This micro-blog is in response for eQ/mix help on home project studio recordings. EQ and other tricks in the tracking sessions can make or break an original digital audio file. The right or wrong technique implemented in record/mix mode including everything from mic set-up to eq'ing the track.. can render a song's mix with clean, pristine tracks or an utter mess of digital clips or distortion.
This can be broken down into several different topics. For sake of brevity, today we'll just cover the problem areas of a mix and add more tips later.
During playback of a new Twitter friend's mixes/recordings- some tech issues were noted..
DrowniNg tHe SouNd
issue #1: clean female vox [vocals] but some distortion noticed on male vox! this issue was not notable yet slightly noticeable to a trained ear.
issue #2: "boxiness" in kick drum sound- slight rattle noise from kick drum sounding similar to a "cardboard box" when beat, picked up during natural recording atmosphere of acoustic kick drum [this issue common with snare/kick/toms].
issue #3: "muddy" bass sound in song mix associated with overload of bass frequencies.
question of the day: what to do?
FiX tHe MiX!
tip1: male vox over compression/clipping can cause distortion in your mix.. so check several things to combat this issue- physical proximity of vocalist to the microphone [use the "one fist rule"], stick a pop filter in front of the mic to eliminate/reduce the amount of wetness/drool the singer spits on the mic
check the input level on the track so it's not clipping and set @aprox -3dB down max to prevent nasty digital overloads [distortion], and good mic technique from the singer helps the track by staying "on-axis" and consistent!
translation1» play with different mic techniques to find "your sound"!
tip2: eQ w/plug-in and pull out [attenuate/cut 3-6 dB] Lo-Mids from the kick [in the 300-400hZ range +/-50hZ] and boost Lo freq's +3 to 9dB [in the 60-80hZ range] plus boost the +Hi freq's [in the 3-6k hZ range]..
translation2» boosting LO's will give "thump", cutting LO-Mids will take out "cardboard box" sound, and boosting Hi's will add "beater" attack sound!
tip3: eQ on bass, try to cut [-] lo-mids [in the 150hZ range +/-50hZ] to take some "mud" out of the bass guitar mix, and play with Hi-end eQ [in the 5K hZ range +/-] to boost some string action!
translation3» subtractive eQ'ing bass frequencies in LO-Mids will clean up the bass track and allow more of a pocket for the LO-Mids on rhythm/lead electric guitar tracks [this prevents something called "frequency masking" or drowning out specific tones from similar instruments] and allows for something engineers refer to as "mixing in pockets"!
That's it in a nutshell for today! This might shed some light on possible record/mix solutions for the project studio.
mixmike101
indie audio engr
mixmike101's sidenote: project [prdc/engr/mix] tracked in eastLA garage, o/dubs in hollywood apt, and mixed in bigbear cabin on a laptop +digi003r» MindDelay music
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