2018/02/20 02:05:41
Art1820m
Hi all, I was wondering how some mixes sound so glued and as "ONE" well balanced... 
More especially the kick/bass LOWEND sits in the mix so nice. Which I have hard time getting this right,,,
 
I try to do my mixes in a way but still sounds like you can hear every sounds transients in a way....
 
 
This is what I am trying to achieve... nice smooth consistent polished mix..
is it a mixing thing or a mastering ?
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T6gtSzGz8s
 
Any Idea or suggestion will be highly appreciated...
2018/02/20 06:54:38
BenMMusTech
It is both. Think of producing a composition, like it's a cake or a recipe. Each component has to work with the other, otherwise we end up with a spinach and coffee cake with beetroot icing...and yes I'm sure there are some hippie shops that make this kind of 'treat'.

What you nees to do is approach each layer with some knowledge of how the cake...sorry :), I mean composition will sound at the end. For example, the first layer is how the individual elements of the composition sits together ad an arrangement. Think about frequency response, do ypu need 5 kick drums, 10 bass guitars and an opera baritone? This will also help when mixing and carving out a spot in the mix via frequency shaping or EQ. This is tip one in getting a polished mix.

Beyond the initial composing and tracking, and of course EQing, there's also gain staging and dynamic range. As a tip, i like to have the gain stage of each of my tracks at -18rms, and from there lower or add more volume depending on whether the instrument is a lead or a secondary sound. Then there are things like verb and other time based delay effects, which can also help seperate the mix.

Then if you use digital only, there's the analogue emulation aesthetic, you literally have to add in what was taken for granted with analogue.

Finally mastering, is the track a simple acoustic track or a full on orchestra with a 100 instruments and massive dynamic range.

Unfortunately to answer the Op question, unless you want to trust your work to some of the automated mixing software and mastering software that is emerging - then to achieve what you want takes practice and possibly years of practice...unless you can find someone to teach you the ins and outs of what I've just written.
2018/02/20 09:59:50
msmcleod
There's loads of material available on YouTube for guidance on mixing/mastering that you could look at to give you some tips, but you might want to check out the mixing & mastering courses here: https://productionmusiclive.teachable.com/courses
 
I've found them to be very informative.
 
M.
2018/02/20 17:02:03
AT
Good hardware going in. Once you work with recording mixing you know what to listen for, what will sound right . And one trick is to make a lead buss w reverb etc and send the lead vocal and lead guitar to that buss . For pop rock that puts both leads into the same space, helping w The illusion they seamlessly segue into the other.
2018/02/20 19:15:06
Art1820m
Thank you guys for replying I really appreciate it and I hope you heard the reference to get an idea. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T6gtSzGz8s
My main problem is having too much lows, well if I look with the analyzer there are more lows then upper frequencies, this might sound normal. However when I compared to the reference above its almost well balanced even in frequency across and still sounds good and not harsh on the upper frequencies.
 
Something new I found on the net that has to do with top down mixing and also known as backward mixing, its basically having few plugins in the last master buss with minimal adjustments and mixing into that,. forces you not to over use more plugins, speeds up mixing process and such.... 
So Im trying this approach now...
 
 
main problem is having a nice midrange with even lows and highs.
 
Thank you guys!
2018/02/21 02:17:52
Kamikaze
I had a listen to some of your tracks, and they seem close. It was hard to make a direct comparison though, as they are instrumentals.
 
Have you tried sidechaining a dynamic EQ with your bass from your kicks? 
2018/02/21 04:55:49
BenMMusTech
Art1820m
Thank you guys for replying I really appreciate it and I hope you heard the reference to get an idea. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T6gtSzGz8s
My main problem is having too much lows, well if I look with the analyzer there are more lows then upper frequencies, this might sound normal. However when I compared to the reference above its almost well balanced even in frequency across and still sounds good and not harsh on the upper frequencies.
 
Something new I found on the net that has to do with top down mixing and also known as backward mixing, its basically having few plugins in the last master buss with minimal adjustments and mixing into that,. forces you not to over use more plugins, speeds up mixing process and such.... 
So Im trying this approach now...
 
 
main problem is having a nice midrange with even lows and highs.
 
Thank you guys!


Be careful judging bottom end through an analyzer. Whilst, I'm a big fan of using one to learn how a mix should look, and from there learn how it should sound....remember there is always more energy in the bottom end. Think about bass and a nightclub...you don't hear the highs, you hear the thud of the bass. If you're going to use an analyzer- find a mix from a song you're trying to copy and go from there. If a mix sounds muddy, try a shelving filter anywhere up to 400hz and no more roll off than 1.5 or 2 at a stretch. And when EQing a mix, remove all frequencies not in use. This is called the black back drop theory...it's how Pink Floyd's records always sound so spacious...in fact if u want some mixing tips look up Alan Parsons Pink Floyd engineer DSOTM
2018/02/21 19:40:12
Art1820m
thank you for the reply Ben 
BenMMusTech
Art1820m
Thank you guys for replying I really appreciate it and I hope you heard the reference to get an idea. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T6gtSzGz8s
My main problem is having too much lows, well if I look with the analyzer there are more lows then upper frequencies, this might sound normal. However when I compared to the reference above its almost well balanced even in frequency across and still sounds good and not harsh on the upper frequencies.
 
Something new I found on the net that has to do with top down mixing and also known as backward mixing, its basically having few plugins in the last master buss with minimal adjustments and mixing into that,. forces you not to over use more plugins, speeds up mixing process and such.... 
So Im trying this approach now...
 
 
main problem is having a nice midrange with even lows and highs.
 
Thank you guys!


Be careful judging bottom end through an analyzer. Whilst, I'm a big fan of using one to learn how a mix should look, and from there learn how it should sound....remember there is always more energy in the bottom end. Think about bass and a nightclub...you don't hear the highs, you hear the thud of the bass. If you're going to use an analyzer- find a mix from a song you're trying to copy and go from there. If a mix sounds muddy, try a shelving filter anywhere up to 400hz and no more roll off than 1.5 or 2 at a stretch. And when EQing a mix, remove all frequencies not in use. This is called the black back drop theory...it's how Pink Floyd's records always sound so spacious...in fact if u want some mixing tips look up Alan Parsons Pink Floyd engineer DSOTM

Thank you Ben really appreciate it. 
Having the kick and bass to sit nicely in a mix is something I struggle with, I am not talking about mixing the kick with the bass only, but after having both mixed together so that they sit well in the overall song without overpowering the entire mix. Well for example I can adjust it by ear the way Im happy with,,, Volume compressing shaping the sound. But then all the other sounds become louder (balance) wise. and I know especially in pop music the beat is supposed to be the main element. So Im confused in this matter, what am I doing wrong??? btw My reference has a nice even flat frequency spectrum and also barely any dynamic range, by looking at the meters you can tell that the peaks and Rms levels consistent as if it was run through a tape simulator plugin driven very hard. Hope that makes any sense
2018/02/22 15:35:38
davdud101
BenMMusTech
It is both. Think of producing a composition, like it's a cake or a recipe. Each component has to work with the other, otherwise we end up with a spinach and coffee cake with beetroot icing...and yes I'm sure there are some hippie shops that make this kind of 'treat'.

What you nees to do is approach each layer with some knowledge of how the cake...sorry :), I mean composition will sound at the end.



 
Thinking like this makes it a... Cakewalk.
 

 
 
 
 
Sorry, couldn't help myself. Very good tips in here though :)
2018/02/23 04:46:21
BenMMusTech
davdud101
BenMMusTech
It is both. Think of producing a composition, like it's a cake or a recipe. Each component has to work with the other, otherwise we end up with a spinach and coffee cake with beetroot icing...and yes I'm sure there are some hippie shops that make this kind of 'treat'.

What you nees to do is approach each layer with some knowledge of how the cake...sorry :), I mean composition will sound at the end.



 
Thinking like this makes it a... Cakewalk.
 

 
 
 
 
Sorry, couldn't help myself. Very good tips in here though :)


Lol...actually once you can bake the cakewalk so to speak, you need to forget how to bake a cake and learn to paint and sculpt with sound lol. Sound, after all is an ethereal material.
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