spikes in mixes

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dontouch

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Should I be concerned if the wave of a mix LOOKS like there are spikes all over the place caused by bass/kick. The average peak is around -5.0 but some spikes are around -3/-2ish. Is this something I need to be concerned about and why?
 
Almost all mixes look like there are spikes everywhere... Especially from the kick and snare.

I'm not seeing the problem here...
 
Almost all mixes look like there are spikes everywhere... Especially from the kick and snare.

I'm not seeing the problem here...

what can you tell just from comparing these two waves? is the old one better?

Untitled-1.jpg


thanks!!
 
what can you tell just from comparing these two waves?
One cannot judge the quality of a recording by how it looks any more than one can judge the quality of a photograph by how it tastes.

Use your ears.

G.
 
One cannot judge the quality of a recording by how it looks any more than one can judge the quality of a photograph by how it tastes.

Perfect.

Excluding those with certain forms of synesthesia.
 
Perfect.

Excluding those with certain forms of synesthesia.
Well, yeah. Back when I used to get migrains, I used to taste them. Very weird sensation to taste something not in your mouth but in your right forehead. For me it was the taste of day-old cold coffee. :( I have to wonder if there's actually people out there that could actually hear a waveform by looking at it (and no, simple oscillators don't count.)

G.
 
Post #4 was pretty much on the money, and again another quote I'll have to steal; )

Although some conclusions can be drawn from waveforms, the sound isn't one of them.
 
Although some conclusions can be drawn from waveforms, the sound isn't one of them.
Yeah, I should clarify that I agree that one *can* indeed tell some things from looking at the waveform, like you did. But actually being able to tell just how it actually sounds is something else altogether.

This thread reminds me of a quasi-famous saying that I myself like to plagiarize, Tom (W.). I don't know where it originally came form:

Talking about music is like dancing about architecture.

:D

G.
 
what can you tell just from comparing these two waves? is the old one better?

Untitled-1.jpg


thanks!!
One could *theoretically assume* that there's a slow-release compressor on some percussive element (as the first percussive element looks similar from one to the next, but the following percussive elements look lower in amplitude).

That's assuming they ARE percussive elements - And assuming the first hit was let through due to a slow attack / slow release compressor.

One could also assume that the percussive elements were simply turned down.

One can NOT assume which one sounds "better" -- You can assume that one has more impact than the other - and perhaps even be correct. But you can't assume that "more" or "less" of that impact would be better... I've "seen" far more spiky recordings...
 
Should I be concerned if the wave of a mix LOOKS like there are spikes all over the place caused by bass/kick. The average peak is around -5.0 but some spikes are around -3/-2ish. Is this something I need to be concerned about and why?

you should only be concerned if you want to turn the mix up by more than -3/-2ish in which case it will clip where those spike go above 0dBFS unless you start compressing or limiting the piece
 
".........Should I be concerned if the wave of a mix LOOKS like there are spikes all over the place caused by bass/kick......"


..........................I'm not seeing the problem here...


I could not resist.................:D
 
This thread was kind of funny, certainly dontouch will be embarrassed for asking this question in a couple years.
 
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