Transparency into kick and dark bass

Hi dear members, here another handy tool to get your bass and kick transparent
and complemented to eachother:

1. decide which of the two should contain the lowest frequencies and the highest,
I choose the bass
for the lowest and kick for the highest frequencies
2. check with a spectrum analyzer the frequencies of the kick and the bass
seperately
3. get rid of all the unnecessary frequencies:
- bass: kill frequencies (with the steepest setting you can get in the EQ) beneath
25-30Hz and roll off for about 12 or 18dB from the point where the bass just
shows a few dB at your spectrum analyzer (alternative is to kill all the frequencies
above with the steepest setting from 5-6Khz fo example)
- kick: do the same beneath 80-100Hz and above where you like it, for sure a bit
higher than you did with the bass (from 9-10KHz for example)
4. get ridd of the mud: cut both with the steepest bell curve setting at 300Hz
5. bass: raise a few dB at 50-60Hz with a slightly little less sharp bell curve seting
and do the same
at 150-200Hz
6. kick: do the opposite with a sharp bell curve seting
7. now you have transparency and you can compress, do a little eq in the
midrange 800-5Khz

If you follow this order you will do the same but with other settings depending on
the type of bass and kick you have chosen. A funk bass will have higher
frequencies for example and youcould choose for a deeper kick.

IT'S JUST A GUIDELINE BUT YOU WILL LEARN TO GET THE LOWEST DIFFICULT
FREQUENCIES OF A MIX MORE TRANSPARENT AND CLEARER THEN YOU DID
BEFORE.

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Handy guide to balance all the frequencies into your mix

Hi dear VST clubbers

As you propably all know you can equalize at different stages:

each individual instrument in solo on its way to the multitrack
each individual instrument in solo during mixdown (a little eq)
each instrument relative to eachother during mixdown
entire mix in the mastering stage

Don't use any effects like reverbs, echoes before the equalizing stage.

My steps you can use in the third stage: each instrument relative to eachother
during mixdown:

1)Bass zone 40-200Hz

Instruments Bottom 40-100Hz:

Bass-Kick-Floor Toms-Vocals-Piano-Organ-Cello/Double Bass/Percussion (bongos-
congas)
Instruments Fullness 100-200Hz:
Bass-Kick-Snare-All Toms-Vocals-Piano-Guitars-Organ-Cello/Double Bass/Horns/
Percussion (bongos-congas)

– decide which instruments should take care of the bottom 40-100Hz

– if you didn't at the second stage “each individual instrument in solo during
mixdown (a little eq)” solo each instrument and clean them up by throwing away
all unnecessary frequencies as explained on my topic “Transparency into Kick and
Bass”
– solo the instrument which sounds the best to your opinion
– check this one together with the worst sounding instrument and get them
sounding as transparent as possible together and listen in mono (one speaker)
– now you have a good transparent foundation and add the next instrument and
make them sound transparent as well with the three together. Repeat the same
steps with all the following instruments and listen in mono. You will see that you
will getting to know the bottom of your mix very well and that you will treat each
added instrument serving the others

2)Muddiness zone 200-800Hz

Instruments:
Bass-Kick-Snare-All Toms-Hi Hat Cymbals-Vocals-Piano-Guitars-Organ-
Cello/Double Bass/Horns

If you didn't at the second stage “each individual instrument in solo during
mixdown
Most of the mudd is in the 280-350Hz range.
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Repeat all the steps of 1) from "solo the instrument which sounds the best to
your opinion"

3)Midrange 800-5Khz

Instruments:
Bass-All Toms-Hi Hat Cymbals-Vocals-Piano-Electric Guitar-Strings

– Check the Piano for muddiness in this range.

– Check the folowing instruments for presence: Bass-All Toms-Vocals- Piano
– Check the following instruments for irritation: Hi Hat Cymbals-Electric guitar-
Strings
Repeat all the steps of 1) from "solo the instrument which sounds the best to
your opinion"

4)Highs 5-8KHz

Instruments:
Bass-Kick-Snare-Toms-Hi Hat Cymbals-Vocals-Piano-Guitars-Organ-
Strings/Horns/ Percussion

This range is for the high ends of Bass Kick and Toms and clarity for the others.
In this range you can get real presence for the snare.
Repeat all the steps of 1) from "solo the instrument which sounds the best to
your opinion"

5)Hi Highs > 8Khz

Instruments:
Hi hat Cymbals-Vocals-Piano-Guitars-Strings

Here you can get the sparkling and hisses of the instruments.

IN THIS WAY YOU WILL GET TO KNOW ALL THE FREQUENCIES OF YOUR MIX IN
DIFFERENT AREAS.
YOU ARE FOCUSSED ON JUST ONE AREA AT THE TIME AND YOU WILL NOTICE
HOW TRANSPARENT THAT WORKS.

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HOW TO ACHIEVE A CLEANER DIGITAL MIX
(source: mixing with your mind and a bit from Liebra)

Set up a Perfect gain structure through reverb units

1. Make a spare channel free for a pink noise wave

2. Set up the FX Reverb channels to equal levels in the following way:
– send the pink noise to the Reverb channel at 0dBFS
– look at the stereo master bus and lower the fader of the FX Reverb channel
until it reads between -18dBFS and -22dBFS .
– repeat this step to all the other Reverb channels
– in the mix this means for example that if a snare hits the reverb unit you
have to adjust the send level of the snare and NOT THE CHANNEL FADER OF
THE FX REVERB CHANNEL

Bring every channel back or up to -20dBFS for the best digital analog sounding
foundation

Solo each individual instrument and adjust the input knob (line trim level) of each
channel until it reads -20dBFS (proper gain staging)

In this way you get to know all the volumes relative to eachother at equal
“voltages”.
In this way you will discover which instruments are sitting back and have too
much dynamic range fluctuations so need a little compression.

Panning

1. Pan all the instruments in the right positions

2. Use the XL stereo meter for example to check the balances

Equalizing (eq,enhancers,saturators etc)

See for this my topic http://www.vstclub.com/forum/36-40507-1

Compression

During the session: volume levels at equal “voltages” you already propably
noticed which instruments need compression.

Compress where necessary.

ONLY USE THE PLUGINS (equalizers, compressors etc.) FOR GAINING AND
NOTHING ELSE !!!!
In fact you crank the outputs up from the plugins.

Reverbs,other effects anf finetuning your mix

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1. Now use your reverbs and other effects
2. Finetune the volumelevels and try to achieve -9/-10dB MAX at the stereo
output bus so you leave enough headroom for the mastering stage.

IN THIS WAY YOU WILL ACHIEVE A CLEANER MIX WITH A SAFE HEADROOM INTO
THE DIGITAL WORLD.

Cheers
Liebra

EXTRA IMPORTANT INFO ! EXTRA IMPORTANT INFO ! EXTRA IMPORTANT INFO !

- 20dBFS

THIS IS BEASED ON THE ANALOG SSL MIXING DESK +6dBVU WHERE YOU HAVE
STILL 20dB HEADROOM ABOVE THIS.

- using the effect plugins for gaining

HERE I DO NOT MEAN THAT IF YOU BOOSTED SOME FREQUENCIES IN YOUR

SOFTWARE EQUALIZER THAT YOU TURN UP THE OUTPUT GAIN OF YOUR
EQUALIZER. NEVER DO THAT !!!!!!
MOST OF THE TIME MY KICK IN THE ENDMIX WILL END UP AT -16/-15dB AND
THE BASS AT -19/-18dB. OF COURSE IT FLUCTUATES PER SONG AND PER
MUSICAL STYLE. I AM JUST TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT YOU JUST NEED A FEW
dB FOR GAINING IN A COMPRESSOR FOR EXAMPLE, NOTHING MORE TO END UP
AT -9/-10dB AT THE MASTER OUTPUT ALL TOGETHER!!!!

I HOPE THIS CLEARS SOMETHING FROM THE COMMENTS I HAD.

More depth guarenteed !

Step 1
Insert an FX channel and choose Altiverb
Step 2
Load a preset: I use Eclypse Eventide EMT Plate (choose what you like)
Step 3
Turn off direct gain and turn off the tail knob
Increase the early reflections gain knob (about 2 o'clock) and set delay at 30ms
Step 4
Send your instrument to the FX channel at 0 dB
Step 5
Turn down the effect return fader complete from the FX channel
Step 6
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Now slowly increase the effect return fader till depth arises and stop where you
like it. Check by turning on and off the FX send on your instrument's channel.

That's all guys !

You just created more depth by just using the Early Reflections responses and
that's what Bob Katz means by getting more depth in your mixes.

Let quality be your guide !

Analogue warmth in the digital domain

Hi friends,
One tip I got from Gearslutz:
Do following:
when your mix is ready in Nuendo/Cubase or any other program these are the
steps:
1) for every channel turn the input level back untill it reaches -22dBFS
individually
(in Cubase for example hold shift and turn the input knob back)
2) use the insert plug ins only on every channel you used to achieve the volumes
you had before
Example: if you used Softube Techtube increase the output knob to reach the
same level before you turned down the input gain knob
LET THE PLUG INS DO THEIR JOB AND BELIEVE ME YOU GET A TRANSPARENCY
AND WARMTH YOU NEVER HAD BEFORE. In fact it's like working with an analogue
console.
I know everyone have theit own preferences concerning using the type of plug
ins.
I work with Softube and UAD only.
We can discuss about this for ages but one advise: USE YOUR EARS !!!!!!!!

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How to set up a great vocal recording with superb dynamics

There is a lot of preparation to set up before even start recording the vocalist, like
mic choice,
distance, side positioning etc. I am not going to talk about that.

This step set up is meant to have good control in recording vocals into your DAW.

Here are the steps:

1. Insert an audio mono track for the vocal and call it this way.

2. Listen to the vocals and try to discover the sound of the vocalist. Listen
carefully
so you know where she or he needs some equalisation already during recording.
If someone has a nasal sound you can already take your measures during
recording by equalizing this on its way to the multitrack.

3. Insert the equalizer with he right settings.

4. Now you have to take care of setting the pre amp at a level that at the loudest
parts your
mono channel reads about -1dB peak level, not more than that.

5. Insert a group channel track and call it “vocal control”

6. First insert on this channel a compressor/limiter (the best way a compressor

which has an input and output and gain reduction meter in it). Put the ratio at
4:1, fast attack and medium slow release and threshold at about -3dB

7. Secondly insert on this channel a compressor and set the ratio at 2:1, same
attack and release settings and threshold at -8dB

8. Set the output of your mono vocal track to the Group “Vocal control”track.

9. Record some vocal lines with the loudest parts.

10. Now do following: bypass your second compressor on the “vocal control”
track and check that the input meter and the output on the first
compressor/limiter read the same and that the level is about -4dB.

11. Now put both inserts on and adjust the second compressor that also the input
and output meters read the same and that you read about -1 or -2dB.
Now you will see that the loudest parts of the vocalist will be under control,
nothing to worry about.

12. When you are done recording you can now ride the fader level of your mono
vocal track
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Automation is very easy in a DAW so you can now record your fader movements.
So at the quieter sections or at the end of a sentence you can put up the fader.

THE END RESULT WILL BE A VERY CONSISTENT VOCAL TRACK WITH SUPERB
DYNAMICS IN THE LOUDEST AND QUIET PARTS.

AND THIS YOU CAN NEVER ACHIEVE AFTERWARDS WITH A COMPRESSOR

Cheers
Liebra

PS: The DDMF NY COMPRESSOR is a nice one to use for this !!!

More depth guarenteed !

Step 1
Insert an FX channel and choose Altiverb
Step 2
Load a preset: I use Eclypse Eventide EMT Plate (choose what you like)
Step 3
Turn off direct gain and turn off the tail knob
Increase the early reflections gain knob (about 2 o'clock) and set delay at 30ms
Step 4
Send your instrument to the FX channel at 0 dB
Step 5
Turn down the effect return fader complete from the FX channel
Step 6
Now slowly increase the effect return fader till depth arises and stop where you
like it. Check by turning on and off the FX send on your instrument's channel.

That's all guys !

You just created more depth by just using the Early Reflections responses and
that's what Bob Katz means by getting more depth in your mixes.

Let quality be your guide !

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