Your best advanced mixing techniques

[BeniRose]

So I've been doing home recording for a while now, but I still feel extremely amateur with the subject. For one I don't and have not taken any classes, everything is self taught. Most of what I do is pretty menial stuff: mic placement, proper signal chain, some EQing, compression, reverb, all the basics I feel I have covered. However, so does every other kid in their basement. I'm looking to start to get more into the reality of recording and mixing, beyond stuff I feel I may as well go to the presets for. I was wondering if anyone had good resources on the more advanced topics of mixing, especially ones that wouldn't be over someone's head in terms of audio engineering concepts. Also wondering if anyone wanted to share their favourite "advanced" mixing technique. Something they feel that once they learned it really started to show an improvement in their mixes.

I know this is a pretty broad topic and it comes with experience and practice, but I really feel like I'm at a brick wall where I'm doing the best I can with what I have, but won't be able to take it a step further until I start taking a more advanced approach to mixing my music beyond putting some inserts on a few channels. For a while I was focusing on getting my dry tracks to sound better so I was mixing from a better position, but I think I've gotten my dry tracks to sound as good as they can with the equipment I have (which isn't great mind you). So that's why I came to you guys for advice on steps I can take towards better techniques that will show some results and aren't quite as mundane as what I've taught myself. Books and websites are greatly appreciated, as are anecdotes! Thanks in advance!!

 

[MadAudio]

Rule number one: trust your ears.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Most of what I do is pretty menial stuff: mic placement, proper signal chain,... However, so does every other kid in their basement. I'm looking to start to get more into the reality of recording and mixing, beyond stuff I feel I may as well go to the presets for.

First off, don't write mic placement and proper signal chain off as "pretty menial stuff". While this may sound boring, you can ask any pro engineer in the business, and they will tell you almost to the person that their biggest epiphany came when they realized that their best mixes came by creating tracks that basically mixed themselves. That is, of course, a bit of an overstatement, but it makes the point pretty well.

But for what mixing is required, my favorite technique is to make make liberal use of volume automation in 2-3dB doses here and there in order to let the more interesting fills and mini-riffs and the like for each track poke through the mix. Use it like differential EQ; meaning combine small cuts in one track with small boosts in another to create more emphasis without having it sound emphasized and to create the volume differences without affecting the overall volume level of the mix. This adds interest and texture to the song and makes the performers sound like better musicians than a flatter mix would.

As with all such tips, they only apply where they apply.

G.

 

[RAMI]

mic placement, proper signal chain, some EQing, compression, reverb, all the basics I feel I have covered. However, so does every other kid in their basement.

Hehe...You obviously haven't read a lot of the posts here. Most kids (or adults) in their basement have no idea what any of that is or how important it is. That's why there are so many questions about "what plug-in gives me this sound?". Then, when you mention room treatment and mic placement, you KNOW they just gave their screen a blank stare before typing "Yeah, but what plug-in can I use?"

Give yourself more credit. These things you call "menial" are the "secrets" most newbs don't realize they're looking for.

 

[andyhix]

I think one of the biggest difference between home recordings and bone fide studio recordings is acoustically nice, and very quiet recording spaces (no hum, fan noise, traffic rumble, etc.) Hmm...but that doesn't really answer your question.

Things I like (that may or may not apply to others):
1. Double, triple, or quadruple tracking backing vox.
2. Making sure delays, echos and other time-based fx are in sync with the song tempo.
3. Double tracking lead vox (or lead guitar). Sometimes I will have them at an even volume panned opposite (not neccesarily 100%). Sometimes I will have them panned in the same spot, with the 2nd track much lower in the mix - maybe compressed more heavily (or not).
4. Low Cut Eq on just about everything.
5. NY/Parallel compression on drum buss
6. Mute vocal tracks when there is a break of more than a second or two, to kill the noise. (same would apply to any other mic'd track, I suppose - but vocal tracks tend to have little throat clearings, breathing sounds, paper rustling and whatnot)
7. When you're focusing on bass, scoot your chair back a few feet and see how it sounds there. That has helped me a lot.
8. For drums especially, import a known good track into the session, and see how yours sounds compared to the reference. Mix to get yours sounding more like the reference.


that was just off the top of my head....nothing earth shattering, obviously.

 

[WhiteStrat]

First off, don't write mic placement and proper signal chain off as "pretty menial stuff". While this may sound boring, you can ask any pro engineer in the business, and they will tell you almost to the person that their biggest epiphany came when they realized that their best mixes came by creating tracks that basically mixed themselves.

This is worth repeating. And since Glen was repeating you to begin with, you know enough to know these things are important. Just convince yourself that they are the most important.

It sounds rather ironic, but all of my best mixes are the ones that I mixed the least. I used to spend a lot of time looking for the "secrets" of mixing a song. Now I spend most of that time getting the tracks right before I even mix.

(I spend the rest here--still looking for "secrets." Shhh... )

 

[BeniRose]

Rule number one: trust your ears.

Haha, I was preparing for a comment like this. My ears can't teach me how to do things I don't know how to do, only to tell me if the things I know how to do are working. But I know this is the general rule.

Andy, could you maybe talk a little more about number 5 (NY/Parallel compression on drum buss). I don't know what that means. I've also been wanting to get into double tracking vocal leads, but I feel like the people I record aren't good enough singers that it won't sound like two intentionally different tracks (when I would want to use it to make the track stronger)

And to the other replies, it's not that I think those things are menial, it's just that I've learned everything I can learn about those by reading up on them, watching videos etc, and the only way I'm going to get better at those kinds of things are by practicing and perfecting them in my own right. I'm already aware of these techniques. That's why I'm looking for things I'm not quite aware of. Like that differential EQ thing, I feel like I'd just screw up my track more attempting something that bold, which is why I'd like a resource that would walk me through it (like a book, I certainly don't expect anyone to post step-by-step instructions on their advanced techniques).

Anyways, thanks for all the advice and positive reinforcement guys! I just feel like people with less passion and similar or worse gear are able to get better, cleaner sounding recordings than me and I was wondering if there's some more advanced techniques that I'm missing.

 

[BeniRose]

This is worth repeating. And since Glen was repeating you to begin with, you know enough to know these things are important. Just convince yourself that they are the most important.

It sounds rather ironic, but all of my best mixes are the ones that I mixed the least. I used to spend a lot of time looking for the "secrets" of mixing a song. Now I spend most of that time getting the tracks right before I even mix.

(I spend the rest here--still looking for "secrets." Shhh... )

Unfortunately, I'm never going to be able to get tracks "right before the mix" with cheap gear like my firepod and NT1a...but like I said, I know there's ways to compensate for my lack of decent gear in my mixing techniques, which is why I posted.

 

[Riffmaster]

I'm no expert, but I'd say force yourself into getting rid of bad habits. I'll continually do stuff that deteriorates the mix out of habit. If it ain't working,it ain't gonna work.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

My ears can't teach me how to do things I don't know how to do

Well, maybe not entirely, but to at least some degree they can.

One may play around for years and never trip across some simple yet powerful techniques like parametric sweeps and such (which was a very close second for my choice as to what to put in here, but I figured that wasn't so "secret", so to speak )

But what one can do - and really needs to do - is learn just how the different gear affects the nature of the sounds you hear. Then when you ear tells you that you are hearing "A", but your mind tells you you want to hear "C" (which also requires practiced ears), then you'll know you have to do "B" to get to where you want. Then you can ask yourself, OK, now what do I have in my tool box that will do "B" to the sound, or at least will move "A" closer to "C".

[WARNING: Another annoying SSG cooking analogy ahead!]
It's like cooking. One can follow all the recipes in the world, and can have a master chef standing over their shoulders guiding them, but what great cooking really comes down to is tasting what you got on the stove so far and seeing what it needs. This requires a knowledge of what you got in your spice rack and what each spice actually does to the taste of food when you add a little or a lot. No recipe or chef can help you there, other than to advise you that that is a skill that one should develop.
[/WARNING]

which is why I'd like a resource that would walk me through it (like a book, I certainly don't expect anyone to post step-by-step instructions on their advanced techniques).

Beni, head on over to my website (www.independentrecording.net) and click on the "Studio Reference Book Catalog" icon. Check out the selections that come up under "Critical Listening Skills" and "Audio Production & Technique" and browse to your heart's content.

G.

 

[WhiteStrat]

Unfortunately, I'm never going to be able to get tracks "right before the mix" with cheap gear like my firepod and NT1a...but like I said, I know there's ways to compensate for my lack of decent gear in my mixing techniques, which is why I posted.

Not to belabor the the point--but you can get them a lot "righter" before the mix--even with your cheap gear.

I started with an MXL mic into a Behringer mixer. It doesn't get any cheaper than that. Since them I've added TONS of gear, some cheap but most much nicer.

NONE of it has made as much difference as any of these things:

A quiet, decent sounding room.
A good instrument.
Good mic technique (esp for vox)
Moving the mic around 'til it's really picking up what I want it to

A really elusive one: knowing what the song should sound like before you start, so you know what instrument should be occupying what space, in volume, eq & the stereo field.

I know that's the pedantic stuff. And I've got some mixing tricks. I'll post those as well, too. I just want to reiterate: you can't really compensate for cheap gear in the mix. But you definitely can compensate for cheap gear by knowing how to get the most out of it before you even start mixing.

I'll be back...

 

[WhiteStrat]

AndyHix really has a ton of good ones. Don't mean to steal his thunder, but I'll start with this one:

NY/Parallel compression

Duplicate a track. Compress the hell out of one of ‘em, but not the other. Mix the two to taste (with the uncompressed one being your “main” track). The compressed on gives you the “punch/oomph” and the uncompressed one keeps the dynamics & “sparkle.”

(this one can cause weird phasing issues when the processor takes a tiny bit of time generating the compressed track. I've not had that problem, but I've heard others have...)

 

[WhiteStrat]

Cool Vocal Sweetener

Duplicate your vocal track 2 times (so now you have three). Take one of the duplicates, detune it (downward) by12 cents, delay it by 25 ms, and pan it hard left. Take the other duplicate, detune it (upward) by 12 cents, also delay it 25 ms (you’re delaying both of these 25 ms behind the main vox—they’re in sync with each other) and pan this second dupe hard right.

Now bring the faders all the way down on these new “mangled” tracks. While your listening to the original vox (which is still in the center), bring these 2 new ones up gradually. Too low—there’s no difference. Too high—it just sounds wrong. Just right—the voice is nice and thick with a cool edge to it.

If you’re doing reverb on the vox, you can also just add it to the two new tracks—so you get some depth, but your main vocal in the middle stays big and present.

 

[NL5]

Not to belabor the the point--but you can get them a lot "righter" before the mix--even with your cheap gear.

I started with an MXL mic into a Behringer mixer. It doesn't get any cheaper than that. Since them I've added TONS of gear, some cheap but most much nicer.

NONE of it has made as much difference as any of these things:

A quiet, decent sounding room.
A good instrument.
Good mic technique (esp for vox)
Moving the mic around 'til it's really picking up what I want it to

A really elusive one: knowing what the song should sound like before you start, so you know what instrument should be occupying what space, in volume, eq & the stereo field.

I know that's the pedantic stuff. And I've got some mixing tricks. I'll post those as well, too. I just want to reiterate: you can't really compensate for cheap gear in the mix. But you definitely can compensate for cheap gear by knowing how to get the most out of it before you even start mixing.

I'll be back...

Great Post. People put WAY too much emphasis on the recording gear. WAY too much. I mean really, WAY WAY WAY too much.

 

[NL5]

Cool Vocal Sweetener

Duplicate your vocal track 2 times (so now you have three). Take one of the duplicates, detune it (downward) by12 cents, delay it by 25 ms, and pan it hard left. Take the other duplicate, detune it (upward) by 12 cents, also delay it 25 ms (you’re delaying both of these 25 ms behind the main vox—they’re in sync with each other) and pan this second dupe hard right.

Now bring the faders all the way down on these new “mangled” tracks. While your listening to the original vox (which is still in the center), bring these 2 new ones up gradually. Too low—there’s no difference. Too high—it just sounds wrong. Just right—the voice is nice and thick with a cool edge to it.

If you’re doing reverb on the vox, you can also just add it to the two new tracks—so you get some depth, but your main vocal in the middle stays big and present.

Just to add to this, you can change the amount of tune/detune for more or less obvious effect, as well as the delay times, which don't have to be the same, and most people I've seen use this effect use differing times on the two channels. (my english skills are phenomenal, no?)

 

[WhiteStrat]

Just too add to this, you can change the amount of tune/detune for more or less obvious effect, as well as the delay times, which don't have to be the same, and most people I've seen use this effect use differing times on the two channels. (my english skills are phenomenal, no?)

Absolutely. This "trick" (and any others you see here or elsewhere) is meant to be tweaked! Anything that's time, pitch or volume based? Those are all variables meant to be played with...

 

[NL5]

Absolutely. This "trick" (and any others you see here or elsewhere) is meant to be tweaked! Anything that's time, pitch or volume based? Those are all variables meant to be played with...

I figured you knew that, but it may not have been obvious to everybody. It's a great trick, and is found on a LOT of major label releases - usually done with an H3000, but this method is close.

Another good tip WhiteStrat!

 

[WhiteStrat]

Next batch...

(Okay, these are easily as much tracking tricks as they are mixing tricks, but if you do them, you’ll have more cool option when you are mixing.)

Other Vocal tricks:

Whisper track: have the singer whisper along with the vocal track and bring this up under the main vox in the mix.

Octave track: same thing as whisper track but the 2nd track is an octave above or below the original—tough to do, but if they’ve got the range, it can be cool.

 

[Daisy]

I know there's ways to compensate for my lack of decent gear in my mixing techniques, which is why I posted.

I think you're posting for the wrong reasons, then.

I really do.

Not to be be too "preachy" or anything. But you really should post with the following idea in mind: You're starting with something that sounds really good ... and you just want to take it up to the next level.

Compensating for lack of decent gear ... is just taking a problem and pushing it up to the next level. Before long, you'll be turning to a mastering engineer to compensate for lack of good mixing technique. To compensate for lack of decent recording gear, you need to go backwards to the source, and look there to improve your sound. And I'm talking all the little things like proper tuning and maintanance of instruments along with room accoustics.

My logic here is that ... a great-sounding source can compensate for lack of quality recording gear, any day of the week. Easily. But it's a hell of a lot less realistic to expect mixing techniques to compensate for poor tracks or poor gear. The source is by far the best place to compensate for anything ... because it's pretty damn tough to make a great source sound bad. It really is.

I'll get off my soap box now.

 

[BeniRose]

Aw guys, you're the best. I couldn't have asked for better posts!!! Even the ones that were telling me I was wrong, I loved them all!!

I really appreciate all of the responses so I'll try to reply to the ones I can. I'm unfortunately in a rental unit, so acoustic treatment is a little limited for me, but I'm actually going to be posting a new thread soon detailing my basement/space and asking for any and all advice for treatment (taking in consideration it's a rental of course). I'm actually doing a lot of things direct for my own music, and recording at other locations for the bands I do, so some of that is out of my control. But I'd still like to tweek my basement as much as I can to get the best sound out of it so, as you say, I don't have to compensate for it in my mix.

Glen, I loved the cooking analogy, very nice! Unfortunatly, I learn best by example, so what would help me fine tune that ability to know which spices have the best effect on my food would be to watch another chef cook the dish and taste as he goes along to see how that effects it. It's not that I'm not able to mix in my own spices and taste it, it's just harder for me to tell what I'm tasting for when it's my own mixing, when I see someone else doing it, I know it's right. If that made any sense! I'll definitely be checking out your book section though. I find I have a lot of down time I can't use to record (or don't have anything to record/mix) so reading would be nice to soak up all the knowledge I can get.

WhiteStrat, those tips were EXACTLY what I was talking about!! Just little things like these I maybe would've stumbled upon myself, but that can work wonders and take not much time at all to do. I'd love to hear what you have to say about good mic technique for vocals, because I don't really know much about that. I've always wanted to do a wisper/octave track song, but I've never had the opportunity to record a band either capable of it or that it would fit their style. One of my favorite bands uses it all the time, and their producer is one of my favorites as well.

Daisy, I'm feeling you a lot on this. I've actually gotten to a point where I realized my (musical) equipment is limiting me on my recording abilities, because the crappy recording I get is really the best that amp/guitar/drumset sounds. I actually sold my set because my Battery 3 kit sounded better!! I had hopes of buying a new one, but I just don't have money for it. And I don't really have the opportunity (nor time, but mostly opportunity) to record bands with equipment that will do justice to challenging my recording/mixing abilities. For a while I had decided I wasn't going to buy any more recording gear until I bought a new guitar and drumset. I got a new guitar (finally installing my pickups in it this weekend, but still don't have a decent amp) and a drumset is sort of out of the question for now. Hopefully I can get some bands in the studio so I can start putting money back into my gear rather than spending out of pocket.

Again, thanks for all your posts, it's been very encouraging!!!