As we now enter the beginning of a new decade, we are able to look back at the achievements of the noughtie’s and the technology that they brought us.
The advancement in computer based hard disk recording, software integration, digital live consoles and affordable pro-sumer recording and mixing equipment has been substantial.
Now, with the consumer and manufacturer ever more conscious of money efficient solutions, will this halter advancements? I think not. Tougher trading and more competition for work amongst users will mean that there will be a newly generated demand for intuitive ideas and products that cater to the demands of the market.
Looking at the way technology and trends are moving in other industries, there is one very sensible progression I see coming to the world of audio in the very near future.
Cloud computing. Google are doing it, Microsoft are doing it, they’re all working towards it. When Global corporations such as these are championing a technology, you know it is just a matter of time before it is employed into business practise and then home computing too.
For those who have not seen the many articles on the subject, cloud technology basically enables you to store and share data in a dedicated virtual (online) ‘cloud’ space and access hosted services and software via the Internet.
Within the audio world, this could be very interesting. Although there are already some provisions for online music making and sharing data, they can still be a little clunky and there are no official services from the main audio software giants like Digidesign Pro Tools, Steinberg Cubase / Nuendo, Apple Logic, or Propellerhead and Ableton.
With the current economy driving the change of business models it would be a perfect time to adapt to a way of working that would benefit both the manufacturer and the consumer.
As a software manufacturer you suffer from software piracy and the constant pressure to attract new paying customers. These customers, through whom you receive a one off payment for the DVD installation disk, instruction manual, software license agreement and the packaging; form your only income stream. It is also a general expectation by customers to receive any minor updates to this purchase for free. Therefore it becomes ever harder to attract a constant, steady income beyond the initial purchase.
As a software user, keeping up to date with software becomes harder too. As new operating systems are released there are always compatibility concerns. Being left with an un-operational DAW because of version incompatibility between your software / plug-ins / OS is a worst nightmare.
Wouldn’t it be great to not have to spend hours installing new software, going through Challenge / Response and iLok complications and be able to access a session anywhere in the world, from any computer with Internet?
I think this would be a winner all round. Software companies could attract a steadier income stream by offering a “lite” version for free / demo, then a pro version either by utility type usage or via subscription fee. You could have features where you can access any plug-ins in real time with a trial or buy functionality. Whatever you need for your session available immediately at your disposal and without the need to clog up your personal computer with software, data files and unnecessary features.
As Internet technology speeds up and becomes more accessible worldwide it will make this technology even better. Imagine musicians working on a session in 5 different parts of the world simultaneously, linked via the Internet in an online cloud session, you then join the cloud and start comping and editing files ready to mix down the track in your studio later that day… A finished track in a day, recorded with musicians from around the world without any travel expenses. It also will make recording and production software available to anyone with an internet connection, this alone could tremendously diversify the creative output into the music world and offer us all some interesting things to think about. There are many possibilities with cloud computing, lets see who from our industry will be the first to harness it.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Friday, 11 December 2009
AUDIO SENSES
After a bit of a break, I'm back with my latest blog!
For many, finding ways to arouse the 5 senses influence much of our leisure decisions. Finding ways to invigorate feeling through sensory indulgence, form the basic platform for the notion of pleasure in most humans.
Within music, we tend to link audio with vision, maybe originally from the association of seeing a band or orchestra perform in all their glory and also enjoying listening to their musical talents at the same time.
In current years, the music video generation has helped to continue the visual association with audio. However, I do feel that this focus transferred into the world of audio engineering, has actually become rather detrimental to the way that we work - especially over the last decade as we work more in the advancing digital domain.
There are many sessions I have both witnessed and participated in where we are all guilty of obsessively watching (staring at!) the cursor glide across the screen of the Pro Tools or Logic Arrange page whilst listening back to a mix. Somehow feeling that the colourful bars and pretty patterns of blocks from different instruments, takes and edits, are essential viewing to fully hear what is happening - like “how will I know when the second chorus starts or the string section comes in, unless I’m staring at my beautiful Apple cinema screen representation?”
I personally feel that the focus on the screen whilst mixing really takes away from the way that you listen to the mix, in several different ways. Firstly, when looking at the screen (especially in recent years where there is so much crammed onto the arrange page), there is too much distraction for the eye, to many other thought processes away from audio for the brain to do. Also, like when reading a book, the brain actually scans ahead of what you are looking at, so subconsciously you have already read / looked ahead of where you are focusing. This means that your brain is already preparing for the blocks of instruments its seen are coming in within the next 4 bars - so will you really notice if the second verse starts at the right level and balance, if you are already pre-empting and expecting the rather ‘triumphant sounding’ brass section that your added yesterday? Possibly not.
The focus on the screen can also force us to become far too precise, I remember smiling to myself watching an engineer turning a channel fader up by 0.5dB. I do not feel you are going to audibly notice that. If you were using a real console I doubt you would really turn something up by 0.5dB, if you were just listening to it rather than watching it.
Another big problem of sitting and staring at the arrange page whilst listening to a mix is the position of the computer screen within your set up. Is your screen located in a place where you can see it clearly whilst staying in the “sweet spot”? Are you in the ideal listening position when at your screen? Or are you, like in many set ups I see, located quite severely off centre and quite possibly at risk of encountering some phasing issues or sitting in a bass peak or trough? Listening to your mix in different parts of your room (or even outside the room) can be useful for detecting problem frequencies, but doing any major percentage of your listening off-axis cannot be helpful at all, and will make well balanced mixes a lot harder to achieve.
I want to start a mono sensory revolution – lets get back to focusing just on the sound and boycott the screens as much as possible when mixing. Just focus on the music and listen!
So I urge any guilty readers to come to your audio senses and try listening and mixing without staring at that beautiful arrange page with your carefully constructed edits, to come back into the sweet spot and mix in an easier positioned environment and not to let the ever so precise visual data to override what your ears are actually hearing. Helping us all to get one step closer to that better balanced audio world.
For many, finding ways to arouse the 5 senses influence much of our leisure decisions. Finding ways to invigorate feeling through sensory indulgence, form the basic platform for the notion of pleasure in most humans.
Within music, we tend to link audio with vision, maybe originally from the association of seeing a band or orchestra perform in all their glory and also enjoying listening to their musical talents at the same time.
In current years, the music video generation has helped to continue the visual association with audio. However, I do feel that this focus transferred into the world of audio engineering, has actually become rather detrimental to the way that we work - especially over the last decade as we work more in the advancing digital domain.
There are many sessions I have both witnessed and participated in where we are all guilty of obsessively watching (staring at!) the cursor glide across the screen of the Pro Tools or Logic Arrange page whilst listening back to a mix. Somehow feeling that the colourful bars and pretty patterns of blocks from different instruments, takes and edits, are essential viewing to fully hear what is happening - like “how will I know when the second chorus starts or the string section comes in, unless I’m staring at my beautiful Apple cinema screen representation?”
I personally feel that the focus on the screen whilst mixing really takes away from the way that you listen to the mix, in several different ways. Firstly, when looking at the screen (especially in recent years where there is so much crammed onto the arrange page), there is too much distraction for the eye, to many other thought processes away from audio for the brain to do. Also, like when reading a book, the brain actually scans ahead of what you are looking at, so subconsciously you have already read / looked ahead of where you are focusing. This means that your brain is already preparing for the blocks of instruments its seen are coming in within the next 4 bars - so will you really notice if the second verse starts at the right level and balance, if you are already pre-empting and expecting the rather ‘triumphant sounding’ brass section that your added yesterday? Possibly not.
The focus on the screen can also force us to become far too precise, I remember smiling to myself watching an engineer turning a channel fader up by 0.5dB. I do not feel you are going to audibly notice that. If you were using a real console I doubt you would really turn something up by 0.5dB, if you were just listening to it rather than watching it.
Another big problem of sitting and staring at the arrange page whilst listening to a mix is the position of the computer screen within your set up. Is your screen located in a place where you can see it clearly whilst staying in the “sweet spot”? Are you in the ideal listening position when at your screen? Or are you, like in many set ups I see, located quite severely off centre and quite possibly at risk of encountering some phasing issues or sitting in a bass peak or trough? Listening to your mix in different parts of your room (or even outside the room) can be useful for detecting problem frequencies, but doing any major percentage of your listening off-axis cannot be helpful at all, and will make well balanced mixes a lot harder to achieve.
I want to start a mono sensory revolution – lets get back to focusing just on the sound and boycott the screens as much as possible when mixing. Just focus on the music and listen!
So I urge any guilty readers to come to your audio senses and try listening and mixing without staring at that beautiful arrange page with your carefully constructed edits, to come back into the sweet spot and mix in an easier positioned environment and not to let the ever so precise visual data to override what your ears are actually hearing. Helping us all to get one step closer to that better balanced audio world.
Thursday, 13 August 2009
EQUALLY OPPOSITE
The entire environment we reside within is full of equals and opposites and parallels.
That statement can be taken in the most basic forms of light and dark, day and night, or hot and cold; or it could indeed be used to describe eastern and western culture, or the different variants of species that habitat our planet.
The fact remains that these aspects are not only part of everyday life, but also one of the reasons the planet can flourish, adapt and evolve.
It makes sense then that we endeavour to continue these patterns into our work.
The music industry is continually changing and evolving, usually playing catch up with modern society and cultural trends most of the time.
Although some aspects and requirements are a constant, it is important to evaluate the current state of play, the fluctuations, and be realistic. We should take advantage of the facilities we do have access to now, and be creative.
So what have the parallels of life got to do with making a record? I will explain.
Often modern budgets are being cut to a fraction of what they once were or even cancelled all together, relying on personal funding or development of an artist through their producer or management rather than from a record label.
Labels are understandably cautious about investing in new artists for fear of not making any return.
Artists are expected to have already created an underground following, have an image, a sponsor… and a guaranteed song placement and synch rights would go down nicely too.
The problem with taking an artist from their underground circuit and trying to turn them mainstream; or taking a new artist and trying to throw them straight into the commercial playground, is the aspect of retaining a 'cool' factor to them.
Doing this over a 10-15 track album is costly and timely, and a big commitment from a label, even if these days the Major labels at least more act as just a distributor / plugger.
I think we should look to go back to doing more EP style releases, 'projects' that contain around 5 or 6 songs.
This way the artist, management, producer and label, can focus n just generating the best songs for this mini project, rather than stuffing it with filler songs. It also helps focus the project towards a particular market. If the project doesn’t work, it also means there has been less money spent on making it.
Something that is also interesting to consider is that with this way of working, you also have the option to release
alternative projects, or remix projects alongside the main release, perhaps targeted more for the clubs or the underground circuit, or maybe just a live or acoustic project.
Not only does this expand your audience and exposure possibilities, it also means more revenue. Two different projects means a wider spread of radio play and club play and also if someone is a fan of one project, there is a good chance they will purchase the other too.
Remix and underground releases can also help with achieving this “got to be cool” requirement, adding credibility to an artist, by having this equal and opposite force present alongside the more mainstream focused project.
It is also good as a producer to split your work into at least 2 parts, under different aliases, one for your own independent projects and compositions and one for more commercial releases and remixes. Allowing you to take advantage of different types of work available whilst maintaining your name and credibility for your other projects. It is the same principle.
Taking the concept of equal and opposite throughout your work ethic can produce very creative work that helps you stand out.
Combining opposite music genres always works well, imagine rock and classical, drum and bass and opera, reggae and country and western… although it may sound unusual at first, you can quickly realise that there are endless possibilities to create something new and appealing.
Different textures and instruments compliment each other, like the different herbs and spices you can use in cooking, the flavours of the sounds come together sounding quite delicious.
Also in the structure of the song having for instance very hard sounding drums with a soft and chilled keys part over the top, or maybe a gentle and enchanting drone of an Indian Tambura, can be very complimentary and intriguing.
The principal can also be used in presentation of your music. If you are an electronic producer, try forming an acoustic live version of a track and video it, presenting it back to people on an electronic format.
So, focus your ideas, encapsulate your being and sound into an area, then diversify with an equal and opposite approach to your work and create a parallel project or piece of work and get in synch with the modern and diverse world in which we live.
That statement can be taken in the most basic forms of light and dark, day and night, or hot and cold; or it could indeed be used to describe eastern and western culture, or the different variants of species that habitat our planet.
The fact remains that these aspects are not only part of everyday life, but also one of the reasons the planet can flourish, adapt and evolve.
It makes sense then that we endeavour to continue these patterns into our work.
The music industry is continually changing and evolving, usually playing catch up with modern society and cultural trends most of the time.
Although some aspects and requirements are a constant, it is important to evaluate the current state of play, the fluctuations, and be realistic. We should take advantage of the facilities we do have access to now, and be creative.
So what have the parallels of life got to do with making a record? I will explain.
Often modern budgets are being cut to a fraction of what they once were or even cancelled all together, relying on personal funding or development of an artist through their producer or management rather than from a record label.
Labels are understandably cautious about investing in new artists for fear of not making any return.
Artists are expected to have already created an underground following, have an image, a sponsor… and a guaranteed song placement and synch rights would go down nicely too.
The problem with taking an artist from their underground circuit and trying to turn them mainstream; or taking a new artist and trying to throw them straight into the commercial playground, is the aspect of retaining a 'cool' factor to them.
Doing this over a 10-15 track album is costly and timely, and a big commitment from a label, even if these days the Major labels at least more act as just a distributor / plugger.
I think we should look to go back to doing more EP style releases, 'projects' that contain around 5 or 6 songs.
This way the artist, management, producer and label, can focus n just generating the best songs for this mini project, rather than stuffing it with filler songs. It also helps focus the project towards a particular market. If the project doesn’t work, it also means there has been less money spent on making it.
Something that is also interesting to consider is that with this way of working, you also have the option to release
alternative projects, or remix projects alongside the main release, perhaps targeted more for the clubs or the underground circuit, or maybe just a live or acoustic project.
Not only does this expand your audience and exposure possibilities, it also means more revenue. Two different projects means a wider spread of radio play and club play and also if someone is a fan of one project, there is a good chance they will purchase the other too.
Remix and underground releases can also help with achieving this “got to be cool” requirement, adding credibility to an artist, by having this equal and opposite force present alongside the more mainstream focused project.
It is also good as a producer to split your work into at least 2 parts, under different aliases, one for your own independent projects and compositions and one for more commercial releases and remixes. Allowing you to take advantage of different types of work available whilst maintaining your name and credibility for your other projects. It is the same principle.
Taking the concept of equal and opposite throughout your work ethic can produce very creative work that helps you stand out.
Combining opposite music genres always works well, imagine rock and classical, drum and bass and opera, reggae and country and western… although it may sound unusual at first, you can quickly realise that there are endless possibilities to create something new and appealing.
Different textures and instruments compliment each other, like the different herbs and spices you can use in cooking, the flavours of the sounds come together sounding quite delicious.
Also in the structure of the song having for instance very hard sounding drums with a soft and chilled keys part over the top, or maybe a gentle and enchanting drone of an Indian Tambura, can be very complimentary and intriguing.
The principal can also be used in presentation of your music. If you are an electronic producer, try forming an acoustic live version of a track and video it, presenting it back to people on an electronic format.
So, focus your ideas, encapsulate your being and sound into an area, then diversify with an equal and opposite approach to your work and create a parallel project or piece of work and get in synch with the modern and diverse world in which we live.
Friday, 8 May 2009
IN BALANCE?
This month it’s all about balance. Not just ones own equilibrioception that may suffer somewhat come closing time of your favourite haunt on a Saturday night, but of our general perception of placement, proportions and ability to coexist within an allocated space.
“Balance” may be an unmentionable and offensive word to the Chancellor of the Exchequer right now, as he frantically tries to make Britain’s income and expenditure books balance; but for us studio geeks, it really can and should be a much simpler process.
So where do we start in endeavouring to create a good balance in our mix? Well firstly, lets actually consider what a good balance is. As mentioned in one of my previous months articles, a good balanced mix should be like ‘Amnesty International’ for audio; a mix where each individual part has its own space to coexist with its neighbours, adopting a fair share of the frequency spectrum and given the right to be heard fairly and accurately.
So before we go off to paint up some protest banners to campaign for a better balanced audio world, lets discuss the first stumbling block of our auditory ideal – gain staging.
Getting the levels right during the recording process seems to be a bone of contempt for many. Poor management of input signals and recording levels can lead to an array of difficulties when trying to balance a mix, so here are a few points to consider. To start with, in the recording stage, make sure you use the appropriate microphone for your sound source. Condenser and ribbon mics are very sensitive to high-pressure levels, so not ideal choices for percussive sounds like a kick drum or high level sources such as the front of a guitar cab.
The sensitivity of some condenser / preamp combinations also means they are not always the best choice for some vocalists. If you are finding that your vocals are clipping or distorting you may try just turning the input gain down. However, if this just gives you a quieter source and a lot of background noise, try either applying a high pass filter on the preamp (to cut out some of the room noise and rumble), or use a dynamic mic which can be more capable of handling the dynamic changes of the vocalist and is also more directional - so should pick up more of the direct signal rather than unwanted noise.
The key is, never to overload your inputs on your DAW and make sure you always leave yourself with plenty of headroom. Your recording levels should not be at 0dB as some commonly presume, try maybe -6dB as a rough guide or even less.
If every source you have is already at a max it is much harder to balance these parts together without clipping the master track. You are also leaving no room for subtle fader movements to have an audible effect. During mix down, having as much headroom as possible on individual sources is great for when you start creating stem mixes or summing down your track.
On analogue equipment it is true that you can push the piece hard without causing huge problems. However in digital equipment, the signal should never clip as this produces a nasty sounding square wave cut off to your audio and once it has been distorted there is no way to undo it, so keep those levels controlled.
Another problem area for achieving balance tends to be EQ. If you find that your mixes are well balanced in level but appear a bit “foggy” or “muddy” it is more than likely due to a fight breaking out between two or more instruments all trying to be in the same frequency range. A method known as ‘spectral mixing’ that I refer to in previous articles is particularly useful here. This process involves cutting a space for each individual track using EQ, focusing just on the key frequencies of the instrument that you want to be heard and cutting unnecessary bass content, high frequency content, and problem mid range frequencies out.
EQ alone cannot always help with balancing your bass sounds though, sometimes some spectral mixing between the bass drum and bass guitar is all that’s needed, but this is not always the solution. Many seem to struggle to avoid mixing seriously bass heavy or seriously bass light. This is usually due to the mix environment causing you to end up sitting in a peak or trough part of the waveform and therefore not hearing an accurate representation when mixing. To check this, try listening to the material in other playback systems, like your hifi, car stereo or at a friend’s studio facility if possible. It will then be easier to identify any problems that exist within your mixing space.
It may be however, that the frequency content of your bass is too low and too narrow and is causing it to lack energy or excitement in the mix. Try adding some fundamental frequencies above, either by dialling back in some of the higher frequencies you rolled off, or by putting the bass through an exciter, or maybe by adding a mirror bassline in the next octave up slightly lower in the mix, or just by transposing the whole line into a different, more legible key. Always be wary of adding too much sub bass content. Most home and project studio systems monitoring facilities don’t extend to sub frequencies, so you may get a nasty surprise when played in a club or a kitted-out car system.
If you can get your bass and your drums “gelling” together piecing everything else on top becomes much easier, treat the beat and bass like the foundations of your audio building and if they are not correct anything on top of that will never be balanced.
Lastly another way to help create a good balanced mix is to start the habit of stem mixing. This is basically creating sub groups like many live engineers do, but it has several benefits for the studio engineer too.
Once you have a nice mix of your drums, it is much easier to control their overall level within one group fader than individual ones, same goes for any other instrument group. It also makes it easer if you are planning to sum your mix externally with analogue outboard or a console. Not only does it bring the channel count and required interface spec down, it again makes it less work to balance between the instrument groups and you can keep a closer eye on the changes you are making.
So pay attention to your gain staging, EQ spread, and find easier ways to balance the levels, like stem mixing, and you will soon find yourself feeling a lot more balanced and possibly “in tune” with your audio. Besides, let us not forget that balance is actually one of the most natural phenomenon’s of existence…
“Balance” may be an unmentionable and offensive word to the Chancellor of the Exchequer right now, as he frantically tries to make Britain’s income and expenditure books balance; but for us studio geeks, it really can and should be a much simpler process.
So where do we start in endeavouring to create a good balance in our mix? Well firstly, lets actually consider what a good balance is. As mentioned in one of my previous months articles, a good balanced mix should be like ‘Amnesty International’ for audio; a mix where each individual part has its own space to coexist with its neighbours, adopting a fair share of the frequency spectrum and given the right to be heard fairly and accurately.
So before we go off to paint up some protest banners to campaign for a better balanced audio world, lets discuss the first stumbling block of our auditory ideal – gain staging.
Getting the levels right during the recording process seems to be a bone of contempt for many. Poor management of input signals and recording levels can lead to an array of difficulties when trying to balance a mix, so here are a few points to consider. To start with, in the recording stage, make sure you use the appropriate microphone for your sound source. Condenser and ribbon mics are very sensitive to high-pressure levels, so not ideal choices for percussive sounds like a kick drum or high level sources such as the front of a guitar cab.
The sensitivity of some condenser / preamp combinations also means they are not always the best choice for some vocalists. If you are finding that your vocals are clipping or distorting you may try just turning the input gain down. However, if this just gives you a quieter source and a lot of background noise, try either applying a high pass filter on the preamp (to cut out some of the room noise and rumble), or use a dynamic mic which can be more capable of handling the dynamic changes of the vocalist and is also more directional - so should pick up more of the direct signal rather than unwanted noise.
The key is, never to overload your inputs on your DAW and make sure you always leave yourself with plenty of headroom. Your recording levels should not be at 0dB as some commonly presume, try maybe -6dB as a rough guide or even less.
If every source you have is already at a max it is much harder to balance these parts together without clipping the master track. You are also leaving no room for subtle fader movements to have an audible effect. During mix down, having as much headroom as possible on individual sources is great for when you start creating stem mixes or summing down your track.
On analogue equipment it is true that you can push the piece hard without causing huge problems. However in digital equipment, the signal should never clip as this produces a nasty sounding square wave cut off to your audio and once it has been distorted there is no way to undo it, so keep those levels controlled.
Another problem area for achieving balance tends to be EQ. If you find that your mixes are well balanced in level but appear a bit “foggy” or “muddy” it is more than likely due to a fight breaking out between two or more instruments all trying to be in the same frequency range. A method known as ‘spectral mixing’ that I refer to in previous articles is particularly useful here. This process involves cutting a space for each individual track using EQ, focusing just on the key frequencies of the instrument that you want to be heard and cutting unnecessary bass content, high frequency content, and problem mid range frequencies out.
EQ alone cannot always help with balancing your bass sounds though, sometimes some spectral mixing between the bass drum and bass guitar is all that’s needed, but this is not always the solution. Many seem to struggle to avoid mixing seriously bass heavy or seriously bass light. This is usually due to the mix environment causing you to end up sitting in a peak or trough part of the waveform and therefore not hearing an accurate representation when mixing. To check this, try listening to the material in other playback systems, like your hifi, car stereo or at a friend’s studio facility if possible. It will then be easier to identify any problems that exist within your mixing space.
It may be however, that the frequency content of your bass is too low and too narrow and is causing it to lack energy or excitement in the mix. Try adding some fundamental frequencies above, either by dialling back in some of the higher frequencies you rolled off, or by putting the bass through an exciter, or maybe by adding a mirror bassline in the next octave up slightly lower in the mix, or just by transposing the whole line into a different, more legible key. Always be wary of adding too much sub bass content. Most home and project studio systems monitoring facilities don’t extend to sub frequencies, so you may get a nasty surprise when played in a club or a kitted-out car system.
If you can get your bass and your drums “gelling” together piecing everything else on top becomes much easier, treat the beat and bass like the foundations of your audio building and if they are not correct anything on top of that will never be balanced.
Lastly another way to help create a good balanced mix is to start the habit of stem mixing. This is basically creating sub groups like many live engineers do, but it has several benefits for the studio engineer too.
Once you have a nice mix of your drums, it is much easier to control their overall level within one group fader than individual ones, same goes for any other instrument group. It also makes it easer if you are planning to sum your mix externally with analogue outboard or a console. Not only does it bring the channel count and required interface spec down, it again makes it less work to balance between the instrument groups and you can keep a closer eye on the changes you are making.
So pay attention to your gain staging, EQ spread, and find easier ways to balance the levels, like stem mixing, and you will soon find yourself feeling a lot more balanced and possibly “in tune” with your audio. Besides, let us not forget that balance is actually one of the most natural phenomenon’s of existence…
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
AUDIO IDENTITY
There are over 6 billion people that populate this planet, each having their own individual genetic make up. The sheer diversity enriches our cultures, traditions and inspiration and makes up this eccentric patchwork of identity that we possess as human beings. Although we indulge in our self-proclaimed title of being top of the food chain and the most powerful and intelligent mammal that inhabits our Earth, it is amazing how sheep-like many among us seem to be. Herded together following each other aimlessly through fields of fashions, fads and ideals.
If you want to be able to stand out from this flock and be heard by many (not just “herd” by Bo Peep), embracing your individuality is essential.
The same can be said with your approach to your music production and mixing.
If everybody had the same gear, the same software, using the same sounds, with the same rules, would that really be good for the music? I think not. Forming your own identity and sound by combining your choice of equipment and forming your own sound bank is how you really can express yourself creatively as an individual.
When choosing equipment, you should consider many factors. It is always hard to base purchase decisions on adverts or reviews but this is a good way of finding out information and narrowing your choices. It is also strange to base your decisions on listening to someone’s opinion that seems to spend more time on Internet forums then in their idyllic (?) studio.
Base your choices on what you are drawn too, what you understand and what inspires you. Audio shouldn’t be about snobbery either; there are great products and tools out there that do not break the bank. So do not disregard products thinking that low price equals poor quality, as this is not always the case.
Research is important. Many make poor decisions on equipment, as they don’t fully understand the process the equipment does or what they are trying to achieve, never be scared to ask, but if you have a question about a product, contact the manufacturer. They designed and built the product and probably have the gear set up within their building, if anyone should be able to give you an accurate response to your query, I feel it is more likely to be them.
For me, I always like to consider the end format, where will this music end up and how would I like it to sound? The other day I visited a studio that makes Drum and Bass and Electronic music, they had a PC set up and for monitoring had some cheap PC speakers and then general small club PA Speakers. The explanation for this was that they didn’t see the point in having “3 grand” studio monitors, as the music either ends up on a website, listened to on an ipod / computer speakers, or played out in a club. If they got it sounding balanced on the PC speakers and it transfers well in the bass frequencies to the PA set up, that’s all they needed. The sound they had was indeed very good and you would never know much was mixed on £40 computer speakers.
Having your own arrangement of gear not only should inspire you but should also help you to create your own sound. Try linking different pieces together, get out those patch cables and take advantage of inserts, sidechains and programmable effects. It is surprising how quickly you can discover new ways of working, new sounds and some cool effects.
Do not be scared to experiment in how you connect or use your gear, so long as you understand and respect the different levels of some inputs and outputs and that tweeters can be delicate things… what’s the worst that could happen?
Also try using products for different purposes than they are created for… how about feeding your guitar amp or pod with some piano or percussion? Maybe use a vocoder on strings? You can quickly get some interesting sounds that you can use in conjunction with the original audio, instead of the original audio, or just as an effect. Rules are there to be broken and forcing yourself to go against the grain can form some fantastic creations.
It is easy to get caught up in the equipment rat race, and also hard to keep up with what’s new or available, so of course we sometimes need to see what others are doing and choosing. Apply logic to your opinions though and research the technology and functions the gear offers. If I make denim jeans, it doesn’t matter what logo I put on the back pocket, they are still denim jeans. If I want a tube microphone, ribbon tweeter monitors or a discrete class A preamp, all products in those categories will use the same technology, but some will be mass manufactured, some made by hand, some will have a better frequency response and some will just rely on their “back pocket logo” to pull on the heart strings of consumerism.
Choose the products that are right for you and offer you the tools that you need to be creative so to put your individual stamp on the music you make. Technology is advancing daily and more and more options are available to the consumer, but remember, it is all there to get the job done better, or quicker or make what you do easier.
So break away from the herd and approach your work as a one in six billion individual, rather than just another lamb to the slaughter.
If you want to be able to stand out from this flock and be heard by many (not just “herd” by Bo Peep), embracing your individuality is essential.
The same can be said with your approach to your music production and mixing.
If everybody had the same gear, the same software, using the same sounds, with the same rules, would that really be good for the music? I think not. Forming your own identity and sound by combining your choice of equipment and forming your own sound bank is how you really can express yourself creatively as an individual.
When choosing equipment, you should consider many factors. It is always hard to base purchase decisions on adverts or reviews but this is a good way of finding out information and narrowing your choices. It is also strange to base your decisions on listening to someone’s opinion that seems to spend more time on Internet forums then in their idyllic (?) studio.
Base your choices on what you are drawn too, what you understand and what inspires you. Audio shouldn’t be about snobbery either; there are great products and tools out there that do not break the bank. So do not disregard products thinking that low price equals poor quality, as this is not always the case.
Research is important. Many make poor decisions on equipment, as they don’t fully understand the process the equipment does or what they are trying to achieve, never be scared to ask, but if you have a question about a product, contact the manufacturer. They designed and built the product and probably have the gear set up within their building, if anyone should be able to give you an accurate response to your query, I feel it is more likely to be them.
For me, I always like to consider the end format, where will this music end up and how would I like it to sound? The other day I visited a studio that makes Drum and Bass and Electronic music, they had a PC set up and for monitoring had some cheap PC speakers and then general small club PA Speakers. The explanation for this was that they didn’t see the point in having “3 grand” studio monitors, as the music either ends up on a website, listened to on an ipod / computer speakers, or played out in a club. If they got it sounding balanced on the PC speakers and it transfers well in the bass frequencies to the PA set up, that’s all they needed. The sound they had was indeed very good and you would never know much was mixed on £40 computer speakers.
Having your own arrangement of gear not only should inspire you but should also help you to create your own sound. Try linking different pieces together, get out those patch cables and take advantage of inserts, sidechains and programmable effects. It is surprising how quickly you can discover new ways of working, new sounds and some cool effects.
Do not be scared to experiment in how you connect or use your gear, so long as you understand and respect the different levels of some inputs and outputs and that tweeters can be delicate things… what’s the worst that could happen?
Also try using products for different purposes than they are created for… how about feeding your guitar amp or pod with some piano or percussion? Maybe use a vocoder on strings? You can quickly get some interesting sounds that you can use in conjunction with the original audio, instead of the original audio, or just as an effect. Rules are there to be broken and forcing yourself to go against the grain can form some fantastic creations.
It is easy to get caught up in the equipment rat race, and also hard to keep up with what’s new or available, so of course we sometimes need to see what others are doing and choosing. Apply logic to your opinions though and research the technology and functions the gear offers. If I make denim jeans, it doesn’t matter what logo I put on the back pocket, they are still denim jeans. If I want a tube microphone, ribbon tweeter monitors or a discrete class A preamp, all products in those categories will use the same technology, but some will be mass manufactured, some made by hand, some will have a better frequency response and some will just rely on their “back pocket logo” to pull on the heart strings of consumerism.
Choose the products that are right for you and offer you the tools that you need to be creative so to put your individual stamp on the music you make. Technology is advancing daily and more and more options are available to the consumer, but remember, it is all there to get the job done better, or quicker or make what you do easier.
So break away from the herd and approach your work as a one in six billion individual, rather than just another lamb to the slaughter.
Sunday, 1 March 2009
TIMELESS MUSIC
Time. A measurement of existence, a constant tied to an event of past, present and future or a common consciousness in which we participate? Without going to into one of those 4am conversations on the theories and ideals of philosophy, science and religion, I still would like to touch on the importance of the way we view time and its significance upon our approach to our activities.
In this current social and economic climate, I am constantly hearing that “times are changing”, well this is obvious is it not? Regardless off the constant fluctuation of exchange rates and the weak pound, the growing unemployment statistics and the divide in social standing between the rich and the not very rich, time is always changing. Fashions and fads come, go and are reinvented. Life starts, life ends and life is created. So how do some of our peers manage to create works that escape the constraints of time and a changing, evolving world?
“A timeless classic”, a common phrase for such works, and one we would be honoured to have associated with anything we create within our lifetimes I’m sure. What is it that allows certain songs, mixes, productions and scores to be remembered and praised long after their creation though? There is not a simple rule or formula to this; there are however some good points for consideration when starting work on your album project or production. So this month is a bit of theory for us to endeavour to put into practise.
A universally appealing track is one that people from different places, races, cultures and ages can relate to in some way. For them to be able to, the track needs to have strength to it and a power to be emotive.
I think as a producer of a project it is essential to recognise early on what the strength of the project is and make this the key feature of the sound and shape of the album. For example, if the singer writes fantastic lyrics, keep the music simple to focus the listeners ear on the words, go for a nice warm sound on the vocals, maybe using a ribbon mic and tube preamp combination. Add compression to bring the vocal upfront and closer to the listener, but keep a soft knee and try not to make it pump by keeping the release a little slower.
In my opinion, a mistake that is often made in recent times is to over-perfect a vocal line. Whilst some singers can only claim to be so with the help of Melodyne, others that are not so musically challenged should be left to sing songs more freely. In classical recordings, the aim is to capture the performance in the most natural way. When you are listening back to the recording and shut your eyes it should be like you are there, experiencing the drama, excitement, or beauty first hand. I think this should be the same with a good vocalist. The voice after all is another instrument and I think sometimes we are all guilty of not treating it as such sometimes. The emotion of a vocal is really heard when a singer is left to freely express themselves, even if they are straining a little on a high note or singing some notes softer, the little imperfections make it sound real. Of course you can give your singer guidance, but when working with a talented vocalist there is nothing more beautiful than listening to them sing from their heart the way that they feel to express it.
To capture this, try taking a different approach to the recording. Instead of having them standing up with a pop shield and condenser mic, headphones on, lights blaring and shouting instructions down the talk back to them, try creating a more ambient feel. In your live room or recording space, light some scented candles, put some cushions out, turn the lights down and try setting up some room mics instead of just a close mic. Play around with positioning as it will vary dependent on the size and shape of the room. I quite like using a coincident pair towards the corner of the room, facing inwards, with cardiod pick up patterns, and not too close to the wall. Then, if the room allows I also like to use a tube condenser mic on omni pick up placed higher up above the performer, a few feet away and facing downwards slightly angled towards them. Do not be afraid to experiment with different microphones and their placement.
Another important element when doing a project is simplicity. Have a theme for the album that is used by the band / act / producer for inspiration and guidance, sometimes the simplest ideas can create a masterpiece. I also think it’s important to decide whether you are creating songs, or pieces of art. I say this, as a “song” should have a simplistic structure, repetition, and a familiarity to it. These aspects help a song to be “catchy” and memorable. On the other hand, a track that is a piece of “art” should be a statement, a mood, an object, a situation – whatever it is, it should embody that expression fully and be an emotive journey for the listener. To give an example, a timeless and fantastic album of “songs” was Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller Album’; a timeless and great album of “art” was Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’.
Whatever you are trying to achieve with your project allow yourself to be creative and experimental, make music that means something to you and enjoy doing it! Don’t be afraid to try out new ideas, even if they don’t work, at least it is a lesson learnt.
There is no key to making great music, but so long as you are making something that you are proud of and that you enjoyed creating, you have already created something timeless in your eyes, regardless of how others view it.
Remember that with each 60 seconds you gain in life is also a minute lost. When you create an album for people to listen to, aim to make their seconds gained a joyful experience and their minutes lost only to fond memories.
Thursday, 1 January 2009
BIG AND FAT
Well the festivities are over and we are thrown into another new year of big hopes and aspirations. Although the energy levels, bank balances and Alka Selza tablets feel particularly scarce at the moment, your torso certainly doesn’t against your waistband…
If you feel that it is your mixes and not your waistline that need a little fattening up, then this month it’s all about being big and fat in the mix.
Firstly I think its important to identify what accounts for something sounding ‘big’ or ‘fat’ and then also which instruments are key to achieving a ‘fat’ and ‘weighty’ impression.
When listening to a sound or a complete song, it will only sound ‘fat’ if there is a good representation across the frequency spectrum within the overall sound.
A lack of low frequency content and low mids will have the greatest negative effect, as this will make the song sound thin. Try adding in extra sounds, or give an EQ boost in these areas. For instance, on a vocal line, remember that the note A by middle C on a piano is 440Hz in the frequency spectrum, this means there are bound to be a number of fundamental frequencies around 400 – 500Hz usually varying depending on whether it’s a male or female vocalist, so try giving these a gentle boost. You should then look to boost the surrounding harmonics of this fundamental frequency. For instance, if you make a boost to the vocal line at 400Hz, try a small boost at 200Hz and 800Hz as starting points.
Some of the key frequencies across the spectrum of the mix, where there should be content are 150Hz, 400hz, 800hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, 4kHz, 7kHz, and 10kHz.
As you notice from the frequencies listed, a lack of high mid and high content can also prevent you from achieving a ‘fat’ sounding mix. This is because aurally, the song will sound smaller and less wide without that high-end sparkle.
Reverb trails and percussion are a nice way of achieving a good sounding sparkly top end that will add space and dimension to your mix.
So once you are aware of which frequencies are important to you, now you need to think about which instruments define your big, weighty sound you are trying to achieve.
Your rhythm contained within your drum track is the backbone of your song, this determines a lot of the feel of the track and its tempo and pattern is usually the key in defining genre of the piece. Within this drum track, making your kick and snare stand out is essential for achieving a ‘fat’ sounding track.
A mistake a lot of people make with kick drums to make them more prominent, is to just turn them up and up until it is actually distorting. Volume is not the answer; neither is limiting the kick to 0dB.
The best way to make a kick sound fatter is to actually layer the sound. If you are recording live drums you can do this by using at least 2 mics on the kick. Try something up close to the skin inside the drum to get the slap or crack of each hit, and then have another placed further back towards the opening of the drum to get the ‘boom’ sound. You will find that using this combination firstly helps you achieve a bigger, weightier sound, but secondly, it also means you have much more control over the sound of the kick by balancing up the ‘slap / crack’ sound with the ‘boom / oomph’ sound.
If you program your drums using either a pattern editor or samples or playing it in as a finger drummer, you can actually use completely different kicks at the same time to layer up your kick sound. When doing this however please be cautious not to choose additional kicks with a long delay on fast tempo music as this could blur the rhythm and make your mix sound muddy.
When you are recording a snare drum live, try using one mic facing down at the top of the snare and then a second mic facing upright towards the bottom of the snare. This will help you capture the ‘crack’ and the ‘crunch’ of the snare hits. Do not forget that due to the polarity of the two mics, you should always reverse the phase of the second microphone when recording. This can usually be done from your console channel or preamp unit. Again if you are programming your drums yourself, you can start layering the snare sound either with other snare hits or maybe a rimshot to really give it a sharp edge and a nice crisp finish.
The other important element is your bassline. A mistake that often occurs is that people go for a very low sub bass as their main bassline. This means that on some playback systems it cannot be heard properly and causes the mix too actually sound thinner on these playback systems. To compensate people end up turning the bass up, which actually causes it to overload on larger playback systems and sound unbalanced. Although sub is important, you should also have some bassline content around 200Hz, so that the melody can clearly be heard and sits on top of your kick drum nicely (kick will probably be around 80-120 Hz). Having space for your kick is essential and the bassline should sit just above it and just underneath it, do not try and turn your kick into your sub content.
If the bassline is a key element of the song then the bigger the frequency content the better, you should even try mirroring the bassline an octave up, but slightly lower in the mix to give it more depth and melody.
Once you have your bottom end nicely fattened, repeat the concept of layering sounds throughout the piece. Pack up vocals with harmonies and backing vocals, Fatten up guitar lines by adding the same hook but with a bit of distortion and add to string parts by adding pad sounds and individual string parts to make it all appear to sound bigger.
Once you have finished, use some multiband compression or mix bus compression to glue everything together into a nice solid finish and try adding a smile curve EQ boost – a gentle lift in the lows, a cut in the mids and a lift in the highs. This technique is commonly used on HiFi stereos to produce a more sonically exciting finish to a piece of music.
Combining these techniques means your mix will soon be saturated with ‘fat’. Enjoy.
If you feel that it is your mixes and not your waistline that need a little fattening up, then this month it’s all about being big and fat in the mix.
Firstly I think its important to identify what accounts for something sounding ‘big’ or ‘fat’ and then also which instruments are key to achieving a ‘fat’ and ‘weighty’ impression.
When listening to a sound or a complete song, it will only sound ‘fat’ if there is a good representation across the frequency spectrum within the overall sound.
A lack of low frequency content and low mids will have the greatest negative effect, as this will make the song sound thin. Try adding in extra sounds, or give an EQ boost in these areas. For instance, on a vocal line, remember that the note A by middle C on a piano is 440Hz in the frequency spectrum, this means there are bound to be a number of fundamental frequencies around 400 – 500Hz usually varying depending on whether it’s a male or female vocalist, so try giving these a gentle boost. You should then look to boost the surrounding harmonics of this fundamental frequency. For instance, if you make a boost to the vocal line at 400Hz, try a small boost at 200Hz and 800Hz as starting points.
Some of the key frequencies across the spectrum of the mix, where there should be content are 150Hz, 400hz, 800hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, 4kHz, 7kHz, and 10kHz.
As you notice from the frequencies listed, a lack of high mid and high content can also prevent you from achieving a ‘fat’ sounding mix. This is because aurally, the song will sound smaller and less wide without that high-end sparkle.
Reverb trails and percussion are a nice way of achieving a good sounding sparkly top end that will add space and dimension to your mix.
So once you are aware of which frequencies are important to you, now you need to think about which instruments define your big, weighty sound you are trying to achieve.
Your rhythm contained within your drum track is the backbone of your song, this determines a lot of the feel of the track and its tempo and pattern is usually the key in defining genre of the piece. Within this drum track, making your kick and snare stand out is essential for achieving a ‘fat’ sounding track.
A mistake a lot of people make with kick drums to make them more prominent, is to just turn them up and up until it is actually distorting. Volume is not the answer; neither is limiting the kick to 0dB.
The best way to make a kick sound fatter is to actually layer the sound. If you are recording live drums you can do this by using at least 2 mics on the kick. Try something up close to the skin inside the drum to get the slap or crack of each hit, and then have another placed further back towards the opening of the drum to get the ‘boom’ sound. You will find that using this combination firstly helps you achieve a bigger, weightier sound, but secondly, it also means you have much more control over the sound of the kick by balancing up the ‘slap / crack’ sound with the ‘boom / oomph’ sound.
If you program your drums using either a pattern editor or samples or playing it in as a finger drummer, you can actually use completely different kicks at the same time to layer up your kick sound. When doing this however please be cautious not to choose additional kicks with a long delay on fast tempo music as this could blur the rhythm and make your mix sound muddy.
When you are recording a snare drum live, try using one mic facing down at the top of the snare and then a second mic facing upright towards the bottom of the snare. This will help you capture the ‘crack’ and the ‘crunch’ of the snare hits. Do not forget that due to the polarity of the two mics, you should always reverse the phase of the second microphone when recording. This can usually be done from your console channel or preamp unit. Again if you are programming your drums yourself, you can start layering the snare sound either with other snare hits or maybe a rimshot to really give it a sharp edge and a nice crisp finish.
The other important element is your bassline. A mistake that often occurs is that people go for a very low sub bass as their main bassline. This means that on some playback systems it cannot be heard properly and causes the mix too actually sound thinner on these playback systems. To compensate people end up turning the bass up, which actually causes it to overload on larger playback systems and sound unbalanced. Although sub is important, you should also have some bassline content around 200Hz, so that the melody can clearly be heard and sits on top of your kick drum nicely (kick will probably be around 80-120 Hz). Having space for your kick is essential and the bassline should sit just above it and just underneath it, do not try and turn your kick into your sub content.
If the bassline is a key element of the song then the bigger the frequency content the better, you should even try mirroring the bassline an octave up, but slightly lower in the mix to give it more depth and melody.
Once you have your bottom end nicely fattened, repeat the concept of layering sounds throughout the piece. Pack up vocals with harmonies and backing vocals, Fatten up guitar lines by adding the same hook but with a bit of distortion and add to string parts by adding pad sounds and individual string parts to make it all appear to sound bigger.
Once you have finished, use some multiband compression or mix bus compression to glue everything together into a nice solid finish and try adding a smile curve EQ boost – a gentle lift in the lows, a cut in the mids and a lift in the highs. This technique is commonly used on HiFi stereos to produce a more sonically exciting finish to a piece of music.
Combining these techniques means your mix will soon be saturated with ‘fat’. Enjoy.
Monday, 1 December 2008
FLOW OF LIFE
It always seems to be an unsettled time of year around now. Everyone is reflecting on the year that has nearly passed and wondering how it went so quickly, then they are anticipating what is to come in the following year and how it can be an improved one for all.
For me personally, it always seems to be a time of many births, many deaths and many relationship breakdowns, a real rollercoaster of emotions.
Sometimes it is good to take a step back and ponder the cycle of nature, that every ending is just another beginning, a continuous flow of change within a lifespan that inevitably ends and signals the start of something new.
For me, a good album has its own lifespan too. Each track tells a story and the album is carefully compiled to allow the next track to be the transition to the new beginning.
This is why I think it is important to try and get a body of work done around the same time when working on an album; also you’re approach to mixing an album should differ to that of when you are just mixing a single.
Before you sit down in your slightly deflated black leather engineering chair to embark on your latest mixing venture, it is good to make some notes about the overall “feel” and “direction” that you require in the mix. Continuity is important in an album, although a musically eclectic album is nice, it should sound like the same artist in the same studio.
First of all, I would start by mixing what you feel or have been told is the leading track, the first single for the project. Not only will this get you in the ‘vibe’ of the project with a good strong single, but you can also use it as a benchmark for the sound of the album. If it proves to be a popular song or release, listeners will not then be disappointed or unpleasantly surprised with the rest of the tracks when listening to the album.
Your lead track should be your sonic template for the album so if it has a sense of ‘space’ and ‘air’ to it, this should be what you strive for with the other tracks too.
Adding a gentle boost in the highs and high mids of your key instruments will help with this ‘air’. Take for instance your main guitar hook and try doing some sweeps around the top frequencies using a peak filter to find the airy sweet spots, this is something you can then easily recreate in other tracks to get the same feel.
Another thing you should do is create some of your own presets on your plug ins and make notes of favourite settings on your outboard too. If you are mixing a band that uses the same bass sound in every song, or has the same vocalist, try loading your preset EQ and Compressor settings from the first song onto every other track. Although they may not work on each track, there is a good chance you will only need to make small adjustments to get the right sound and some continuity.
The same should be done with reverbs too. Play around with your outboard or your plug ins and find a reverb that suits the lead vocalist of the album. You can then use this as your base reverb for every track. Try choosing a reverb trail that is not too long or too defused, maybe a plate style reverb or small hall that sounds quite warm. This will then be your starting point for your vocal. If any tracks need a longer trail or a different style of effect, you can then layer this on top of your base reverb so that you still have the same base sound to your vocal.
Something I like to do and that can be quite fun, is too have a theme sound for the album. This may be a particular sample, a synth sound or a bass drum that you use throughout the album. This is something which producers like Timberland tend to do and was seen on his last “Shock Value” album.
You should not over use it and in some tracks it may be that it is hardly noticeable. What it creates though is a comfort to the listener by giving a regular and familiar sound that even if they are not conscious of it, the ear will pick it up and become accustomed and receptive to what it is hearing. For you as a mixer / producer it also helps give you a brand identity that others can recognize you for.
When mixing an album, also don’t be scared to do some editing. If you think that track 4 really does not need the epic 2-minute guitar solo, cut it down to the best 16 bars if that sounds better and fits the track more suitably. Also understand the significance of the first and last 10 seconds of each track. The first 10 seconds need to excite and interest the listener enough to keep listening and the last 10 seconds need to leave the listener wanting more and ready for the next track. If you are just being asked to mix the project and were not involved in the production or the actual song writing, then try to at least make the first and last 10 seconds sonically interesting if you cannot make any actual changes to the structure or instrumentation.
As you approach the end of your album mix, do enlist a professional mastering engineer to finish the job. Do not spend all that time making a near perfect mix, for it to then be poorly mastered. Although the mastering engineer will work their magic in ensuring the album flows and is properly balanced; it is a good idea to treat each track with the same final brush of sonic gold to give it a unified and tidy finish. This can be done either with a little mix bus compression over the master stereo tracks, or by summing each track through an analogue board or summing mixer.
Make sure you always try and enjoy the life of the album, and although there are bound to be stressful times in the mix, look back on the happy memories and be proud of what you’ve achieved. As this project ends, so with it sees the start of your next venture on the horizon, and so it continues…
For me personally, it always seems to be a time of many births, many deaths and many relationship breakdowns, a real rollercoaster of emotions.
Sometimes it is good to take a step back and ponder the cycle of nature, that every ending is just another beginning, a continuous flow of change within a lifespan that inevitably ends and signals the start of something new.
For me, a good album has its own lifespan too. Each track tells a story and the album is carefully compiled to allow the next track to be the transition to the new beginning.
This is why I think it is important to try and get a body of work done around the same time when working on an album; also you’re approach to mixing an album should differ to that of when you are just mixing a single.
Before you sit down in your slightly deflated black leather engineering chair to embark on your latest mixing venture, it is good to make some notes about the overall “feel” and “direction” that you require in the mix. Continuity is important in an album, although a musically eclectic album is nice, it should sound like the same artist in the same studio.
First of all, I would start by mixing what you feel or have been told is the leading track, the first single for the project. Not only will this get you in the ‘vibe’ of the project with a good strong single, but you can also use it as a benchmark for the sound of the album. If it proves to be a popular song or release, listeners will not then be disappointed or unpleasantly surprised with the rest of the tracks when listening to the album.
Your lead track should be your sonic template for the album so if it has a sense of ‘space’ and ‘air’ to it, this should be what you strive for with the other tracks too.
Adding a gentle boost in the highs and high mids of your key instruments will help with this ‘air’. Take for instance your main guitar hook and try doing some sweeps around the top frequencies using a peak filter to find the airy sweet spots, this is something you can then easily recreate in other tracks to get the same feel.
Another thing you should do is create some of your own presets on your plug ins and make notes of favourite settings on your outboard too. If you are mixing a band that uses the same bass sound in every song, or has the same vocalist, try loading your preset EQ and Compressor settings from the first song onto every other track. Although they may not work on each track, there is a good chance you will only need to make small adjustments to get the right sound and some continuity.
The same should be done with reverbs too. Play around with your outboard or your plug ins and find a reverb that suits the lead vocalist of the album. You can then use this as your base reverb for every track. Try choosing a reverb trail that is not too long or too defused, maybe a plate style reverb or small hall that sounds quite warm. This will then be your starting point for your vocal. If any tracks need a longer trail or a different style of effect, you can then layer this on top of your base reverb so that you still have the same base sound to your vocal.
Something I like to do and that can be quite fun, is too have a theme sound for the album. This may be a particular sample, a synth sound or a bass drum that you use throughout the album. This is something which producers like Timberland tend to do and was seen on his last “Shock Value” album.
You should not over use it and in some tracks it may be that it is hardly noticeable. What it creates though is a comfort to the listener by giving a regular and familiar sound that even if they are not conscious of it, the ear will pick it up and become accustomed and receptive to what it is hearing. For you as a mixer / producer it also helps give you a brand identity that others can recognize you for.
When mixing an album, also don’t be scared to do some editing. If you think that track 4 really does not need the epic 2-minute guitar solo, cut it down to the best 16 bars if that sounds better and fits the track more suitably. Also understand the significance of the first and last 10 seconds of each track. The first 10 seconds need to excite and interest the listener enough to keep listening and the last 10 seconds need to leave the listener wanting more and ready for the next track. If you are just being asked to mix the project and were not involved in the production or the actual song writing, then try to at least make the first and last 10 seconds sonically interesting if you cannot make any actual changes to the structure or instrumentation.
As you approach the end of your album mix, do enlist a professional mastering engineer to finish the job. Do not spend all that time making a near perfect mix, for it to then be poorly mastered. Although the mastering engineer will work their magic in ensuring the album flows and is properly balanced; it is a good idea to treat each track with the same final brush of sonic gold to give it a unified and tidy finish. This can be done either with a little mix bus compression over the master stereo tracks, or by summing each track through an analogue board or summing mixer.
Make sure you always try and enjoy the life of the album, and although there are bound to be stressful times in the mix, look back on the happy memories and be proud of what you’ve achieved. As this project ends, so with it sees the start of your next venture on the horizon, and so it continues…
Saturday, 1 November 2008
QUICK FIX TRICKS
So the world is watching and the countdown to the US elections is on. By the time this is published a decision will have been reached. In the mean time, Obama and McCain are battling over how they should help ‘main street’ and either bail out or crack down on ‘wall street’, Gordon Brown is trying to hold on to ‘downing street’ long enough to meet the new president and Sarah Palin is well… who knows.
Politics in some ways is a little like the magician David Blaine, high risks, a little trickery, some mind games and a lot of media attention and money over some unconvincingly important stunts. A little magic may indeed be needed to step up to the role of the new US president, the selected candidate has a lot to prove and people will expect quick fixes.
Although thankfully on a much smaller and less catastrophic scale a bit of magic and a quick fix is something that is often asked of the mix engineer. A number of friends of mine say they are often handed low quality recordings and poorly arranged and mixed projects that they are then expected to turn into a top ten hit by 4pm the next day for a fraction of what was once the going rate.
So are quick fix mixes possible? The truth appears to be that they are becoming a frequent reality as deadlines tighten, budgets are cut and the general quality control barriers of music creators seem to open. Maybe this is in part inspired by our MP3 generation listeners, maybe by lack of experience from artists and producers or maybe as people just rally around in search of the next project, next hit, and next pay cheque.
This month I will give a few simple quick fix suggestions to automatically enhance your recordings.
The simplest way to quickly improve a sound recording is by giving the stereo mix a little treatment. The best way to do this in my mind is too add a little compression to help ‘glue’ the mix together and a little EQ to ‘sweeten’.
I also think it is good to do this using analogue gear; it seems to add some depth and warmth to the mix. As I have mentioned before, I believe that using analogue gear compared to digital is like the difference in cooking in an oven or in a microwave. Sometimes the microwave can be quicker, cheaper and easier but it just doesn’t ‘taste’ the same as when cooked in an oven. I guess this kind of afterthought analogue or rear-end treatment for you DAW mixes, is like cooking a jacket potato in the microwave and then finishing it in the oven to get some flavour and texture.
So, try using a stereo compressor / EQ on the outputs from your DAW. If you don’t have a dedicated EQ, try using your desk EQ’s if you have some and see if they have a nice sound to them. Obviously it depends on the material for exact settings, but an easy lift can be created via a ‘smile curve’ EQ boost. This entails a boost in the low, a cut in the mids and a boost in the highs. Usually this will quickly add some depth and sparkle to the mix.
As for compressor settings, this depends what condition the material you have is in. If you are pre – mastering, try not to over-compress and squeeze all dynamic range from the song, but you can afford to whack up the ratio a bit if your material allows it without sounding too condensed.
I find that if you do use a lot of compression it sounds nicer on the ear to keep a soft knee, with short attack and slow release. Always A/B what you are doing frequently and be careful not to just use a compressor as a fancy volume knob.
If you have access to all the files, but no time to mix it over again, then the are other ways that you can give the mix a little TLC. Often, poorly mixed tracks can sound very thin, boxy and muddy. The first thing I would check is reverb. Is there enough? A lack of reverb can make a track sound unnatural and boring with no space definition. Try making quick groups of your drums, guitars, strings and vocals. Then set up a separate reverb aux for each group. This way you can very quickly add some suitable reverb trails to the different instrument components, be careful not to loose intelligibility though so keep reverb times shorter, less pre delay and less diffusion if you need to.
If you have a console or summing mixer, you could also bring the track out through there to sum in analogue. This will tend to give an impression of greater width, depth and separation in the mix. Combining summing with compression and EQ will produce good results so look out for summing mixers that have insert points to make this easier.
A quick fix is expected from everyone when the pressure is on, and although quick fixes don’t always address the problem (in this case a poor recording or mix), they aim to make it better in the interim and then earn the trust to fix the problem in the future.
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
AUDIO EQUITY
Well one could be forgiven for feeling a little cautious within the current climate of credit crunches, stock market crashes and fluctuating exchange rates. Although we are yet to see the overall effect of these times on our individual lives and our industry, you could say that we have been here before and that the economy is just continually moving in phases.
Everything around us is constantly in movement, whether its share prices, emigration of people, electrons, or planet earth herself. Therefore movement is a natural phenomenon and energy that needs to be respected and utilised. The use of movement and energy in a mix can breathe life, excitement or just space into your creations.
Subtle and clever use of level automation, pan automation and ducking can create a sense of excitement and creative flow in a track. Too much movement however could leave you listener feeling like they’ve just spent a day intoxicated at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, so this month I am focusing on some subtle tips that could be of help.
Once you have recorded all your parts and have got the basic mix together (level matching, EQ and compression, reverbs etc) then you can start paying attention to the energy and movement in the track.
I always like to start with drums, percussion and bass. Once you have your drums and bass gelling together nicely it sets a whole framework for your track, a bit like the foundations of a building.
Make a map of your song, which gives a story board structure of what is happening in terms of verse / chorus pattern and any lyrical or musical signposts that you would like to highlight.
Try pushing levels of the main percussive elements up in the chorus and back down in the verse to give the chorus a ‘lift’, or automate a percussive element to mute during the verse and then introduce it for the chorus and/or middle 8.
I would aim to keep your bass level and constant throughout and panned centre. If you find the bass to mask your kick drum, instead of turning down, try using the EQ methods of ‘cutting a space’ that I spoke of last month.
If your kick is still competing for attention with other instruments, try using some sidechaining. Insert a compressor over the Low Synth track (for example) and connect a copy of the kick drum track to the compressors sidechain.
The kick drum will now act as the trigger for the compressor, so that every time the kick sounds the low synth track will be compressed. This effect works particularly well in dance music, but the method can also be used effectively in other genres and with different instruments.
You can also create the effect using a gate in ‘ducking’ mode. Simply connect the gate in the same way as you would the compressor with the kick drum track again connected to the sidechain input. The gate will then close each time the kick drum sounds, momentarily lowering the volume of (in this case) the low synth part.
Playing around with parts like pads, rhythm guitars, strings and synths that may not be the main elements of your track can be great fun. Try treating parts as ‘themes’. Use your storyboard map of your track and plan when each theme should be introduced or taken away and how long it should be apparent for, then automate the theme into your track’s storyboard using level, mute and pan automation to achieve it as you feel necessary.
Try using a synth sweep part as a signpost. By this I mean create a track with a swirling sweep sound on it that lasts maybe a couple of bars, then place this part before each chorus. Have it relatively low in the mix, automating it to ascend in level as the chorus approaches, maybe panning from left to right and back to centre. This informs the listener that something is happening or about to happen, and helps create a dynamic energy flow within your track.
Automating reverb time and delays to sound or increase on end phrases also helps create motion in your mix, also try using a reverse reverb at the beginning of a phrase to introduce a vocal.
If your main vocal is getting a little washed out with reverb then try another little trick, insert a compressor over your reverb return channel(s) and insert a copy of the dry main vocal into the sidechain of the compressor so that as the vocal sounds the reverb wet signal is compressed and controlled a little to make space for the dry vocal, helping it to be less washed-out sounding with better intelligibility.
Creating movement in your mix can give it the professional sounding edge, which could help earn some extra pounds even in the current financial climate. After all, isn’t money what makes the world go round?
Everything around us is constantly in movement, whether its share prices, emigration of people, electrons, or planet earth herself. Therefore movement is a natural phenomenon and energy that needs to be respected and utilised. The use of movement and energy in a mix can breathe life, excitement or just space into your creations.
Subtle and clever use of level automation, pan automation and ducking can create a sense of excitement and creative flow in a track. Too much movement however could leave you listener feeling like they’ve just spent a day intoxicated at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, so this month I am focusing on some subtle tips that could be of help.
Once you have recorded all your parts and have got the basic mix together (level matching, EQ and compression, reverbs etc) then you can start paying attention to the energy and movement in the track.
I always like to start with drums, percussion and bass. Once you have your drums and bass gelling together nicely it sets a whole framework for your track, a bit like the foundations of a building.
Make a map of your song, which gives a story board structure of what is happening in terms of verse / chorus pattern and any lyrical or musical signposts that you would like to highlight.
Try pushing levels of the main percussive elements up in the chorus and back down in the verse to give the chorus a ‘lift’, or automate a percussive element to mute during the verse and then introduce it for the chorus and/or middle 8.
I would aim to keep your bass level and constant throughout and panned centre. If you find the bass to mask your kick drum, instead of turning down, try using the EQ methods of ‘cutting a space’ that I spoke of last month.
If your kick is still competing for attention with other instruments, try using some sidechaining. Insert a compressor over the Low Synth track (for example) and connect a copy of the kick drum track to the compressors sidechain.
The kick drum will now act as the trigger for the compressor, so that every time the kick sounds the low synth track will be compressed. This effect works particularly well in dance music, but the method can also be used effectively in other genres and with different instruments.
You can also create the effect using a gate in ‘ducking’ mode. Simply connect the gate in the same way as you would the compressor with the kick drum track again connected to the sidechain input. The gate will then close each time the kick drum sounds, momentarily lowering the volume of (in this case) the low synth part.
Playing around with parts like pads, rhythm guitars, strings and synths that may not be the main elements of your track can be great fun. Try treating parts as ‘themes’. Use your storyboard map of your track and plan when each theme should be introduced or taken away and how long it should be apparent for, then automate the theme into your track’s storyboard using level, mute and pan automation to achieve it as you feel necessary.
Try using a synth sweep part as a signpost. By this I mean create a track with a swirling sweep sound on it that lasts maybe a couple of bars, then place this part before each chorus. Have it relatively low in the mix, automating it to ascend in level as the chorus approaches, maybe panning from left to right and back to centre. This informs the listener that something is happening or about to happen, and helps create a dynamic energy flow within your track.
Automating reverb time and delays to sound or increase on end phrases also helps create motion in your mix, also try using a reverse reverb at the beginning of a phrase to introduce a vocal.
If your main vocal is getting a little washed out with reverb then try another little trick, insert a compressor over your reverb return channel(s) and insert a copy of the dry main vocal into the sidechain of the compressor so that as the vocal sounds the reverb wet signal is compressed and controlled a little to make space for the dry vocal, helping it to be less washed-out sounding with better intelligibility.
Creating movement in your mix can give it the professional sounding edge, which could help earn some extra pounds even in the current financial climate. After all, isn’t money what makes the world go round?
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