Using EQ to get just the right sound.

[tehlord]

At the moment I'm using Vengenace or Battery library kicks almost exclusively so i'm guessing they're going to be frequency rich already? Perhaps they need to be cut more. I did experiment with layering a synth kick once but couldn't get it to sit right and ended up binning it.

In the example track is the only difference in the second version on the mastering strip, ie have you only fiddled with the EQ, limiting and compression there?

Here's the kick channel I'm using for the first track I posted. The basses are already S/C to the kick so might just need some fiddling. The kick itself has a compressor on it as well. That channel was set to -1db




p.s. - I'll get my head round 'normal' compression before I start looking at multiband compressors

[Khazul]

I generally find most of the standartd stuff in the likes of Stylus RMX, Battery etc seem to be pretty poor on their own without some significant processing to beef them up. Vengence samples OTOH are generally very good and rarely need any processing beyond that needed to sit in the mix well. I used to spend ages processing kick samples to get exactly what I wanted, then eventually discovered that someone (ie Manuel) had been kind enough to deal with all that already

Yes, in that example - the only difference is a multiband and a limiter. A multiband does however affect frequency balance if you want it to - think of it a variable bandwidth 5 band graphic EQ with a compressor in each band - hence why they are a pain to use

[tehlord]

Originally Posted by Khazul

I generally find most of the standartd stuff in the likes of Stylus RMX, Battery etc seem to be pretty poor on their own without some significant processing to beef them up. Vengence samples OTOH are generally very good and rarely need any processing beyond that needed to sit in the mix well. I used to spend ages processing kick samples to get exactly what I wanted, then eventually discovered that someone (ie Manuel) had been kind enough to deal with all that already

Yes, in that example - the only difference is a multiband and a limiter. A multiband does however affect frequency balance if you want it to - think of it a variable bandwidth 5 band graphic EQ with a compressor in each band - hence why they are a pain to use

You da man

Plenty for me to think about for the forseeable.

Have a beer on me

[tehlord]

I think i've made it worse

Ah well it's practise I guess.

One thing I was thinking last night as I was blindly knob twiddling. Is a busy mix more difficult to make punchy and louder later on?

[Khazul]

No, but it is way more difficult to get the bits to gel and to maintain clarity of individual parts.

At any given point in the arrangement/mix (doesnt matter what genre), you need to decide what is important, and what is next most important etc. Even if that means zeroing all the faders and bring them up again to figure it out.

Going through the zero the faders and bring the levsl up one by one will often tell you if something is completely redundant, and it maybe reveal some interesting alternative arrangements for phrases that you never thought of

Perhaps it will tell you that something is important for layering/texture only and so needs to be dropped right back in the mix, even if loosing it entirely leaves a great hole in your desired sound.

Human beings can generally only focus on 2 or 3 things at a time as well - with music that generally the rhythm and melody/prgression and then whatever random isolatated noises either they latch onto, or that you choose to focus them on in favour of other texture sounds present.

If something isnt there to be the focus, then you need to think of whether is should be there at all, or whether itrs part of the phythm or the overall sound textures and envelope/eq it into its place and/or push it back in the mix (or even ditch entirely) as appropriate.

Sometimes you can find that ditching something minor in the background can completely transform a mix from mud/mush into something really open and bouncy.

[tehlord]

You are a wise sage.

I think i'm really into the realms of not requiring any more information but a lot more practise and experimentation instead. After reading the entire post again there was nothing I didn't understand, but little i'd put into practise more than once or twice. It's like learning to drive I guess. You can read all the books in the world about what the clutch does, how to change gear, when to brake etc and you STILL wont be able to drive when you get in the car.

Thanks again for all the advice. I'll surely put it all into practise.