Burke]

Cool song, and a cool video!

Your general sound is very raw and organic. That mixed with the style of music sounds very reminiscent of what was very popular in the US 10-15 years ago.

What tools do you have available for mixing? What plugins?


I think that the drums need the most work. They are very low in the mix, for starters. They don't have slam or impact. The drums themselves sound muffled, while the cymbals are exceedingly harsh. Whether you aim for a more natural sound or a more processed sound, I think this is most in need of re-doing.

Vocals are very dry. Compression can add presence and bring them forward. EQ can add presence and make them sound clean and clear. Effects like subtle delay and subtle reverb will add space and dimension.

Also, the background effects are dry beyond belief. I would comp them from significantly more recording takes to get tighter on the performances, and to layer them thicker. Tune them; tune them more heavily than you would lead vocals. Artificial doubling could help thicken and spread them. Add more effects than you would for lead vocals.

Also, the guitar parts sound pretty harsh and brittle. I'm biased towards this method, but I would record direct and use amp emulation and pedal emulation to tweak and shape the sound with more granular control. Flip through the presets until you get close, then tweak. That also should take some of the edge off.

Your song is edgy-sounding enough for me to wonder how much it is clipping. It may not be from clipping, but it's from something.


Overall, I'd say it sounds like it was mixed by the guitarist! Haha. Guitar is important, but let that take a back seat.



If you're aiming for that 2000's punk rock, indie sound, then you're not too far off. Just a little shaping for tone, and try to find a way to get things sounding less brittle. But if you're aiming for a more modern, more produced sound, then you're just scraping the surface for mixing, and it's got a long way to go.

Either way, cool song, cool video. Nice to see something with so much passion in it, and I'm sure your work will improve with every release.

[thePSmusic]

Cool song, and a cool video!

Your general sound is very raw and organic. That mixed with the style of music sounds very reminiscent of what was very popular in the US 10-15 years ago.

What tools do you have available for mixing? What plugins?


I think that the drums need the most work. They are very low in the mix, for starters. They don't have slam or impact. The drums themselves sound muffled, while the cymbals are exceedingly harsh. Whether you aim for a more natural sound or a more processed sound, I think this is most in need of re-doing.

Vocals are very dry. Compression can add presence and bring them forward. EQ can add presence and make them sound clean and clear. Effects like subtle delay and subtle reverb will add space and dimension.

Also, the background effects are dry beyond belief. I would comp them from significantly more recording takes to get tighter on the performances, and to layer them thicker. Tune them; tune them more heavily than you would lead vocals. Artificial doubling could help thicken and spread them. Add more effects than you would for lead vocals.

Also, the guitar parts sound pretty harsh and brittle. I'm biased towards this method, but I would record direct and use amp emulation and pedal emulation to tweak and shape the sound with more granular control. Flip through the presets until you get close, then tweak. That also should take some of the edge off.

Your song is edgy-sounding enough for me to wonder how much it is clipping. It may not be from clipping, but it's from something.


Overall, I'd say it sounds like it was mixed by the guitarist! Haha. Guitar is important, but let that take a back seat.



If you're aiming for that 2000's punk rock, indie sound, then you're not too far off. Just a little shaping for tone, and try to find a way to get things sounding less brittle. But if you're aiming for a more modern, more produced sound, then you're just scraping the surface for mixing, and it's got a long way to go.

Either way, cool song, cool video. Nice to see something with so much passion in it, and I'm sure your work will improve with every release.

My God. Thank you so so much! This has to be one of the best feedbacks I've ever received! I feel so very grateful that you could take the time to write all that!

I just got stock logic plugins for mixing and stuff. Yeah, Mixing the drums was such a pain! I used XLN Addictive Drum samples because we couldn't actually afford to mic up and record a real kit (Not that I would know how to. :3 ) And the Kick and snare fought a lot with the vocals and the crash (urghh!) I had looked up some tutorials in youtube for mixing but nothing prepared me for the real thing when I had to mix this monstrosity! Spent hours tweaking but everything just sounded the same! Or very mildly different. :/ I know, Im new to this, I'll hopefully get better right? Yeah, I recorded guitar's direct and used guitar rig to develop the guitar tone. Although I am a fan of the the more organic and natural kind of mixes, I still would like to mix to achieve the more modern sound you talk about. Any tips on upping my game? How I can gradually build myself to create better mixes? Any gear I'll be needing to do so?

Anyways, Thankyou so much one again! You have been very kind, And everything you've said I'll keep in mind for the next song! Thank you!

[Milo Burke]

I've never offered this on Future Producers before, but I'd be willing to spend an hour or so making a mix for you if you can send me the multitrack files. You could listen for the differences and tweak your mix to get closer. That's one way to learn.

I like the sound of Addictive Drums. I had it in my toolkit before making the jump to 64-bit plugins. I really enjoyed using it.

I need to listen to your song again on a better system. My office speakers are fair, but not hi-fi.