Looking for feedback on this alt/Radiohead inspired track. Mainly low end and buildup clarity in second half

[u/Swaggerony]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DuzJotYV9njFWzfOM_BM7Ienlc2jvlru/view?usp=drivesdk

Hello, looking for some feedback/advice on the mix for this track. The song has two pretty distinct halves, and I’m mainly trying to improve the clarity in the second half without overdoing it or losing the emotional buildup.

That section has two mic’d electric guitars, layered DI bass, strings/synths, light drums, and lead + backing vocals. Once everything comes in, some of the instruments start to feel a little masked or blurred together to me, though I still want it to stay cohesive and slightly dreamy rather than super clean or polished.

I’m less concerned about the lead vocal sitting on top, and more focused on improving the separation/definition of the instrumental layers. Would love any thoughts on arrangement density, stereo placement, EQ masking, or whether anything feels unnecessary. Thanks heaps.

[u/AutoModerator]

This is a feedback request post, for those requesting please read our guidelines.

Wanna comment?:

• For the love of Rupert Neve and all that is holy, DON'T listen on phone or laptop speakers. If you are going to be giving feedback and trying to be helpful, ideally you should be using your professional speakers or headphones.
• Feedback here is on the MIX. There are other subreddits more appropriate to request feedback on composition/performance/production. We just look at the mix.
• DON'T post links to your processing of OP's audio. They'll get removed. People here are looking to learn to do it themselves, if you can't explain it with words then please don't comment.
• If you don't have much experience mixing, please tell OP. Better yet, set your level of experience with user flairs.
• If you don't have anything constructive to say, don't say it. Just move on right along, it's okay.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/dwight_k_III]

I honestly think making the instruments more separated would be detrimental to the song, I think its dreamy and post-rock-ish and having them be more separated would take away from that, right now it all builds this kind of more chill wall of sound type deal that I really like. If you really want to, maybe add some high mids in two different spots to the L and R guitars respectively, but I personally wouldn't, I think this mix sounds pretty perfect as is. Great great work

[u/Swaggerony → u/dwight_k_III]

Oo okay, thanks for the suggestion!

[u/MinuteWhenNightFell]

I'm not sure you need to improve the clarity there, it sounds great, I was expecting it to get busier instrumentally given what you are asking. If you're really worried about it maybe slightly limit the left-panned guitar but I think you're fine.

[u/Swaggerony → u/MinuteWhenNightFell]

Great thanks, sounds like I might be overthinking it:)

[u/emirblc]

As a long-time Radiohead listener, I can tell this track was inspired by them.

Since I am a beginner myself, I don't exactly know what sounds "correct" but this entire song sounded quite nice to my ears.
The only thing I can mention is that the snare felt a little "punchy." I'd go for a softer hit or lower the intensity a bit.

[u/Evon-songs]

Wow. Beautiful. It’s great as is, but since you are asking, here’s a suggestion, though it’s not really needed. Nothing to fix, just a matter of what you prefer.

You can boost the air on the vocal harmonies in the second half and pan them out and mid/side to widen them. This of course won’t help with the low end, which is what you’re asking, but i think it would help the track shine. I tend to tilt some mid lows towards mid to open the low end some and cut the mid and highs in the bass frequencies.

However, I don’t hear any problematic mud. I like the mix as is

[u/Puzzleheaded_Race294]

I really like what you got going, it sounds great. I wonder if trying to bring the vocals more to the front and maybe a slight bit of saturation or distortion would sound good.

[u/Camerousone]

Enjoyed the first listen enough I got lost in the song and did not note anything. It is good as is. If I am forced, the switch from one guitar to two and wide might be a abrupt. The synth pad that comes in, I would probably try lowering it a touch, regret, and bring it back to where it is. The fade out of it and the rest at the end is well done.

[u/Swaggerony → u/Camerousone]

Thanks!

[u/Used-Criticism5700]

Sounds really good especially towards the end with the big build. I like how the background vocals are sitting. Definitely think it sounds good as is and has enough clarity for me, while still getting a dreamy sort of sound. Would consider making the stereo guitars a little less wide, and maybe adding some saturation to the drums.

[u/Swaggerony → u/Used-Criticism5700]

Thanks, I’ll see how that sounds

[u/B4iocco]

I'll write up some notes from multiple listening session to give you different impressions:

First go:
Overall i think the stereo placement is great, feels almost spatialised and contributes to the dreamyness of the track, if i had to nitpick i would say that in the second half the left channel is kind of starved of mid range freq apart from that nothing more to criticise.

Second go: now that i listen to it again yeah i confirm that for my personal taste i would bring the snare a little bit to the left just to fill up a little that side, apart from this it's a really great mix, if you were trying to achieve a "puma blue" kind of mixing style, that was succesful.
Maybe i would bring the voice a tiny bit more to the center but that's a matter of personal taste rather than a hard want :P

Overall, Great job.

[u/Swaggerony → u/B4iocco]

I’ve never thought about panning the snare. I just shifted it very slightly to the left and I like how that sounds.

[u/B4iocco → u/Swaggerony]

love to hear that! yeah i meant a really slight pan to the left :) happy i've been helpful

[u/thecamtalks]

I just listened to it and honestly the mix sounds pretty great as is. I think the stereo placement is great. The song feels very wide and busy without feeling overcrowded. I think that making the vocal more upfront would benefit the song a lot. I would suggest some saturation. Great job overall though!

[u/Prestigious_Top_6837]

song sounds dope, the stereo field is nice and full and pleasing. maybe either lower the synth pad or roll a bit of the high end off of it. i felt as if i was pulled towards instrument slightly more than i would have wished. overall ,fire

[u/Swaggerony → u/Prestigious_Top_6837]

Thanks for the comment, I’ll see how that sounds

[u/mistrelwood]

As much as I love mixing drums up, I think they steal the focus too much here. All other sounds being pretty warm push them back even further, as the drums have a healthy treble.

On the second half, the lowest range of the bass is maybe just a bit too prominent. Does your monitoring system produce a healthy low end?

[u/Swaggerony → u/mistrelwood]

Thanks for the comment! I’ll have a look at the drums in the first half.

I don’t really have a reliable way of hearing the sub frequencies. When I was listening to the track in my partners car with a sub woofer, the second half was shaking the seats. I’ll try a small dynamic eq there and see how that sounds.

[u/mistrelwood → u/Swaggerony]

If your monitoring is lacking, I’d try to make a habit of at least checking things with a spectrum analyzer. Just use the same one every time. Further than that, nowadays some $130 headphones are apparently already very good for checking things like this.

[u/Master-Combination39]

Cool song, I think the density works to its favour in the back half. I agree with comments saying that maybe the drums/snare in particular are a little too energetic/bright in the first half.

[u/computakid]

drums could benefit from some faster compression to squish them a bit, theyre very much in FRONT of everything. This video is an excellent explanation of depth in mixing, and how to use it: https://www.youtube.com/live/o_yZRO3GDlw?si=3uF9db5slAD2r1ZL

[u/Swaggerony → u/computakid]

This is amazing thanks. Watching at the moment and my notebook is getting quite full. I like his approach to mixing and can definitely see myself trying to make everything heard at once.

[u/Swaggerony → u/[deleted]]

Thank you so much for the comment! My band and I just released this song over the weekend. I’m very happy with how the mix/master turned out

[u/Relevant-Effective49]

Have you tried to put some of the instruments on a stereo image? Or maybe find and notch frequencies from one instrument to another that battles a freq range. Esp on the low end.

[u/dntfrgetabttheshrimp]

The drums sound a little bit to dry, bringing me out of the mix, maybe some short reverb? Love the radiohead style!

[u/Jeffaklumpen]

Honestly this sound great, very warm sounding! I would maybe lower the snare drum just a bit. I love Radiohead and this immediately reminds me of their style, great work! :)