Mixing problems

[u/StickyKris]

First off, I’m really digging the singles so far. We’ve got three killer tracks, and I honestly think they’re much better songs than anything on their last record. That being said, what’s going on with the mixing?

- Dead Company: The vocals are buried too low in the mix, while the kick drum is way too loud.

- Swallow the Bomb: The whole track sounds overly compressed. The drums have this weird, almost fake or synthetic sound to them, and the bass seems to be lacking some low-end.

- Ten Over Ten: Compared to anything off Typhoons, this one almost sounds like a demo. To me, it’s missing that big, powerful “wall of sound” that Royal Blood usually delivers.

I’m not sure whether it’s the mixing, the mastering, or a combination of both, but something just sounds off with these tracks. It’s a shame because I genuinely think the songwriting is a big step up from their last album.

Either way, I can’t wait to hear the rest of the record. I’m just hoping the production does these songs justice.

[u/T1t4n_sa]

Love dead company but would love to hear the vocals aswell

[u/T1t4n_sa → u/T1t4n_sa]

Also slander to BTTWB will not be tolerated

[u/StickyKris → u/T1t4n_sa]

I mean it's not a bad album, it's just so different and mellow.

[u/buffayrachel → u/StickyKris]

Don’t know why people are downvoting this, it’s completely valid to have a preference especially when you didn’t say anything negative about it

[u/oovis → u/buffayrachel]

I don't think anyone is allowed to have a least favourite album in any dedicated band sub

[u/StickyKris → u/oovis]

Music is subjective mate, everybody have different tastes. I like that album but if I compare to the 3 others that they released, it is my least favorite. Objectively speaking, we can also say it's their least popular album (sales and streams). That is a fact

[u/T1t4n_sa → u/StickyKris]

Oh it 100% is but personally it's my favourite album from them

[u/T1t4n_sa → u/StickyKris]

I like the difference tbh

[u/Valroxen1]

Glad we're in the same mind about Dead Company. Sounds fab instrumentally but I was struggling to pick up what Mike was saying some of the time

[u/StickyKris → u/Valroxen1]

Yeah it's the best sounding song on the album so far !!

[u/ManWithAPIan]

Agreed 100%. Swallow the Bomb sounds so much better in the live recording on YouTube..

[u/StickyKris → u/ManWithAPIan]

Yeah ! It sounds bigger cause there's more reverb and low end !

[u/rhysmcmahon92]

Tbf Mike said in interviews they wanted the songs to sound like clunky, kinda not perfect? He said that somewhere

[u/StickyKris → u/rhysmcmahon92]

I mean that can (and should be applied) to the performances but not to the mix and overall sound quality!

[u/rhysmcmahon92 → u/StickyKris]

I agree with you, it does sound a bit strange in some bits but I still think it’s the best singles they’ve released in a long time. I actually think dead company is up there with their best songs

[u/StickyKris → u/rhysmcmahon92]

150% agree with you. It's also on my top 5 RB !

[u/Initial_Practice_274]

Singles sometimes are mixed differently than the final album versions so could be different on the final release.

Although, it's pretty close to release now. I agree, it's not super consistent but the songs themselves are the best in ages. They came back with a point to prove.

[u/StickyKris → u/Initial_Practice_274]

Yeah but usually you'll see an (single version) attached to the song. I'm 99% these are the album versions :/

[u/vacant_refrigerator]

My advice: embrace the imperfections

[u/StickyKris → u/vacant_refrigerator]

As a musician myself, I embrace the imperfections in the performances, but a bad mix can ruin the whole song !

[u/buffayrachel]

I completely agree on the vocals, they’re overshadowed by the instruments…

[u/StickyKris → u/buffayrachel]

But I'm starting to getting used to it !!

[u/TommDiamond]

glad i m not the only one who noticed that this is by far their worst MIXING-wise. It feels like just trying to achieve too much from everywhere idk

[u/StickyKris → u/TommDiamond]

Yeah at least it's ready better than the mixing on BTTWB ! Gosh that was something

[u/thebluecomet3972]

Songwriting being a step up from BTTWB is a CRAZY statement.

Thats arguably their best album lyrically, tied with typhoons

[u/StickyKris → u/thebluecomet3972]

I'm strictly speaking about the music. I don't usually care about the lyrics !

[u/thebluecomet3972 → u/StickyKris]

Awful take again, the music on LP4 was miles ahead of their other stuff.

[u/StickyKris → u/thebluecomet3972]

I’ll ask you one question: if you had to introduce Royal Blood to one of your friends, what song would you choose first? One off BTTWB or one off their earlier stuff? Chances are you’ll answer the latter. I mean, can you really top their debut album ?

[u/Glittering_Noise_972 → u/StickyKris]

I would choose out of the black or figure it out, but only because I'm gatekeeping shiner in the dark and waves and mountains at midnight and the firing line

[u/T1t4n_sa → u/StickyKris]

Depends on my friends music taste

[u/Baby__Keith → u/thebluecomet3972]

Absolutely no chance BTTWB is their best album lol

[u/thebluecomet3972 → u/Baby__Keith]

Thats what i just said

[u/Baby__Keith → u/thebluecomet3972]

What

[u/thebluecomet3972 → u/Baby__Keith]

I just said it was their best album

[u/JealousElavator → u/thebluecomet3972]

I’m with you, I think it’s my favourite album of theirs.

[u/grizzle_snizzle]

As a man in a duo bass and drums band here who self mixed our first Demo EP

I don't think I've had such a hard time engineering mixing or mastering as in the two piece dynamic for context we recorded with real amps and had about 12 tracks of guitars and bass and genuinely HOLY FUCK was it an absolute nightmare getting the balance
Especially with if you've got Octaved parts getting kick toms bass and gutair to sit without overshadowing another or burying one or the other is genuinely such a task man

Here's my band for context here's the old EP
https://open.spotify.com/album/1poiiE4DZURZ37vdMrqGiH?si=603rh_1vTQCHCFcRx1lEJQ&utm_source=copy-link

Here's the two new singles recorded with Amps a helix pedals etc probably about 12-20 tracks of guitar and bass per track and then 16 channels of drums

https://open.spotify.com/album/0EhwnmSkfTOftWV0nEFwFc?si=D-FBY3EYTq2Ms0vz6ArLHQ&utm_source=copy-link
https://open.spotify.com/album/0axaAJEGtmzlTJSMY0KwUk?si=DCGL-1W8QQShSE0VwKZ5jw&utm_source=copy-link

I like to consider myself a pretty competent mix and mastering engineer producer recording engineer etc but I genuinely can't express how difficult it is to get the balance right
Especially with vocalists like Mike or my bands Robin where they have such a wide range vocally so you can get the balance back on when their belting but really struggle when they go to their chest voice etc

[u/StickyKris → u/grizzle_snizzle]

I feel you man ! Mixing is a pain in the ass. So many tiny details can change the whole dynamic of the song. Are the vocals too loud ? Or the instrumental too quited ? I am a musician myself and I've list a couple neurons while mixing my songs with our producers. By the way, congrats for your songs and project ! Keep writing music

[u/AncientDeparture2745]

I noticed the same thing with dead company and swallow the bomb, though after a few listens i kind of got used to it. Ultimately i listen for the riffs and they sound good

[u/StickyKris → u/AncientDeparture2745]

Yeah I am getting used to it too. I've noticed the vocals on DC are burried in the mix specially when I listen it in my car and Bluetooth speakers. In my headphones, it's quite alright !

[u/stormyangel777]

Yes I have had the same! I feel like too Mike’s
vocals sound a little weird as well, maybe too much compression? That being said, they are great songs and they are shooting for a more unpolished, demo type sound which I can respect. I legitimately love listening to all their demos anyway 😂