KVR Audio

highkoo · Post by **highkoo** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:12 pm

I let BamBam stomp all over mine.

Phase47 · Post by **Phase47** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:07 am

ksandvik wrote:Less is more when mastering.

Better yet, let the mastering engineer decide what's actually needed, or not needed. WRT to that Duran Duran track, that started sounded like it sounds well before mastering.

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 5:24 am

highkoo wrote:I let BamBam stomp all over mine.

n/m, it took me a second........curses!

abstractcats · Post by **abstractcats** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 6:10 am

ZenPunkHippy wrote:Someone posted a link to this Computer Music tutorial with Rockwell (DnB producer). Lots of great info:

Plenty of EQ abuse going on here; depends what you're trying to achieve.

Peace,
Andy.

Thanks! I'm wanting to master DnB as well as Plasikman styles this year. I'm shooting for an mp3 album this year as well.

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 10:19 am

So, the 96 thing's not true, only for playback? I always do 24 bit (32 bit actually) After you dither, then downsample you lose this sheen? I know I've been throwing more bass in tracks just to compensate for what's lost in .mp3. Not much, just a smidge and it seems to work. I don't think the same would be true for high end.
300 Hz cuts are your friends....

Giusmex · Post by **Giusmex** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:38 am

osiris wrote:So, the 96 thing's not true, only for playback? I always do 24 bit (32 bit actually) After you dither, then downsample you lose this sheen? I know I've been throwing more bass in tracks just to compensate for what's lost in .mp3. Not much, just a smidge and it seems to work. I don't think the same would be true for high end.
300 Hz cuts are your friends....

i always in cubase produce under 32 bit but producing at 24 bit doesnt affect much the "shine" on my mixes; my problem is that i would like to deliver better mixed tracks to my mastering engineer ( Barry Gardner, which is fantastic); i am convinced that if i only could make them clearer before mastering he would have a simpler life in masterizing them; so its clear that it is a question of mixing; in fact, i was referring to the mixing stage in my very first question;

forgive me if i insist to this point; i know that compressing only the higher frequencies and increasing the gain level will make them sound louder, but my question is:

1) is that a usual technique? is it frequently used to add clarity to your mixes ? just want to know if it is a "frequent" technique, just as using a limiter , for instance, at the end of the track ( everybody does that in mastering)

2) why remove 300 hz? to remove muddiness i suppose, there are not types of instruments which could instead benefic from increasing 300 Hz level?

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:55 pm

Oh yes. I like to do a 250 Hz bump on snares (for accent) and another at much higher up for airrage. I've been taught EQ is for sculpting out frequencies. I always freq analyze the kick and bass separate, find the major frequency of each then cut the bass a little on the kick's Hz and the bass on the kick's . A 'frown' on the master EQ will help also. Cut below 40 and above 18000kHz. 300Hz on the master can clean things up - but don't go overboard on the master - no more than -2db, I won't do more than 1.8.

Lenticular · Post by **Lenticular** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 1:20 pm

The more pro ME's I hear comment when asked they never say cut @40hz,
more like 27hz & some don't recommend it at all.

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:37 pm

I never have sub bass, but yeah, 30Hz will probably be a safe zone.

Dean Aka Nekro · Post by **Dean Aka Nekro** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:47 pm

Sparingly applied on a return:

Got a few different versions, Usually use the type 3 or revision 3 whatever its called. Picked up a Behringer rip off and was/am impressed fwiw. Plug-in wise really like the exciter section on the Two Notes Torpedo PI Free and along with VoS ThrillseekerLA setup on an aux/return have/do happily use them instead or in addition to the aural exiter. Noveltech Character is really good for a similar (but different) take on the theme and also really like the Abbeyroad plugins brilliance pack on an aux/return. Different combination of the said devices/plug-ins i find can really help a good mix and sometimes save an ok mix to some extent. So abit of distortion really along with EQ (Heck just never solo the aux/return with that stuff on it or you might think you are destroying things

)

All the best to all as always

Dean

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:49 pm

@samplerates:

It's too weird to get into here because of all the hata's that think everything sounds the same (or you can't hear it if it isn't the same) or whatever.

Used to be on my ol' audiophile 192 that 96k sound EXTRAORDINARILY better with things like guitar, bass (especially bass) and such when recording. Oddly, once I got the motu I used to have, that changed and there was far less difference. (it's the same with this profire 610 too)

On plugs/vsti's though, I never really heard any diff. At any rate, despite all the bedroom composers that hate on anything that might give an edge sound quality wise, think about all those very knowledgeable/well known producers/engineers that use it

I'm gonna go with them in a debate every time.

Side note, I haven't used anything other than 44.1 for years. I finally have the ability to have an entire project, at low latency, that is stable and I'm not doing anything to frack that up. Simple.

bbaggins · Post by **bbaggins** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 5:05 pm

This thread could have ended at post #2, which correctly answered the OP's question:

It's not about "adding" shine, clarity or sparkle really, but rather use subractive eq to get rid of stuff you DONT like. Learn to eq this way and a new world opens

The only thing missing from that excellent reply is the caveat that the sparkle has to be in there to begin with before you can expose it.

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 5:21 pm

bbaggins wrote:This thread could have ended at post #2, which correctly answered the OP's question:
It's not about "adding" shine, clarity or sparkle really, but rather use subractive eq to get rid of stuff you DONT like. Learn to eq this way and a new world opens
The only thing missing from that excellent reply is the caveat that the sparkle has to be in there to begin with before you can expose it.

But it's more fun to yak about things

djanthonyw · Post by **djanthonyw** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 5:30 pm

ZenPunkHippy wrote:Someone posted a link to this Computer Music tutorial with Rockwell (DnB producer). Lots of great info:

Plenty of EQ abuse going on here; depends what you're trying to achieve.

Peace,
Andy.

Does anyone know what midi controller that is?

Dean Aka Nekro · Post by **Dean Aka Nekro** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 7:48 pm

bbaggins wrote:This thread could have ended at post #2, which correctly answered the OP's question:
It's not about "adding" shine, clarity or sparkle really, but rather use subractive eq to get rid of stuff you DONT like. Learn to eq this way and a new world opens
The only thing missing from that excellent reply is the caveat that the sparkle has to be in there to begin with before you can expose it.

It answered one of the OP's questions, So no it could not. I shall not disagree with it being definately the most important area to focus on, I spend alot more time on microphone placement than mixing, Using phase relationships between a multi-mic'd drumkit can do alot of the 'EQ' already, Same with 3 mic's on a guitar cab. However the tools I will also reach for like exciters can not be written off as useless or 'wrong'. Its not always possible for a person to get an ideal mutli-tracked session through to mix, But yeah the better the basics are nailed the easier it is to work with no questions

All the best

Dean

how to add clarity and shine to your mix?