Raw Anxious Hands

Help me understand why I like the raw track better than the final mix.

I found MajorDundee's comments on Regrets very helpful, I can hear how the hard pan on the guitars in the rough mix opens everything up compared to the final. So I thought I'd post before and after versions of the song from that session that I liked the least in the final mix and ask for some feedback.

Don't worry about hurting my feelings-- I didn't mix it, I'm just looking to learn some thngs that could help me out in future sessions.

posted by InfidelZombie (6 comments total)

Yeah, I like the wide panning on the raw version. The v2 version sounds a little squished into the middle -- I've got nothing against mono, but on v2 it sounds like the band just...doesn't take up much space? (Compared to the dirty guitar blast from the 2006 version, especially.)

I'm not a big fan of the drum sound on either version; I feel like they could use a little more uhh!!. (I am not sure how to put this in proper engineer lingo.) They're a little tame, maybe -- not the playing, but the sound. Maybe they're too dry for me.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 2:12 AM on June 16

I'm pretty sure it's the panning. This isn't a song where you really want to tinker with the "space" of it throughout the song, because it doesn't really pay off by squishing the guitars to the middle just so the backing vocals can "stick out" in the wide panning. I say go with the wide guitars.
posted by chimaera at 12:16 PM on June 16

Definitely what those guys ^ said.

On the first track I can hear every instrument clearly and brightly (including some bitchen bass rumble), but the vox is a bit low.

On the second I'm struggling to hear the voice of each instrument. I'm really missing the original dynamics, but then the vocal is just right.

I think the Major's suggestions are pretty good, but were probably meant to be a very subtle fine tuning.

I'd love to hear the original with the vocal level brought up just a bit...maybe just a little more than a bit.
posted by snsranch at 4:45 PM on June 16

The lack of panning is an issue -- the first track has a sense of space, a band playing in a room -- but there's barely any low-end on the mixed track as well. On the raw track I can hear the bass guitar and a bit of kick and on the mixed track there's far less.

Maybe post your raw source tracks so people can take a shot at mixing?
posted by frenetic at 5:07 AM on June 17

Wish I had access to the source tracks, but this was done a couple years back and I never got a copy.

Thanks everybody for your comments, I appreciate the input.
posted by InfidelZombie at 5:23 PM on June 17

yeah the Raw mix totally sounds better. Fuller.
posted by mary8nne at 5:43 AM on July 1