Need help to fix mix for backbeat during gig.

Allright, me and my crew have a gig coming up and we have a track in our track list I have problems with.

I didn't make the beat, I only have the stems in Logic.
It contains a drumloop, a 808 in the second track to support the kick, and in the third track the sample.

The problem is that it has too much 'space' and stuff going on. It sounds nice as an instrumental, but it feels like the instruments are all over the place compared to the other beats in the track list we use.

We've been practicing this song in a jam studio and every time it feels that we as MC's are working too hard to fight the music instead of rhyming over it in harmony with the beat. As a vocalist you get lost in the instruments.

The horns go way too loud in the second verse, but I was able to correct that with automation. But it's mostly the drums I can't get right. I has something to do with the ride, asking too much attention. Tried equing out the highs a bit, parallel compression to bring the other parts of the drums more upfront, but still I can't get it as thick and tight as the other beats. The sound is just 'too wide' and doesn't sound nice over a big speaker system on stage. Instead of a firm wall of sound filling up the space of the room it kinda flows all over the place if that makes sense.

If someone could tell me what it actually is and how to fix that would be great. Here is the beat btw:



Any help appreciated.

BTW, the beat is private so you really have to go the actual soundcloud page.

First thing first, there is no headroom, therefore you have to make room for your head. What does it mean? It means that you have to sample a sound that comes freely outside your head, just passing by, gently caressing it. You have to think like the sound itself to understand: picture yourself in a forest with a chill, soft breeze coming exactly from behind you. You gotta recreate that very experience in your studio. The way Eddy Sancho does it is placing two fans 30° inclined so they get a tweeter-like sweet spot centered on your head while facing a wall 3 to 5 feet away (works better if your head is big). Next step is humming towards the wall in the same exact key create by the wind-like effect, and start to sample as soon as you get those sound in phase (it's better if you let somebody help you). Once you have done that, you have to treat your sample like a sacred cow. And careful!, it's gonna even shit all over the floor too. But you have to think like an indian, so, go gurgle some hot ass curry and open pro tools. While your mouth is all hot and itchy, drool over the keyboard while mindlessy mashing it and silently praying the lord. If you do the clicky clacky right you may get a limiting thrill over the whistle, and if you smoothen the interference of the sample itself you might just get away with a warm and welcoming sound to rhyme over!



Seriously though that shit is mad loud, keep it down pal that'll solve like 87% of your problems

Phra*DOC wrote:First thing...... just get away with a warm and welcoming sound to rhyme over!



Seriously though that **** is mad loud, keep it down pal that'll solve like 87% of your problems

Laugh - out - loud.