Mix Needs Improvement, Outdated Sounds?

[iplaydatmusic]

I recently got a return where the reviewer checked some boxes after some ok/acceptable feedback on the arrangement (which I can understand). I'm concerned about these boxes that were checked stating that my sounds/samples sound dated or of lower quality, my recording/mix needs improvement, and it's not broadcast quality. The pitch was for remakes/re-arrangements of popular songs for a music library. Here's my link:

https://www.taxi.com/members/mV76KnzKSU ... -mom-remix

I wonder if there's a Taxi standard for the reviewer listening environment, monitor setup/quality, etc.? Or is it just whatever the reviewer has? Are they listening with iPod headphones on the bus? I don't know.
I can understand that my tune was not what they were looking for and was not an exciting enough arrangement, etc. But checking these other boxes seems all too easy and yet means a lot to me.

I've spent quite a bit of time and money to build a studio with as much care as I can in a home space for control room shape, acoustic treatment, monitor placement for the mixing spot, studio monitor quality (Focal Solo Be6, no less), and even using the Sonarworks 4 calibration with the purchased mic for referenced sound. I use a Sonarworks calibration preset for my AKG K702 headphones too when I do periodic checks on headphones. I also check my finished and mastered mix on various speaker systems, Sonos speaker, iPhone, car, etc. For vocals I'm using a Neumann U87 ai mic going through a Grace M101 preamp recorded into Pro Tools HDX at 96kHz/24 bit. After recently completing a Masters Certificate from online Berklee College of Music in Producing Music with Pro Tools and finishing with straight A's, I must really suck, have bad hearing, or someone has been lying to me! I can't imagine it's not high enough quality/mixed well enough, and I've had my music/mixes played on TV shows and movies in the past before Taxi and the mixes were definitely inferior to my current output! I'm not saying I'm CLA by any means and I always want to improve any way I can, but something's off to me about this.

In addition, if this list of instrumentation on this song is not of high enough quality or sounds dated, then I'm not sure what else I could buy/change! Please let me know anybody!
Keyscape Piano
Kontakt 12 Ultimate Synths/VI
Roland Cloud
Omnispere 2
UVI Falcon 2
Output Arcade Subscription
Superior Drummer 3 New York Studios Vol 2 SDX, with a kit recored in NY Allaire Studios (FYI I am a drummer)

I know this is only one person's opinion, but they are the gatekeepers to my Nirvana and any way that I need to improve I am determined to do it!
Thanks for listening to my rant!

[lesmac]

I heard a couple of things that might be the culprits. The vocal production . A bit more tuning, tightening and sauce.

The snare didn't sound like a ballad snare, more a funk snare?

There seemed to be a lot of low mids [and mids I think] as well as sub bass maybe unbalancing the mix.

Some of the synth leads, one that came in later could have been doubled up with something else. It sounded a bit thin.

You may have cooked your ears on this one? It happens! You get so into it and hearing it over and over and it becomes the new normal.

[Kolstad]

Write, submit, forget, repeat.

[cosmicdolphin]

Hey Chris

I haven't seen the Listing for this but you have a very impressive studio and all the tools at your disposal to make Broadcast Quality music. You say you had placements in the past so although times may have changed you did it once so you can do it again.

Stacey's Mom the production does indeed sound dated to me so I'm with the screener on that one. Had I been asked to place the era I would have said it sound like the mid / late nineties. I believe the original FOW is around 2009 ?

Having read the gear list there's one thing left in your studio you may need to update, and that's your taste. This is difficult because we like what we like and what we like is informed by what we grow up with. All my favourite albums are late 80's - 90s before everything was polished and tuned to perfection in Pro Tools.....but...that's not usually what they want so I had to update myself to get anywhere.

So the things that put your track into a dated sound:-

1. The Arp synth..a very 90s type production staple.
2. Floaty reverb/delay..also a dated production style..brings to mind Enya
3. Too many long legato instruments, these tend to drag and make things sound slower
4. Drums. These sound kinda thin and papery and don't cut through the mix very well. They aren't the drum sounds I would have chosen for this.
5. Fake sounding guitar that seems just play the same thing on a loop
6. Some timing issues ? There's so much going on it's kinda hard to pick out. The snare and the click seem to land at different times. The arp synth and the pianos seem to be playing patterns that may not go together. Hard to say from the way it's mixed, maybe it's a delay that's throwing some things out.
7. The little riser / lazer effect..also dated
8. MIx is kinda muddy / murky it's hard to pick anything out as there's little separation. This can go back as far arrangement not just the mix, so if you've picked several instruments all playing in the same register ( Arp- Piano - Guitar-strings ) and then send them all to a dense reverb/delay then even CLA is going to struggle to get a clear mix.

It a tough ask taking a fairly up tempo indie rock type song and slowing it down. Most of the songs that do this go for a trailer-esque type production. See here for examples https://ew.com/movies/2018/01/27/movie- ... gs-ranked/

Or they take a slower song and speed it up , turn a ballad into a rocker or something. What you don't want to do is take something exciting and make it bland.

I suspect you haven't used any reference tracks in your DAW session so you can A/B your production against others in the genre. I think this is the best way to apply what you've learned by emulating the mixes of successful tracks. Borrow all their best ideas and production tricks, actually write out a list of all the things they do in a reference and have it to hand whilst making your own tracks. Also put playlists together , I do it on Spotify and then when I'm driving to work all week I'm listening to the type of music they want and some of it will rub off on you.

Unfortunately there is no special short cut door into the industry that says ' Berklee Graduates this way ->->-> ' ...they don't care. They only care that you can make what they and their clients need.

Hope that is of some help.

Mark

[cassmcentee]

My ears hear a contrast problem...
The piece starts with a wide stereo synth that sounds great, modern.
But then it seems like everything else is straight up the middle...
No modern production chops there...

Female vocal chops get a 95% positive
Male vocal 60%, doesn't help the female that much, more a distraction to my ears...
Thoughts...

[iplaydatmusic]

Thanks everyone for the critiques! As suggested, revisit for improvements, try to make things clearer, and more balanced, not muddy, compare to modern productions - yes! Also, no excuses I know, but I am having hard time regarding the deadlines to make enough time to "ruminate" on the tune and production, and leave enough time to make changes, and do the A/B comparisons to get a better perspective. That would help me and I see it showed. So barely making the deadline is stressing me and I need to figure that out. And as mentioned about the male vocal, it started out that way since this was a male vocal tune as released, but that was not going to work on it's own, so adding the female vocal saved the vocal part of the performance I thought. Later after I finished I wished that it was only female vocal. That singer is only 15, and I will be working with her again, as soon as this distancing mandate is retracted. Thank you again, your advice is valuable.

[cosmicdolphin]

I am having hard time regarding the deadlines to make enough time to "ruminate" on the tune and production, and leave enough time to make changes, and do the A/B comparisons to get a better perspective.

Use in depth analysis of reference tracks to ensure that you won't need to make changes down the line. Get it right from the beginning and it will speed up your production time. It's usually bad decisions early in the process that cause delays.

Think of the reference tracks like recipe cards, write down the ingredients you hear and use the same ingredients to make your own dish.

I.e : Intro . 808 sub kick on 1&3 beat. Dark Ambient Piano chords with delay playing 8th notes in low register. Finger snaps on 2 & 4. Reverse vocal reverb riser into first verse.

Should take about 15 mins or so per song but it helps keep the production focused.

Mark

[ResonantTone]

Use in depth analysis of reference tracks to ensure that you won't need to make changes down the line. Get it right from the beginning and it will speed up your production time. It's usually bad decisions early in the process that cause delays.

This is good advice. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to the reference tracks once, did a track, then went back and listened again after I was done and realized all the stuff I should have done to get it closer. Having a good roadmap from the beginning goes a long way.

Also, REFERENCE by mastering the mix is a really great tool for seamlessly a/b-ing a reference track from within your project. Gives you lots of info regarding eq-band comparisons, how compressed your track is vs the reference, and even allows you to hear the tracks at the same level as the reference so you aren't fooled into thinking "louder always sounds better" trap.

Best of luck with your endeavors!

Andrew