Another one to bash, just trying to get the basic balance down. Very simple jam written pretty quickly using an existing drum pattern
Never Can Tell 3 no vox Mix 1
Mix 2 Mainly lowered the hi pass on bass and added some bass distortion.
just for kicks here is the bass cranked with no processing (just whatever compression/EQ is on the master. Drums r processed of course)
Thanks, JJ
Hey. Cool stuff.
A trick is to transpose the snare down 5-6 half steps, then run it together with the original. Might work nicely in that style. Parallel compression goes a long way on tracks like these. If you’re not already doing it, you can get some interesting results by crushing the daylights out of your drum room mics, then blending them to taste with the rest of the kit.
Not digging that chorus effect on the guitars. Nothing wrong with it chorus per se, but that’s a bit much. 
If you have a good amp, let it do the heavy lifting. You might consider double and triple tracking with the mic in several different positions. Try experimenting with center, midway, and at the edge of the cone. Also experiment with tilting it on and off axis. When you’re stacking guitars, it helps to have a good variety of different amps, cabs, and guitars. If you run out of room, or out of budget, just switching the same amp between 3 different cabs can sometimes change things up in interesting ways.
this particular kit has a pretty simple mixer in EZD2. Just one kick track, one snare track, and I didnt do anything fancy as far as adding other fx tracks to the snare or kick as I have done in some mixes. I have “parallel compression” on the snare as far as just using one compressor but mixing the wet/dry signal etc. usually I have multiple snare and kick tracks and end up with a snare bus and drum bus but I was just keeping this one simple.
yeah, this was one guitar left and one guitar right…same settings etc since my amp is in the other room lol. Maybe Eq’ed a little different in the DAW but thats it. Then of course the obvious overdubs
hehe. Thats “Tal Chorus” LX. One on each channel. I just wanted to add at least SOMETHING to keep it from being just another boring guitar track lol. Ive yet to find a chorus im really in love with and I have hardly ever found a use for a flanger. I do love phasers though but usually on drums. Maybe just one chorus on the overall guitar bus would have been more subtle
Peace, JJ
This production sounds better than all your others…, or maybe it’s because I’m listening on headphones. But it really sounds more solid to me. The drums seem tighter sounding. Your snare is much less washy/ thin…I really like the way it sounds here. The whole kit sounds better. I can hear everything well…maybe bring the bass up a bit …but it works well even as it is. The guitars sound good too. Are you using a chorus affect on the guits ? I’m not a big fan of chorus but there’s not so much chorus that it disturbs me too much, haha. I just find chorus tends to make guitars sound a bit watery sometimes, but like I said, it’s not a problem in this song.
Keep THAT drum sound. Don’t use the sounds you used previously.
Thanks. Well hopefully im getting better lol. Im using SPAN a lot to look at freq balance etc. Then again this is just guitar/bass/drums…we’ll have to see how solid I can keep it when i add vox and solos etc
lol. i was worried the bass might be too loud. Its so hard to keep it uniform
haha! thats like saying only eat 1 meal over and over for the rest of your life! But thanks for that feedback. I have a bunch of different kits in EZD2…I want to get them ALL sounding good. This was the Metal Machine “Distorted” kit
Ideally what I want to do is get like 3-4 different kits and then match them with different overall guitar sounds and productions.
for instance:
classic rock sound like LED Zep/Purple…overdriven/distorted guitar…more open chords
updated classic rock sound like VanHalen/Crue…heavier distortion…bright power chords
Grunge sound like Soundgarden/AIC/STP…more bottom heavy distortion
light “metal” sound like Dio/Priest/Maiden, maybe BLS. Heavy distortion
At least that gives me something to work towards. Knowing me though, this would be way too organized lol
peace, JJ
Good stuff. Nice drum sounds.
+1 for @Wicked about the bass - the top end of bass is cutting nicely, but the low end of the bass is not supporting the other elements as well as it could and providing a nice “foundation” on which the song sits. The result is that the groove of the song doesn’t flow as well as it could if it had that low end support.
Still, improving all the time - kudos.
Hi Now that is some sustain. I can’t get that on my amp. 48 and 49 a little too much volume blast. ha ha love that little accent at 1:23. Fun stuff, now some knarly vocals
Sincerely
Paul
Ill work on that on the next mix.
Im wondering about my overall bass EQ. If its cutting but not low thumping enough then I cant just turn it up because then it’ll just cut thru all over the mix. So maybe I need to tame down some of the hi eq and then turn it up?
Here is the freq curve on a thumping A note
and here it is on a higher note, notice how strong the hi freg is popping thru?
any ideas? maybe multi band compression?
This is a DI bass tuned down to D. Generally there is a big peak right around 180-200hz. and im sure i have plenty of hi passing so maybe I need to back off of some of it on bass?
Peavey 6505+ amp on rhythm channel. An OD and a distortion pedal in front of amp…plus the guitar is tuned down to D lol. Amp set pretty quiet though…apartment style
Thanks, JJ
I forgot I just looked at these bass curves the other day. i was focusing on the 400hz area so much I didnt think about the low low end.
Pretty significant difference between mine and the pro guys. Obviously I am worrying too much about low mud and ive overcorrected by hi passing too much
notice the 60hz and down area
mine
over the mountain
Cradle will rock
Cult of personality
Edit. here is mine on Mix 2
Yup, I remember taking the height passing thing too far at first - comparing the bass stems is a great idea. 
Mix 2
lowered the hi pass and otherwise messed with bass EQ. Added some overall bass distortion using Code Red Free
moved hi pass slightly UP on guitar
who knows what else. I forgot already. Have a splitting headache.
Mix 2
Im worried the bass may be too much now. A bit too present. Dunno. Like I said, have a headache and probably lost some objectivity already
Here is my latest bass curve. Much closer to the pro curves
Peace, JJ
What is the bass, I like the sound of it…
Schecter Raiden Special 4. I got it at a used store for like $210 IIRC.
At the moment I keep it tuned down to D standard and on my last several tracks I just played the bridge pickup
just for kicks here is the bass cranked with no processing (just whatever compression/EQ is on the master)
Peace, JJ
That’s more like it! :beerbang:
I like the ideas going on, but until the vocals get layered in I’m not sure about everything section wise. Drums are sounding good!
I use to like and get the verse, chorus or verse, pre chorus, then chorus section working first with vocals then fill the other sections out after that.
I also like that you are comparing stems with span. Where are you getting the stems from?
this guy here has tons of isolated tracks and I just use a youtube to mp3 converter.
yeah, laying down vocals is a whole different thing. I can lay in bed and come up with guitar parts all day every day.
I dont have my vocals to that level yet as far as ive written thousands of guitar parts over the last 30 years but ive only been singing for like 18 months and its not on auto-pilot yet lol
