How to deal with being mixed by a Guitard.

[Naggon]

Hey,
So, my band has been doing our demo recordings in our jam space, and the Guitard does the recordings, because he has a laptop and garageband to do it on.

While of course I'm glad that he has the equipment for us to do it on, I'm frustrated because every time, he ruins my sound. I've got nice gear and I know how to make it sing, and it sounds good when I record it over the drums. But when my guitard goes home to mix, he always just scoops the mids completely.

Whenever I try to talk to him about it, he gets all mad and says "how do you think that makes me feel, telling me that my mixing job sucks??"

The other thing is, I'm not like some kind of session bass player, or a bass player for a songwriter, or anything like that. I write the songs, most of the time. I just don't have the resources to record.

Please let me know if you guys have any ideas on how to get him to give me some mids, or how to talk to guitards without starting a huge argument (this is what tends to happen when I talk to him about this)

Also, here's a link to the MP3, give it a listen and tell me how terrible scooped bass sounds :P Theres a short bass solo part at about 3 minutes in where you can really tell how all the growl has been EQ'd right out.

http://boomp3.com/m/e10de65d4c5d

[Meyatch]

Tell him you'd like to be present for mixdown. Then, make time to be present at mixdown.

Listened to the track, The bass is really muddy sounding, the guitar sounds excellent (no surprise)

[Audiophage]

How was your delivery in expressing your dissatisfaction with his mixing?

[locolobo85]

After listening to the track, if anything he needs to trade you those mids for some of the low end. It's a bit thick on the bottom and the drums are absolutely lost. There needs to be some separation on the low end.

Just my 2cents.

[Naggon]

well, I'd like to be present for the mixdown, but the problem is he lives a ways away from me, and he tends to do it bit by bit when he has time/feels like it late at night. I'll try talking to him about it though.

And this time, the conversation went something like:

Me: Gosh, I don't get it, no matter how much I boost the mids, they always sound scooped after you mix them....

Him: Thats 'cause I scooped them.

Me: Well why'd you do that? I put time any money into my tone, you know.

Him: sounds better, easier to mix

Me: Well, don't do that! We can work together to get something we can all work with. At least tell me what you do to my sound so I can get some sense of continuity between my live vs. recorded sound.

Him: F**k, I'm sitting here working on this mix all night and all you can do is b*tch about your tone! Just shut up, it doesn't matter!

[m.oreilly]

new band/guitar player time...the guy is a dic.

[*smb]

Can you get a copy of the original tracks from him and try mixing them yourself or having them mixed by someone else? If nothing else, having your band compare could show him where he's going wrong and make him realise the job he's doing isn't doing justice to your work.

[bro)))616]

silent scream is a slayer song...

yeah just peace out on him..he obviously doesn't care about you enough to listen

[locolobo85]

His ears, his mix. It really doesn't sound like this guy is interested in anything other than a pat on the back for his "great" mixing job. Cut your losses. You won't change his mind. Unfortunately, sounds like you're fighting a losing battle. Only way you'll get a different mix is through a different engineer. It's nice to have someone in the band with the equipment to get the sound recorded. You may search out someone with more mixing experience to do a sample mastered finish product for you. Just for comparison sake. A completely unbiased ear can be very helpful.

The acts of recording, mixing and mastering are all arts in and of themselves.

[TrevorOfDoom]

Originally Posted by Meyatch

Tell him you'd like to be present for mixdown. Then, make time to be present at mixdown.

+1!!

in my last band the guitard was also a sound engineer, so i think that may have given him an edge over your guitard, but he always asked the rest of the band to be present during mixdown so that we'd all get our say. and it shows.

www.myspace.com/theivoryclass

[pbass2]

Originally Posted by Naggon

The other thing is, I'm not like some kind of session bass player, or a bass player for a songwriter, or anything like that. I write the songs, most of the time. I just don't have the resources to record.http://boomp3.com/m/e10de65d4c5d

Well then, this guy's approach to working with others is in need of serious improvement. If he was being paid to mix the the stuff, he'd still need to listen and respect your opinion more(you're the friggin' writer for cryin' out loud . . .). Otherwise, he wouldn't be working for very long with his attitude . . .
If this is a collaborative band setting then, he should STILL listen and respect your thoughts on it, and in particular, since you're the writer, you should have a stake in the final say as to how it should sound.

Don't dick around with this shite. In this day and age, you can rehearse 'til you're blue and have a great live sound, but if you can't produce a convincing recording to get out to people--whether you consider it a demo or a "record", regardless of your resources, then you're working at a serious disadvantage.

It's fine and all if he's working out his mixing chops while reading the latest issue of EQ, but don't forget, these are YOUR songs. Heck, I bet you have some thoughts on more than just how the bass sounds on your material . . .

[Deluge Of Sound]

I think your guitarist needs to stop with the and make with the

If the mixing job really sucks (and for the record, I can see where you're coming from) then you won't be the only one to notice. Get the rest of the band to weigh in.

[DWBass]

Guitar players (unless they have some bass sensibilities) should never mix or master any recordings. They are just too stuck on themselves and their 'sound'!! I was in an R&B/Soul band and the guitar player (a more rock oriented player, ), was doing the mixing and he had the gall to say the bass was too high in the mix! After I listened to his mix, I asked him where is the bass and demanded it to more present in the mix! Gah!! If it was up to guitarists, there'd be no bass players!

[markdavid]

Originally Posted by Naggon

well, I'd like to be present for the mixdown, but the problem is he lives a ways away from me, and he tends to do it bit by bit when he has time/feels like it late at night. I'll try talking to him about it though.

And this time, the conversation went something like:

Me: Gosh, I don't get it, no matter how much I boost the mids, they always sound scooped after you mix them....

Him: Thats 'cause I scooped them.

Me: Well why'd you do that? I put time any money into my tone, you know.

Him: sounds better, easier to mix

Me: Well, don't do that! We can work together to get something we can all work with. At least tell me what you do to my sound so I can get some sense of continuity between my live vs. recorded sound.

Him: F**k, I'm sitting here working on this mix all night and all you can do is b*tch about your tone! Just shut up, it doesn't matter!

It sounds like you need a new band , your guitarists attitude sucks , and to say that it doesn't matter about your tone shows a complete lack of respect for you role within the band, i've listened to the mp3 and you are a good bass player, lose the band and find one that respects you

[envika]

oh god the guitard in my old band was the WORST mixer. i'd post sound samples but it's so embarrassing to even think about. we didn't record the music that well to begin with, and he just DESTROYED it with his mixing--the bass was incredibly growly and muddy (think bullfrog) and the drums were sometimes completely inaudible. and i had the same problem--he lived an hour away and on his machine mixdown was a long, unpleasant, and pointlessly complicated procedure. i got out of that band at first opportunity.