Separation: Determining which frequencies to boost/cut?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ambi
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ambi

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Im having troubles getting started with seperation. I EQ tracks till they sound good, i try not to boost too much, i pan, i do levels etc.. And i understand what you mean with Eqing each instrument to have its own space, and make sure non of the instruments step on each other, but how do i know which ones to boost/cut, and where to do that? Do you have to use a spectral analyser on each instrument to find out the main frequencies it uses, and then boost them, and go to all the other instruments and cut that frequency a bit?

I tried using a spectral analyser in soundforge a while ago, and it just looked like a big wavey line, with no real peaks or valleys, im probably using it wrong though... any help?
 
I've heard some people say those tools are useful, but I think you should learn to mix with your ears first. Try to get the tracks recorded well so you don't have to use much EQ. Use panning to seperate elements away from the middle, and compression and reverb can be used to move instruments front to back. Mute tracks often to see which instruments are sucking the life out of the mixes.

Don't solo tracks to apply EQ. Listen to the tracks in the whole context.
 
Thanks Littledog, I usually solo when doing EQ and such, but I think your suggestion makes more sense. I'm going to try that next time. Right on!
 
Don't solo tracks to apply EQ. Listen to the tracks in the whole context
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Littledog

He's right. Don't solo tracks to EQ them. It will really fuck with your mix.

They will sound different to the ears when combined with the rest of the mix.
 
"...compression and reverb can be used to move instruments front to back. Mute tracks often to see which instruments are sucking the life out of the mixes."

So, more reverb puts the sound further back in the mix. But what does compression have to do with it?
 
dobro said:
"...compression and reverb can be used to move instruments front to back. Mute tracks often to see which instruments are sucking the life out of the mixes."

So, more reverb puts the sound further back in the mix. But what does compression have to do with it?
Click to expand...

Compression moves it up front. A fast decay really adds 'punch' while a slower decay is a 'smoother' sound.

Reverb also obscures your panning and postioning so if you want a wide stereo effect go easy on the reverb.
 
Okay, I'll take your word for it and start to experiment with compression for that purpose. But I don't get it - why does compression have that effect? Is it because compression allows you to boost the gain, and that makes it seem closer to the listener?
 
thats all great advice, but what i was really asking was about the specific frequencies of different instruments.
where to cut and boost, etc... and what to use to figure out these frequencies..
a spectral analyser?

you have to pan, and cut/boost eq to give each instrument its space, but where?
im ok with panning, reverb and compression are getting easier, and i can eq, i just need to find out where to eq to seperate the mix.
 
thats all great advice, but what i was really asking was about the specific frequencies of different instruments.
where to cut and boost, etc... and what to use to figure out these frequencies..
a spectral analyser?

you have to pan, and cut/boost eq to give each instrument its space, but where?
im ok with panning, reverb and compression are getting easier, and i can eq, i just need to find out where to eq to seperate the mix.
 
dobro-

have you ever heard in many current hip-hop productions how it sounds like the singer is about three inches from your ear? (Example: Janet Jackson's opening rap on "Son of a Gun"). That's done with compression. Gobs of compression let you hear every breath and nuance like her lips were right up against your face (okay - calm down now!).

ambi -

I'm not avoiding your question. I just think that EQ formulas for mixing do much more harm than good (e.g.: for ocarina cut 4.2 dB at 93 hz with a Q of 4.9). It's going to completely differ depending on what mic and mic position you used to record it, what the specific instrument in the specific room sounded like, and what brand and model EQ you are using. You just have to listen and see what works.

If you really feel overwhelmed as to how to even start, try the "anti-EQ" trick. Make a fairly narrow (high Q) 10dB boost, and sweep it up and down the frequency spectrum until you find where it makes the track sound the WORST. Then try cutting a little of that frequency using a more normal EQ curve.

Forget the charts and formulas - you'll be a better mixer if you use your ears.
 
so just eq a certain instrument... say... steel drums... or bass guitar, or whatever.
just play with the EQ and give it what it sounds like it needs, and listen to when it sounds like its getting clearer, and more seperated from the rest of the mix.

and do that with every instrument? just play until it sounds like its getting more space and becoming more clear.

and cut whenever possible instead of boosting...

i can go through the eq like you were saying, spike it way up, then move it around and find where it sounds the worse, then cut it a bit, or do the opposite and boost it, etc.. i can make things sound a lot better, but, not really more seperate i don't think...

its not like im giving them more space, im just making them sound better.... or is that the same thing? i guess if they become clearer and sound better, that means they're standing out more on their own and seperated... i dunno, these connections confuse me sometimes, and then they just hit me eventually...like the cold war....
 
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