KVR Audio

ecsmix · Post by **ecsmix** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 5:59 am

Hi guys, I recently finished a song and I am trying to mix correclty but I can't reach the clarity, for lack of a better word, of some other songs I compared to.

Example: Mine http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/26507100/file.html

Against this https://soundcloud.com/flu-5/red-hot-chili-peppers-scar

I did all the eq, comp, m/s, but I can't reach the sound of other songs...

From my example what am I doing wrong? How can I achieve a more "focus" finished song?

Mine doesn't even sound good on small speakers, is like too much noise, treble, you need to hear to understand.

Please help.

Thanks.

Aviram · Post by **Aviram** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 3:40 pm

hey ecsmix,
i couldnt download you example for some reason. a soundcloud link would be good.
anyway, i did listen to your reference and i must say i hear clipping all over the place... not a very good example in my eyes... (or should i say ears

)

having said that, i can tell you this - the key to clarity and separation in a mix is definatly EQ. getting it right will make you tracks shine.
getting it right of course, depends a great deal on your listening enviroment and monitoring.

if you'd post a link to soundcloud i'd be happy to tell you what i'm hearing

cheers,

Aviram

DJ Warmonger · Post by **DJ Warmonger** » Thu Mar 13, 2014 4:10 pm

Not sure how you did m/s, but side mid-lows are clearly too wide. Also, whole mix is overcompressed, though separate instruments could work well on their own.
You know, EDM-style compression of acoustic guitar is not something people do.

Another issue is reverb on click sound, it's just out of place and doesn't blend with body of sample.

Once it kicks after 1:30, it's much better though.

ecsmix · Post by **ecsmix** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 6:49 pm

Guys, I do apologize for the mess...

I just saw this thread and since that post I think I improved a lot.

I think I did figure it out, what was happening...the instruments was too wide, as well as the mix...this way it looses a lot.

I discover SERVERAL HUGE mistakes...and I fix what I could discover.

Maybe you guys could point me in the right direction.

I will post a better overall mix , in a hour...bouncing now...

Thank you very much for all the help.

4damind · Post by **4damind** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 6:57 pm

What have you done with M/S? Only stereo widening?

ecsmix · Post by **ecsmix** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:15 pm

I put a lot of efx that gave me a wide sound that doest compete with the vocals, but if it doesn't translate well in mono, it means you loose clarity in the mix.

ecsmix · Post by **ecsmix** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:17 pm

Another words, I couldn't get a wide sound, found in Pryda tracks without loosing clarity.

ecsmix · Post by **ecsmix** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:47 pm

If you analyze those big tracks, you will see that the side part of the mix/master/track is way louder than the mid part.
However if you do that you end up having phasing issues, the question is how can they achieve this?

example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTxyzmTeZaQ

If you isolate the side part from the mid part, is clipping above 0db.

4damind · Post by **4damind** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:53 pm

Widen the sounds must be done in the mix. Delays, reverb, chorus, phaser are some of this tools.
Or with pitch-shifting in combination with a delay to widen the sound ("doubling") with some special tools like Waves Doubler, Eventide H3000 Factory (Microshift), Soundtoys Microshift,...
Or if using 2 different recordings of the same sound (most used with vocals or acoustic instruments).
You will never have a problem with mono compatibility or will lose punch etc. if making this stereo stuff with the well known tools/tricks.

On the master I would use M/S for widening only with very small settings to hear only a small difference. This is more for polishing and not to make a very wide sound. This stereo image things must always be done in the mix on the (single) sounds.

ecsmix · Post by **ecsmix** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 9:05 pm

Here we go: http://www56.zippyshare.com/v/76014287/file.html

another one I did earlier. http://www62.zippyshare.com/v/29667824/file.html

Thanks.

4damind · Post by **4damind** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:12 pm

Sounds a bit focused to the center (mono) because most of the sounds are mono and having not enough stereo information for a wide stereo sound.
Many sounds (not so much with drums/bass) can have a reverb/delay/chorus/phaser (depends of the sound).

I don't hear a delay... some of the sounds are crying "I will have a delay"

Arps, plucks and stuff.. Vocals are mono with not much Reverb, there is some space for FX.
Some parts can be doubled so it sounds wide in the background (this makes also the complete song more interesting).

The spatiality is not very good in this song. To achieve some interesting stereo image/spatiality it needs some work on single sounds.

ecsmix · Post by **ecsmix** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:57 pm

I hear you 4damind...I tried to be more focus on the center now, to achieve more clarity.

This version has http://www62.zippyshare.com/v/29667824/file.html
Has bigger stereo image, what do you think?

Guitar has haas efect with delayed+dif pitch on L+R, then panned @ 15 right
strings panned 15 left (stereo track)
piano center( 3 SOUNDS) one center other two sounds 12r/12l
vocal center
drums+bass center

The pan in Ableton is not as good as in Cubase or ProTools, is there plugins that could help me achieve the same results?

In "mastering" I reduced the stereo image so I could have more clarity. in this version: http://www56.zippyshare.com/v/76014287/file.html

Mixing: On Instruments BUS: I use bx stereomaker @ 150% and it has a very good mono compatibilty.
Piano+Strings+guitar

What would you do different?

ecsmix · Post by **ecsmix** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:30 am

The thing is...after applying the effect on a single instrument if it sounds too different than in mono, it could become a problem down the road, right?

I think that's the problem I had on the first place...My sounds were too wide...lacks definition...

Listen to the first samples and you will understand what I mean.

Thanks.

ecsmix · Post by **ecsmix** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 2:34 am

4damind, I came back to the mix, doubled every track but the piano.

Guitar hard pan left/right, strings same but @ 25%, dif eq, efx for each track.

bounced, raised 2dbs on the sides on "mastering"+eq

http://www66.zippyshare.com/v/25782092/file.html

It is wider than the last one, I was wondering which one has more clarity in your opinion.

Thanks

Clarity of Sounds in Mixing/Mastering, please help.