Less muddiness?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ren&stimpy
  • Start date Start date
R

ren&stimpy

New member
I'm working with a Tascam DP-02 portastudio...and I know that I can get better quality tracks with this thing. Maybe my mixing skills just aren't up to par yet.

Anyway, how can I get my tracks to sound less muddy? They're either too muddy or sometimes they just have too much treble. I make pop/folk music & I'm trying to create rich arrangements with a good sense of separation in each song.

As of now, I'm flat broke, or else I would just pay $1200 to cut a demo. So, at the moment, I've got to rely on myself.

thanks in advance!
 
EQ. if you spend an hour or two eqing, you can probably solve your problem. The mud usually resides in the 250 hz range, right around there. Try cutting with a high Q around that freq range to see if it solves your problem. I would try and see first before cutting the master EQ to see if you can cut some low end off of some instruments that don't need low end.

good luck!
T :D
 
Good chance the mud could be from your mics or monitors.
 
Post a clip so we have a better idea.

Blind guesses in the dark/likely suspects:
The recording itself is muddy. Perhaps you used heavy blankets or foam in the room. That would create mud.

Your mix position is sitting in a standing wave that cancels out most of the low mids causing you to add too many low mids to compensate.

You mixed on headphones screwing with your natural equal loudness curves.

General bad mic placement and tone selection.
 
Chibi Nappa said:
Post a clip so we have a better idea.

Blind guesses in the dark/likely suspects:
The recording itself is muddy. Perhaps you used heavy blankets or foam in the room. That would create mud.

Your mix position is sitting in a standing wave that cancels out most of the low mids causing you to add too many low mids to compensate.

You mixed on headphones screwing with your natural equal loudness curves.

General bad mic placement and tone selection.
Click to expand...

And these blind guesses/likely suspects have a pretty good shot at being at least part of the problem.

I also agree with using EQ to cut out the frequencies that are building up mud.
There is quite a bit you can do in the tracking stage that will help with mud tho...before it gets to mix stage.
Like how hot you track, the mic placement, which pickup on a guitar etc.

Post a clip and lets see whatcha got. ;)
 
Where would you place the mic for less muddy sound?


Directly in front of mouth, higher, below, closer, farther? lol OR a mix of two of those?



Seriously tho any suggestions?
 
BLP said:
Where would you place the mic for less muddy sound?


Directly in front of mouth, higher, below, closer, farther? lol OR a mix of two of those?



Seriously tho any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Farther. Most mics with directional patterns have what's called proximity effect. They have increased low and low-mid response up close. This flattens out with 6-12" of distance. Note that room sound becomes more of a factor with more distant mic placement.
 
Also, if you're doubling up guitars (especially with gain), you'd have serious build-up in the mid-low frequencies. If not, then what everyone else said ;)
 
hmm some eq.... high pass everything except the kick and bass
 
BLP said:
Where would you place the mic for less muddy sound?


Directly in front of mouth, higher, below, closer, farther? lol OR a mix of two of those?



Seriously tho any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Certainly not up the rear unless that's the kind of sound you're looking for.
Sorry, I am in a wise guy mood at the moment.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top