New mix, any feedback?

[TwoGOneSee]

Hey all, this is my first time posting a mix on this forum. I'm by no means a professional, but I definitely want to constantly be improving, so any feedback you got would be awesome (mostly focusing on the mix of course, but songwriting feedback is also appreciated).

The song itself is a work in progress (leads are still scratch tracks, and not sure I got the best DI on the bass), so please excuse any sloppy soloing.

Cheers and thanks in advance,
Adam

Here goes nothing:

 

[TwoGOneSee]

Also, how the hell do I embed the soundcloud widget into my post?! Such a n00b...

EDIT: figured it out Use the "SOUNDCLOUD" tag for future reference...

 

[TwoGOneSee]

i'm particularly looking for any suggestions on how to fatten up the low end. DI'd on the bass (Schecter 5-string), split into to two tracks. Sub bass is low-passed around 300-350, dirty is high-passed around the same and has a tube screamer and bass overdrive into a guitar sim (not bass sim) and set about -2db bellow the sub-bass track... I've tried many different bass combinations and this is my favorite so far (I just opened up the EQ on the dirty to allow more high-end through) because it gives a little more percussive sound to the bass. Anyways, any ideas you all have would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TwoGOneSee]

I realize at this point that i'm just talking to myself, but any ideas on how to get the overall track volume higher? I've got a limiter on the master bus, but it's Logic's crappy built-in limiter, so i'm thinking it's not doing what it could. Any ideas? Suggestions on setting up a good master bus chain? Anyone out there?

 

[TwoGOneSee]

Tooled around with the bass:


And then I worked on the guitar tone a little more:


Any better?

 

[WalhallaM]

Ok I will try to suggest couple things,don't hate me .Song is good interesting ideas,riffs.But everything is distorted and sound like everything is in middle,use pan if didn't use,parallel compression adjust sound off kick and bass guitar,snare and guitars use fx to add effect,different sound for guitars to make them fullerrobably you know all these stuff.And know this "less is more" in mixing process .And I love the acoustic guitar sound and melody.

 

[TwoGOneSee]

Hate you?! Dude i LOVE you just for posting something haha. But seriously, thanks for the feedback. Couple of things:
1) I tried some experimenting with double tracking the guitars, but I didn't pan them the same. For example, for guitar 1.1, I panned full left. Then for guitar 1.2 (doubled track) i panned like 50-60% left. Maybe this is why shit sounds more centered than panned. I will try full panning on both when i get home and repost.
2) For parallel compression (this is a new technique for me), do you have any suggestions on approaches for this? Does the parallel compressor go before/after the regular sub-bass compressor? Kind of basic stuff I know, but like I said, I'm new to this technique.
3) guitars are HP'd around 220... too high? Small eq boost around 2k, all sim'd (I'll post the chain when i get home later tonight).
4) funnily enough, I touched up the acoustic tracks the *least*, so apparently you're right about "less is more"

Thanks for responding, dude! Any/all feedback is welcome and keep it coming. Just want to improve my skills (or lack thereof).

 

[TwoGOneSee]

Also, all leads are pretty much centered and the rhythm track gets centered right around 2:00 during the battling solos. The more I mix this song, the more I want to up the BPM and re-track the whole thing... It kind plods along, thoughts?

 

[Skinny Viking]

change your sub bass LP filter to around 200 and the HP on the other to the same to see if that helps balance the overall feel a little better.

starting point

 

[TwoGOneSee]

Thanks dude, will definitely try and repost later tonight... Looks like you found why I'm asking on other people's threads about HP/LP on the bass

 

[Skinny Viking]

^ I had a feeling

 

[WalhallaM]

Glad I can "help" in some way .Thing with parallel compression is that you can parallel compress anything.You can isolate with EQ high end or low end for snare or something else guitar anything and compress that sound and blend it with original .You cut guitar on 220? That is to much for me 150 is far I ever tried.

Check this guy,if didn't watch this before,music is totally different but there much to learn http://www.pensadosplace.tv/category/into-the-lair/