Studio Advise and DAW Guide

The volume-level relationship between musical elements, all needs to fill the arrangement and it has to be a nice one too. colour-coded

We'll keep it going.

 

Monitoring

 

I use several monitoring systems to make sure that instruments in the mix aren't either too loud or too soft.

I likely do my mixing process on the studio monitors also check on boombox and multimedia speakers so I can hear the relation between the kick drum and bass on smaller systems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

20dBu balanced units:

​

Pre-Sonus Eris e5

Kali  Audio LP6

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO  headphones

 

Consumer:

​

JVC Powered Woofer CD System

Logitech Z-4 Speaker System

Ear-plugs headphones

MacBook Pro

Car Audio

 

 

 

 

It is true that our human hearing system works from the quietest bits about 0dB to loudest bits audible when the 120 dB reach the threshold of pain. But unfortunately, the frequency range we are hearing differences at different reference levels. So it is crucial to know what would be the optimum level to hear all frequencies equally to make a better mix. Fletcher Munson Equal Loudness curves explain which frequencies we hear poorly at different reference points.

To make music sound full I need to focus on monitoring level around 80-90 dB from time to time and adjust or subtract the signals when listening louder or quieter to find the right compromise for my work. I've also done some deeper research about how to set up my monitors correctly because if that's not done than the stereo image coming out of the speakers may be wrong which means when consumers going to hear what I've created it will be different from what I've tried to achieve in the stereo field. Also, frequencies would not be heard at the right balance at the audio spectrum.

A quick tip would be to set the monitors the way that the tweeters would be the same height as the engineer's ears, making a perfect triangle with his head. That means that the distance from one speaker to another would be the same as from speakers to the ears.

 

 

EQing:

When I start using Parametric EQ I am making sure to start from a comfortable monitoring level- not too loud and not too soft.
I am using subtractive EQ when possible on the frequencies that are masking the definition in a sound. 

I am setting up the boost level about 8-10dB and sweep through the frequencies until I found the offending frequency then adjusting the amount of cut to taste.

 

I've treated the (Project 1):

Kick Drum with- Low Cut Filter @ 64Hz -8dB@370Hz , +4dB@2.5kHz, Hi Cut Filter @5.5kHz

Bass with- Low Cut Filter @ 80Hz 24dB/Oct. 
Acoustic guitar with- +5dB@80Hz, +3dB@240Hz, +2.5dB@2500Hz

Sine Synth with- Band Pass Filter @510Hz-760Hz 

 

EQ-on master bus

 

I've used hi Q settings to make broad changes rather than boosting particular elements of the sound with some peak and shelving boost, rolling off a bit of extreme top end for better on-line music sound.

 

I'm listening especially for cymbals on the high end, vocals and guitars on the midrange and bass and kick drum on the low end making sure that l hear them when the mix is quiet and when the mix is very loud.

 

 

 

Layering basses from different sources.

 

I had to change the envelope of the initial bass notes so they could sustain for longer and sound bigger in the mix.

I've duplicated the bass line midi notes than

used Operator ( Modular Synth.)- Wurp Bass Preston on top of the first bass sound, decreasing the Attack time, to place only the sustained part of the notes as the additional sound.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adding Synth pad

​

My Remix needed a glue element, a kind of sound that could be a part of the lyrics as well as the music. 

 

1- Rain sound (Recorded by Tascam DR-40)

2- Room Sound (Recorded by Tascam DR-40)

3- Stereo bells (MIDI)

 

I've also added some creepy Fills sounds (Recorded by Tascam DR-40)

to keep the Interest  between lead vocals and add more live to the  song.

 

 

 

Adding attack to snare drum.

Another Frequency Spectrum Analyzer for TB 3 as I started adding Saturation for gentle accent on the beginning of the notes. I had to add 3 dB Drive and bumped up 30 per cent at 1 kHz on EQ again for better articulation, clarity of the notes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Synths have a 12dB Roll Off at 100 Hz

One of the Kicks has also a Roll Off at 50Hz and a peak at 60Hz, but the Sub Kick is completely flat on 20Hz, Tb3 I've cut out 2dB on 60 Hz for the Kick Drum, Vocals have a cut off on 100 Hz, Clap has a bump of 2dB's at 880Hz. Ride at 8kHz has a peak of 2dB and Hi-Hat at 10kHz. Tom Toms are treated by Band Pass filter (60Hz-12kHz). Most of the instruments are Hi Passed at 100Hz simply because they don't need that valued bottom end.

 

​