Problem with mixes played on stereos

  • Thread starter Thread starter Michael Nadolski
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I did a rough mix of one of the songs that have too much low end, about a minute long, converted to mp3 160kbit.

The mp3 file is posted at:


There's no bass guitar in the mix, but you can hear the "boominess" of the bass drum and low ends of the acoustic guitar. When I mix, it sounds good through the near-fields, but when I burn a cd and play elsewhere, its pretty bassy.

If anyone gets the chance to check out what I'm talking about, your feedback is most welcome.

Could it be the transfer process to the computer that's affecting the sound?

Thanks everyone for you valuable input,

Mike
 
I listened to your sample....

...all you need is a low-cut filter (something on the order of 18 db/octave so that it doesn't strip away the useful parts) on that bass drum and you should be fine.... that'll trim some of the excess low-freq material.

But even so, although a little woofy in the low end, I wouldn't say it was overly excessive. Mind you, throw a bass line in there also and for sure it'll be fighting for space with the bass drum.

Good luck with it...
Bruce
 
Thanks Bruce for listening to my sample!

If that's all it takes, then I'll try cutting the low-end (18db though?). Beats buying new near-fields as this was my original thought on the problem.

Can I do the low-end cut when I so call "master" it as opposed to when I mix?

I usually try to get a clean, punchy-sounding bass guitar (almost like a "rick" sound) into the mix, but how can I make sure the bass drum and bass guitar don't fight for the same space as you state they might?

Thanks!

Mike
 
First off, a low-cut filter will cut freqs (with a sharp slope - the 18db/octave part) usually somewhere below 75hz (the actual freq depends on the board). It's typical to turn on this filter on any track that doesn't have this low a response (vocals, guitars, drum overheads) to remove the mud that can waste song frequency bandwidth. And of course, you can use it in the scenario that you are currently experiencing!

The "kick you in the chest" frequency is around 85hz. You want to adjust the low-end of the bass and/or the kick so that they work together and provide a solid foundation. One shouldn't over-shadow the other and both should still be clearly defined. You do this by carving out a small part of any frequency range that is overlapping between the two. Doesn't take much, so don't abuse that EQ! (You will need a parametric eq to do this - forget using a graphic!)

hope this helps...
 
It helps a ton. You need to get paid for all your advice on this BBS! At least lunch if you're ever in my area!

Only problem is I don't have a low-cut on my tascam m-2600, but I suppose I can adjust using the parametric eq and cut it there.

I think I have what you're saying about the bass "space". Since I prefer a punchier sounding bass guitar, I can cut the low end of the bass drum and bass guitar at about 75hz, cut the bass drum somewhere between 150-350Hz about 2db, and boost the same freq I cut on the bass drum and increase it about 2db on the bass guitar. Does this sound right?

Thanks,

Mike
 
You really do need a filter, which is different from EQ 'cos it literally cuts out everything below the given frequency. An EQ does more of a notch (with varying slope, depending on the Q setting) boost or cut, rather than simply cutting-off....

If you prefer a punchier bass, you should less of a problem fitting it in since a punchier bass usually means you aren't overly extending its low-freq but emphasizing a bit more of the mids. This should complement the low-freq kick nicely.

Off-hand I can't think of any brands, but you really should consider getting some sort of outboard filter units.

Bruce
 
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