fHumbling tHrough a mInefIeld

[fHumble fHingaz]

Well, life got in the way this month, but I just managed to scrape it in.... here 'tis!

[m24p]

Channeling Katy Perry?

I'll probably give a better comment later.

[fHumble fHingaz]

Katy who?

[m24p]

Also, you stole my auto-filter idea for the bridge. :P

Cool mix, lots of ear-candy and stuff, very pop. A few of the transitions I thought didn't work as well, I gave it a few listens and 2:45 still feels "off". In general I think the cello edits needed a subtle delay on them so when they cut in and out an ambiance would linger a bit. I'd probably duck the delay slightly so that when it doesn't muddy up the cellos so much when their going. I hope that makes sense! I thought the breaths were awesome. I LOVED the under-dubbing on the vocal tracks. Perfect. I loved the smashed drum breakdown 1:08. It felt weird going to such a dry snare right after that for "start the war", though.

[drummer67]

I give you these eek guys cause when redworks gets here he will put stars all over it.. LOL.. love it man.

[Magnolius]

Very nice As always, very polished and pro-sounding! You really went pop with this mix My favorite aspects of this mix is the bass which sounds awesome and really drives the track and the dark atmosphere you have created with the wobbling synths and all the little sounds that lurks around in the background. I have very little to comment on here but I give it a go It can be that I need to get more used to all your edits (have listened to the mix 3 times...), but I feel the arrangement is getting a little too busy at times and some of the effects is a bit too prominent. Of course in a competition like this you listen a bit differently and unusual edits tend to stick out, but ideally you should still just hear the song and its emotional content and not really notice the effects. Don't get me wrong this is not a problem really but just a comment on how I felt while listening to the track for what it's worth Also, my favorite part of the mix is the "it can't be bought and it can be sold" part, surprisingly as it can easily sound like a filler, so great work there

[fHumble fHingaz]

Thanks for the listens & comments, guys!

[redworks]

Lots of fun in this mix. You really took it and made it your own. The thing that jumps out to me the most though is your vocals they are impeccable, the breaths are rocking, wow is what i have to say about them. 5 stars for the vocals alone and if i can i will through another 4 on for the fun edits and the great dynamics. Your underdubbing is a lesson all to itself. Dude i would love to be able to help you in your progression as a mixer but every time i listen through one of your mixes i am just too busy learning myself to really be able to focus. I am listen to it again to mention some things this time. There are a few times when you are transitioning that the rhythm section (snare in particular) feels a little squashed like they are hitting the limiter to hard (1:18 is an example). Even the explosions near that end have that feel. Also i think you could have added just a touch of delay to the cellos but i don't know if it would fit the way you have it right now the choruses sound pretty full and like they have no space left. They just feel like they need just a little more space. Well done another one of your mixes puts me to shame. Your creativity is really shining through in these contests.

[drummer67]

See fHumble fHingaz, I told you he would put his stars everywhere..LOL..

[IMF OnSite Recording]

Interesting! I like how everything but the drums drop out. And I like the wah! Was that a guitar!? Its awesome! You did all sorts of unique things in this mix I don't know where to begin! The dropout before the second verse was awesome. I like your kick, sounds similar to one I know of .

Although unique, the chorus feels alittle choppy for my taste but its nothing sonically wrong - it sounds loud and tight. I may be hearing a alittle clipping after the second chorus, I dont know if thats intentional or not.

Last chorus is real interesting, this really seals the deal as it builds back up to a full blast, and then ends real well.

This is a very unique and awesome mix, you kept the whole song interesting! Awesome job man!

EDIT: I had to listen again, This mix is way trippy - and I absolutely love it. This is like a new genre now. Well done fHumble, I'll have to download this one!

[fHumble fHingaz]

the breaths are rocking,

Thanks! That was a last-minute brainstorm thing - It's a little "collage" of breaths from the lead vocal track

Dude i would love to be able to help you in your progression as a mixer

Don't worry, Red - you definitely are - your comments are well noted - I can't believe how much this contest has helped my mixing!

This is a very unique and awesome mix, you kept the whole song interesting! Awesome job man!

EDIT: I had to listen again, This mix is way trippy - and I absolutely love it. This is like a new genre now. Well done fHumble, I'll have to download this one!

Thanks Ian! Interesting is definitely what I was aiming at, so I'm chuffed!

[danmanisa]

You made it! Thought someone may have made you have a little "accident" after some of the last month's posts!

Seems like there's lots of ear candy to be had here. Interesting wah effect.... Not sure what I think of that yet. I'll listen again soon as it is so different.Listened again, like it more each time I hear it. I like more that the wah appears close to, but not exactly in time with the beat (I'm pretty sure). If it was bang on, I think it would be quite annoying but this seems to work well.
I really like how the vocals of the first verse are left to take the load and other parts are underdubbed to make way.
One thing I really want to know is how you get the mix to sound so tight dynamically, yet you have so many stops, and choppy drum hits etc. There's no pumping yet it feels professionally tight (not squashed, but really harnessed for lack of a better term). Of course, you may tell me but then I may be subjected to an "accident"....
Well FF, as usual, everything is sonically and spatially fantastic (might change your name to Fantsatic Fingers, as there appears to be little fumbling at all! ).

To be completely honest, the only criticism I have is that maybe there is too much going on. I felt like it struggled to get into a groove before a new thing was introduced (which I actually felt was a problem with the song itself and I was very conscious of it when I was trying things out too!). If I go on the sonics and quality of the mix, it is damn well near perfect (bastard! ) but to how it plays as a song, I felt it was a little too crazy. Of course this is just my opinion and the obvious irony of me telling a multiple winner, forever finalist that his mix is too crazy is not lost on me at all!!!

Hope that makes sense, great mix once again!!!

[fHumble fHingaz]

Hey Dan, thanks for the review...

There's no pumping yet it feels professionally tight (not squashed, but really harnessed for lack of a better term).

This is really good to hear - If the Slate Cup has helped me with one thing, it is to gain more confidence in my sonic decisions, which is a big step for me... I'm gradually getting more decisive & not second-guessing myself so much.

I don't know if it's the "placebo effect" or not, but I feel the Slate VTM & VCC are really making mixing easier in terms of ease in getting balances with less "fiddling around".... I don't know if that makes sense or not (I know it probably sounds like some kind of lame endorsement, but it's not)... or, it could be just that "practice makes..." well... better anyway!

To be completely honest, the only criticism I have is that maybe there is too much going on. I felt like it struggled to get into a groove before a new thing was introduced (which I actually felt was a problem with the song itself and I was very conscious of it when I was trying things out too!). If I go on the sonics and quality of the mix, it is damn well near perfect (bastard! ) but to how it plays as a song, I felt it was a little too crazy.

Hope that makes sense

I really appreciate your honesty, & that's a very fair comment ...I guess my "ADD" approach on this is sure to divide opinion

Thanks very much for listening & commenting!

[chckn8r]

That kick drum is fantastic - really nice and punchy without overpowering things!

Dude, you are a fiend with delays - the beats in the chorus made the energy go up nicely. And the breaks you put in the cello part worked so nicely! Nice break at the end - holy shit, that's fantastic!!!

What track did that breath come from that you have throughout? I like how you've mangled the virus - please do share the chain you put that through. The only thing that stuck out to me was the tremolo at the beginning being dotted eighths (or something - was that triggered manually?) kind of messed the vibe up for me.

I LOVE, love, love all the creative easter eggs you put throughout this.

Woo Hoo!!!!

D

[Ableton_Love]

Bar none, this has got to be the most creative mix that I've heard so far. I'm betting you could be an amazing producer for any of your clients. And if you happen to do tracking at all, you should so have a separate fee to get your producer skills if they want it. I imagine you're the type of mixer who thinks about 100 different ideas before settling on a part.You kind of turned this into a whole new song..I barely recognize it.

As far as the overall mix, there were a few things that I could comment on. The kick seems to be breaking up to me a little bit. Not like crazy distortion, but a little crackly..mostly in lilke the beginning when there's not a whole lot of other stuff going on.

I wasn't crazy about the drum sound. It's that super close-mic'd sound so all the drums seem like they're all separate instruments rather than part of a full kit. By pumping up that room sound it could really beef that whole kit up and make it a little more exciting and realistic to listen to.

This mix felt a little bit thin to me. It is all clear and balanced, but when I turn it up, it just doesn't slam like I hoped it would.

But of course, creatively this would be quite hard to beat

[fHumble fHingaz]

Thanks for the listens, comments & suggestions, guys!

What track did that breath come from that you have throughout?

That was just the lead vocal track - there are some spots with great heavy breathing on them!

The kick seems to be breaking up to me a little bit.

Yeah, I deliberately used parallel distortion on the kick to give it a little bit of an urban/pop vibe.

I wasn't crazy about the drum sound. It's that super close-mic'd sound so all the drums seem like they're all separate instruments rather than part of a full kit. By pumping up that room sound it could really beef that whole kit up and make it a little more exciting and realistic to listen to.

I did play around with the idea of using more room sound, but I settled on a decidedly "artificial" direction - I sent the room mics only through the UAD 1176 on "Nuke" mode (all buttons in) for that brief break in the middle, & I also used the room mic in the mix, but I sent it through some crazy fx to create a lot of random glitchy noise.

Thanks again!

[Lukasca]

Very, Very good and interesting mix. What you did to the virus was brilliant. Also liked very much the way you managed to put in front those small details the singer gave in the center vocals.

Sometimes I feel that there are too many sounds at a time, but I have felt that with almost all the mixes I've heard so far, so maybe it's a taste thing and something I have to take in account for my all time second mix (in the august comp )

Again, very good job and would very much get some tips from you!

[Jjsodarock]

Hey fHumble,
> There is no question that you are an extreemly talented man, and very gratuitous with your knowlage. This track is almost an exhibition of that talant rather than that of the Talant. It is abserdly impressive how you get all of your tracks to sound so clear
and well defined. Because of you, my high and low pass filter chops are being exercised in a much more aggresive fasion with more thought to how each filter will relate to the next. Thanks a bunch for that lesson (and many others). IMHO you went to far
with the over-all FX package. Not singling out any one fx treatment. Good work, Jojo

[fHumble fHingaz]

too many sounds at a time

IMHO you went to far
with the over-all FX package

.

hmmm... seems to be a pattern developing here ... I think perhaps I may have pushed the boundaries of good taste a little too far... oh well, it seemed like a good idea at the time

Thanks for the comments, guys!

[chckn8r]

)I think perhaps I may have pushed the boundaries of good taste a little too far... oh well, it seemed like a good idea at the time

No way ff. It's all a matter of taste. I love ear candy and I was mesmerized by all the stuff you did. That's the kind of thing that keeps me interested. I thought you packed a lot in there, but with taste and skill that didn't detract from the big picture.

Keep it up ff!

[kakeux]

I'm looking forward to hearing your mix...I'm still in a place where I can't listen to anything and i was really hoping you post a mix for this month...now you did and I can't listen..grrrrr

[fHumble fHingaz]

No way ff. It's all a matter of taste. I love ear candy and I was mesmerized by all the stuff you did. That's the kind of thing that keeps me interested. I thought you packed a lot in there, but with taste and skill that didn't detract from the big picture.

Keep it up ff!

Thanks Dave - Something inside me makes me want to go a bit bezerk with fx every time I do an electronic mix - it feels so open & unrestricted compared to mixing rock tracks - I think you know what I mean!

I'm looking forward to hearing your mix...I'm still in a place where I can't listen to anything and i was really hoping you post a mix for this month...now you did and I can't listen..grrrrr

Thanks K - I can assure you though - mine has explosions in it too!

[Kannix]

Very interesting mix to listen to, many small things popping up to keep it interesting and make it different to other mixes. Must have been a lot of work to think about it and make it work. But one thing: I think, the whole mix is a little bit too heavy in the low mids, approx.at 300 Hz. This gives the impression of not enough clarity.
But this is easy to fix (and possibly only my opinion). Aside from that this is again a very good work of you.
Regards, Kannix

[fHumble fHingaz]

Hey Kannix, thanks for the comment & suggestion...

I think, the whole mix is a little bit too heavy in the low mids, approx.at 300 Hz. This gives the impression of not enough clarity.

This is interesting - I'm not denying that you're hearing that - it's just that it surprises me, because one of the last things I did was to take out a little 300hz on the mix overall with the UAD Pultec Pro on the master buss. Actually, when I was referencing other similar-genre mixes against mine, I felt mine was a little lacking in that area if anything - sometimes it seemed a little too clinical & clear in the low mids... If I took out too much more 300hz, the mix seemed to lose "meat" & punch.

Thanks again!

[jerze]

Another great mix fh. I thought you handled the vocal nicely (tuning and volume) that new melodyne plug-in comes in handy. Very creative idea using the breaths in the back ground
Nice moog sound in pre chorus and lead section not sure how you did it but sounds great?
just a lot of creative things going on.