05-10-2014, 05:06 PM
Wow thank you very much for the detailed (and well explained) observations you did!
I must say this site is really working for me, i'm finding here all the help i'm in need for and that i wouldn't get in other ways. I hope i will learn all i can from this chance.
I'll try to explain my actual condition and my aims so maybe you can have suggestions on that too - sorry if it takes long -.
As you can hear i have very little experience in mixing, made some studies and studio assistance (with good teachers), have read books, internet forums, interviews, video tutorials and any information i could get. Now i feel i got some theoretical know how, but lacking much practice experiences (and i think that's where you really learn this job, theory being just the background).
As a consequence I'm now getting through a hard critical revision of everything i previously used to do just because i was taught that. That's what i'm experimenting with in this forum's mixes at the moment, still not really looking for a good mix as primary aim, rather to learn to hear the benefits of those things and become able to choose if to use a technique or not and how much.
For example the bass frequencies stereo issue you mentioned: i have the habit to collapse all the bass frequencies to mono with a plugin in the master bus and not thinking to that kind of problems anymore during mixing, but honestly, when that plugin's off, i often can't hear the necessity of it (can hear difference but can't tell it is better, even on laptop or headphones). I want to avoid unnecessary processing, so in version B i just tried to get rid of it and see what happens. And the problems raised! I'm very happy you told me this, now that i had the issue pointed i'll think to this mix when approaching low freq stereo field in future. One theoretical thing confirmed by experience, nothing more to ask for! Couldn't have the chance to listen to my mix on headphones, as i gave them to a friend, but i will do and check what you meant. About that, i usually listen to mixes the day after on headphones, mainly to have a different listening environment (don't have secondary speakers) and also to check what happens on headphones, but that habit too never led me to make corrections in the mix, so i was starting to ask myself if it is really so necessary - answer: yes it is.
Similar thing for the warmth issue. Can't say it's my speakers - dynaudio bm5a - or room's fault, that's me unfortunately, my ears like warmer tones (must educate myself on that). I know that and usually try to compensate taking decisions oriented on the bright side (still not able to do it properly untill it will come natural to me). Looked for experimental confirmation - version A should be a bit brighter if i remember - which i had from you again.
I will make another try with this mix, i'll try to:
- pan low organ to center position and collapse mix low frequencies to mono (just to be safe)
- more mids/less lows on piano and other midrange instruments
- look for a brighter mix
Other issues i should correct? Something wrong with the rim/kick couple, bass or overall dynamics?
I'll be happy to receive further indications, and again, thanks a lot i believe i will learn much from this sharing experience.
I must say this site is really working for me, i'm finding here all the help i'm in need for and that i wouldn't get in other ways. I hope i will learn all i can from this chance.
I'll try to explain my actual condition and my aims so maybe you can have suggestions on that too - sorry if it takes long -.
As you can hear i have very little experience in mixing, made some studies and studio assistance (with good teachers), have read books, internet forums, interviews, video tutorials and any information i could get. Now i feel i got some theoretical know how, but lacking much practice experiences (and i think that's where you really learn this job, theory being just the background).
As a consequence I'm now getting through a hard critical revision of everything i previously used to do just because i was taught that. That's what i'm experimenting with in this forum's mixes at the moment, still not really looking for a good mix as primary aim, rather to learn to hear the benefits of those things and become able to choose if to use a technique or not and how much.
For example the bass frequencies stereo issue you mentioned: i have the habit to collapse all the bass frequencies to mono with a plugin in the master bus and not thinking to that kind of problems anymore during mixing, but honestly, when that plugin's off, i often can't hear the necessity of it (can hear difference but can't tell it is better, even on laptop or headphones). I want to avoid unnecessary processing, so in version B i just tried to get rid of it and see what happens. And the problems raised! I'm very happy you told me this, now that i had the issue pointed i'll think to this mix when approaching low freq stereo field in future. One theoretical thing confirmed by experience, nothing more to ask for! Couldn't have the chance to listen to my mix on headphones, as i gave them to a friend, but i will do and check what you meant. About that, i usually listen to mixes the day after on headphones, mainly to have a different listening environment (don't have secondary speakers) and also to check what happens on headphones, but that habit too never led me to make corrections in the mix, so i was starting to ask myself if it is really so necessary - answer: yes it is.
Similar thing for the warmth issue. Can't say it's my speakers - dynaudio bm5a - or room's fault, that's me unfortunately, my ears like warmer tones (must educate myself on that). I know that and usually try to compensate taking decisions oriented on the bright side (still not able to do it properly untill it will come natural to me). Looked for experimental confirmation - version A should be a bit brighter if i remember - which i had from you again.
I will make another try with this mix, i'll try to:
- pan low organ to center position and collapse mix low frequencies to mono (just to be safe)
- more mids/less lows on piano and other midrange instruments
- look for a brighter mix
Other issues i should correct? Something wrong with the rim/kick couple, bass or overall dynamics?
I'll be happy to receive further indications, and again, thanks a lot i believe i will learn much from this sharing experience.