Is there a visual aid to mixing?

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klytus

New member
I don't have great monitors or good room acoustics so I was thinking is there a plugin or someting I can get that will show me graphically exactly what my mix is doing across the frequency spectrum.

For example, I might SUSPECT that my bass guitar and kick drum are overlapping and creating mud in the mix, but I can't be sure as my monitors suck. So I boot up this hypothetical program and voila, I can SEE exactly what's going on in glorious technicolour.

I suspect I'm referring to a spectrum analyser or something like that, but I don't know for sure. Any pointers appreciated.
 
A spectrum analyzer will tell you how high the levels are in any given frequency but won't seperate bass and other instrument data. It is the engineers job to figure that out. It would be cool if that kind of thing were a reality.
 
Gotta agree with Sennheiser. While spectrum analyzers can help, your EARS are the most important ingredient. On ProSoundWeb right now, there are several engineers lamenting the day when people will mix with their eyes, and shut off the monitors completely. Again, I gotta agree with that.

Remember--you may be able to fill up the sound spectrum using a visual mixing method--but if you're filling it with less-than-desirable sounds, it's STILL going to sound bad.

A big thumbs down to the visual-mixing-methods that are surely coming. They're going to sound very, very bad.

EDIT--a temporary solution for you right now (though it's still frowned upon) is to try a good pair of headphones. IMO something like Sennheiser HD280's are much more accurate than some low-end monitors, and would not suffer from flutter echoes, early reflections, or standing waves. While you probably SHOULDN'T mix on headphones... IMO mixing with good 'phones is much better than trying to mix in a bad room, or trying to mix with your eyes.
 
I just cannot fathom why anyone would want to use one of their given senses to do a job it was not designed for. That's just fucked up.:rolleyes:

You use your eyes to make the adjustments needed that your ears hear. You don't use your eyes to make judgements that the ear should be making.

Maybe someone will invent a way for the blind to drive cars. Wouldn't that be interesting. Better yet, how about blind pilots...all the way down the chute on a non-CAT III approach.
 
sue me, I use RTA's a LOT

many times audio may be higher or lower than what your monitoring system can show, and a compressor or gate might be tripping when it shouldnt...a quick glance at an RTA can show you if the problem might be somewhere where you cant hear
 
pipelineaudio said:
...a quick glance at an RTA can show you if the problem might be somewhere where you cant hear
Click to expand...
I do the exact same thing, but it appears that's not what the original poster is suggesting -- it seems he's looking to the RTA as an alternative to monitors.....
 
that wouldnt be so good...but you could still learn a lot about frequencies with one...you can learn what frewuency makes what sound, causes what behaviour etc...RTA's are worth their weight in gold, INSTEAD of monitors, no very bad idea...

Its hard to think of any big name engineer or producer I've ever seen who didnt have one tapping the cosnsole main buss
 
Of course I''m talking about RTA's as an alternative to monitors.

The whole point of this post is that I am currently unable to monitor accurately, so am forced to consider less desirable alternative methods for controlling my mixes out of necessity.

I simply need a little extra help, I am not proposing that the world replace 'conventional' monitoring with visual mixing or anything else.
 
I understood your post. Must be a drag not to have a decent monitoring set-up.

What does a good RTA go for compared to a set of good monitors? I've never priced RTA's.
 
the cost of a good RTA is the same as for a set of genelecs, a KILLER RTA wouldve bought you ADAMS and a decent RTA, like most rta plugs, are cheaper than optimus :)
 
I thought I was the only one up at this time of the morning. Must be about 0343 in AZ and 1045 in London?

Merry Christmas.
 
A used Klark-Teknik DN60 would go for over $1500.... a new one (DN6000) goes for well over $3000........

I certainly use mine frequently, but in tandem with good monitors - certainly not as an alternative to monitors....... you hear with your ears, not your eyes!!!!

You would be far better off learning how to translate mixes in your room, than trying to mix solely by RTA...........

Take the time to learn your room, and your monitors - that's the better solution for you..........!
 
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OK..............dumbass here has a question or three.

RTA I presume is a Real Time Analyser:confused:

If so, where are they different to a Spectrum Analyser and are there any known useable programmes for either for PC's.

OK, I'll leave the room now:D

:cool:
 
Bruce,

Thanks for the reply.

I have a Spectrum program but haven't used it yet but hopefully will put it to the test shortly. I have just about finished building a PC which will run off my console's Master buss. It's sole purpose will be for final tweaking of mixes and burning to CD and will hopefully have this analyser proggy installed.

I was thinking that this way, it should be possible to play any track ( or combination of tracks) and run them through the analyser while listening through the near-fields.

ChrisO :cool:
 
klytus said:
Of course I''m talking about RTA's as an alternative to monitors.

The whole point of this post is that I am currently unable to monitor accurately, so am forced to consider less desirable alternative methods for controlling my mixes out of necessity.

I simply need a little extra help, I am not proposing that the world replace 'conventional' monitoring with visual mixing or anything else.
Click to expand...

Go with the HD280 headphones for now. Much better than mixing with your eyes. NOBODY worth a sht is going to give you an acceptable method of eye-mixing as an alternative to using your ears, in this thread. Sorry, friend.
 
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