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I have been recording about 3-5 cues per week nearly all year (since Jan/Feb). I finally feel like my mixes are improving and I also have new samples (kontakt komplete 11). I would love some feedback on my latest tracks. Here is my soundcloud page:
The “newer” ones are at the top (2-3 funk tunes and a tune called “shady character”). The older ones are near the bottom. I know there is still much room for improvement and I would love to hear some feedback!
Listening to “Funky Fresh” there might be a few mix issues to my ears. I’m just listening on my generic computer speakers though. Are you using a high pass eq filter on each track? Because it sounds like the lower frequencies might be piling up and making things muddy. The drums seem a bit buried below everything especially the melody instrument. Do you do any “groove quantizing”? This is where you extract a groove from a track (usually drums) and use that as a base for the timing of the other tracks. Sometimes works for a better overall feel.
Hi there Brian Mc. For me it’s a timing issue with the funk tracks. Seems like you need to really “Get in That Pocket a little more, and make it Greasy”. I enjoyed the Halloween/Eerie side of your work, and that seems to be in your wheelhouse. Have you thought about getting a few of your pieces professionally mixed? That way you can hear what you sound like, and get a better frame of what you need to do when you are working on your own mixes..
The problem was that I couldn’t bring the drums up at all without them clipping,
Compression, limiting and manual editing (envelopes) will help. Also, start mixing with the drums and bass soloed and bring in the other instruments as you progress.
So essentially i should scoop out the low frequencies of everything except drums and bass?
Essentially, yes. For drums and bass, determine which frequency has the highest peak (loudest volume) for each. If it’s the same frequency for both, bring that frequency down in one to make room for the other.
How do you create a “Groove quantization”?
Depends on your software. Basically, if your drums are audio data the software determines where the peaks are hitting and can apply this information to another part, audio or MIDI, duplicating the feel. Takes trial and error of course.
By “getting in the pocket and making it greasy” do you mean that it should be tighter? Or maybe play behind the beat a little?
To be honest, it doesn’t lock, and it feels like it doesn’t “Groove”. Timing and rhythm are pretty much everything in Funk/Soul/R&B, and if “it rushes the beat, or sits behind the beat it just needs to “uniformly flow”‘..
Not trying to be funny, I would listen to lots of this guy for the clavinet/rhodes funk grooves. You have picked one of the hardest genres to define musically , it really is all about the feel.
Also Bruno M
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