Increased low end from mixdown versus in the box.

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WyndBalduram

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Hello all! I have a question.

Why am I getting a heavier bass response from my mixed down track than I have with the mix in the box (I am using Studio One)?

I tailored my low frequencies with EQ to be responsive and not overpowering or muddy(particularly in the bass guitar and kick drum) - sitting where they need to be in the context of the guitars and other instruments.

After using Studio One's mixdown function and listening to the track (both in Winamp and Windows Media Player), it is as if the bass is boosted slightly and loses some of its definition, and is overpowering.

I am doing my actual mixing in 44.1K @ 24 bits. I am mixing down the track to 44.1K @ 16 bits. Is it the loss of bit rate that is causing the low end to sort of pile up on itself instead of remaining defined the way I EQ'd it?

To compensate I toned back the EQ on the bassy stuff a little bit to try to get a less boomy result, but ended up taking a little of the life out of the low end.

Any ideas on how I should approach keeping my low end (and entire track in general) to sound at mixdown that same way it sounds in the box?
 
The bit depth (not bit rate) isn't changing the low end response. The "ITB" thing is somewhat moot - You're ITB when mixing, you're still ITB when listening in other programs.

Are you using the same listening chain? Are you saying that it sounds different in your mixing program than it does in any other program?
 
I think he's saying that it sounds different after he renders the mixdown to a file.
 
Increased low end...

Excuse my ignorance on the whole "in the box" thing. I thought the term meant "when mixing in a DAW". That's what I get for using terms I don't know anything about. :p

Anyway, yes, I mean the mix's low end sounds more tightly focused when listening to it in Studio One as separate tracks than it does when listening to it in Windows Media Player or in Winamp after mixdown.

I do switch from my Audiobox to my sound card between mixing and listening to the rendered mix. That have something to do with it, maybe?
 
Different speakers?? The switch to the soundcard isn't going to make a noticeable difference.

Do you have any graphic equalizer settings turned on in Winamp and WMP? Be sure all that stuff is turned off.
 
Truncating word length from 24 bit to 16 bit should have no effect on tonal balance.
 
WyndBalduram said:
Excuse my ignorance on the whole "in the box" thing. I thought the term meant "when mixing in a DAW". That's what I get for using terms I don't know anything about. :p

Anyway, yes, I mean the mix's low end sounds more tightly focused when listening to it in Studio One as separate tracks than it does when listening to it in Windows Media Player or in Winamp after mixdown.

I do switch from my Audiobox to my sound card between mixing and listening to the rendered mix. That have something to do with it, maybe?
Click to expand...
A/B with no other variables... Import the track back into your mix platform, and make sure it's on its own clean play bus/path to insure it isn't getting double hit with your mix master settings.

Don't know Studio One but this is one of the primary reasons I keep a clean dedicated bus for mix tracks and bounce the mix to a track within Sonar. Real time, sample aligned a/b against the live mix, then export that.
 
Switching to a different soundcard can indeed result in a different sound. Not drastically but noticeably. I have experienced this myself. Especially going from an interface to a shitty motherboard sound chip.
 
No, same speakers (phones), just using them on the card. No graphic EQ settings engaged on Winamp or Media Player.

Mixsit - I will try your suggestion and see what the result is. Thanks for that.

Murdersgalore - It would make sense if it is the soundcard - it's a gaming laptop sound card (one of those audigies)...

Thanks for the replies. I will try bussing the tracks to a dedicated stereo track and record a mix in the DAW and see what's up.
 
Maybe its a problem with Studio One? I know REAPER used to have the same problem some time ago.
 
I just A/B tested the rendered track against the mix as a whole in the DAW and there was absolutely no difference whatsoever. It was kinda uncanny muting and soloing the mixed down track and not hearing any differences.

It must be because I was switching to my laptops onboard sound card to listen to the mix afterward. And of course listening in the car is going to give different characteristics anyhow.

Anyway, thanks for the help folks. Sorry if this wasted time. At least I got my posts up so I can post links in threads and post a mix of this thing I'm working on. :p
 
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