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Skelpolu - Human Mistakes (ZX Mix)
#17
(12-03-2014, 10:19 AM)APZX Wrote: Regarding Human Mistakes, you're right those are issues and I agree. However, the reason for those is because at the stage of final level balancing I was mixing into the limiter. When you do that kind of thing you're fighting it. So, those problems exist because of the limiter.

Which is why I feel it is profoundly unwise to do that.

I once read an article on mixing where the engineer implored aspiring engineers to stay away from level automation until they'd completed a static mix first, even if it meant they had to compromise, burying some sounds at some points, having some sounds a little too prominent in others, etc. Once you get the mix as good as you can get it as a static mix, only then do you start looking at places where you might want to automate. That way, each automation you're applying can be heard in the context of a balanced mix. If you automate before you have a good overall balance you're really only automating against what you imagine the mix is going to sound like, and what you imagine a mix will sound like does not always jibe with the way it sounds in reality; ultimately you end up reprogramming all your automation to work with what the mix is, not what you originally thought it would be.

The dynamics (pardon the pun) of mixing into a compressor are similar; it distorts your perception of what the final mix will sound like. I've made my opinion on using compressors in mastering very clear. Blush That being said, if you must use one I strongly suggest you use it only in mastering your final mix.

BTW, even before I read the aforementioned article I've always instinctively done a static mix first, and I knew why, but until I read that article I could never articulate it. Wink Most of the time, actually, I find a static mix sounds beautiful the way it is; even when I do automate it's usually only on one or two tracks to bring out something I thought sounded cool but wasn't as audible as I'd like it to be in the static mix. The only mix I've ever done where I used extensive automation was Al James' "Schoolboy Fascination;" there was just too much cool stuff going on that was totally lost on the initial static mix. The automation certainly didn't hurt the dynamic range of the piece; the final version came out at 17 dB as I recall. Big Grin

(12-03-2014, 10:19 AM)APZX Wrote: From Earth to Planet Omega okay yes during that part it gets extremely loud. However, I did a lot of careful A/Bing at matched levels and picked what the ME did because what he did for that part was perfect. Sure the DR drops into the single digit range but the sheer amount of sound at that part is meant to sound more like a cacophony than anything else. Also please note that in several places the DR actually increased and during the full on parts he did exactly what I wanted which was push the sound. Now, mind you too that the original mix too had single digit DR in places.

Well, when it comes to dynamic range in the context of mastering I'm not really referring to "in places," anyway; I'm referring to the dynamic range of the piece as a whole. There's nothing wrong with pushing the limits for limited periods of time so long as you come down off that extreme long enough to give your audience's ears a rest (by "you" here I mean artists in general, not you personally Wink). The problem is, when dynamic range of an overall project is in the single digits that means either the quiet sections weren't long enough or they simply didn't come down enough in volume in general; I suspect the latter is the problem with the "mastered" version of "From Earth to Planet Omega" here.

(12-03-2014, 10:19 AM)APZX Wrote: I still have the original mix . . .

I'd love to hear that. Wink

(12-03-2014, 10:19 AM)APZX Wrote: . . . and the actual multitrack for it.

And I've love to get my hands on that! Tongue

(12-03-2014, 10:19 AM)APZX Wrote: Problem is I don't know how many people would want to mix the beast.

My hand shoots up; I'm bouncing in my seat with excitement. "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! Pick me!" Big Grin
John A. Ardelli
Pedaling Prince Pictures
http://www.youtube.com/user/PedalingPrince
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Messages In This Thread
Skelpolu - Human Mistakes (ZX Mix) - by APZX - 08-03-2014, 03:51 PM
RE: Skepolu - Human Mistakes (ZX Mix) - by APZX - 09-03-2014, 03:23 AM
RE: Skepolu - Human Mistakes (ZX Mix) - by APZX - 09-03-2014, 01:55 PM
RE: Skepolu - Human Mistakes (ZX Mix) - by APZX - 11-03-2014, 09:27 AM
RE: Skepolu - Human Mistakes (ZX Mix) - by pauli - 11-03-2014, 11:00 PM
RE: Skepolu - Human Mistakes (ZX Mix) - by APZX - 12-03-2014, 10:19 AM
RE: Skepolu - Human Mistakes (ZX Mix) - by pauli - 12-03-2014, 10:47 PM
RE: Skepolu - Human Mistakes (ZX Mix) - by Pedaling Prince - 13-03-2014, 02:32 AM
RE: Skepolu - Human Mistakes (ZX Mix) - by APZX - 13-03-2014, 01:31 PM