I was listening to the new paramore album while cleaning the house today and I was pleasantly surprised by the sound of the album. The bass is punchy and tight, the drums were the perfect level and the guitar accentuated everything and knew its place. This lead me to think about other songs where the mix was done really well and what is considered a good mix. What do you guys think? What constitutes a good mix? What are some other songs or albums where the sound is just spot on?
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Songs with a perfect mix
- Thread starter Volpe25
- Start date
Good question. It makes you wonder, though, what exactly is a "perfect mix" and if there are objective measurements or if it's purely subjective.
I only know I like mixes where the bass sounds "crunchy" and "punchy" enough to be heard (so bass and mids a bit cranked up here), and where the guitar(s) doesn't have an annoying high level of highs or distortion; not a problem with acoustic ones, of course. And for me, hearing the vocals clearly and above all instruments is a must for me. As for the drums, as long as the drummer doesn't overdo the fills, it's all good.
Reggae tends to be a genre where the mix is pretty good, IMHO, because it has lots of space and you can hear all instruments clearly (despite the fact that the bass is almost entirely bassy). No stepping over the other instruments' frequencies here. Same with jazz. I'd like to say the same thing about rock, but many rockers think that noise=rock. That's pretty wrong.
I only know I like mixes where the bass sounds "crunchy" and "punchy" enough to be heard (so bass and mids a bit cranked up here), and where the guitar(s) doesn't have an annoying high level of highs or distortion; not a problem with acoustic ones, of course. And for me, hearing the vocals clearly and above all instruments is a must for me. As for the drums, as long as the drummer doesn't overdo the fills, it's all good.
Reggae tends to be a genre where the mix is pretty good, IMHO, because it has lots of space and you can hear all instruments clearly (despite the fact that the bass is almost entirely bassy). No stepping over the other instruments' frequencies here. Same with jazz. I'd like to say the same thing about rock, but many rockers think that noise=rock. That's pretty wrong.
Funny you should mention Paramore. The new album sounds dreadful to my ears, and the songs themselves are horrific. But Brand New Eyes was a fantastic album, and I think the mix is fantastic.
Or, I did. Until I heard Tear Me Down by Skarlett Riot. Like Paramore, but with serious balls. Check out the opening track, Faded Memory. Unreal.
Or, I did. Until I heard Tear Me Down by Skarlett Riot. Like Paramore, but with serious balls. Check out the opening track, Faded Memory. Unreal.
Bassist4Eris
Frat-Pack Sympathizer
Mike Keneally's albums have always sounded particularly well-mixed to me. He's not the most famous artist in the world, but TBers would do well to familiarize themselves with his work, if for no other reason than the fact that the great Bryan Beller is his bass man on many of his recordings. If you're looking for a less cynical (or less potty-mouthed) Frank Zappa, you just found him.
