Speaker differences?

Spikeh

Spikeh

New member
So, I'm happily mixing away in my studio on my Mackie HR824's, finally got a mix I was happy with, did a bit of mastering (ran the full track through a multi-band compressor, parametric EQ and maximizer) then wrote it to a CD with Nero...

I've only recently purchased the studio, so I'm new to the room / the quality I'm getting in there.

However, got the CD home and it sounds terrible (in comparison)... the guitars are almost non existant, the bass drum is way too boomy, the vocals are weak and the overall quality is poor... not to mention the track itself is too quiet, even though I maximised it to around 0db...

I wondered if I was forgetting to do something? I think I've got quite good at the old recording tecniques, and not too bad at mixing. Each one of the drum tracks has been gated, most have been compressed individually and various effects applied.

I can't give this mix to the client... I can play it to them in the studio and it'll be ace, but as soon as they get it home it'll be a big let down...
 
yeah...I'm really good at this too, though I don't have any clients.

Here's some inputs that you may enjoy:

1) after they come back and say it sounds like "ass" at home, you can say "oh? well, I didn't understand you want the DELUXE MIX that can sound good anywhere! that will cost a bit more though...no problem.....$$$$$$... I thought you wanted the "ONLY SOUNDS GOOD IN MY STUDIO MIX?!!..HAHAH..I'm sorry!!! Will you be paying by credit or cash?"

2) play it again in your studio and look at him like "wht the fhk?" Re-emphasize this sounds awesome!! and then tell your client politely, they need to upgrade their room acoustics or home hi-fi. It happens all the time for ametuers.

3) tell the client to buy some Mackie HR824

4) tell the client they need to have their hearing checked because you are a M.Engineer and they aren't.

5) if the client brings back your mix and is unpleased...do the SNL skit, Belushi as the DryCleaner that goes to stab himself when customers are unhappy.

6) burn your studio down and collect insurance money and then go be fishing scout for a new career.

7) You can call me....for a 3rd party approval.
I will tell them it's the best frkn mix I've heard in my life and that I have listened to mixes by Abbey Roads (Beatles) to Platinum Country to PLatinum Slipknot Heavy Metal to Bluegrass and this is the BEST FRKN MIX I EVER HEARD!!!! I've heard all the pro's and THIS ONE'S A WINNER!!!

you'll need to pay me upfront $129.99. For $Plane tickets and 12 pack I will personally arrive and tell your clients that there is no worry and the MIX is frkn awesome and they shouldn't worry so much.

8) Tell your client it all winds up on MP3 mush buds and computer speakers anyway, so whats the big deal?

9) Tell your client to F-*&^^ Off.

10) Tell your client you'll re-mix a few hundred more times for free.

11) Buy yourself some really shitty speakers...average consumer home setup.. and A-B...then retry.

12) Buy some NS10's...I heard they sound so horrible, if you can make your stuff sound good on those they will translate to anything and sound better.
An Industry standard for a reason.

13) Maybe you need to have sex with your client? sometimes this will take the focus off the actual product and money issues.
 
Spikeh said:
However, got the CD home and it sounds terrible (in comparison)... the guitars are almost non existant, the bass drum is way too boomy, the vocals are weak and the overall quality is poor... not to mention the track itself is too quiet, even though I maximised it to around 0db...
Click to expand...
Congratulations on being the first of several hundered people to post these same problems in 2008 :). The answers are the same for every one of you...

1. Improve the acoustics and monitoring situation in your studio. Get your 824s out of the room corners and away from the back walls, place them symmetrically in the room. Head over to the studio building forum on this BBS and look up how to build yourself a couple of bass traps very cheaply.

2. AFTER you have improved your monitoring situation per #1, it's a matter of making up the rest of the difference in learning how to "translate" your monitors. I have the 824s as well, they are fine monitors, just as any other monitors in their range are. But your monitors and room are going to color what you hear no matter what. Learn that if it sounds like A in your studio, that it will sound like B on the outside, therefore you need to get it to sound like C in the studio to get it to sound like A on the outside. If, just for example, what sounds great at your desk sounds too midrangey in the real world, then mix so that the midrange is a little anemic in the studio.

3. "Maximizing to 0dB" - aka "normalizing" - is meaningless when it comes to getting volume. First, don't expect to get commecial CD volume from your mixes and still have them sound good. You might get lucky once in a while and strike gold there, but more often than not trying to go up against the pros is a losing battle unless/until you get a lot more experience under your belt. Don't worry about volume for now - that's what volume controls are for. Concentrate instead on the quality of your tracking and mixing; because those are going to have to come up in quality before you can begin to fight the volume wars with a whole lot of success.

4. That said, you can increase the overall volume of your mix by increasing the RMS (average) volume of your mixes. This is done through compression and limiting, both of which are easily abused, and for neither of which is there a good standard recipe. Do some research on "compression for mastering" to read up on how to squeeze some more volume out of your mixes.

G.
 
I wonder why you haven't got any clients? :P

No honestly, I've not given it to the client yet... I just listened to it at home on my own. Tried it through my surround sound home cinema, through my home recording set up (M-Audio Delta 1010 + Alesis M1 MK2s) and in my car.

Anyway, I've made some notes, I'm gonna re-listen to it at the studio. Maybe I'm just crap at mixing ;P
 
And thanks for that Glen - much appreciated.

The control room in the studio is in the best state it can be... I've already made bass traps / mid absobers and placed them strategically etc. The monitors are on some quick-lok stands and about 2 foot away from the rear wall.

I've just re-listened to it a few times and made some notes. It's nice to know that it's probably not something I'm missing, just something I need to learn.
 
yeah, no clients, just left over hangover w/ coffee posts....:p

your thread is a common HR issue and always a mystery to solve.

muddy recordings...you stated the guitars are almost non existant, the bass drum is way too boomy

do you ever try the old "mono" check? sometimes that will really help tweek the freq's so their not "masking" and fighting.
its a solid theory and logic of throwing everything on top of each other for a forced freq crowding check.

the fact it sounds good in the studio, seems to say your skills are ok....and that leads to the monitors and room again....and probably the room lying to you. just via partitioning your coments.
 
Well, as soon as I get the pc working (it broke on me this morning when a client was there :(), I'll get a mix online, see what you all think :)
 
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