I'm in an intermediate stage of this project, and thought it wise to burn the nearly finished instrumental tracks to a CD in order to preview the mix on various systems and get a gist of what I'd be in for when I went back to it. I've been mixing on a pair of MAudio Studiophiles, and occasionally referencing in some god-awful consumer headphones, and achieving what sounds (especially in the monitors) to be the optimal mix...no mud, no piercing, nice definition, and just the right 'brightness' as far as the various instruments go. The CD sounded great on a fairly new stereo system, but lost a little bit of the definition in the car, though I'll console myself by blaming road noise. Just now, I tested the CD out while driving the minivan, which tends to seriously beef the bass at times, and, to my dismay, the low end was so painfully loud and thick that I feel it was actually clipping in the van...the kick drum hit so hard and low that it actually sounded like it was spattering against with windshield with distortion. Terrible. So I brought it inside, and popped it onto the computer, which is connected to a pair of what are probably $5 speakers...flimsy, tinny, came-with-the-computer speakers...and to be honest, the mix, although a touch on the bright side, sounds fabulous! Great definition, great stereo panning...the bass is not chunky at all, but it's definately there doing its job. My question, I suppose, is how could the kick on the same mix be distorting on one system, and sound like a snare drum in the other? How could the sound in the van be muddied beyond recognition, while the sound on the cheap-os be so defined I can hear all my mistakes? And if this is the case, how does ANYONE achieve a balance and make a worthwhile CD that everyone can listen to and not burn up their ears?
I'm appealing to all you veteran mixers and masterers out there, wondering what you guys do to hit the sweet spot. I'm working with a Korg 1600 and the SP5 monitors, and the music is all about acoustic gtrs, elec gtrs, elec bass, drums, keys, and sprinkles of synth for effects. I'm afraid if I trim the bass, it will be non existant on the tinnier speakers, but if I thicken the mix a bit, it will become pure mud. I have resolved to lower the level of the drums on most of the tracks, which might help with the kick issue, but it won't really solve the muddiness dilemma.
Any and all hints, tips, or tricks would be super-appreciated. Thanks!
-Matt
I'm appealing to all you veteran mixers and masterers out there, wondering what you guys do to hit the sweet spot. I'm working with a Korg 1600 and the SP5 monitors, and the music is all about acoustic gtrs, elec gtrs, elec bass, drums, keys, and sprinkles of synth for effects. I'm afraid if I trim the bass, it will be non existant on the tinnier speakers, but if I thicken the mix a bit, it will become pure mud. I have resolved to lower the level of the drums on most of the tracks, which might help with the kick issue, but it won't really solve the muddiness dilemma.
Any and all hints, tips, or tricks would be super-appreciated. Thanks!
-Matt