How to attaining the best "Seperation" recording 2 Reed Instruments

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Harpo
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2011/06/19 11:40:09 (permalink)

How to attaining the best "Seperation" recording 2 Reed Instruments

Hi All!
 
I have a project containing 20 tracks. Most of these have a single percussion instrument or cymbal recorded on it, so the project is not as intricate as it might seem.
 
Anyway, I have the mix pretty well balanced, except the two main instruments, Chromatic Harmonica and Alto Sax (both playing in the same range, though not always in unison), seem to be getting in each others way throughout the tune.
They both are playing the melody (sometimes in unison other times with harmonies) and then they have individual solo sections. During the solos they sound fantastic by themselves, but when they are playing together it's sometimes hard to distinguish which instrument is which.
 
Any mixing tips from people who might have had similar mixing challenges (with similar instruments of course)?
 
Thanks in advance!
 
Harpo
 

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    The Maillard Reaction
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    Re:How to attaining the best "Seperation" recording 2 Reed Instruments 2011/06/19 13:16:48 (permalink)
    I think at times like these one may ask the question; Is there a need to distinguish which is which?

    Is there an opportunity to simply blend the tones into one glorious chorus?


    best regards,
    mike


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    AT
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    Re:How to attaining the best "Seperation" recording 2 Reed Instruments 2011/06/19 16:33:28 (permalink)
    Some of this it psychological.  If you hear them starting and playing at separate times, people will pick up the different instruments.  And then, as Mike said, they will blend together, which can be very nice.  Sometimes we engineers get to conserned by separation to the detriment of the song and overall sound.  I had a guy doing two distorted leads guitar lines over the rhyhtm section.  I put them on a bus and treated them the same, panning them 3/4 each side.  It turned out a gorgeous texture, with the different lines rising and falling from the base souind.  Of course he was a very, very good guitarist and planned the guitars (he did the song a lot live and knew what he wanted to do).

    So I would do the same.  Make sure each instrument is panned to the side - +50% is usually enough.  Make sure that the different instruments come in at differnet times so each gets established.  Then I would try to make them occupy the same space in the song (verb/delay, comping so they are shaped the same).  I would use a different track EQ - filtering each one so there is more bass while the other has more high end.  You can automate those settings for the solos if you like your current sound. Then let them mesh together, while the listener knows there are two instruments.

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    rockinrobby
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    Re:How to attaining the best "Seperation" recording 2 Reed Instruments 2011/06/19 21:58:21 (permalink)
    "Any mixing tips from people who might have had similar mixing challenges (with similar instruments of course)? "


    Wouldn't it be easier to post a mix? And ask for input? Ideally on the songs forum rather than Techniques.


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