This month its all about what you have up top… not in terms of your new seventies fling back hair do (or not new in some cases), but your front end.
It is common sense that in order to get the best sounding mix, you need to have the best sounding recordings to begin with. If you can get a quality signal onto “tape” in the first place, it prevents the need for this endless quest that some people undergo to ‘save’ the mix.
One of the first things I was taught, was the age old industry slogan that “you cant polish a terd” and this is very true (although some vocalists we’ve all come across really try to push the boundaries on that making you salvage more than you want to and they themselves hoping ‘autotune’ or ‘melodyne’ will turn them into the next Aretha… hmmm…).
EQing a poorly recorded signal can only get rid of some of the unwanted frequencies, and can only cut and boost what is already there so if your signal lacks low end and warmth, an EQ plug in will not be a quick fix solution.
If you are recording a vocal in a home studio you have further considerations. The first one being the actual recording space you are using. If your studio room does not have a nice sound and is not acoustically treated, using a very sensitive condenser microphone with a hypercardiod, figure 8 or omni pick up pattern may pick up unwanted and undesirable room noise. Instead opt for a cardiod pattern and try and position the vocalist in a suitable area of the room where the reflections are likely to be less. If you have a problem with a condenser mic picking up too much background noise, especially when you boost the gain to try and get a better signal to “tape”, perhaps try using a dynamic microphone instead.
When using a close mic technique with a cardiod pattern Dynamic mic, it tends to be very directional and should pick up more of the direct sound source (in this case a vocal) and less of the room noise. You can also benefit from the proximity effect taking place on weaker vocals, which is where bass tones sound more prominent as the mic is closer to the sound source. This effect is good for female vocals and also male vocalists that have a sweet spot in the lower fundamental frequencies.
If you find that even with your favourite condenser mic, you do not have much sensitivity, or the quality / tone of your recorded signal is lacking an apparent ‘space’ or ‘depth’, it is probably the preamp that needs looking at.
With most soundcards, the preamps built in are not of a very high standard in most people’s opinions. If you consider that on a £300RRP soundcard how much is spent on the A/D and D/A converters for one, then the casing, the manufacturing, etc, then per mic pre, it is probably around 50p!
It is definitely worth investing in a good quality mic pre to add to your set up, whether you have a budget soundcard or a more high end interface, a dedicated preamp can offer a good alternative and allows you to have greater flexibility over the quality, tone and depth of your recordings. For people on a tighter budget, channel strips tend to be the best value purchase as you get several functions included on one unit, making it good value for money and more flexible in use.
Going back to my cooking analogy last week, I feel recording and mixing in analogue as opposed to in digital is the difference between cooking in the oven and in the microwave. The microwave might have some fancy touch screen controls and be quicker and easier, but it just doesn’t ‘taste’ the same as when cooked in the oven.
These days, as with cooking, a combination of microwave oven and conventional oven recording and mixing seems to be the answer. Time efficient without sacrificing ‘taste’.
You need to know when to take advantage of different technologies, something that I intend to help with over the months.
Having a nice analogue front end can make a huge difference to your finished sound.
So put some thought into what you have up top and turn your studio heat up to ‘number 11’ (gas mark that is).
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Sunday, 1 June 2008
COOKING IT UP
Welcome one and all! Each week I will be giving you some insight into the world of sound recording and mixing with some hot tips for you to try out and some general rambles regarding my thoughts on the wonderful world of sound.
So what should you know about me? I’m a big analogue freak, but also a techno-geek so each week I’ll be giving some nerdy advice on using outboard gear and ‘real’ consoles, but also integrating software and hardware set ups to the best effect and some interesting ideas for you to try out.
To really understand me, you should know that for me, mixing is like cooking. Maybe because my two loves in life are food and music (although I would like to stress I do not have a belly reminiscent of a 2nd trimester pregnancy, or wear white socks under my sandals!).
In terms of my concept, the different ingredients in you ‘audio dish’ are of course the instruments, but more importantly the tones and timbres of your sounds which make up your track. You can have all the main ingredients, but it can ‘taste’ bland unless you add the seasoning and maybe a little spice to really bring the dish to life. Also your method of cooking up your audio treat can affect its texture and overall quality. These methods and spices are your effects, panning, and automation. Over the coming months I will also give some advice on the importance of EQ, including practical tips.
By using your panning to add a sense of space to your mix you create a base that slots and molds the sounds into the stereo image. Although basslines and lead vocals should be kept central as general rule, you can play around with the other instruments – don’t be afraid of using some sounds purely to use for panning affects or to add ‘flavor’ to your left or right side soundscape. ‘Autopan’ effects can be fun, but be warned – getting carried away with such could leave your listener feeling a little queasy!
The use of reverb is also very important in your mixing recipe, think of it as the ‘salt’ of the audio world (it makes any bland excuse for a vocalist sound better).
Reverb enables you to blend instruments together and make them sound more life like. Although the ear can adjust to sounds quickly, you will find it infinitely more pleasant to listen to a sound with a little reverb as the ear perceives it as being more natural and is therefore in some way easier to process. Do not over swamp a song with reverb though – especially if it is very polyphonic or at a fast tempo as it can slur the beat structure or main hook.
If you experience difficulty fitting a vocal onto a previously recorded backing track, the use of reverb can really help slot it together, especially if your vocal is heavily compressed.
So just as Great Aunty Mabel had her own special recipe for Bread and Butter Pudding, you too should develop your own special recipe for mixing.
Get in your studio kitchen and play around with your sound flavors, find the best order for you to unleash your creativity in and have a clear goal and end result in mind. Save sounds that you create or favorite and cool effects, also make notes on the best EQ sound for your favorite kick sample or a regular vocalist you work with.
This in time actually gives you a great structure and starting point for all your mixes, as well as your own ‘brand’ sound.
A brand image these days is very important and may just be the defining element that gets you the work and not Bob ‘Audio Knob’ Smith (even though he has a long track record and beard to match).
Try looking at your sounds as flavors. Combining senses like sound and taste can be really useful if you get the hang of it… if that sounds a little too leftfield, then maybe try imaging the sounds as colors on a canvass instead?
So get your aprons on and cook up a feast!
So what should you know about me? I’m a big analogue freak, but also a techno-geek so each week I’ll be giving some nerdy advice on using outboard gear and ‘real’ consoles, but also integrating software and hardware set ups to the best effect and some interesting ideas for you to try out.
To really understand me, you should know that for me, mixing is like cooking. Maybe because my two loves in life are food and music (although I would like to stress I do not have a belly reminiscent of a 2nd trimester pregnancy, or wear white socks under my sandals!).
In terms of my concept, the different ingredients in you ‘audio dish’ are of course the instruments, but more importantly the tones and timbres of your sounds which make up your track. You can have all the main ingredients, but it can ‘taste’ bland unless you add the seasoning and maybe a little spice to really bring the dish to life. Also your method of cooking up your audio treat can affect its texture and overall quality. These methods and spices are your effects, panning, and automation. Over the coming months I will also give some advice on the importance of EQ, including practical tips.
By using your panning to add a sense of space to your mix you create a base that slots and molds the sounds into the stereo image. Although basslines and lead vocals should be kept central as general rule, you can play around with the other instruments – don’t be afraid of using some sounds purely to use for panning affects or to add ‘flavor’ to your left or right side soundscape. ‘Autopan’ effects can be fun, but be warned – getting carried away with such could leave your listener feeling a little queasy!
The use of reverb is also very important in your mixing recipe, think of it as the ‘salt’ of the audio world (it makes any bland excuse for a vocalist sound better).
Reverb enables you to blend instruments together and make them sound more life like. Although the ear can adjust to sounds quickly, you will find it infinitely more pleasant to listen to a sound with a little reverb as the ear perceives it as being more natural and is therefore in some way easier to process. Do not over swamp a song with reverb though – especially if it is very polyphonic or at a fast tempo as it can slur the beat structure or main hook.
If you experience difficulty fitting a vocal onto a previously recorded backing track, the use of reverb can really help slot it together, especially if your vocal is heavily compressed.
So just as Great Aunty Mabel had her own special recipe for Bread and Butter Pudding, you too should develop your own special recipe for mixing.
Get in your studio kitchen and play around with your sound flavors, find the best order for you to unleash your creativity in and have a clear goal and end result in mind. Save sounds that you create or favorite and cool effects, also make notes on the best EQ sound for your favorite kick sample or a regular vocalist you work with.
This in time actually gives you a great structure and starting point for all your mixes, as well as your own ‘brand’ sound.
A brand image these days is very important and may just be the defining element that gets you the work and not Bob ‘Audio Knob’ Smith (even though he has a long track record and beard to match).
Try looking at your sounds as flavors. Combining senses like sound and taste can be really useful if you get the hang of it… if that sounds a little too leftfield, then maybe try imaging the sounds as colors on a canvass instead?
So get your aprons on and cook up a feast!
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