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Old 02-18-2017, 10:38 AM   #41
Andy Hamm
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No problem, love to hear how it works out for you. I've been ducking guitars for years, but I normally have to use my fingers as I'm mixing everything on the fly.

Side chaining automates a lot of this kind of work when I'm in the home studio with only eight faders.
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Old 02-19-2017, 12:27 AM   #42
Jimmy James
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Hit a analog comp on the way in. Then manually cut the vocal track. You will need far less compression in the end. And the vocals will sound better. You will keep more dynamics but stay level at the same time.
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Old 02-19-2017, 12:30 AM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy Hamm View Post
No problem, love to hear how it works out for you. I've been ducking guitars for years, but I normally have to use my fingers as I'm mixing everything on the fly.

Side chaining automates a lot of this kind of work when I'm in the home studio with only eight faders.
I like to do this manually as well. Sidechain is fast. But I have WAY more control if I just do it myself.
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Old 02-21-2017, 06:11 AM   #44
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Here's an update of work in progress. This may sound a little funny since I ripped it from a Facebook Messenger message Even so, i think it sounds better than what I started with. Again, I appreciate all the commentary this far, it has helped me to learn a lot. I realize I still have a ways to go, but am enjoying the journey

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzY...l0LUJWWW8/view
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Old 02-21-2017, 04:13 PM   #45
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It sounds good, it is missing a lot of the top end, maybe that's the facebook thing you were referring too?

I tend to mix in loud environments, so I have a habit of laying off on the top end in all of my mixes and they tend to sound dark to everyone else. This one sounds dark to me, so I figure others might find it even more so.

It sounds like it is coming along to me, You may have walked away from it for a bit and come back and noticed this yourself already - I've done that more than a few times.
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Old 02-21-2017, 04:49 PM   #46
mykrobinson
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy Hamm View Post
It sounds good, it is missing a lot of the top end, maybe that's the facebook thing you were referring too?

I tend to mix in loud environments, so I have a habit of laying off on the top end in all of my mixes and they tend to sound dark to everyone else. This one sounds dark to me, so I figure others might find it even more so.

It sounds like it is coming along to me, You may have walked away from it for a bit and come back and noticed this yourself already - I've done that more than a few times.
Thanks. I had a brighter mix but the band feels the darker mix suits the way they wish to sound, so I found a happy medium that they seem to like. Overall, not bad for a free project. Just hoping to learn a bit more as I go to where I am eventually comfortable making some extra cash doing this on the side
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Old 02-22-2017, 03:24 PM   #47
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to respond to the original query: I would like to second/third the suggestion of using changes to the vocal envelope/automation!

I always make very detailed changes to the volume envelope on vocals. It might take an hour or two, but it's the best way in my humble experience. It means that you can use a nice gentle compression setting that sounds good and not squashy. EQing becomes easier too. And I'm talking about DETAILED editing, like taking the volume up or down for individual syllables.

Likewise: taking DOWN the volume of anything that gets in the way of the vocals, if the vocal is the centre of the track. If the guitars are really loud when they're introduced, the audience will continue to perceive them as loud even if they're ducked by -6dB when the vocals come in. It's essentially the same thing as nice compression on the master buss would do, but with complete transparency and control.
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Old 02-22-2017, 07:20 PM   #48
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Just wanted to report back.

Discovered my culprit is indeed my listening environment. I just plugged in some Skull Candy earbuds instead of using my monitors and cans, and immediately thought WOW THIS IS BASS HEAVY!

Ran ReaEQ on every channel and discovered that pretty much every single track was bottom heavy, even if I didn't boost them. A lot of cutting and re-EQing (no pun intended) was done today, and today's mix sounds much brighter. It was also easier to get things to sit right.

Curious to know, what can i do to improve my listening situation, and is it stupid that I am now mixing with consumer grade earbuds? My friend's bands likes today's mix a lot better and said it sounded great to him in his normal listening earbuds, in the car, and in the home stereo. Wonder why these work better than studio monitors (mid grade Samson Resolv A5) and supposed studio reference mixing headphones.
Most headphones are well within acceptable flatness, especially likely if they are not bluetooth and not bass-enhanced powered headphones like Beats.
I've used skullcandy headphones, they are just fine.
Seeing as headphones cut out all your room issues, you are probably better off using them.

I use headphones on all my mixes because I don't have a treated room. I check the mix on consumer speakers with a sub but since getting into that habit I found myself making the same changes to the mix everytime, which I'll share:

1. Highpass 20hz< on the master
2. Multiband compressor with just the low end band(s) activated (usually up to about 400hz) on the bass guitar
3. Same but on the master, and more gentle.

I now do this as I mix and have learned to hear the effects on headphones as an improvement, whereas when I started I preferred the dynamics of an untouched bass, but have since learned that this wreaks havoc on speaker systems and I now even sonically prefer a tight, limited low end.

Your room issues may be significantly enhanced by changing the position of the speakers in the room and possibly overcompensating with the sub (turn it up, so that you naturally mix into it quieter). Not ideal but may solve things in the mean time.
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