Help with my mix PLEASE!!

[HR123]

Hello all,

I started a session last week, a hip hop type track for a local guy, he brought a drum loop in that he liked, and then we recorded live drum tracks over the loop, added some strings from a yamaha motif, and vibes from the same synth, we added some live guitar, a line 6 spider amp with a 57 on it, and scratch vocal track, no bass yet, problem is the whole mix sounds so BIG, not like reverb big but boomy big each track byitself sounds great, but together the mix is huge!! nothing seems to sit right, it all sounds outside the box ya know? did I do something wrong? is there a way to fix it and tighten it up. Thanks

[Chris Cavell]

Welcome to mixing. Try using EQ and Panning to help different sounds sit where they need to in the mix. They are dozens of articles/tutorials on the web about using EQ, panning, and compression in mixing that you can use as starting points.

[technician]

DONT listen to things on there own. it's not how they sound individually, it's how they sound together as a mix. if something sounds thin and weak when solo'd that is probably a good sign (not always, but usually). always keep that in mind. and when using eq, always take away! you should never boost, unless you have too. take away everything before adding something (in eq'ing). hope that helps you out.

[HR123]

hey, thanks

thats great advice, what I was doing to compensate for the boomy sound was to try to EQ the whole mix on a master fader with the EQ Plug on it, that messed it up even more, so I took it off, I took all four live drum tracks, and bussed them to a reverb, very slight reverb on the drums, The boom got worse, I tried to compress the drumms, no luck, So I will try you suggestions tonight, any others would be great.

Thanks

[Calvin]

Figure out what region the sound is in that is making it overly boomy. For me this is usually in around the 125-300 hz range. Now go back threw and figure out what instruments don't need that range. Put on some high pass filters to cut off the certain tracks before it gets boomy. I often find my self cutting guitars in that low of range, I'm sure your strings could easily have the low end cut out of them. Just try a few things see what works.

[Travis Mitchell]

Here is a way you might want to go about mixing this particular project. Turn everything to infinity, all the way down. Than build the mix, piece by piece. Seeing as how the material is rap, the first thing I would do is bring up the main rhythm tracks. Drums, bass, anything crucial to the 'groove'. Set levels, eq, etc. until you have a comfortable rhythm bed. Next, bring up the vocals and do the same. After all that is said and done, starting incorporating the other instruments/noises/etc. Beat, smash, break, and tweeze things until they comfortable fit around the rhythm and vocals. I say this because, Rap music is predominantly centered around beats and rhymes. Those are the aspects I would be paying special attention too. Everything else can almost be viewed as expendable.

That's my take on it. DON'T think you have to do things ANY certain way. You CAN Eq soloed tracks, you CAN turn the vocal way down. Its whatever YOU want to do and what works best for YOU.
Find a method and milk it for all its worth.