Basic mixing ideas

[Lomas]

I've got a song with two acoustic guitars panned to each side playing the same part, drums and bass. I'm trying to fit an electric guitar in there too but I'm such a newbie still that I don't know where to start trying to make things fit.

The drums are artificial so they're fine I guess. The rest is what gives me a headache. Without trying to get an electric in there I think it sounds good. I have done nothing whatsoever to any of the other instruments (acoustic X 2 and a bass). No reverb, no eq and no compression.

Any pointers to things that can help me get started? Feel free to be as general as my question is, if it's possible!

 

[jmarques]

Umm. Just what kind of set up are you working on?

Are you mixing on a computer base set up or are you using hardware base. If it's a computer base system then it is like you would be able to download at least a few free plugin from a few different sites. Legally!!

here's a link to some information on free plugins. Some plugin links maybe be dead or no longer available. It's up to you to check out the links.

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=189951

Here's a link related to mixing.
https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=225155

 

[groovyisland]

it sounds good to you so youre already a success,

imagine a soundstage with your buddies playing and put them where theyre the happiest. if somebody wants to be way over to the side then do it. if theyre all bunched in the middle then pan slightly.

when i do drums for example i imagine myself behing the set and this drum is over to the left a little so i pan it over slightly. that cymbal is on the other side and so on.

if the drummer is behind everybody then make him a little smaller with eq and then give him more reverb.

 

[pezking]

it sounds good to you so youre already a success

I agree. If it sounds good already - why add to it? Unless you're convinced it'll make it better. There's no harm in trying though - just don't be afraid to ditch it.

if the drummer is behind everybody then make him a little smaller with eq and then give him more reverb.

This is an interesting point. People are always talking about making a good stereo image, and that everything should have its own place in the image, but hardly anybody talks about the depth of the mix. You can create a powerful 3D image using both width and depth - definitely worth exploring!

 

[Lomas]

When I have drums, bass and two acoustic guitars it sounds good/ok, but then nothing is really competing for the same space (drums and bass maybe and I'm sure they could be a lot better).

The problem starts when I, on the second verse, want a little electric guitar. Things start to sound blurry, and I don't know what would be the obvious things to do to make for example acoustics and electric more separate.

And I know it's very general. I do things on the computer. Bass direct and acoustics through a 57. Very basic. And when I say "good/ok" it's a very relative of course. It's no CD quality, but I'm just trying to make a decent demo.

 

[Dani Pace]

If you want to add electric guitar, record the elec guitar part twice, pan the two tracks about 30% to each side. A little bit of EQing will help to seperate the guitars so they don't compete quite as much for the same "sonic space." The likely reason for the "blury" (muddy) sounding guitars is too many of the same notes/tones and they crowd each other for room in the mix, the same tones tend to overlap and slur rather than blend.