Better mixing skills

ST Arts · 2007-06-14, 2:50

Personally I have checked some new VST equalizers and filters. To me, the most satisfying EQs have been those where you are able to draw the filter curve. And the more bands the better... For example 5 band EQ hasn't been the right choise to me for leads, pads, bass, bassdrums, 'cos one band slider boosts/cuts too much frequencies at once. I've tried 16 band EQ and that is much better. The EQ is more CPU hungry than tinyer- they may cause some problems if you have a lot of tracks, so it is not necessary to put those all of the tracks- for example some percussion tracks works quite satisfying with just 8 band EQ.

The point is that you can get into details. You can add the EQs to every track you need and try to cut or boost the right frequencies of each instruments. Panning (stereo positions) is good way to separate the instruments from each other too, but you have to remember that you should be able to hear all individual instrument in mono also. Bass drums, bass and lead (vocals or synth) are usually at the center, and the rest instruments are spreaded all over them. Smile

It is not all about mixing, it is about the whole production from composition to mastering. Wink

Choosing the instruments is also very important, the sounds have to create song easy to mix down and pleasant to listen.
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Mark Vera · 2007-06-14, 14:20

I'm all fine with parameteric EQ with 4 filters in it for each mixer track. And of which only one has Q value. Occasionally I add highpass filter.

So, high shelf at 12kHz, high mid freq/q adjustable, low mid with freq adjustable, low shelf at 80Hz. And occasionally LowCut (highpass) filter.

ST Arts · 2007-10-29, 19:14

I returned to this thread becouse I think I have moved on very much with mixing and also it would be nice to hear your opinions on my new song called "Aces of Space" that is propably the best song of mine when thinking about mixing so far. What about the drums and bassline? :

http://www.mikseri.net/music/play.php?id=300274&type=dl

And about my previous thoughts... I have changed my opinions on many things. Smile

And this is an area that you never will be perfect. Btw, thank you.

Mark Vera · 2007-10-29, 20:02

Sounds great. Something not "right" to my ears on the drums, but that can be also matter of taste. I recommend to try flanger as send effect for certain sounds. For example snare, clap, crash and hihats. Of course don't put them swimming in flanger, flanger as send mostly works as "lifting" and enriching the sound.

Also the clap sounds a bit having that digital EQ artificial sound (cold and harsh), which makes me wonder of the quality of the EQ, or then you have boosted a bit too much of the highs instead of cutting and increasing gain.

Great vocoders! Pads, melodies, bassline and rest is rather well mixed though! Drums just seem to have that specific sound I can hear in many spacesynth songs made by artist who aren't that experienced with mixing yet.

ST Arts · 2007-10-29, 20:47

Thanks MV. About drumsounds: the digitalish -style modern drums was my artistic decision, and they are not typical spacesynth-drums like linndrums as you can hear. About claps- same thing, this sound is modern digital clap-sound and that was also my decision- so it is not about EQ this time. But anyway, they could have been mixed better even tho they are not too bad. About flanger.... I've never thought about that, interesting.

Mark Vera · 2007-10-29, 21:15

Well, I didn't mean that the sound choices were wrong. They fit and are good. The mixing just sounds a bit bland and does not fit the rest of the mixing. It's like as if the drums don't belong to the mix. It's like having great dessert, but you pour some sauce on top which was meant for the main course.

ST Arts · 2007-10-29, 21:29

Allrighty. I'll check what caused the problems, it is not about boosting EQ, but maybe "wrong" tunings anyway.

EDIT: Ok, I've decided to continue with this song... Melodies and stuff is ok the but drums will be reconstructed. New version will be available soon.

SX001 · 2007-12-06, 16:20

How many of you will compress the subgroups before mixdown? For example making in a group pad with melody instrument and when melody instrument starts then compression has effect of lowering the pad level.

Krizz · 2007-12-06, 16:30

Sometimes I do some subtle limiting on the subgroups or even single tracks, but I don't usually compress them. When there is some limiter applied to specific tracks, mixing is easier.

LauriT · 2007-12-06, 19:25

Lately I've been routing all my instruments that have lots of bass frequencies (kickdrum and bassline mostly) to a group and then compress them. This way they seem to work better together with tighter low-end.
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