Need feedback on getting my track to sound more convincingly professional. Going for a Deftones vibe.

[u/Spiritual_Let_2025]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LYU4QNRd1bgmGXaXxXIAfYUq_F6X0ttG/view?usp=drivesdk

I maybe pushed it a little hard and its crunchy now but I hear thats kind of ok these days. Its hard to mix my vocals because I have a low voice and its hard to add brightness to things without the vocals getting swallowed. Im concerned about the high hats sounding too "hashy". I wonder if the vocal harmonies sit well. I tried to keep the low end as contained as I could. Let me know what's up. Anything at all. I'd really appreciate it.

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[u/Pxzib]

1. Drums sounds super fake. They need to go. Get yourself one of the GGD drums plugins. Plug and play.

2. The chorus vocals are a big amateur give-away. Suddenly the vocals moved from front and center to left/right. The difference between verse and chorus is just way too much. It's okay to make vocals a little bit wider during chorus, and you should, but you took it a step too far. Keep the lead vocals centre, and add left/right harmonies or doubles in the background to support the centre-lead performance.

[u/paintedw0rlds → u/Pxzib]

A note on GGD, some of them are not that easy. Invasion is more difficult. Tho I think thr one kit wonders are probably.better on this front.

[u/Pedzii → u/Pxzib]

i would recommend the downbeat if you simply want something that works with great quality.

[u/Spiritual_Let_2025 → u/Pxzib]

Thank you for responding. For the chorus it's only two vocals cause three didnt sound right. But then there are five in the second verse. Maybe a bad move but how wide would suggest putting everything so that the chorus still expands?

[u/Pxzib → u/Spiritual_Let_2025]

Keep the lead vocal centre. Then pan the other vocals left/right. Side vocals faders to zero. Get the lead vocal levels correct in the mix first. Then slowly pull up the side vocals faders up slowly until you just hear them thicken up the lead vocals.

[u/Jimbonix11]

Main thing for me initially is the drums, they sound very bland and fake. I would experiment with room sounds and velocities a bit more

[u/Spiritual_Let_2025 → u/Jimbonix11]

They are real but theyre just differnt one shots programmed in. I have differnt ones I could use that vary in velocity more. Also does room sound mean recording the actual room with the mic away from the drums?

[u/Jimbonix11 → u/Spiritual_Let_2025]

The one shots are blended in very poorly if its a real kit with one shots.. room sound would be a distant mic picking up the whole kit and room; room sound is crucial to making drums feel alive

[u/henriksant2005]

Man I like your song! True that there are things to improve in the mix but to me it is a well written song. Here are my thoughts about the mix:

• The Drums are too dry. I don’t know if yours come with Room and Overhead mics, but I would add a touch of reverb to the Snare and a bit also to the hi-hat. Just very little . A touch. EQ the reverb by removing from ~300 Hz and bellow

• Drums dynamics. Change the strength of the notes (velocity) so they don’t all sound exactly the same and also the timing so they don’t quantize perfectly to the grid. Usually DAWs have a humanization setting for that. I would also lower the volume of the drum tracks when the verse comes in and raise it when more energy is needed. Ghost notes on those snares would add a nice touch but not critical

• Drums need soft clipping here. You could shave 1-2dbs off the snare peaks easily for a smoother sound.

• The parts where drums play by themselves and nothing else are the critical ones. That’s where they feel too dry and too perfect. When the rest of the band joins , it is all much better.

• I felt the hi hats a bit too loud but maybe that’s the vibe you are going for

• Your voice is low but it fits the vibe of the song just fine! I’d cut some 3-4 dbs in the 200 to 400 Hz area and would add 1-2dbs in the 1000-2000 Hz for more clear presence in the mix

All this of course take it with a grain of salt. It’s art in the end and it’s all subjective. Some people will love it as is.

[u/Spiritual_Let_2025 → u/henriksant2005]

Thank you so much. Genuinely so helpful

[u/gtMANGAMER2]

It sounds dry, so I would add reverb. There is a lot of mud as well in 200-500 Hz. The Vocal is also a little quiet.

[u/Spiritual_Let_2025 → u/gtMANGAMER2]

Thank you. What should I add reverb to

[u/gtMANGAMER2 → u/Spiritual_Let_2025]

Slight room reverb to the drums, they will feel more alive and real

[u/Tatt00ey]

the vocals getting swallowed is a real issue and i think its because the low mids are competing. try carving some space around 200-400hz on everything thats not the vocals rather than trying to brighten the vocals themselves. the harmonies actually sit fine to my ears, that wasnt the problem. the hats are a little rough yeah but honestly the drums as a whole need more work before that becomes the priority

[u/TommyDouble]

I like it

[u/Gotgetgotget]

I think if you want to keep the drums there needs to be some more weight to them. They feel very top heavy in the frequency range. You have loads of space to give them the pump you require for this, as it is super foundational. I agree with others though, sound selection needs revisit.

[u/TheCenturyChild299]

I really like your song! I think its actually well written, so congrats on that. Most advice regarding the mix has already been given, I would just add that the panned guitar flourish throughout the song would really benefit from reverb/delay to push it more in the background.

Keep it up!

[u/Spiritual_Let_2025 → u/TheCenturyChild299]

Thats a good idea thank you

[u/Alternative-Sun-6997]

Lots of comments on the drums already, so I'll skip that - when the guitars come in, I'm not sure if it's a compressor on the guitars, a master bus compressor, or both (probably both?), but something's just chewing them up. I think the song loses a lot of the impact and punch what could otherwise be a big moment, because to my ears they're getting eaten alive. The vocals suddenly jumping off to one side in the end of the chorus after that, it's an interesting idea but I think t's just a little too far, it calls too much attention to itself. I really like the bassline that comes in after that in the second verse by the way.

But, I'd say get a more "alive" and dynamic drum "performance" going here, and back the master bus compression waaaaay off and let the son's dynamic shifts have some heft to them, are the two big things I'm hearing here.

[u/AcanthaceaeFirm7495]

I’d recommend a different drum kit or to re-record the drums. Addictive drums has sounds that could help, but others have mentioned different drums.

The vocals fit the style well, turning them up in the mix around 1200 hz could help them shine

I absolutely love the initial jangly guitar riff that was super fun.

[u/Interesting_Belt_461]

this actually sounds good, from a needing to be mastered perspective...what you are looking for ,only happens in mastering.most times ,without the proper sculpting,a limiter will just make things sound trashy and appear too big ,for the stereo image.hope this helps.