I'm having my doubts about fitting everything I'd like into one last article, but there's no restriction on me. So I'll just start out & see how it goes.
Before I move on to some of my favorite techniques I've picked up along the way, I realize there are a few things left that are useful to know.
First, you should think of your recorder's potential as a "pie pan"; there is only so much signal that will "fit" on one of your tracks. If you fill it all with Crust, there won't be any room left for Filling (the good stuff). So you must be judicious, removing excess or unnecessary frequencies to make room for the desirable ones. This is a matter for experience, both in learning what the different frequency ranges sound like, and in picturing how that track will fit in the "finished product".
In person, I could demonstrate it, but it can't be "taught". It largely consists in training your ear to recognize subtle changes in sound, and is as elusive a skill as meditation is to a beginner. It can only be mastered by time and persistence.
Secondly, I would like to further explain the case mentioned last time where reverb is used to send a signal "toward the back" while retaining it's audibility (apparent level). This is an odd case, because conversely, it can also be used to make a signal seem louder than it actually is.
Let's say you have a pretty decent mix going, and are trying to incorporate a lead guitar solo. In this scenario, it isn't a laid-back part that's called for, but something where you need a "rock your socks off" kind of sound to really grab your attention. The "pie pan" of the tracks you are mixing to is almost full already of the nice mix you've created...If you mix that guitar in loud it will "overfill" your tracks driving you into NASTY digital distortion.
The straightforward solution would be to lower the level of all your other tracks to make room for that solo, ruining the rest of that nice full mix....Well, here's an alternative: Assuming you've already judiciously eq'd your guitar solo for best fit of those Desired Frequencies, keep that solo within your headroom parameters so as not to overdrive your mix tracks, but add reverb. Reverb has the effect of giving the impression of a signal that's so loud that it's bouncing off the walls creating echoes, where the other instruments aren't, making it seem louder by fooling your ears.
So I guess that's my first "tip".
Which leads me neatly into my next one. This one I picked up early, back at school, and it seems natural to share it now since I already seem to be alluding to it. The tip is, for EQ: "First cut rather than boost".
The first best thing you can do for your signal is to lessen excessive or undesirable frequencies. Remember your "pie pan". Beginners tend to just keep adding what they want to hear, keeping all that Crust, but adding Filling until the signal is flowing over....just like in the kitchen you get the same thing: A nasty mess!
My next technique is related, and also an "old" one. This is special advice for bass instruments: "Cut the low end during recording, and re-boost, if needed during mixing".
Unfortunately, I can't give you hard numbers on this...it depends on so many things, including your taste and what you want the eventual result to be. Some folks like the "live band" sound where the bass is very full and actually overwhelms the low-mid's somewhat. That kind of mix also plays well on cheap systems (like computer speakers) where bass response is almost non-existent. But I ALWAYS use this technique to one extent or another.
Listen to a more recent "James Taylor" album for an example of a "full bass" sound.
If you prefer a more transparent, glass-like bass sound, cut more in recording and put it back in the mix (with compression). Reference: James Taylor's "Flag" album, or Robert Plant's "Shaken & Stirred" & "Now and Zen".
I guess that's enough to chew on for now, so I suppose I'll continue this in another article. Besides...it's time to go make some music.
No comments:
Post a Comment