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Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:12 pm
by mthrfnk
I bought the new Crystal Castles album recently (inb4 this thread turns into some "lulz they're gay" thread) and was reading through the liner notes, apparently they left a couple of tracks purposefully unmixed but were mastered.
Whilst I see this fitting their style of overly distorted/clipping and crushed synths and vocals... I just wondered if anyone had ever come acros something similar or if you've ever left a track unmixed purposefully?
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:17 pm
by Brothulhu
I guess if the track sounds good like that and it sounds worse after countless mix down attempts it would be best to leave it unmixed
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:49 pm
by dickman69
pisses me off when ppl do this
sounds like shit imo
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:53 pm
by Aufnahmewindwuschel

crystal castle(edit)S haha didnt know they are too hipster for singular
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 6:16 am
by wub
Sounds good = do it
Doesn't sound good = don't do it
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 6:23 am
by Sexual_Chocolate
crystal castles can get away with it
most people cant
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 1:13 am
by skimpi
I think obviosuly some stuff sounds good, even with a shit mix, like in an interview with anthony naples the other day, he says he has never EQ'd a thing lol,but his tunes still sound good.
And some dance mania stuff, like, the mix is all over the place, with huge peaks sometimes, and like over powering bass, but they are still wicked tunes.
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 1:51 am
by elyhess
that crazy!
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:02 am
by RandoRando
ill never understand how they got that synth sounding so fucking big in "not in love". they are pretty cool
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:30 am
by Turnipish_Thoughts
Mixing is just getting the different elements to interact in what you as the artist feel is the best. Sometimes it happens it's self, there isn't something in mixing that magically makes tracks better, it's just levels, panorama and a certain amount of timbral melding and it's opposite. Besides sometimes a perfectly mixed track has a lot less character than something that's maybe a bit muddy or what have you. Listen to some tripped out ambient stuff. I bet you a lot of people would class some of that as 'really bad mixing', while another lot would say it's perfect. hats / cats innit
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:01 am
by DrVinnyBoomBeats
Yeah, I don't think not mixing is something you can do. Unless you just record a bunch of things and throw them on top of each other. That wouldn't make any sense.
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:11 am
by akyu
I never liked their mixes anyway, i guess this explains it
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:40 am
by StratosFear
It makes sense. With that super synthy, retro vibe at least. I think a lot of artists in that style tend not to mix as crisply or as well as straight EDM, because retro synths did bleed into each other a lot. It just gives a more organic feel.
Also, if you let your instruments occupy different ranges, you really don't have to mix THAT much. It's just when you have a few bleeding into each others' ranges that you have to mix and EQ and such.
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:36 pm
by bassinine
love crystal castles first album, alice is the hottest girl alive.
but on that note, it's still a mix-down, but it's a mix down that's prupose is to sound raw or unprocessed. this makes the music seem more emotional to the listener.
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:37 pm
by bassinine
wub wrote:Sounds good = do it
Doesn't sound good = don't do it
go find an alice glass like he did, and you will be able to do no wrong.
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:44 pm
by mthrfnk
bassinine wrote:wub wrote:Sounds good = do it
Doesn't sound good = don't do it
go find an alice glass like he did, and you will be able to do no wrong.
Go find me one pls.
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 7:13 pm
by extremesociety
mthrfnk wrote:bassinine wrote:wub wrote:Sounds good = do it
Doesn't sound good = don't do it
go find an alice glass like he did, and you will be able to do no wrong.
Go find me one pls.
I would also like an Alice Glass. Mebbe with just a little bit less crazy.
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 7:21 pm
by Genevieve
I toootally get the point of the thread. But I think that when you consciously decide to not EQ/compress/etc the sterms or do anything to them, you're still mixing.
>.>
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 7:28 pm
by bassinine
extremesociety wrote:mthrfnk wrote:bassinine wrote:wub wrote:Sounds good = do it
Doesn't sound good = don't do it
go find an alice glass like he did, and you will be able to do no wrong.
Go find me one pls.
I would also like an Alice Glass. Mebbe with just a little bit less crazy.
if i ever find her... she's
all mine.
i need to make my way up to some canadian-gypsy-heroin-communities, like where she grew up, and search.
and i'm on the up and up with some cray. i'm like a homing beacon for it.
Re: Leaving tracks unmixed... on purpose.
Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 7:42 pm
by mthrfnk
Genevieve wrote:I toootally get the point of the thread. But I think that when you consciously decide to not EQ/compress/etc the sterms or do anything to them, you're still mixing.
>.>
Or are you
