mjbphotos
Moderator
Its important to understand what your client (or friend!) likes and doesn't like. We've learned. over the years what WE like in a mix.
Two songs I've been working on... both start out with just an acoustic guitar (finger-strummed) and a female vocal.
One, she liked, the other she didn't. They were recorded at different sessions, but same set-up.
Both had identical vocal treatment (just an 1175-type compressor) and the same amount of plate reverb).
The difference on the guitar (both recorded with 2 LDCs, one 18" from the 12th fret, the other 18" from the lower bout).
Track 1 (she liked): guitar had EQ boosting some highs from 7K up and scooping some low mids; the mics were panned 5% either side. I had the reverb set for each mic sent separately to the reverb buss, and each one was panned to the opposite side about 10%
Track 2 (she didn't like): no EQ, mic panned 27% each side. Reverb was slightly lower and sent from the group (rather than each individual track).
So I copied all the settings and EQ from track 1, and the different reverb sends, and brought the panning in to about 11%.
She loved it! The reverb still gives it some space, rather than a flat mono sound.
Of course now she sent me some more tracks she wants to work on, and the guitar track on each song is just a single track (no 2-mic set up). Suggestions on a way to give a single guitar some stereo space? Maybe send it to 2 slightly different reverbs panned each side?
Two songs I've been working on... both start out with just an acoustic guitar (finger-strummed) and a female vocal.
One, she liked, the other she didn't. They were recorded at different sessions, but same set-up.
Both had identical vocal treatment (just an 1175-type compressor) and the same amount of plate reverb).
The difference on the guitar (both recorded with 2 LDCs, one 18" from the 12th fret, the other 18" from the lower bout).
Track 1 (she liked): guitar had EQ boosting some highs from 7K up and scooping some low mids; the mics were panned 5% either side. I had the reverb set for each mic sent separately to the reverb buss, and each one was panned to the opposite side about 10%
Track 2 (she didn't like): no EQ, mic panned 27% each side. Reverb was slightly lower and sent from the group (rather than each individual track).
So I copied all the settings and EQ from track 1, and the different reverb sends, and brought the panning in to about 11%.
She loved it! The reverb still gives it some space, rather than a flat mono sound.
Of course now she sent me some more tracks she wants to work on, and the guitar track on each song is just a single track (no 2-mic set up). Suggestions on a way to give a single guitar some stereo space? Maybe send it to 2 slightly different reverbs panned each side?