I've been producing my own tracks now for a couple of years and things seem to be going pretty well. I've amassed a huge arsenal of freebie vsts and have no shortage of sounds to choose from.
One thing that's bugging me which I wanted some advice on (I believe it's a common complaint) is that my tunes all tend to sound a little bit "boxy" (hard to describe). Can anyone suggest anything to combat this problem?
"Boxy"
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- KVRist
- 90 posts since 9 Nov, 2004 from Bristol, UK
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- KVRist
- 441 posts since 8 Aug, 2003 from Bris, Aus
That probably means you have too much low mids, somewhere around the 250-500hz mark or so (could just be my opinion though). Unfortunately, if you can't hear that on your speakers the only solution apart from cutting blindly is that you'll have to get new ones, or find somebody with better speakers who doesn't mind you using their rig 
It does kind of suck, especially if you don't have much money to spend on new equipment, but it's really all you can do.
It does kind of suck, especially if you don't have much money to spend on new equipment, but it's really all you can do.-Veg
(:
(:
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 90 posts since 9 Nov, 2004 from Bristol, UK
Hmmm - makes sense as I am always making very bass-heavy tracks (thanks to an obsession with dub!). So could this be something that I can easily solve with EQ and a more truthful pair of headphones/speakers?
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- KVRist
- 421 posts since 12 Jun, 2004
Just switch between your and a reference track in your audio/midi-host. Then it could help to see the frequency range with an analyzer.
Try to hear with all eqs and loudness-option de-activate and add other monitors to check your low mids.
Try to hear with all eqs and loudness-option de-activate and add other monitors to check your low mids.
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- KVRist
- 149 posts since 8 Jul, 2004
Your room acoustics could be the real culprit.
Start here and do some reading:
http://www.realtraps.com/index.htm
Start here and do some reading:
http://www.realtraps.com/index.htm
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 90 posts since 9 Nov, 2004 from Bristol, UK
I always mix on headphones so they're probably at fault. I do everything on a shoestring budget and 'make do and mend' - it's only something I've noticed on a few of the tracks (there are some on my website if anyone wants to do any 'in-depth' homework!). I'm signed to a label so I must be doing something right, but it's something I notice when I listen to them on a crappy little stereo compared to an expensive all singing all dancing piece of kit!
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- Banned
- 1842 posts since 4 Aug, 2004 from just right here
Maybe its the mix and youv been heavily EQing on the stereo master?
What about building a new computer table whith wheels, so you can move everything to another room. Im thinking about doing that one - its got to fit through the door easily. That what is so good about a laptop, you could mixdown outside if you wanted
What about building a new computer table whith wheels, so you can move everything to another room. Im thinking about doing that one - its got to fit through the door easily. That what is so good about a laptop, you could mixdown outside if you wanted
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 90 posts since 9 Nov, 2004 from Bristol, UK
That's an idea! My PC's on one of those cheap and nasty computer desks on castors - I could pop down the shops while I'm mixing! That would turn some heads!
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- Banned
- 1842 posts since 4 Aug, 2004 from just right here
Placing sound absobing panels in corners of room to reduce bass.
Does this interest you
http://www.realtraps.com/test-cd.htm
Track 29: 290-300 Hz in 1 Hz increments
Does this interest you
http://www.realtraps.com/test-cd.htm
Track 29: 290-300 Hz in 1 Hz increments
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- KVRist
- 149 posts since 8 Jul, 2004
Placing sound absobing panels in corners of room to reduce bass.
Does this interest you
http://www.realtraps.com/test-cd.htm
Track 29: 290-300 Hz in 1 Hz increments
Yeah maybe he'll listen to you.-
- KVRAF
- 3441 posts since 15 Mar, 2003
You just need bit if cutting somewhere between 400 and 1000 will do it. Just listen back and forth between your tunes and prefessionally made tunes.
You will be listening to both on the same speakers and in the same room so those shouldn't be a big problem.
Do the EQ work on the mixes stereo file and use a fairly wide bandwith on the EQ.
You will be listening to both on the same speakers and in the same room so those shouldn't be a big problem.
Do the EQ work on the mixes stereo file and use a fairly wide bandwith on the EQ.
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- KVRian
- 943 posts since 15 Mar, 2005
if he's mixing in headphones then room acoustics wont be the problem.
could be the phones since they are notoriously fiddly to mix on. personally ive found the following which are most relevent here:
- you have no head shadowed sound approaching each ear, like with speakers, this mean things can sound a bit brighter and thinner.
- you cant 'feel' bass or low mids.
- i find phones have better transient response than my monitors, so softer transients can sound better.
all of which can make you compensate the 'wrong' way for good speaker/room translation. so maybe you could try reference more during the production and mix process through monitors/speakers? it should be an exact opposite situation and emphasis the flaws, since an untreated small/med room will typically be quite boomy in the low mids.
could be the phones since they are notoriously fiddly to mix on. personally ive found the following which are most relevent here:
- you have no head shadowed sound approaching each ear, like with speakers, this mean things can sound a bit brighter and thinner.
- you cant 'feel' bass or low mids.
- i find phones have better transient response than my monitors, so softer transients can sound better.
all of which can make you compensate the 'wrong' way for good speaker/room translation. so maybe you could try reference more during the production and mix process through monitors/speakers? it should be an exact opposite situation and emphasis the flaws, since an untreated small/med room will typically be quite boomy in the low mids.
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- KVRist
- 313 posts since 19 Apr, 2005
yes i agree...i usually draw my ideas with the phones (late night, my laptop and a beer ) but then export each separate track form Ableton live and mix the songs in a studio, with two real monitors and each time that i listen to what i mixed with the hearphones it sounds bass heavy and muddy, that's beacuse you cannot hear the "real bass" with headphones...
) but then export each separate track form Ableton live and mix the songs in a studio, with two real monitors and each time that i listen to what i mixed with the hearphones it sounds bass heavy and muddy, that's beacuse you cannot hear the "real bass" with headphones...My music: http://www.thh.me