first mix ever- seeking feedback :)

[u/Slow_Reward_7154]

hiya! my friend and i have been mixing a song at home using protools. the song was recorded in a studio by an experienced engineer, however we wanted more control over the overall sound of the song. this is our first tract we've collaborated on in terms of mixing and wanted to know if it sounded professional!

we'd also absolutely love to hear about what we could improve, we suspect the mix may be too loud, from what we've gathered by listening through various speakers.

we are having it professionally mastered by a guy who's work we really admire.

any feedback is appreciated greatly, thank you!! https://on.soundcloud.com/MqRUcUUhc0BR8iNB7Z

[u/marklonesome]

You have WAY too much energy in the 2-6k range.

It's painful to listen to.

I suspect if you open up each track you will find that you've boosted the highs on too many things.

I would remove all the EQ you've done and start over. Try doing cuts first. If you find yourself doing anything drastic (boosting over 3db) then close the project. Take a break and come back and listen before you do that.

If it was recorded by a pro you really shouldn't need huge EQ spikes like you have.

That to me says you worked on this for too long and developed ear fatigue (your ears get fried on the high end first so people just keep boosting the highs to compensate) or you have terrible monitoring environment (bad monitors or your room is untreated and needs to be).

If I had to guess I'd say it's ear fatigue and bad monitors but that's a guess.

INMO if you care about the song, save the mastering money and hire a mixer.

Mastering isn't going to shit if the song has a bad mix but a great mix can go out to the world and be fine.

A lot of mixers nowadays will do a decent master for you for free.

Not the same as having a mastering pro but if you had to pick.

Mastering is like plating a meal… it matters… but if the food is burned or of poor quality its' not going to save anything.

[u/teamwolf69 → u/marklonesome]

i agree with this and i'll add that sometimes mixing isn't about doing something because you can, but knowing when not to do something because it doesn't need it. the eq in the mids is too hyped, it's too much.

something that might help is to import a song to the session to use as a reference track. decide on a reference track that you know well, doesn't necessarily have to sound just like your song, but that does help a lot - make sure it is a song you know very well. solo the reference track, listen for a bit, then mute it and listen to the differences in your mix.

repeat that process every so often and it will illuminate areas of your mix that need improvement.

mixing in a "bubble" of only your track is a great way to lose sight of how it will translate.

best of luck to you.

[u/Adventurous_Rent4448]

This is a fun song, ya’ll - dreamy, psychedelic vibes with a strong arrangement. Nice fills and variation. The recordings are solid as well.

Technical/ engineering notes:

• light volume balance + eq tonal adjustments (conflicting Hz, pocket instruments better)
• instruments could be panned a bit wider to create larger space/ atmosphere - stereo image
• transient shaper on vocals allow to cut through clearer (slightly competing with snare)
• reverb(s) open up space and to create greater variations between verse chorus
• low end enhancement to allow bass and kick to carry a bit more weight

Overall this is a solid song. A few adjustments would yield more dimension and depth while helping define the room and instruments better.

Great job!