Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Aquatic Ruin Zone (Patreon)

Sonic music just hits different!! I love how this piece feels like a slightly stressful vacation. Let's get into it:

@0:03 - I've been experimenting with some new mixing techniques with my brass! Think brass may be one of the most difficult instrument families to mix for me, especially when it's meant to be glued in with bass and drums (I have lost so much sleep trying to mix lead french horn lines into symphonic metal pieces). 

Part of what I think makes them so finicky is the broad range of frequencies each instrument covers. It can be hard to leave room for other upfront instruments, and EQ-ing out any of the trouble spots can fundamentally change the tone of the instrument! I'll break down what I did in this track, but TLDR - less is more!

• Starting out, I adjusted the instruments (in this case, from Infinite Brass) to give me the driest output they could while still sounding good to the ear. I added a very small amount of (Valhalla) reverb and some very light OTT compression, just to get them through the mix a bit.
• I think the secret sauce for me is Neutron's Transient Shaper. Making the high end have just a bit more sharpness really makes them stand out in a pop mix! Lastly, I gave it all a slight EQ bump at 1k and cut a slight shelf at 6k onward.

Please let me know if you want to hear more nerdy mixing details in future breakdowns! I don't claim to be a professional mixing engineer, but this is what works for me! :-)

@0:07 - The lead line here is two saxophones (plus e. guitar). I can't quantify it, but two just sounded better for this track. Maybe the tension between the instruments is appropriate for the driving rhythm of this piece, or maybe the subtle clashing of frequencies compliments how kinda... sad this piece feels? When doing this make sure the instruments are different enough to avoid phasing!

@0:17 - Let's talk about the bass instruments in this track. There's some subtle Bari. Sax accompanying the the bass line here, and that instrument happens to come from the Korg Triton! There's something more "realistic" Bari. Sax samples fail to capture when doing rhythmic lines like this. I just love how the Korg version is so bright and punchy without much adjustment. Someday I'll go on a tangent about how amazing 90's samples are and how well they hold up, but you're spared for today. 

Also accompanying this is some Clavinet with a really heavy Wah effect going on. Clavinet may just be one of my favorite instruments ever. It's basically just an electronic harpsichord, right? 

@0:37 - The rest of this piece is fairly straightforward, but since it's such a short loop I added in some additional brass hits and alternate percussion on following loops. 

That about wraps it up! I'm happy to answer any additional questions about this piece down in the comments. Thanks for listening! <3