ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 You did not completely lose my respect just yet. That's why I'm still willing to share this with you all. I am willing to let you feed on this. Learn from this. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 As much as I am disappointed in humanity, I cannot help myself but stand for the goodness. Stand for truth. For love. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 It's just that lately I tend to love myself by picking you out of me. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 Those who don't create dictate Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 Ok. We're 50 pages in... I think it's time to talk music. And I mean, let's get technical. Let's tweak around. I might just throw you a golden nugget or two. I might reveal a couple of juicy music production secrets. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 The EP is just over 20 minutes long. 4 tracks. Each track is a perfect standalone piece, but it could be said that there is a larger picture, a theme, an overarching concept at play, as well. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 It is all already written, recorded, mixed and mastered. It is done. It's just not as perfect as I know it can be. I want to make a slightly better mix. Fatter and punchier. But not harsher nor muddier. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 It can be more powerful and potent, without losing its classiness and elegance. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 Here is the structure of the mix: Up front, dead center, big and punchy but very natural sounding kick and snare. Wonderful sparkly cymbals surrounding them. 4 warm, round, yummy toms. Drums are the loudest element. Carrying the entire mix. Just below, still dead center, is the bass. Guitars and keyboards, panned left and right, bleeding into it. Piano and Strings are positioned slightly above the guitars. Still fairly well blended, but distinctive enough to catch ones attention. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 Lots of presence and strong lower mids. Taming all the harsh upper mids and trebles. Bellow 250hz is arguably where my weakness lies. I must make my bass and my kick be best friends. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 An absolute necessity... a boost at 1250hz on guitars and 1650hz on the bass. Gives it that yummy sparkle and bite. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 I've got all the means necessary. All the equipment I need. I've got the skills too. I just need that extra little magic. The stars must align. I need to hear what I want to hear and capture it for an eternity. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 Fine. I'll let you know which plugins/VSTs I'm using, stop begging me! For drums I use GGD 2 Matt Halpern sample pack. That's right. Premium sounding top notch quality drum samples. For bass I'm using Wave's Bass Fingers. It's fucking nice, is what it is. So smooth. So fat. For guitars... You guessed it... Neural DSP... Archetype Abasi. Why? Simple. A plugin made with an 8 string guitar in mind. It's fire. It's future. Spitfire BBC orchestra for strings and spitfire for piano too. Just amazing, full, rich sounding plugins. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 It took me a bit over a year to write and record this EP, and I wasn't pressuring myself. Counting that I came up with a completely new sound, completely new style... That's record speed. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 I want my kick to cut through the mix nice and clean, but I don't want it too clicky. That works in metal, not in soft prog rock. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 If you want to achieve a very nice, well balanced, rich and full, healthy sounding mix... ... Mix quietly. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 You need your ears to adjust to absolute silence first... you need to be one with the breath.. and then you will hear everything you must hear. I suggest starting from zero and building up to one quarter of maximum volume. Not more. Once you are ready to walk away from the mix, you can give it a listen at 50%. Heck, 100% even. But for the love of God, please don't mix that loud. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 You lose perspective (and your hearing) faster than you can blink, if you are mixing at loud volumes. You must stay above the mix, at all times. You must pay close attention. Mix quietly. Enjoy the final product loudly. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 There is too much air in my mix, as of now. Trapped somewhere between 150hz and 250hz. I must tighten that area. Just not too much. I am not exactly a fan of completely lifeless, airless mixes either. Not for this kind of music, at least. It must vibrate freely, there must be spaciousness, air and some magic dust in the background. But where it needs to be tight and punchy, it must be. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivankiss Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 For guitars, I'm going with that old school fuzzy overdrive meets tight modern sparkle signature tone. Quote Mention Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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