Here’s another mix I did to keep my hand in - a bunch of pre-teens playing up a storm…Feel free to drop a comment if you get a chance to listen - thanks!
I think Mike Senior (of Sound On Sound) recorded the band for an SOS article - here is the preview mix he provided:
Initial listen on my work laptop, this sounds good. My only nitpick (and it’s a taste thing I think) is that the bass could stand to be a little beefier. I like the song. Gonna put it on my phone and listen in the car later today.
Did you track the band or just mix song?
Fun song and well done! Excellent beginning. Way to grab the listener. I love you panning choices with the guitars and BG vocals. Absolutely killer bass. The guitars are fabulous! The separation and sounds are spot on. i.e. The mini solo around 2:18 is just spot on, the solo is clear but sitting right in the mix, the supporting guitars are crunchy and full. Really nice!
The only thing I can suggest, and it may be just a taste thing, is I’d like to hear more presence in the lower frequencies with the bass/kick to really drive the low end and support those excellent guitars. Maybe bump that low shelf a dB or 2 or turn up the kick a smidge? 
Also, nothing to do with your mix, but the singer was a little screechy and hard to listen to. But he grew on me the after a while.
Great tune and superb mix. Thanks!
Oh, I also choose this song from Mike Senior’s website this month 
Nice. Really nice. The arrangement is awesome. It’s very interesting to listen to. Guitars are wonderful. They’re well done and sit perfectly in the mix. There are a lot of subtle things going on that are interesting, but without feeling overdone: the back and forth with the guitars in the intro, the panning of the bckg vox. There’s a lot of change-up in which instruments are playing. It really grabs your attention. Subtle things going on in the guitars in the background that are just nice: and their loud enough that you really notice it, but not too loud that it takes over. Sounds full and well-balanced.
The drums are great. Bass and snare pop.
To my ear, the vox could be just a few dB louder overall. And maybe a little more could be done with volume automation. There are times when it seems to get buried a little bit, and I can’t understand the words.
I absolutely love what the bass is playing, but there’s something about the bass that doesn’t feel right to me. I’m not good enough to say exactly what it is, but it’s distracting to me, and cuz the bass is so nicely prominent thru the whole song it distracts me thru the whole song. I’m not sure if it’s the tone or eq. I’m wondering if it’s maybe overcompressed. Maybe it’s the attack on the compressor being too short. It almost sounds muffled or something.
Awesome song, wonderful mix, very professional sound to it. The balance and eq are beautiful.
I’m listening on my KRK VXT4 monitors. It’s quite nice.
A bunch of pre-teens? No way. 
Cool tune !
If that’s how the pre-teens play, then I’d hate to see the five-year-olds…
S
Thanks Al - I had the bass a smidgeon louder at first, then just turned it down a little after referencing. I’d be interested to get your impressions on a few other systems - thanks.
Just mixed this one - I think it’s a thing Mike Senior of Sound On Sound tracked for an article. Here’s his mix:
Thanks Mike - I’ll take another look at the low end - was referencing ACDC on this one, so that’s kind of where I was aiming at in that dept.
No worries… I thought it was a girl when I first heard it - then I found out they were pre-teens when they recorded this:
Cool - did you post your mix there?
Thanks Tesgin - yes I agree, listening back today, I noticed one or twr phrases that still need some automation help. That being said, some of the singer’s enunciation leave a bit to be desired.
I’m going for a “tucked in” vocal sound to try to achieve 2 goals: (1) As @miked noticed, the singer is a little on the screechy side, so trying to minimise listener annoyance factor, & (2) trying to keep the music sounding powerful in comparison to the vocals.
Haha, yeah wish I had a band like that in primary school!
Wow! i just looked at your link. They ARE little punk kids! Man can they play.
Fun I kinda miss when those great guitar tones go almost completely during the verse. Loses punch there for me. ???
Yup, that’s because there are actually no guitars in the verses - just bass & drums
Yup. I like this.
Things sounded balanced and punchy. Clear and dynamic.
nice groove.
Not yet 
I think you should grab your axe and doctor maybe only slightly. Needs some kick ass there. Just sayin IMHO…ha ha
You mix has a slightly raw feel which i appreciate. I think the bass and kick balance is good. Really no complaints from my end.
Haha, not a bad idea actually, Paul! But I’m trying to keep my producer hat firmly in it’s box with this stuff - I’ve probably taken enough liberties with the panning, the lo-fi stuff and the gang vocals, I think!
Cool thanks Eric - good to know.
Some of the fellas on the CMT Discussion Forum are not pleased with the snare sound - they’re saying it sounds disconnected and not quite right. I think it may be partly because they’re used to hearing the raw sound, and I’ve changed it quite a bit - not sure on that point - it’s a bit hard for me to be objective at this point, because I’m kinda digging the snare sound I got…
Another says the mix overall is a bit too harsh in the high-mids… Oh well!
I think that the snare could be pulled back a touch but it is not bad. Just a style.
That is what makes your track have that raw energy, a little less smooth. Quite frankly I think this song deserves that.
Thanks - yeah I might have a go at tucking it a little more and see if it improves it.
Quite possibly - You actually raise an interesting point: Sometimes an artistic/aesthetic decision that is the “right” choice for the vibe of the track might be the “wrong” choice from a pure “everything balanced” standpoint.
Very interesting mix from you, use usual 
I really like all your creative choices and I found them very spot on for that song. It’s way different from Mike Senior’s mix which is a bit odd to me since there are some obvious 2bus comp pump (it could be an artistic choice or a taste the band wants after all) and too much distorsion everywhere.
I don’t really have things to complain to since you know your job very well
Very nice work!
Thanks NCLS - yeah, I wasn’t too keen on Mike’s mix either. Nevertheless, I’m guessing he gave the band what they wanted.
No comparison between the two mixes. I think you are right, if these players are pre teens, they probably told him how they wanted it, and he gave it to them. Then he should have given them your mix for a few years down the road when they would know what to listen for.
You added a ton of interest to what originally sounded like a lawnmower coming at you. Great delays and throws, and a little less bite in the top end than you normally use, which is more realistic to me. You also fixed an almost unlistenable bass part, so extra points for going the extra mile.
After hearing the original mix, I did initially miss a little of the rumble that Al mentioned, but I don’t know if it’s fair to compare it that way after you transformed everything else.
Great job.