i don't know how to mix...just don't get it..
- Thread starter wes480
- Start date
BuildingStudios
New member
TEX...
.... ok... you see I have "known" what compression is and how to use it for the most part (what all the parameters are) But i never felt like i was using it right. I always read books where people rave about compression, saying "Compression can change the sound of an instrument more than any other effect" I havent really been able to undestand that until very recently...
Is the way compression makes it seem more in your face because, you take the quite parts of the track and bring them up to a level with the loudest part of the track... in addition to this you can add gain because there is less dyamic range? am i kind of in the right mindset... please give me some other thoughts on what i should really be looking for when i use a compressor... I think my problem is that I dont realy know what a compressor is supposed to do...
ohh yeah... by the way I think some audio samples would really help some of us comppression newbies... if anyone has time. I think that there are aot of people in this same boat...
well thanks in advance..... Paul Knox
.... ok... you see I have "known" what compression is and how to use it for the most part (what all the parameters are) But i never felt like i was using it right. I always read books where people rave about compression, saying "Compression can change the sound of an instrument more than any other effect" I havent really been able to undestand that until very recently...
Is the way compression makes it seem more in your face because, you take the quite parts of the track and bring them up to a level with the loudest part of the track... in addition to this you can add gain because there is less dyamic range? am i kind of in the right mindset... please give me some other thoughts on what i should really be looking for when i use a compressor... I think my problem is that I dont realy know what a compressor is supposed to do...
ohh yeah... by the way I think some audio samples would really help some of us comppression newbies... if anyone has time. I think that there are aot of people in this same boat...
well thanks in advance..... Paul Knox
It's kind of the epitome of the country genre. But still it breaks from the traditional mixing mentioned above of bass/drums on one side and gits on the other. That album is amazingly produced fersher but their other albums are pretty mighty too. White Pepper is downright sublime in it's quality and subtlety.
wes480
New member
i thought that compressing the stereo mix with something like the RNC was a cardinal sin?
You are just saying to do it as an expirement...
and then get the "right" result by compressing all of the individual tracks?
ok, i will work a lot with compression then and post an mp3 within the next day or two...go from there.
Hrmm...now that i got it in my head though i kinda want a mixer. hehe...
You are just saying to do it as an expirement...
and then get the "right" result by compressing all of the individual tracks?
ok, i will work a lot with compression then and post an mp3 within the next day or two...go from there.
Hrmm...now that i got it in my head though i kinda want a mixer. hehe...
Shailat
New member
The main difficulty in engineering and mixing audio is simply no two cases are alike
Someone will give you advice on compressing say a bass using this and that with that kind of ration and this kind of Release,
although that can be helpfull it won't get you to much closer to your goal as no 2 cases are alike. U might use a different bass with a different player (feel has a lot to do with compression etc...) different pickups, Amped versus direct, different pres..etc..etc... Every song demands a different direction of compression on the bass, depending on feel, tempo, concept and more....You get the picture.
I think you need to understand (but really understand !) what each knob on your (for example) compressor does as in before you move it you can basicly guess what sound your going to hear.
What do you hear in your head and how do you twiddle the knobs to get that sound you hear in you head.
If your still guessing then your still going to have trouble getting a really good mix unless you get lucky.
I would suggest you break it down to the basics of mixing a drum kit with bass and vocals. Work your way up from mixing the kit with compression/gating/Eq ONLY No reverb, no fancy shit,
Work on proper use of the gate first understand the parameters,
compare before and after...ask yourself is it better? why?
Check the kit after gating and if recorded properly then it should already sound good even that RAW. Use some EQ by finding offending freq's. Dont look to improve the sound with fancy EQ. Look to remove problematic freq's. Again listen to the kit. If recorded properly then it should sound good ! RAW !.
Add the bass - how does it work with the kick?. Don't rush to EQ the classic "boost kick here/cut bass same place....." Just listen for - problematic masking and try to cut the bass a drop on offending freq's if they exsist (if not then your half way there).
Are they working together well? do you have enough ooomphhh and support as well? are they grooving well together? (if not ...then get the musicians back to rerecord....hopefully you got it to groove during the recording process).
There is a lot more I cant simply write a text book here
but the idea is basic simple but extremly effective (not CREATIVE!!!- Effective) EFFECTIVE moves. Make every move count !!
And be patient !!! like every thing in life its experience...work..and even more work.....A lot of mixers can get a good mix going.
What seperates them from the top ones is the creative mix's done with talent.
Don't aspire to be so creative now but remember the key word - EFFECTIVE. You'll have loads of time to be creative later. but if you cant work a compressor with out helping the sound ( or even worse degrade it) then your far from closing in on a mix you hear on your favorite cd.
Someone will give you advice on compressing say a bass using this and that with that kind of ration and this kind of Release,
although that can be helpfull it won't get you to much closer to your goal as no 2 cases are alike. U might use a different bass with a different player (feel has a lot to do with compression etc...) different pickups, Amped versus direct, different pres..etc..etc... Every song demands a different direction of compression on the bass, depending on feel, tempo, concept and more....You get the picture.
I think you need to understand (but really understand !) what each knob on your (for example) compressor does as in before you move it you can basicly guess what sound your going to hear.
What do you hear in your head and how do you twiddle the knobs to get that sound you hear in you head.
If your still guessing then your still going to have trouble getting a really good mix unless you get lucky.
I would suggest you break it down to the basics of mixing a drum kit with bass and vocals. Work your way up from mixing the kit with compression/gating/Eq ONLY No reverb, no fancy shit,
Work on proper use of the gate first understand the parameters,
compare before and after...ask yourself is it better? why?
Check the kit after gating and if recorded properly then it should already sound good even that RAW. Use some EQ by finding offending freq's. Dont look to improve the sound with fancy EQ. Look to remove problematic freq's. Again listen to the kit. If recorded properly then it should sound good ! RAW !.
Add the bass - how does it work with the kick?. Don't rush to EQ the classic "boost kick here/cut bass same place....." Just listen for - problematic masking and try to cut the bass a drop on offending freq's if they exsist (if not then your half way there).
Are they working together well? do you have enough ooomphhh and support as well? are they grooving well together? (if not ...then get the musicians back to rerecord....hopefully you got it to groove during the recording process).
There is a lot more I cant simply write a text book here
but the idea is basic simple but extremly effective (not CREATIVE!!!- Effective) EFFECTIVE moves. Make every move count !!And be patient !!! like every thing in life its experience...work..and even more work.....A lot of mixers can get a good mix going.
What seperates them from the top ones is the creative mix's done with talent.
Don't aspire to be so creative now but remember the key word - EFFECTIVE. You'll have loads of time to be creative later. but if you cant work a compressor with out helping the sound ( or even worse degrade it) then your far from closing in on a mix you hear on your favorite cd.
Shailat
New member
Re: TEX...
Sometimes it works sometimes its slow sometimes its down....
http://24.61.194.88/
With samples and all.......
BuildingStudios said:
Sometimes it works sometimes its slow sometimes its down....
http://24.61.194.88/
With samples and all.......
BuildingStudios
New member
... Thanks alot Shailat
.... That was definatly helpful.
.... That was definatly helpful.
wes480 said:
Don't get take your "sins' out of context!
It's only a sin to compress the whole mix if you are going to have your songs professionally mastered (which is never a bad idea...). The idea being, that the mastering engineer is going to compress the whole mix to some extent (most of the time), but is going to do it far more skillfully and with better equipment than you can... so if you do it first you're just getting in the way of their job, and probably keeping them from getting the best possible result.
But if you aren't getting your song mastered by a pro, adding compression to the whole mix might be a perfectly fine idea.
Sennheiser
New member
I like that answer because it's true. Very true.
Everyone, including me wants a pro-sounding mix. I've had critiques here, and privately, and have been most appreciative and adjusted accordingly. Other times I just needed a second ear. Most of those needed adjustment too, some minor, some major. Drums are my biggest problem right now.
Sometimes it is very difficult to be a subjective critic on what you may want to believe is the greatest mix since "Rumours" when you are the engineer. A fresh set of ears is what can save a mix.
The point is, a second opinion is like going to a Doctor...OK, this is what we think might be wrong, but, you really should have another engineer listen to it concure.
First of all, realize your limitiations. You are dealing with a home studio set-up that cannot possibly compete with professional mastering studios like Bob Ludwig, DRT, et al. However, you can achieve excellent sounding results if you use the right amount of compression and limiting that the big boys use. When you listen to commercial mixes the reason that they sound the way they do on your near field monitors is that they are incredibly flat, with little or no peaks. Once you get them out of the studio and on a stereo or car system, these systems invariably have their built in peaks and valleys (with very wide ranges) and that's why many home recordings don't sound the way you want them to. You have to consistently A/B commercial recordings with your stuff to get it right. It takes alot of time and effort but you'll get there. I use T-Racks 24 to master and have had great success with the program. The compression and limiting are great tools and are easy to use. Try getting a program like this and see what happens. I guarantee that you'll see good results. Another thing, don't overdo mastering tools. A little goes a long way with these programs. It's amazing how just tweaking the knobs a small amount with these programs can affect the sound. Good Luck !
Danny -- Jagged Studios
Danny -- Jagged Studios