How do you proceed to get a balanced Ferqquency Spectrum Mix ???

  • Thread starter Thread starter EX -The Maniac
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Now I tried another thing.
I recorded the same chord progression (on my guitar) at 10 different places in my room (room size about 15 sqm). When I reheared the 10 versions recorded, I found out that they sound all completely different. Then I chose 2 of the versions (of which the difference in sound was the greatest) and modelled their freuqency spectrum with Har-Bal so that both had the same visual spectrum curve. Then I listened to them in comparison and if you believe it or not they still sounded different.
I can not change my room acoustics, so how can I get professional sounding result then in my recordings ? I think in Pro Studios, the rooms are optimized and the frequency spectrum of the recordings is automatically balanced, because there are no special freuqncies that are reflected by the room acoustics, because they usually have dead rooms. But how can you get a professional sound in a normal living room with carpet, bed, table, sofa, cabinet etc.?
 
i also was a "visual" mixer, untill recently. Now.....i try to mix only with my ears, and using a "refernce song" to compare it to from time to time. once i think everything sounds right, then i will run a spectrum anylizer to double check and make sure it looks good.

even after that, the spectrum anylizer will usually show a "non-balanced mix, but thats OK, i know it sounds right. My monitors arent the greatest ( M-audio BX-5), so this anylizer will tell me how much low bass (below 60htz) is pumping out..........cause i cant hear it on those monitors!

i read somewhere that a good general mix will always show alot of low mids and bass, and gradualy slop down in the highs. Which is true..........all my mixes look like this, even if i try and suck out the bass and boost the hell out of the highs.......the same slope is there on the anylizer. So i try not to "visual" mix anymore, it just doesnt seem to work the way i thought it would.
 
EX -The Maniac said:
Now I tried another thing.
I recorded the same chord progression (on my guitar) at 10 different places in my room (room size about 15 sqm). When I reheared the 10 versions recorded, I found out that they sound all completely different. Then I chose 2 of the versions (of which the difference in sound was the greatest) and modelled their freuqency spectrum with Har-Bal so that both had the same visual spectrum curve. Then I listened to them in comparison and if you believe it or not they still sounded different.
I can not change my room acoustics, so how can I get professional sounding result then in my recordings ? I think in Pro Studios, the rooms are optimized and the frequency spectrum of the recordings is automatically balanced, because there are no special freuqncies that are reflected by the room acoustics, because they usually have dead rooms. But how can you get a professional sound in a normal living room with carpet, bed, table, sofa, cabinet etc.?
Click to expand...
YOu can get rid of a lot of these effects by temporarily hanging comforters or packing blankets around you when you record.
I don't know how close you have the mic to the guitar, but the closer you put the mic, the less your room will effect the sound.
 
I do not own any monitors, I always mix with headphones. I thought if it sounds well on headphones it should sound the same on hifi boxes, car, radio etc.
But maybe I will by some Monitors, but does it make sense if my room isn't an optimized studio room ?
What do you think of the ESI Near 05, I thought I would by them, do you think they are good ?
 
If you use near field monitors the room effect is at least limited, assuming you set up your monitors properly, i.e. not in corners and away from the wall, and not in such a way as to get a lot of reflections.

In general, mix using monitors and check the mix on headphones.

The thing about that RTA/frequency spectrum stuff is that it can be a good learning tool and it can also be a quick way to identify problem frequencies. But over-reliance on it is not a good idea.
 
EX -The Maniac said:
I do not own any monitors, I always mix with headphones. I thought if it sounds well on headphones it should sound the same on hifi boxes, car, radio etc.
But maybe I will by some Monitors, but does it make sense if my room isn't an optimized studio room ?
What do you think of the ESI Near 05, I thought I would by them, do you think they are good ?
Click to expand...

you should definately try some monitors at a minimum.

the room is a factor, nearfields help and some simple stuff will probably be a big plus & noticeable early on. then you can get into it deep but the changes are much more subtle, imo.

another trick, using monitors, is to stick the amp in a closet and close mic it and set the sound/tone thru your monitors.
like in a studio where the Engineers are isolated, listening to the guitar sounds and noises only thru the monitors in the control room.

I heard a bootleg once where George Martin, in the control room, said over the intercom to George Harrison in the tracking room...
Martin"whats that you did?"
Harrison "I flipped my tone switch to Treble on the guitar"
Martin "lets not have that..put it back please"

thats the hard thing about recording yourself, your the musician and engineer...the musician thinks everything sounds good with presence on 10 and the pickup position wacked out and your favorite FUZZ tone going and the Engineer side of your brain has to tell yourself it sounds like ASS!
and it isn't going to "fit in the mix" with the other guitar tracks or whatever is in the same freq range...
 
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