Mix critiques & advices - reach your mixing goals!

Ruud Reiher

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Craig Sheffield
Oct 19, 2021
Hey gang, I'm working on adding material to my portfolio in other genres so I'm trying to add this as an example of EDM (I know, terribly broad but it might also help if you can point me toward appropriate references too). I've gotten permission from Alan Midnight to use this in my portfolio so your time and attention are greatly appreciated to help improve this mix. Look forward to chatting with you about this first attempt and making it better. https://soundcloud.com/ideafieldpro/maneater-by-alan-midnight/s-B1BlO4dux9y?si=14f5125762e1487c8a19e79bcdee0121
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Craig Sheffield
Oct 26, 2021
Would really appreciate your thoughts.
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John O`Sullivan
Oct 26, 2021
I don't know much about EDM (or anything!), so this is just personal taste and I may not even be answering the right questions!.

All of the sounds are great and fit together well, though I don't love the toms. For me the arrangement is too stop/start. I like the intro to 0.00 to 0.17. I LOVE 0.17 to 1.04 approx and feel this should be at least 4 times longer with the additional elements coming and going, then one break/stop/drop/whatever coming back with something like the section at 3.30.
Again, purely personal taste, but I feel the whole track should be hypnotic and so I don't like anything that jerks me out of that.
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Arthur Reich
Oct 26, 2021
feel like the slap bass needs a sub layered cuz it's octave, also filling the backgroundathmosphere more with reverbs and stuff can make it "fuller", also some sounds sound thin: Easy fix: accords and octaves, especcccially for plucky sounds it makes a huge difference. So: mainly arrangement problems, the mix itself is clear as hell, except some sounds which are in the same octave as the bass(trying to put it down an octave could be a thing i think). Learning layering is what he needs i think. so overall: Macroarrangement is cool, Mix is cool, mostly producing decisions and skill is the issue(but they are easy to fix ones :)
As reference Besomorph for example makes a lot of pretty basic slap house, or sth like Jerome - Lights. There is a lot of stuff of this genre, most have dark athmospheres tho, but still a lot you can learn by listening, especially cuz this genre is pretty "simple".
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Craig Sheffield
Oct 27, 2021
Thanks for the response! Appreciate the comments. I should have been more clear that I'm looking for mix critique as Mr. Midnight is the producer and I'm not even sure about the vocals. Noted about the atmosphere and possibly trying to add or chang octaves for some instruments. And thanks for the reference material. I'll look into it. @John O'Sullivan and @Arthur Reich
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Christian Labeck
Oct 27, 2021
Hey, to my ears the mix felt pretty well balanced. Nothing stood out as jarring to me. The mix was nice and clear. Maybe a bit too clear. I think it is not a „too much“ of anything but instead a „too little“ of low freq. content. The kick is weaker than the toms (or whatever comes in around 3:00), but even the toms could have more impact. Should a track like this not move your body on every beat? It felt to me as if you had applied a low shelf somehow - if this were my mix I‘d add some low end to the key tracks (kick, snare, toms at least). But besides this, nice job, well done!
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Arthur Reich
Oct 27, 2021
Alright :D Just said it as well as mixing and arrangement is kinda melting a bit in EDM. Like many ppl mix the most part while producing, so. And actually I would pick another piece then as your customers probably dont know enough about mixing, so they see the mix is fine. They will prob just listen to the sound in general, so you are selling yourself below your worth! It's hard enough even with great examples I think. You're always welcome :)
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valeriano bosso
Oct 27, 2021
Nice one! I think its pretty good maybe just the bass a bit too loud.
Just my 2cents