2 Forwards-BLUES-Inspired ROCK INSTRUMENTAL CUES-How to make "more robust"

[steveprobst]

I listened to Guy Clark Jr. example for "Gritty City Blues"and Dan Auerbach for "My Edgy Blues"

http://steveprobst.net/blog/blog/taxi-m ... strumental

Though they were forwarded, my question: How to better these tracks by making them "more robust" and "big and thumpy"?
Any mixing/mastering words of wisdom, guys? I am planning on checking out more vid tutorials on such things. (New Logic X- so focused on that)

From the screener "The recording could be a whole lot more robust, and I feel the tracks do suffer a bit from not siding as big and thumpy as they should."

BLUES-Inspired ROCK INSTRUMENTAL CUES are needed by a large TV Production Company's Non-Exclusive, In-House Music Library for a bunch of placements in several really popular Reality TV Shows. They're looking for Mid-to-Up-Tempo Blues-y Rock Cues that sound like they come from an artist or band that would be on a playlist with artists/acts like Gary Clark Jr., Dan Auerbach, Patrick Sweany, etc., etc., etc. ...Please submit well-crafted, Blues-Inspired Rock Cues that have a soulful, gritty, and edgy vibe. A typical rock band rhythm section like guitar, bass, and drums will work best for this pitch. Build your Cue around a central melodic motif that has a simple, hooky, and engaging quality to it. Add and subtract layers of Instrumentation as your Cue progresses to add dynamics and keep if from sounding too repetitive or linear. Avoid anything overly bombastic, or guitar solos in the higher registers, as they could distract from the dialog in a scene. Imagine the music you'd hear while walking into a gritty, dimly-lit dive bar. That's what they need!

[andygabrys]

There are likely many things you could do, both in mixing and in mastering.

As far as impact of the master - listening to a live version of Bright Lights on Youtube (which is volume limited to make all videos more or less the same apparent volume to the ear) it sounded louder and more full than either of your pieces.

So my first comment would be use your limiter a little harder to get more apparent volume to the ear on your pieces.

After that - A/B for fine balances and instrumental tone.

Hope that helps.

[4onTheFloor]

Hey Steve. Nice tracks! Congratulations! I am certainly no expert but I have had some luck with a mix like this recently and it boiled down to making the drums and bass more pronounced and up front (in your face) via sidechained compresion on the entire drum set and then blending to taste, as well as triggering a compresser on the bass guitar via the kick drum so that it drops the bass guitar by about 3db every time the kick drum plays. It really helped to add definition to both instruments within the mix. I also used Andrew Scheps' parallel mix trick on it. Here are some links below to awesome videos demonstrating some of these techniques. In addition, I added some triggered drums to the mix to really get the kick and snare sound that the song needed....at least in my opinion. I'll try to link you to my song on here later. Hopefully these are tricks that might help you! - Ryan

https://youtu.be/VR1tDwl0r5k
https://youtu.be/0eL2-I1Hf1Q

[Piewackit1]

Congrats on the forwards. I got two forwarded on this one as well. I would say Andy has the right idea, use your limiter to get a more in your face sound. That is what I do. I also use triggers on the snare and Kick and use the Soft Tube saturation knob on guitars as well as drums(not the overheads).

Here is one of my songs( with lyrics) that was forwarded. https://soundcloud.com/piewackit-1/hey- ... ut-nothing

I hope this helps.

Jeff

[Len911]

Though they were forwarded, my question: How to better these tracks by making them "more robust" and "big and thumpy"?
Any mixing/mastering words of wisdom, guys? I am planning on checking out more vid tutorials on such things. (New Logic X- so focused on that)
From the screener "The recording could be a whole lot more robust, and I feel the tracks do suffer a bit from not siding as big and thumpy as they should."

I don't know if you could "better" the tracks, they sounded really good to me. I'm not really a guitar person, but they sounded like they were played on a Fender and not a Gibson?? Eric Clapton, first on a Gibson, then on a Fender.
https://youtu.be/vtja2d3594M?list=PLr84 ... n-ynRp-dNr
https://youtu.be/RBSaCAxJMdI

[dbmeaudio]

Hey Steve,

It's Del... Eagles trib guitarist/vocalist... we met at the Rally. Great job on the blues forwards... hope u get the gig.

[steveprobst]

Thanks for y'all's input and links! I'll be checking things out! The learning never ends and the music keeps coming.
A most wonderful "viciously" fun cycle.

Hi Del and thanks!

[SteveC]

Hi Steve,

congrats! Nicely done.

st

[aussierocker]

Nice work Steve - both tracks are right on the money! A couple of questions:
- how did you get the guitar tone? Are you using amp sims or micing your rig? I really like the bite...
- are the drums live or programmed with midi? As a guitar player I always struggle with drums - the screeners often reject them as too stiff. Any tips you can share?

Thanks!!
Pete

[steveprobst]

Nice work Steve - both tracks are right on the money! A couple of questions:
- how did you get the guitar tone? Are you using amp sims or micing your rig? I really like the bite...
- are the drums live or programmed with midi? As a guitar player I always struggle with drums - the screeners often reject them as too stiff. Any tips you can share?

Thanks!!
Pete

Thanks Pete......I haven't miced an amp in years since I started working with Logic! lol It's all Logic 8 amp sims usually built from scratch and imagination.

The first song "Gritty City Blues" are stock Logic drum loops so they sound pretty real.
The second "My Edgy Blue" are programmed by hand. I just try to think like a drummer and use my ear.

I'm just now getting into Logic X with the drummer feature that will match whatever you're playing with a nice drum track that can be edited however you like - where I'm hoping I'll spend less time programming by hand!
I think maybe drum plugins do this too? EZ Drummer, etc?