KVR Mix Workshop - Week 9: Mastering

[Kim Lajoie]

Look forward to the next workshop

OH REALLY?

-Kim.

[shogger]

Look forward to the next workshop

OH REALLY?

-Kim.

Is that a YES?









Shogger

[eduardo_b]

Look forward to the next workshop

OH REALLY?

-Kim.

You know...the advanced workshop.

[Chopper]

ouch...

[Cordelia]

Cordelia,

I just got back and listened to your final version. FWIW, You really did a good job with it. I think some of the deficiencies you mentioned aren't really deficient. All in all, it's on a completely different level than before. Great job.

BTW, I thought you were a guy, too. Sorry.

Hey, thanks a7. You've been missed. I would have loved to hear how your final master would have turned out, your mix started off so strong.

I do think there were issues with the mix that mastering couldn't overcome, and the increase in loudness actually made it worse. Personal opinion, of course. And I think attempting to master a less than ideal mix illustrates how much the qualities of the mix truly matter. None of the versions, which were indeed very similar, could overcome what I thought was the primary issue -- the vocal didn't seem to sit well in the mix and seemed both thin/harsh and bordering on distortion when limiting was applied in the last third of the song. But, again, only personal opinion and not meant to hurt anyone's feelings.

No hurt feelings on my side. eduardo_b. I joined this workshop hoping to learn a bit and I ended up learning a lot.

Some things- (which seem obvious to me now) like beginning the mix with the two most important elements, getting them to work together, identifying the next most important element, mixing that in, etc. In the past, I've been starting with the whole drum kit and then trying to fit all the other tracks around it. I think I learned that bad idea from some SOS article, and I've been clinging to it although it hasn't worked well for me.

Also, mixing in mono and only spreading it out and adding the stereo FX at the last stages of mixing was new for me. I learned a lot about EQ, saturation, how to make tracks sit farther back in the mix to add depth... I could go on and on.

What I need to pay most attention to now is learning my room (new place), what I'm actually hearing in the bass and other low mid/low frequency tracks, what the limitations of my monitors are and how to deal with that issue.

And once again, thank you Kim!

[eduardo_b]

Some things- (which seem obvious to me now) like beginning the mix with the two most important elements, getting them to work together, identifying the next most important element, mixing that in, etc. In the past, I've been starting with the whole drum kit and then trying to fit all the other tracks around it. I think I learned that bad idea from some SOS article, and I've been clinging to it although it hasn't worked well for me.

I think this points out how individual the approaches to mixing can be. Read any book in which engineers talk about their process and you discover they are all over the map. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to get started and then proceed. Once you find what seems to work best for you, you have discovered the "right" way for your best practices. Now you'll want to go back and remix everything.

[asnor]

What I need to pay most attention to now is learning my room (new place), what I'm actually hearing in the bass and other low mid/low frequency tracks, what the limitations of my monitors are and how to deal with that issue.

It's not only what you are hearing, but what you're not hearing. A while back I did a sinewave sweep in my room and the results were crazy. Some bass freqs got so loud I thought the room was going to shake apart, while others simply disappeared.

I did this when I was exploring acoustics and treatment options. It was a real ear opener. Unfortunately, I'm not in a situation where I can correct these deficiencies in my room, so my only real option, if I want to hear whats going on in my mixes, is using headphones.

Ultimately, If I had the choice between good monitors in a great acoustic environment and headphones, I would choose the former. But, I've found that headphones have worked out well enough for me that, I wouldn't bother trying to polish the turd of an acoustic environment that I'm mixing in right now. I'd rather use the cans until I can afford to build something proper.

Anyway, the point is, if your room is giving you problems, you might give headphones a chance and leave your main monitors to check panning.

BTW, one benefit of using headphones is that your mixing environment is totally portable.

You can mix in a car, in a hotel room, on the street corner, in a bar. You can mix in a bed, on an airplane, even the sphynx's head. You can mix in the bath, you can mix in the weeds, or an elevator shaft, where ever you need.

Ok, whatever. Enough.

[eduardo_b]

You can mix in a car, in a hotel room, on the street corner, in a bar. You can mix in a bed, on an airplane, even the sphynx's head. You can mix in the bath, you can mix in the weeds, or an elevator shaft, where ever you need.

Ok, whatever. Enough.

a7 Seuss...

[EzDjZ]

All of your workshops have been full of invaluable information Kim.

This is the one I am really looking forward to though.

Many thanks for your excellent posts

[Kim Lajoie]

All of your workshops have been full of invaluable information Kim.

[...]

Many thanks for your excellent posts

Cheers!

This is the one I am really looking forward to though.

Might want to fix up that link.

-Kim.

[EzDjZ]

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... highlight=

That'll be the one.....



I hope....

[asnor]

You can mix in a car, in a hotel room, on the street corner, in a bar. You can mix in a bed, on an airplane, even the sphynx's head. You can mix in the bath, you can mix in the weeds, or an elevator shaft, where ever you need.

Ok, whatever. Enough.

a7 Seuss...

Speaking of Seuss, have you heard Dylan does Dr. Seuss? It's pretty awesome.

[Sascha Franck]

I'm really late to the party, still don't have much time, either, but I wanted to say thanks for all those efforts, Kim. Might become a kickass source for some future reference.

Cheers
Sascha

[ocmtime]

Kim (esoundz) wrote:"This is likely to be different to your mix EQ, which (at least in my case) has fewer controls and more "funk"."

which eq is that ?

[Kim Lajoie]

Kim (esoundz) wrote:"This is likely to be different to your mix EQ, which (at least in my case) has fewer controls and more "funk"."

which eq is that ?

Why do you ask?

-Kim.