Giving each instrument 'it's own space'?
- Thread starter Smoobg
- Start date
rushfan33
New member
Mic placement is a huge tool for creating space. Especially for things like back up vocals, percussion instruments and so on.
Many times, people are confused when EQing something and it is often thought that you have to add EQ. Many times (and perhaps even more often then not), "D-EQing" is necessary, especially when trying to place something in the mix.
Just my opinion....
RF
Many times, people are confused when EQing something and it is often thought that you have to add EQ. Many times (and perhaps even more often then not), "D-EQing" is necessary, especially when trying to place something in the mix.
Just my opinion....
RF
Chibi Nappa
New member
Panning is a good method indeed, but some people will hear your mix in mono. You don't have to stand very far away from a boom box or standard issue college dorm room shelf system to compleatly lose the sterio separation. I find myself cutting a few DB of EQ in addition to panning every now and then.
Aaron Cheney
Favorite Chord: C 6/9
Agreed. Panning has very little to do with what most producers think of as creating space around an instrument, for reasons just articulated. MOST non-musical people will hear your mix in mono.
It's all about EQ and reverb, wether natural (via mic techniques) or artificial.
Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
It's all about EQ and reverb, wether natural (via mic techniques) or artificial.
Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
rushfan33
New member
Re: What if I'm not using a mic?
You can use things that were mentioned by the others such as panning (assuming that it will mostly be heard in stereo), Verb, EQ and the setting of you other gear.
Also keep in mind.... the other instruments in the mix and there respective frequency ranges play a big part of where they sit in the mix.
RF
Smoobg said:
You can use things that were mentioned by the others such as panning (assuming that it will mostly be heard in stereo), Verb, EQ and the setting of you other gear.
Also keep in mind.... the other instruments in the mix and there respective frequency ranges play a big part of where they sit in the mix.
RF
Aaron Cheney
Favorite Chord: C 6/9
The thing about PODs and their ilk is that they usually try to create a guitar tone that sounds awesome by itself . Same with a lot of keyboard presets. That sort of goes against what you are trying to accomplish when mixing.
If you have a guitar tone that sounds great soloed, with a giant tone that runs from 60hz to 4k, and you stick that in a mix, it's gonna walk all over all kinds of other elements. The object in a mix is to create, well....., a mix of many instruments where the total is greater than the sum of its parts. That means maybe you'll have to sacrifice the low-end chunk of your guitars with a HP filter so that the bass can poke through. Maybe you have to notch you bass tone around 60hz so your kick comes forward a little.
Often tracks in a mix sound odd when soloed. That's fine. You shouldn't be EQing them when they're soloed anyway.
Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
If you have a guitar tone that sounds great soloed, with a giant tone that runs from 60hz to 4k, and you stick that in a mix, it's gonna walk all over all kinds of other elements. The object in a mix is to create, well....., a mix of many instruments where the total is greater than the sum of its parts. That means maybe you'll have to sacrifice the low-end chunk of your guitars with a HP filter so that the bass can poke through. Maybe you have to notch you bass tone around 60hz so your kick comes forward a little.
Often tracks in a mix sound odd when soloed. That's fine. You shouldn't be EQing them when they're soloed anyway.
Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
James Argo
Fancy Rock N' Roll
Takes THREE dimensional view to make a "Space". Lets say... lenght, wide, and deep. Generealy :
Wide : You may find panning is the simplest way to put your instrument on the left/right space. Soft panning is fine. But nobody suggests hard/dead panning while it would be an issue to monaural sound system your listener might have.
Length : here you can use EQ. Every instrument has their own main ocupied field in the mix. Kick drums, bass, and low pads usualy on the low end. Guitars, vocals, in the midle area. Strings, brass, etc at higher middle field, while Cymbals on the top end. It's only general idea, since many has vary subjective.
Deep : Reverb and short delay things could be the easiest tools to adjust the depth of the sound.
Once again, there's no certain rules, but when you get the basic general idea, here's where practise takes it places. Just before you practise with your gears, try to practise with your ears first. Yes... many mixer man underestimated the needs of ear practise. Spend times on listening pro made recording. Not just enjoying the music for hours, but sit down and listening. Close your eyes and figure what you listen. Where is what. And what do you think makes it there. Try with simple record -band with 4 members simple record. Cold Play for example. Then after you had any idea, develop to more complex record... Once you got the clue, get your gear and do as you think. If it doesn't work as you think, try again, and again, and again. At least you'll be brought to next higher level...
Papa James
Wide : You may find panning is the simplest way to put your instrument on the left/right space. Soft panning is fine. But nobody suggests hard/dead panning while it would be an issue to monaural sound system your listener might have.
Length : here you can use EQ. Every instrument has their own main ocupied field in the mix. Kick drums, bass, and low pads usualy on the low end. Guitars, vocals, in the midle area. Strings, brass, etc at higher middle field, while Cymbals on the top end. It's only general idea, since many has vary subjective.
Deep : Reverb and short delay things could be the easiest tools to adjust the depth of the sound.
Once again, there's no certain rules, but when you get the basic general idea, here's where practise takes it places. Just before you practise with your gears, try to practise with your ears first. Yes... many mixer man underestimated the needs of ear practise. Spend times on listening pro made recording. Not just enjoying the music for hours, but sit down and listening. Close your eyes and figure what you listen. Where is what. And what do you think makes it there. Try with simple record -band with 4 members simple record. Cold Play for example. Then after you had any idea, develop to more complex record... Once you got the clue, get your gear and do as you think. If it doesn't work as you think, try again, and again, and again. At least you'll be brought to next higher level...
Papa James