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XMAS-Contest 2020/2021

Mix by The Maybe Next Years

03:17
0:00

Uploaded: 3 years ago | US/Arizona

Online voting

This song has received 2 votes.


Participant: The Maybe Next Years

Thank you for participating in the HOFA XMAS MIX CONTEST! We'd like to give you a short feedback to your contribution.

All in all you have submitted a decent mix which is already going in the right direction. Let’s take a closer look at your mix.

The kick drum is quite loud and dominates the mix a little bit too much. Be careful that the kick does not overpower other important elements due to its high volume level. How about lowering the volume level and raising the higher frequencies? You could also use a little bit more compression or saturation tools that will add some distortion and overtones, making it cut through the mix a lot more.

Pay attention to the snare. It has a somewhat difficult time asserting itself in the mix. This is mainly due to the lack of high frequencies, which makes the snare sound somewhat dull. The snare's amont of higher frequencies are largely responsible for its "bite" to make it cut through the mix. 

The toms seem quite loud and resonant. Make sure that they don’t dominate the mix too much so they will fit better to the overall sound.
We like the sound of the bass guitar and how you added it to the mix. The volume level is just fine and it doesn’t cover the kick drum or any other elements too much. Good job!

You used quite a lot of reverb on the keys, but this is still within the limits and fits well into the mix. The keys also have a suitable level and can thus take their role as an accompanying element in the mix appropriately.

We like the selected volume of the vocals in your mix. This allows them to assert themselves well to fulfill their intended role in the song.

You noticed that the backing vocals don’t play a major role and should rather be placed in the background of the mix. Nevertheless, you could increase the level a little bit as they seem quite far away. The backings should have a reasonable level so that the mix can open up nicely, but they should still be placed behind the lead vocals. 

The screenshot below shows the comparison of frequency response. The orange curves show energy over frequency of our mix while the white curves show the frequency response of your version of this song. The upper curve is for peak levels and the lower curve shows the energy over time. Therefore, the lower curve is more meaningful for the comparison. You should lower the volume of your mix by 1,8 dB as the auditory AB-comparison is only valid on the same loudness level.

In the screenshot you can see a similar frequency response of both mixes, which indicates that the ratios and EQ settings are going in the right direction. Well done!

HOFA-College offers a wide range of online courses on recording, mixing, mastering and producing music.
Mix analyses form an essential part of the education at HOFA-College, along with video tutorials, personal support, online campus & studio workshops. Experienced audio engineers listen to the mixes of the students and create individual and detailed, multi-page feedbacks about the strengths and weaknesses of each mix, with many helpful tips & tricks.
Learn more: hofa-college.com

Best regards from the HOFA team - enjoy your music!


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