14-05-2023, 02:44 PM
Just to throw in my 2 cents (pence) too early on a Sunday some out of phase-ness is ok. Sometimes good. I personally don't move drum tracks around because of leakage and what's in phase here innt there and all that. I'll flip some polarity and see what works best. I have absolutely chosen and out of phase (less than in perfect phase) under snare mic because it just worked better. It wasn't a mistake even though I'm a terrible mixer. I do sometime align bass di and bass amp signals. Because leakage isn't that big of a deal (usually) and the larger fundamental waveforms of a bass could benefit more from being in phase. But maybe not.
Just keep in mind if you're moving x here you're moving it there.
Also, engineers screw up. I know I have recorded a drum track or two with the under snare mic out of phase. I know of at least one instance where I flipped the phase while recording but it was already more in phase to begin with but did it out of rote. There are times when everyone involved from the drummer to the engineer to the producer (if there was one) to the rest of the band heard a track as a whole and thought it sounded good. And you can flip polarities and get thing (a little more) in phase and it might be better but that original sound might have just bee what they were hearing and based things off of. I've mixed things off this site where there were phase issues in the drum mics or guitar mics and had to make an 'artistic' decision about what was 'wrong' as opposed to what they wanted.
I used to be really religious about phase and it is really important. But phase in complex waveforms can be chaos.
When it comes to phase and polarity don't necessarily pick what's most in phase. That's usually the best, sure, but you're giving up the decision. Pick what sounds best. That's your choice. Sometimes flipping the outside kick mic eqs the overall kick and gets rid of some mud or whatever.
The caveat is that you do really need to be aware of phase in terms of stereo and how a mix sounds in mono. That's still a thing. I didn't think it was a thing back in 93 in audio school and then I had a job built around mono 1/4" tape machines. It's still kicking around because manufacturers are cheap. My old iPad is mono. A mix that collapses too much in mono might not be a good mix. All my mixes sound horrible in mono because I'm lazy and Chris Lord Alge said it was ok once but it really isn't.
Also, Mike mentioned this but it gets forgotten check the phase of samples you add to the rest of the mix. We sometimes assume that they're (in the best) phase but sometimes they're not.
I'm probably not making sense and need coffee.
In summary, phase is a land of contrast.
Just keep in mind if you're moving x here you're moving it there.
Also, engineers screw up. I know I have recorded a drum track or two with the under snare mic out of phase. I know of at least one instance where I flipped the phase while recording but it was already more in phase to begin with but did it out of rote. There are times when everyone involved from the drummer to the engineer to the producer (if there was one) to the rest of the band heard a track as a whole and thought it sounded good. And you can flip polarities and get thing (a little more) in phase and it might be better but that original sound might have just bee what they were hearing and based things off of. I've mixed things off this site where there were phase issues in the drum mics or guitar mics and had to make an 'artistic' decision about what was 'wrong' as opposed to what they wanted.
I used to be really religious about phase and it is really important. But phase in complex waveforms can be chaos.
When it comes to phase and polarity don't necessarily pick what's most in phase. That's usually the best, sure, but you're giving up the decision. Pick what sounds best. That's your choice. Sometimes flipping the outside kick mic eqs the overall kick and gets rid of some mud or whatever.
The caveat is that you do really need to be aware of phase in terms of stereo and how a mix sounds in mono. That's still a thing. I didn't think it was a thing back in 93 in audio school and then I had a job built around mono 1/4" tape machines. It's still kicking around because manufacturers are cheap. My old iPad is mono. A mix that collapses too much in mono might not be a good mix. All my mixes sound horrible in mono because I'm lazy and Chris Lord Alge said it was ok once but it really isn't.
Also, Mike mentioned this but it gets forgotten check the phase of samples you add to the rest of the mix. We sometimes assume that they're (in the best) phase but sometimes they're not.
I'm probably not making sense and need coffee.
In summary, phase is a land of contrast.