SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
Allow me to comment on my own article a bit ...
While the sweep technique can be used soloed or while "in the mix", it's really best used soloed. This may seen to contradict what everybody - including me - always says about making instruments sound good in the mix instead of soloed, but it really doesn't, because we're really tlking about two different things there.
The idea behind the parametric sweep is to take out instrument resonances and mic/room response "hotspots" in the recording that detract from the intrinsic "good" sounds of the instrument that are there already, but getting a bit camouflaged by the aforementioned mud. As such, it's usually best to have the instrument soloed when you do this so you're hearing only what's on that track and not being distracted by anything else.
The difference there is one is not trying to "get a sound" out of the track; i.e. to EQ, comp, etc. to manufacture an "awesome" sound out of a raw track; that should instead be done within the mix, because what often sounds like a big, awesome "new" sound soloed, winds up not playing nicely with the other big, awesome new sounds when thrown in the same sandbox.
The parametric sweep is not creating a sound; it is just cleaning up the sound you already have.
And this is important: It also is all subtractive - there are no additives such as EQ boosts, compression, reverb, salt, pepper or MSG. The more you take away from one track, the more "room" it leaves for the other tracks. Subtractive parametric sweeps help make practically everything play together better because each track is taking up less of the sandbox.
There's nothing wrong with additive EQ, compression, reverb or other herbs and spices. But those are best added when viewed within the context of the mix, because the more of each added to this tracke, the less room there is for the other tracks.
G.
While the sweep technique can be used soloed or while "in the mix", it's really best used soloed. This may seen to contradict what everybody - including me - always says about making instruments sound good in the mix instead of soloed, but it really doesn't, because we're really tlking about two different things there.
The idea behind the parametric sweep is to take out instrument resonances and mic/room response "hotspots" in the recording that detract from the intrinsic "good" sounds of the instrument that are there already, but getting a bit camouflaged by the aforementioned mud. As such, it's usually best to have the instrument soloed when you do this so you're hearing only what's on that track and not being distracted by anything else.
The difference there is one is not trying to "get a sound" out of the track; i.e. to EQ, comp, etc. to manufacture an "awesome" sound out of a raw track; that should instead be done within the mix, because what often sounds like a big, awesome "new" sound soloed, winds up not playing nicely with the other big, awesome new sounds when thrown in the same sandbox.
The parametric sweep is not creating a sound; it is just cleaning up the sound you already have.
And this is important: It also is all subtractive - there are no additives such as EQ boosts, compression, reverb, salt, pepper or MSG. The more you take away from one track, the more "room" it leaves for the other tracks. Subtractive parametric sweeps help make practically everything play together better because each track is taking up less of the sandbox.
There's nothing wrong with additive EQ, compression, reverb or other herbs and spices. But those are best added when viewed within the context of the mix, because the more of each added to this tracke, the less room there is for the other tracks.
G.