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how do I get my mid & highs to that commercial sound?
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oh-psychedelic
Started Topics :
5
Posts :
6
Posted : Jan 30, 2006 16:16
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Hi!
I have a problem with my trax. I try to set my sounds as high as the kick drum and the bass so they are running well and hears well in the mixdown, also I adjust my leads and fx so they are as high in volume as the kick drum.
The problem is when I hear the mixdown the leads and fx comes low in volume, meaning that the bass and kick sounds as high as commercial trax, but the mid/highs are not as high sounding as the commercial trax.
I have tried with compressors on the leads, but I figured it was best with compressors on the kick/bass, snare, hats and crash.
Still I tend to get this problem with the mid/higs, that they seem to stay "behind" the kick in the music. I mean I tried to put the mid higher but then it would kill the kick, bass & hats in the mixdown.
This probably is a common problem, do anyone of you have a easy solution to this problem?
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UnderTow
Started Topics :
9
Posts :
1448
Posted : Jan 30, 2006 16:20
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Just lower the kick and bass a bit. It doesn't really matter how loud the final mix is as long as everything is in balance.
You can use the search function of the site to find tips about mastering.
UnderTow |
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Boobytrip
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
39
Posts :
988
Posted : Jan 30, 2006 16:21
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Some solutions: panning, eq, good monitors, a decent monitoring room and lots of time.
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Surrender
IsraTrance Team
Started Topics :
506
Posts :
5388
Posted : Jan 30, 2006 16:28
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im no expert - but i noticed that if ur mix is not perfect and especially if the entire mix is very and you use a mastering compressor/limiter the mix will sound squashed... as in the low+highs will be more there and the mids gone.
 "On the other hand, you have different fingers."
http://myspace.com/gadimon |
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igneous
Igneous Sauria
Started Topics :
22
Posts :
115
Posted : Jan 31, 2006 18:32
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undertow is right (even though i think it does matter how loud the final mix is, but getting the right balance is more important). Then once you get a balanced mix is a matter of eqing and compressing the stereo mix, to get the "pro" sound you are talking about.
----------------------------------------------
www.myspace.com/headstickdigital |
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john c
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
11
Posts :
57
Posted : Jan 31, 2006 18:47
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well the louder your final mix is, the more powerful your song will be and the more dynamics you will hear. I agree at first the balance is important but then its important to make sure you are utilizing your headroom as best as possible, eliminate conflicts so you can increase the volume as much as possible without clipping. The average commercial dance tune is abotu -5RMS average I believe. |
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robomarket
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
35
Posts :
970
Posted : Jan 31, 2006 19:23
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I agree with Undertow and Surrender. But the "loudness" factor of a track is what sort of deems the track playable? Or is it? |
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Elad
Tsabeat/Sattel Battle
Started Topics :
158
Posts :
5306
Posted : Feb 1, 2006 06:25
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make sure u dont blow the mix with sub freq.
make sure your kick.bass are not in more then -5db before export/mastering.
try in mastering process just to cut some sub.
try in mastering process to raise some hi-mid.
re-eq the track channels.
mm.. try try try 
www.sattelbattle.com
http://yoavweinberg.weebly.com/ |
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john_c
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
47
Posts :
263
Posted : Feb 1, 2006 07:30
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tsabeat: i dont understand how u make rules like make sure the kick/bass are not -5db before exporting. What if they much higher but the master fader happens to be much lower than normal. Isnt it all relative? What am i missing here? |
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shachar
Basic
Started Topics :
13
Posts :
402
Posted : Feb 1, 2006 11:48
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sometimes heavy low end takes power from the mix so after the mixdown, the mix sounds with less highs/mid. first you have to check your mixdown with spectrum analyzer comparing to comercial CD. than try to issolate some of the high parts into their own narrower BAND so you can add more gain without interupting the mix. |
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shachar
Basic
Started Topics :
13
Posts :
402
Posted : Feb 1, 2006 11:50
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Quote:
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On 2006-01-31 18:47, john c wrote:
The average commercial dance tune is abotu -5RMS average I believe.
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-5 rms???!!!!
are you talkiing about peak level or average level? any how it doesnt make sense to me...
most tracks that i checked are about -10db to -12db average RMS. |
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Lithium
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
33
Posts :
646
Posted : Feb 1, 2006 13:53
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it also happens to me a lot the same problem. when makin the tracks it sounds cool and leveled but after exporting the track and comparing to released music the mids and highs are not as strong. i´ve tried diferent methods, differemnt sets od eq, and i still haven found the right answer, although i believe that the problem is as someone said above to much low end, sub sounds, that envolve the mix and overcome to the rest of the tracks. i´ve done this mistake over and over again simply cause i really like sub low bass floding the tracks, but this way i loose power in the mids and highs.
http://www.azerothsounds.tk |
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Inner Demon
Started Topics :
6
Posts :
321
Posted : Feb 1, 2006 15:41
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Quote:
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On 2006-01-31 18:47, john c wrote:
well the louder your final mix is, the more powerful your song will be and the more dynamics you will hear. I agree at first the balance is important but then its important to make sure you are utilizing your headroom as best as possible, eliminate conflicts so you can increase the volume as much as possible without clipping. The average commercial dance tune is abotu -5RMS average I believe.
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Why would a loud mix make it more powerful?
In the end you're going to master the thing as close to 0dbFS as possible anyway.
In my world a loud mix is usually a messy mix because there is rarely enough headroom and the risk for clipping without you noticing increases.
I'm not sure what you mean by utilizing the headroom best.. yes u should eliminate conflicting frequencies but it is important to simply have the headroom there - it makes for a more spacious mix. |
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john_c
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
47
Posts :
263
Posted : Feb 1, 2006 19:44
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sorry, -5RMS for PEAK I meant and about -9 or -10 Average in my fav tracks from 2005. my mistake. |
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john_c
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
47
Posts :
263
Posted : Feb 1, 2006 19:46
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Quote:
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On 2006-02-01 13:53, Lithium wrote:
it also happens to me a lot the same problem. when makin the tracks it sounds cool and leveled but after exporting the track and comparing to released music the mids and highs are not as strong. i´ve tried diferent methods, differemnt sets od eq, and i still haven found the right answer, although i believe that the problem is as someone said above to much low end, sub sounds, that envolve the mix and overcome to the rest of the tracks. i´ve done this mistake over and over again simply cause i really like sub low bass floding the tracks, but this way i loose power in the mids and highs.
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are you sure u r EQing out the "bad" frequencies. For example, I put a highpass at 40 hz , it gives a lot more headroom and u cant hear the difference. |
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