SREAMING EQing sux!
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Posted on Sep 11, 2003 12:20 am
the_germ
Member Since: Sep 24, 2002
sigh... guys i have been wrestling with this recording i have been mixing for like a week off and on... i still have no reference monitors... and so im using my computer speakers...and... headphones coming out of my Aardvark pro q10 and when i go to mix down... it always sounds differnt... im really getting frustrated.. like i feel very incomatent as a producer/technician right now.. i just cant get it to sound right.... it always sounds tooo treby... or not lound enough.... or tooo loud and peaks... ARGGGGGG
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olddogMember
Since: Jul 02, 2003
Sep 11, 2003 01:33 am Well I'm still learning too, but here are some things I do. If you want to check out how my mixing sounds you can check the song under member music rock section "Here I Go Again" (sans vocals).
I don't claim to be great at it, but I think the following will get you a decent mix.
You don't list what speakers your using but I assume they have a bass & treble control. I always set mine to flat as well as the sound card mixer app (not your recording app). You can't mix accurately if your coloring the mix with EQ on the speakers.
For the loudness after I have things sounding about right and mixed down to a stereo wav, I use the Hard Limiter in CEP with a limit of -.5 and just enough boost that it would clip occasionally without the limiting, which is usually about 1dB. You might need to touch up the EQ after this. Or you might want to try using some compression rather than a hard limiter.
If it sounds pretty good to you then set your speaker EQ like you would if you were listening to your favorite music CD's and see how it sounds. If the bass is a little to heavy go back and cut it a bit and you should have a decent mix.
The last thing is not to work at it for too long. Get something that you think sounds pretty good and then leave it for awhile. You have to let your ears rest. :)
MinkusMazBane of All ExistenceMember
Since: Mar 27, 2003
Sep 11, 2003 02:12 am i feel you.
glynbMember
Since: Dec 16, 2002
Sep 11, 2003 05:49 am In my opinion the best thing you could do would be to mix through the speakers that you normaly listen to pro albums on. You will know from experience how music should sound on that system and you can consequently judge your own mixes better.
If it's your hifi system then try to pipe the stuff from your PC to the hifi speakers and compare your mix with the professional mix of an artist you would like to emulate. it's far easier to tell what is wrong that way, though often not easy to put it right!
Sep 11, 2003 04:21 pm jeremy, i don't have very goos speakers either. I have some Labtech Spin50s on my soundblaster and a house stereo and some headphones one the mixer connected to the Delta 44. Maybe what you need is a visual clue?
check out the Inspector www.elementalaudio.com/products/inspector/ a great FREE VST plugin that is a combination spectrum analyzer, and dB meter with both peak and RMS and a buch of other stuff i don't understand.
do like glynb says and compare your mix with commercial records that have a spectral sound similar to what you're going for. if you can't get get a aural clue from them try comparing them with the Inspector.
::edit::
I just realized you're uding Cool Edit. Looks like the only app you're using that supports VSTs is Fruity Loops :O( sorry
Sep 14, 2003 10:51 pm Jamie thankx for the link i forgot to post that i also have...steinberg wave lab 4.0 so i can use VST in there.. :) yay... thank you so much... for the help .. i think that im starting to get the hang of things...ok so i still cant get my compress or to work staraight as in insert on the aardvark so when i recorded this guy... i didnt use any compression and im wonderfing what i should use as far as that .... or reverb... any suggestions ... Jamie it makes me feel better that we dont have great speakers... thou im first praying for a board... and then speakers for bday and christmas... :) we will see what we get...
