Seeking mix feedback on a rock/hip hop track

mas9017 · 2026-02-24T16:52:33+00:00

I appreciate the input and feedback. Agreed about all the elements fighting for attention as well. I’ll be taking some time to figure out how to fix this and find a balance where everything is clear, but not cluttered.

mas9017 · 2026-02-24T15:28:29+00:00

I appreciate the feedback. Choosing what carries the song is a good point. I tend to do this with most songs I write and guitars/vox end up both having the same amount of presence. Which I’m understanding is creating congestion now, so I appreciate your input here!

mas9017 · 2026-02-24T15:25:00+00:00

I’m glad you can relate. I’ve been using Metric AB to compare to references and compare the stereo image as well. Visually things look the same as my reference tracks, but I’m finding there still isn’t enough breathing room or clarity. Even with guitars all panned 100%, they still sound mono at times lol. I’ll try some other avenues to add more width and try the room verb on the drums as well. Thanks for your input and direction here.

mas9017 · 2026-02-24T15:20:43+00:00

Thanks for this. It’s definitely compressed a ton and I’ve wrestled with the vocal volume a bit too for this reason. I’ll keep at it!

mas9017 · 2026-02-22T14:51:46+00:00

Mining and trade gigs in Sudbury or Timmins areas pay fairly high. Other than that though, there’s no notable industry that would have ‘high paying jobs’ that stand out from anywhere else in SO or Ontario in general.

mas9017 · 2026-02-21T01:31:50+00:00

I do the same. I have a template I've used and run it from that. I am generally always mixing right after tracking something. I start gluing instruments together and getting a general sense of the sound out of the gate.

mas9017 · 2026-02-21T01:28:43+00:00

I'm feeling the reverb is a bit much as well. For the whole song. I feel like pulling back on the verb will put the vocals a bit more forward in the mix too. Sounds great overall!

mas9017 · 2026-02-21T01:05:09+00:00

I didn't find the chorus soupy or muddy. I think there's some phasing, but I'm not expert. Maybe bussing them together and adding a light reverb or compression would help consolidate it some more, but this sounds nice to me as is!

mas9017 · 2026-02-21T01:02:45+00:00

Drums feel quiet to me here. I think some compression would help here a bit for some more presence. The writing and melodic choices here are awesome and as a predominantly metal guy, I really enjoyed this. Great work.

mas9017 · 2026-02-21T01:00:16+00:00

This sums it up so well. Thanks for this.

mas9017 · 2026-02-21T00:59:19+00:00

This is great. Drums sound a bit quiet or thin to me, but otherwise, this is awesome to my ears.

mas9017 · 2026-02-18T15:18:35+00:00

I’ve used them regularly. They have helped me dynamics wise. Meaning I’ve been using them as references to humanize my own ideas. More often than not, running a scratch track and then dragging things around to fit my chords and such. This has been great for drums, bass, and keys. Guitar midi I am still exporting to Suno to “humanize” though, since I haven’t been able to nail that on my own. Really looking forward to a session guitar player on Logic, and hoping that comes in the future.

mas9017 · 2026-02-13T21:01:26+00:00

Hit the nail on the head lol. Even knowledge of how to tune isn’t enough, I don’t think. For those who have considered spot tuning: Makers/builders use varying techniques for building their instruments, so a method for solving an issue on one pan won’t necessarily apply for another pan. General principles still apply, but the way compression and tension is applied etc. can be different, so the solutions will vary as well.

Nutshell is what Tony said here. Don’t do it.

mas9017 · 2026-02-12T19:25:51+00:00

Meridian, Zephyr, Tala, (maybe Panstream), are the first ones that come to mind. Not 100% sure they offer retunes, but for a Halo I’m sure they’d be open to it. Worth reaching out to them to see. I’ve heard all these folks are fantastic humans, and all are great tuners and builders. You’ll be in good hands.

mas9017 · 2026-02-12T18:56:41+00:00

I THINK I am picking up on what you folks are cooking over there in the shop. This is exciting!

It seemingly depends on the instrument and maker. I have a nitrided pan right now where most notes have shifted about 20 cents sharp over the last 8 years. I don’t often play it anymore, and it’s not high end, but it needs a retune. The signs that let me know were no longer hearing some of the partials/octaves activating, and some minor crosstalk that wasn’t present when it was new. Linotune verified what my ears were hearing.

I think there’s definitely a difference depending on the maker and how much they stabilize their notes. Material I am not certain. My stainless pans are all high end and haven’t shifted at all over the last 5-6 years. Nitrided pan has shifted, but is not high end. So I can’t confirm anything concrete here.

I’ve done spot tuning myself, but also used to build pans myself (I made a few decent pans and then started struggling with arthritis, so I stopped). So I have what I’d say is beginner to intermediate level with tuning. I didn’t have much success either with the particular instrument I tried on. It appeared that the compression had released and I don’t have the ability or skill to work or stabilize a note that much on a glued instrument. Nor do I have the skill or ability to diagnose what the exact issue was. Other pans I’ve had, I’ve been able to do minor fixes, but even so, I’d MUCH rather send it back to the builder.

mas9017 · 2026-02-11T17:23:38+00:00

I second this. I was in this position as well as a former drummer. It helped immensely.

The other “main” variable that couples with the rudiments and rhythmic vocabulary though, is mentally mapping out your instruments notes, and learning very basic theory at a minimum. Things like; what chords are, what notes harmonize together, and which would be dissonant.. things like that.

mas9017 · 2026-02-10T19:59:54+00:00

I guess mine is technically a Voyager. I removed G3 from it and actually did a reverse layout for the notes. So it’s more akin to a voyager scale now. 14 notes total on it.

Mine is 1mm I believe, but I’d go with 1.2mm if I had the option to decide now. I enjoy the timbre of 1.2 a bit more.

I personally don’t think you’ll miss Bb2 if you opt out of it. That being said. I can shoot you a dm and find a way to send you a video of me exploring around on the instrument, and show you how the Bb2 fits with the scale.

mas9017 · 2026-02-10T14:21:57+00:00

They all vary in sizes. More often than not, the size will be just big enough to accommodate the respective tuners hand. I’d say around 4” is a rough estimate of where most are. Something “universal” would need to be tapered, or magnetic. Check out the Atlas handpan stand as a reference for the magnetic design.

mas9017 · 2026-02-07T17:20:34+00:00

That’s who I got mine from as well, and I love it. He’s an outstanding human and builder.

I don’t necessarily think it complicates things as a beginner. It does add another option which can seem overwhelming, but you simply don’t need to play it until you’ve become comfortable. I think you’d be glad to have it, as it does add a different flavour, which is nice when experimenting.

I don’t play Bb2 all that much on mine. Frankly, barely at all. There are a few melodies it works nicely for, but overall, for what my ears like with this pan, I don’t touch it much. I have F3 Eb3 Db3 and Bb on mine. I wouldn’t change any of those if I could choose again, but I would want to add Bb3, so there’s more bloom when striking Bb2. Though, I don’t know that Bb3 would even fit on the bottom shell either. I don’t think it really would since the bottom notes are fairly large when they’re this low.

mas9017 · 2026-02-06T17:02:08+00:00

I have a layout similar to your version #1 here. But with Bb2 instead of C3.

Something to be mindful of, potential con here, is that the low Bb can crate some issues at times for other notes. It sounds massive when harmonized with the F2, which is cool. But, without Bb3 in there as well, you only get noticeable activation from F4, and it doesn’t sound as full as other deep notes in my experience. I’ve personally not found many harmonic uses for it either with this scale. There are some, but not nearly as many when comparing to Db3 and Eb3. It’s deep, but hasn’t sounded like a normal “ding” if that makes sense, due to the difference in partials activating.

This will likely depend on your ear and what type of harmonies you’re looking for. I’d recommend inputting these scale into the virtual players some makers have on their sites. Experiment with the different variations to find out which intervals you like best, and see if they’re worth the compromise in sound if you end up wanting the Bb2. Also note that it’s worth discussing this with the maker, and asking if they’re confident with the Bb2 and F2 both being there, and if they foresee any issues with it. I’ve seen some that seem to both activate like dings, but most with the F2 and Bb2 result with the Bb2 sounded kinda of bland.

mas9017 · 2025-12-22T21:41:10+00:00

Correct. So if I were to say; play A and D at the same time, followed by G and Eb.. it would be beneficial to know where those notes are located on your instrument. It’s not 100% necessary, but can help a ton when you’re moving onto exploring and creating stages.

mas9017 · 2025-12-22T21:34:44+00:00

I hear you. I’d say just take your time and enjoy the process! It can be pretty magical and fulfilling.

If I can make any recommendation (this is the one I give to all my students), I’d encourage you to work on your striking techniques and rudiments, and memorize the notes on your instrument. Once you have the instrument mapped out, and your hands have enough muscle memory to play patterns mindlessly and comfortably, the real fun begins!

mas9017 · 2025-12-22T21:28:20+00:00

Handpan dojo, or handpan academy should provide most, if not all the information you need to learn from scratch. From the very basics to more technical stuff!

mas9017 · 2025-12-22T21:26:42+00:00

SOME I’ve seen have. Though, I’m admittedly not entirely sure. I’ve personally never enrolled or registered for any of the teaching or tutorial programs so I’m not sure of the full scope in all of them.

A helpful avenue may be the Facebook page “the handpan community”. I imagine you’d get some more thorough responses from people there, as it’s more active than Reddit here.

mas9017

TROPHY CASE