More athmosphere and space in my music.. How?

[Monique]

Hello, all.

I have recorded some songs. But they all sound so "flat" compared to what I listen to on CD. It is hard to explain, but I compared to a grafik model; my music sounds just 2D when I want it to sound like 3D. I hope anyone understands?

I don't know what a compressor or a limiter is, or how they work. I am using just reverb, chorus, delay and autotune. And the EQ, but I am pretty lost on the EQ, cause I don't know which frequenses does what to my music. I am doing the trial and error way but so far just about everything comes out as error.

Is there any good basic guide to mixing and the use of compressor, limiter and EQ? What more can I do to get more space in my music?

I am totally lost.

Thank you in advance.

/M

 

[ambi]

Do you do a lot of panning?

that's what will open your mix up and make it sound more "3d".

Also you can use compression to bring an instrument forward in the mix, or reverb to set it back, giving a bit more depth. But don't go crazy on it.

Just work on the panning. There are techniques with stereo recordings, or doing a fake stereo track that help. Say you have a main guitar track, you can double it up so you have two of them, pan one hard left, one hard right, and add a litle bit of short delay on one. To give it more of a stereo feeling.

Things like that help, but maybe you're already doing a lot of panning i don't know. There are other techniques that other people will know better than I. Hopefully they'll jump in.

 

[ambi]

http://www.studiocovers.com


HELLA info on effects and mixing.

 

[malcolm123]

Hello, all.

I have recorded some songs. But they all sound so "flat" compared to what I listen to on CD. It is hard to explain, but I compared to a grafik model; my music sounds just 2D when I want it to sound like 3D. I hope anyone understands?

I don't know what a compressor or a limiter is, or how they work. I am using just reverb, chorus, delay and autotune. And the EQ, but I am pretty lost on the EQ, cause I don't know which frequenses does what to my music. I am doing the trial and error way but so far just about everything comes out as error.

Is there any good basic guide to mixing and the use of compressor, limiter and EQ? What more can I do to get more space in my music?

I am totally lost.

Thank you in advance.

/M

Are you comparing your recordings to store bought CDs?

Just curious.

Malcolm

 

[Teacher]

if u are comparing ur music to store bought cd's theres alot more going on then just techniques.,.. its quality of gear as well...unless u've been collecting for a while or rich u don't have the same high quality equipment as a commercial studio

 

[TexRoadkill]

Compression will bring things closer and a room reverb will push things back. Cut the lows on just about everything but bass. You can also use EQ to cut some highs and high mids to push a track back a little.

The real trick to getting a lot of space and depth in the mix is to make sure your raw tracks are up to snuff. If they are stale and flat sounding than it's pretty hard to make a big difference in the mix.

 

[Monique]

Try listening to the two demo MP3's found on this site. I don't fancy the music, but the production of it is awesome. So much space and athmosphere in it. That's what I am looking for.

http://www.soundsonline.com/sophtml/details.phtml?sku=QLVOTAGS

I know that my budget gear can't produce anything compareable to what I buy on CD. Certainly not since I don't even know really what basic things like compressor, limiter etc. are, and I can't even handle an EQ.

But the tracks I record has no athmosphere or space AT ALL. They are so flat and boring, that I almost loses my interest in music when I listen to some of the things I have done. Feels so hopeless.

Allright, so if I have understood your answers correct, this is the model:

.................compressor
........................^
........................ |
.........................|
left pan <--------+-------> right pan
.........................|
.........................|
.........................v
......................reverb

So far, there is no problem. But are there any general rules about which istrument is supposed to be where in this map? This is a long shot, but perhaps you understand what I mean.

.................compressor
........................^
..................1.... |......2
.........................|
left pan <--------M-------> right pan
.........................|
..................3.....|......4
.........................v
......................reverb

I added numbers to four "sections", and "M" for middle. M is the default point for every recorded and unmixed track. So, for example, you are telling me the basics about how to move the instruments back and fourth in the mix, but where am I supposed to move them?

Does the guitar sound best in 1, song in the centre between 1 and two, bass in 3 and drums in 4? I mean, there must be some "standard"?

I hope I am not too beyond...

Thank you for helping me out.

/M

 

[mgraffeo]

MIC PLACEMENT!!!!!

Try something radical, like NOT close-mic'ing everything. The distance of a source to a mic is part of what is captured when you record. Drop your backing vocalists 2-3 feet off a mic. Record drums with an OH mic, and mix that with light input from the spot mics. Record guitars with a mic 6 feet back in the room. Try everything and anything.

Yes, some of this feeling can be imitated with reverb, but it will sound much more realistic when captured at the source. A lot of the reason for 2D mixes is because EVERYTHING is ultra-close mic'ed. When was the last time you listened to a guitar cab at 2", or stuck your ear right next to a snare drum, or stood 3" out from a vocalist as they belt it out?

Don't forget vibe and realism in this whole process. It's easy to lose the forest when you're looking at the trees...

-mg

 

[Monique]

There is just one little detail; I don't mic anything. *s*

All instruments recorded comes either from my Triton LE or my Roland D-50. Straight line in, that is. Guitar is recorded through the soundcard line-in too, via a Line6 POD. So the only thing actually mic'ed is vocals.

/M

 

[moley]

IME, AutoTune makes vocals sound dull, "flat", boring. Inhuman. And when used more than a little, downright horrible.

That's not what's causing your problem (it's used enough on commercial CDs) - just an observation.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Hello, all.

I have recorded some songs. But they all sound so "flat" compared to what I listen to on CD. It is hard to explain, but I compared to a grafik model; my music sounds just 2D when I want it to sound like 3D. I hope anyone understands?

An article on mixing that I wrote - may help you....

 

[TexRoadkill]

There is just one little detail; I don't mic anything. *s*

All instruments recorded comes either from my Triton LE or my Roland D-50. Straight line in, that is. Guitar is recorded through the soundcard line-in too, via a Line6 POD. So the only thing actually mic'ed is vocals.

/M

You are fighting an uphill battle there. If you are using a crappy soundcard then that could be a big part of the problem. Having some good reverbs is also important. You won't get a lot of space recording through a soundblaster and using some cheap reverb presets. One other key component to space is having nothing. Knowing when to have some sparse parts in the arrangement is crucial. There can be no space if everything is playing all the time.

When you mix try to visualize where the instruments are in a physical space and try to create that illusion. Know what size room they are in and where the sounds are coming from in relation to that space. If you say there are 4 instruments in a small living room that will sound and mix very differently than 15 instruments in a concert hall.

What style of music are you doing?

 

[Noctem]

if u are comparing ur music to store bought cd's theres alot more going on then just techniques.,.. its quality of gear as well...unless u've been collecting for a while or rich u don't have the same high quality equipment as a commercial studio

Here is a quote from http://www.tweakheadz.com/perfect_mix.html

"Q) Help Me! I'm a Newbie and my Music sounds flat, undimensional, and dull compared to commercial CDs.


Ok, dudez, you've got your sequencer and soundcard working and made, lets say, a dance track. You play your track and like it. Now you go stick one of your fave CDs in the player and frown. Your track does not sound "as good, as tight, as clear, as loud, as defined" as your favorite artist. Should you throw up your hands and just say, "well these artists have mega buck studios and can make it sound better". NO! That used to be true, but it's not the case anymore. With a professional sequencer and good plugins you are in many ways ahead of where a well endowed studio was a few years ago.

The tricks are a matter of expertise, and knowing which tool to use and how to use it. The tools are compressors, eqs, exciters, fx, sub bass enhancers, and multiband compressors. Go take a look, you might have most of these in your plugin list now!

The secrets are in how to use them. Read up, experiment, and stick to it. It's all a matter of interaction between tweaking and your ears. Just like learning to play a guitar, it takes practice. "

 

[Hardcore]

This may be a dumb question, but I don't know where you're at with recording/mixing knowledge but...Are you doubling your guitar tracks?