Why does my sound seem distant?

[studiojack]

Hi,

I am just wondering if anyone can help me to bring my mix to the foreground a bit more. Is it more compression, mic placement? The sound quality is good but even a dry mix seems a little distant at any volume.

Thanks in advance...

 

[Dave_M]

I think we need more info Jack. It could be reverb levels (or room noise/reverb from distant mic placements) or it might be compression/limiting. Too little data to have a clue what it might be.

 

[MadAudio]

A sound clip would help, too.

 

[madmax25]

Yeah, hard to say without a clip. Mine seem somewhat distant as well. In my case i think it's less than awesome mics and maybe just "green" mixing ears. I recently remixed a song I did 9 months ago and the remix sounds a lot deeper and more present. What's your setup/equipment? Experience level?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Maybe because you and your speakers are in two different zip codes?

Seriously, add me to the list of those that say we need more info. It could be any number of things, including a misunderstanding of the adjective "distant".

G.

p.s. I give 2:1 odds that this winds up being another "how do I crush my dynamics to a brick?" loudness question. Any takers?

 

[Rokket]

p.s. I give 2:1 odds that this winds up being another "how do I crush my dynamics to a brick?" loudness question. Any takers?

I don't take sucker bets!


Add me too... Post a clip. We need to hear it in order to tell you what it is.

 

[eyema_believer]

Nah.... just do Like Glen says, and add an L1 over your output, with the threshold set about -10. That'll clear things up, won't it Glen? It'll sound so close, it might blow your speakers.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Nah.... just do Like Glen says, and add an L1 over your output, with the threshold set about -10. That'll clear things up, won't it Glen? It'll sound so close, it might blow your speakers.

Hey now, I'm just a stockholder of Acme Supply Company noticing a pattern in the market. I'm not actually recommending that Wile E. Coyote actually go ahead and buy that rocket pack, roller skates and giant slingshot kit, I'm just commenting that it is such a best seller amongst Homus Recordimus that I'll bet you that's what the OP is actually looking for.

G.

 

[Farview]

Turn up the midrange.

Just a guess.

 

[(6) Strings]

Use a directional mic if you aren't already.
Put the mic closer.
Treat the areas of the room you use for tracking.
Maybe add in some compression to help level the dynamics and give it a more consistent "balance".
Bring in some presence by turning up the midrange with an EQ like farview said.

Those are a few ideas I'd try (in that order).

 

[Rokket]

If you can't or won't post a clip, then answer the following:

1. Does your track sound like it's coming out of the end of a long tunnel?

2. Or that it's in another room and your hearing it through a wall?

3. Or is it cranked all the way up and you can barely hear it?

If it's number one, it's mic placement and room treatment.

If it's number two, it's a combination of bad tracking and really bad mixing.

If it's number three, Glen wins his bet...

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Unfortunately, no takers on the bet . So no financial incentive here. And Jay and 6 did bring up another good usual suspect; the ol' death scoop EQ.

Bit my money's stilll on, "When I say distant, I mean that when I play my mixes alongside my rips from (poster's favorite pro hair band CD here), mine are nowehere near as in the face as the pro ones are."

G.

 

[eyema_believer]

I bet someone made this screen-name just to make this post to drive people crazy. It's this guys first post, and he hasn't been back.

3/1 it's SSGlen, trying to make a few bucks off of us unsuspecting souls....

I had heard you guys over the other side of Lake Michigan were doing better than us over here with our stinkin' economy Glen!

Ah well, I can't blame ya ....

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

3/1 it's SSGlen, trying to make a few bucks off of us unsuspecting souls....

LOL, unfortunately you guys aren't so unsuspecting; like I said, I got no takers. Nah, it's not me; I'm just playing the averages. Without even reading the posts, anybody could probably risk 2:1 odds on at least one of anybody's first three posts being about a perceived lack of final master volume.

Studiojack; we're just messing around a little, don't let it scare you off. Very few of us bite around here these days.

I had heard you guys over the other side of Lake Michigan were doing better than us over here with our stinkin' economy Glen!

Well, I'm not sure what your definition of "better" is, but it pretty much sucks over here too. Gas is over four bucks in the heart of the city now, sales taxes on everything in this city/county are now in double digits. Even with the gas prices the way they are, I still have to drive to the next county just to afford smokes. Not that we're allowed to actually smoke them anywhere anymore... (@ NYMorningstar: I know, I know. ) And just to rub salt in the wounds, it's now the season for the Flubs to take over the TV and Radio waves with their yearly Vaudeville baseball act.

But other than that, everything's just peachy here! Peachy enough to want to head out to Warren Dunes and do some hang gliding for a weekend to forget it all.

G.

 

[eyema_believer]

But other than that, everything's just peachy here! Peachy enough to want to head out to Warren Dunes and do some hang gliding for a weekend to forget it all.

G.

Sounds like a good plan!
Plenty o wind today for it, I'd say. 'Bout blew me away this evenin'.
I dunno if I could bring myself to try that though.... That's why I like recording... I can keeps me feets on da ground.....

I've not been to the heart of the city. I drove by it twice.... on my way to WI to see an old flame onceuponatime.

I need a nap.

Where's ole studiojack?

 

[NYMorningstar]

Hi,

I am just wondering if anyone can help me to bring my mix to the foreground a bit more. Is it more compression, mic placement? The sound quality is good but even a dry mix seems a little distant at any volume.

Thanks in advance...

Is this a feature of your new cell phone?

 

[Bob's Mods]

Do you do a lot of daydreaming while you're recording and mixing?

 

[Rokket]

I wonder if he's coming back?

 

[eyema_believer]

I wonder if he's coming back?

Lets all give him/her a bunch of rep for keeping us entertained!

 

[Rokket]

Lets all give him/her a bunch of rep for keeping us entertained!

I noticed someone had him all red there for a bit. Won't do any good to give him rep right now, because he doesn't have any posts. His rep will stay 0 until he gets his post count up....