Tag: mixing
Outsourcing your Music: A Real Asset to the Indie
by claybutlermusic on Feb.04, 2010, under Recording, Uncategorized
I’ve always been a die-hard do-it-yourself kind of guy. I like things to be done the way I want them done, so I tend to try to do everything on my own. After enough time spend trying to do everything myself, I started to reach the point of burn out. I was getting frazzled trying to complete projects, so I never seemed to get anything done. I found that, even though I could do some things decently, I still couldn’t approach the quality of having a dedicated professional do those things for me. The hardest part was being able to relinquish my control to someone else, and risk spending money on something that may not be exactly what I had in mind. But I’ve found that, even in music, outsourcing is a most valuable asset to my operation.
Outsourcing is frequently used in the business world to help get things done faster, better, and cheaper than one could do himself. On the other hand, outsourcing is rarely thought of when it comes to music. Sure, you would outsource your music to a replication house such as Discmakers, but there are other avenues to consider when it comes to completing your recording project better and faster.
Hiring a Producer. Most people hate the notion of handing their creative control over to a producer. Somehow, it’s equated with selling one’s soul to the devil. But consider this: if you’ve worked on a project for a considerable amount of time, particularly if you feel like you’ve been spinning your wheels, then a producer’s fresh ideas may just revitalize your project. If you’re starting from scratch, a good producer will help you zero in on a particular creative direction, help you stay focused, maintain organization, and generally help a project get to completion faster.
Using Session Players. Unless your specific project is a solo one-man-band album, then hiring session players highly recommended. I used to be adamantly opposed to the idea, preferring to try to play all the other parts on my own in order to save money, until I realized that hiring great, professional players only helped to make me look better. Somehow, I used to think they would make me look bad by playing better than me, but, in the end, the opposite was true. They played the parts solidly, with more feel, and faster than I could on those other instruments. Since they’re truly professional players, they know what “fits” within the context of the song, and they deliver quickly and consistently every time. Session players are a must for singer/songwriters, songwriter demos, and solo instrumentalists.
Mixing. If you’ve recorded your own music, then using a professional mixing engineer (or at the very least, one other than yourself), will breathe new life into your project. In general, a project will benefit from a fresh set of ears. As a project progresses, a person tends to develop preconceived notions — right or wrong — about how a particular mix is supposed to sound. A pro engineer will invariably help you maximize your sonic possibilities with new ideas and techniques.
Mastering. If there’s only one area you can afford to outsource, make it mastering. In fact, you can’t afford not to have your project professionally mastered. Mastering is the final step before pressing and release. In essence, makes your program “radio ready” with the use of compression, limiting and equalization. Mastering is what helps your recording to sonically compete on a professional level. Most importantly, however, it is conducted in a finely-tuned, acoustically treated room. Not only is it a good idea to master your project, but it’s best to have it be performed by someone other than the mix engineer. Here again, a different set of ears will do wonders for improving the overall quality of your recording project.
I know most “Indies” are staunch do-it-yourselfers. I also know outsourcing may cost a little more up front. But I also know it will help you get your recording project done faster and at a higher quality, with less stress than taking it all on yourself. That will, in turn, make your fans more likely to buy your music. Happy recording!
For your next project, let Butler Productions help you with your audio outsourcing with recording and production services, session players for your tracks, or disc duplication.
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Wider is Better: Extreme Panning for a Better Mix
by claybutlermusic on Jul.24, 2009, under Recording, Uncategorized
Perhaps nothing makes a mix more interesting than a wide stereo field. However, having instruments panned to the left or right not only makes a mix more aesthetically appealing, but it also helps to create a more stable, balanced mix.
Before I start preaching the benefits of extreme panning, let me first provide a disclaimer. Mono does have its place, particularly when mixing for telephone (such as on hold messaging and music), checking mixes intended for television (many older sets are mono), and checking for phase problems. Therefore, never discount checking your mixes in mono before you print a final mix.
Separation
In a previous post, I discussed eliminating competition between instruments in a live mix by using EQ. Since many live mixes are mono, I didn’t mention panning. If your mix is stereo, though, the first step to creating separation and eliminating competition between instruments is to reach for the pan knob. When two instruments are similar in range or timbre, it’s usually a good idea to pan them opposite from one other. This technique works particularly well if you’re having difficulty distinguishing between two instruments or between what each instrument is playing. The results are instantly noticeable.
Width
Many engineers neglect extreme panning, opting for a more narrow sounding mix. However, panning some instruments “hard left” and others “hard right” and others in between can really open up a mix, creating a fuller sound. While it creates a greater sense of balance within a mix, it also creates a greater sense of width. Extreme panning can also create a “larger-than-life” type of sound.
Aesthetics
To take the concept one step further, if you have an instrument or part that is doubled, try panning one hard left and the other hard right. This technique is often used with doubled rock guitars to create a massively wide guitar sound.
Example
Here’s an example of a typical rock band: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, bass, and drums. Try a wide mix with these. Typically, we would keep the bass in the center. Our drums would be panned to either audience perspective or drummer perspective. With a typical right-handed drummer in drummer perspective would be Kick in center, Snare in center (or slightly to the left), Rack Tom at 9 o’clock, Mid Tom at center, Floor tom at 3 o’clock, and stereo overheads. To create even wider drums, pan the toms even wider than 3 o’clock an 9 o’clock, bordering on hard left and right. Now place the electric guitar and keyboard opposite from each other at hard left and right. This leaves room for the acoustic in the center. Another trick is to pan the reverb of a panned instrument to the opposite side of the stereo field. For instance, if you pan the guitar to the left, pan its reverb to the right.
These are just a few examples of the benefits and uses of extreme panning. Try it out on your mixes and see how it expands your mixing horizons. Next time we’ll talk about treating the studio mix as a live stage.
Mixing Live Audio: Eliminating Competition with EQ
by claybutlermusic on Jul.10, 2009, under Recording
Today, I’m going to enter into more technical territory and discuss mixing. As the title says, the key to obtaining a better mix is by eliminating competition. Too often, engineers who are just starting out focus only on volume for mixing. While volume is a huge component of mixing, it’s not the end-all-be-all. Unfortunately, many newer engineers don’t fully embrace the practical use of equalization and use it only for aesthetic purposes. However, EQ is a crucial tool for eliminating competition between instruments, which is the start of building a good mix.
So, how does EQ eliminate competition? Sometimes when mixing, you get into a sort of “volume battle” between instruments. You turn up Instrument A because you can’t hear it over Instrument B, only to turn up B because you just masked it by turning up A. Rinse and repeat until your eardrums cringe and you’re so frustrated that you want to pull your hair out. EQ is the answer. Instead of EQ-ing instruments to sound good by themselves, try EQ-ing them to work with each other. If two instruments are playing in the exact same note/frequency range they will be difficult to distinguish from one another in the mix, no matter how hard you try with volume. If you have boosted 400Hz and 1.5KHz in one instrument, try cutting those frequencies in the offending instrument. The “mirror image mixing” approach goes a long way in clearing up a mix. While the instruments may not sound great on their own, in combination they have a better chance of being distinguishable.
Use EQ to eliminate “unneeded” frequencies from instruments. Doing so will reduce excess acoustical energy, in turn providing more clarity at lower volumes. If a lead vocal is not clear enough in your mix, increasing the volume may not always help without some EQ help. However, boosting frequencies with EQ may not be the answer either. First, try the “subtractive” EQ approach. Cut unnecessary bass frequencies from the vocal to reduce “muddiness” before increasing the volume. If that’s still not enough, find the frequency range you need to hear more of in the vocal and CUT it from other instruments. That often solves the problem without increasing any overall volume.
We’ve all heard the saying “a place for everything and everything in its place”. The same principle applies with EQ. We touched on this a little when we talked about “mirror image mixing”, but let’s take it one step further. Each instrument should reside in its own frequency range. Ideally, the players themselves should take the first step by playing in different registers from other members. If they don’t, it’s left up to us as the engineer to compensate. Try carving out niches for instruments to sit in. Pull some low mids out of the keys to make room for the guitar. Pull mids out of the guitar to make room for the keys. Let the acoustic just handle the high “chingy” stuff. Pull the lows out of everything else to make room for the bass. Granted this is a very simplistic, oversimplified example, but the principle works very much this way.
So, if you’re having trouble with getting a solid mix without the volume battle, give these techniques a shot. Be mindful of excess acoustic energy, put everything in its place, and eliminate the competition!
Until next time, here are two great books on mixing that I refer to often.
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