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MIXING & MASTERING AMBIENT MUSIC
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PsyGalaXy
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
68
Posts :
437
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 01:52:44
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snowdogg
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
17
Posts :
482
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 02:21
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sup? |
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PsyGalaXy
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
68
Posts :
437
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 02:46
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frisbeehead
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
1352
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 05:08
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Quote:
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On 2013-04-04 01:52:44, PsyGalaXy wrote:
eheh you think you saw it all...
here comes the beast
from the mix phase further....
Apparently easy going, but it's just appearence (just like some women btw  )
-The pads are the main elements, got to predominate, but lots of stationery waves
Hence the 1st doubt to how to gently bring down peaks without killing the note with a notch on top of fundamental+harmonics, mnultiband?
-The fades, here are really fading, one could go crazy automating compressors or faders but really hard to keep the fade fading and the rms onto a stardard value
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That's one of the problems, right? How to control the dynamics without killing the track? One simple answer: you must preserve the transients, so that's your compressor's envelopes, your attack should allow the transient to pass, so as to preserve clarity and maintain a natural feel. While the release time should allow for a natural (musical) breath (in and out of compression) between elements. If much compression needs to be applied, there's usually a problem in the mix. But even so, you're not forced to use only one compressor, you can tame the highest peaks gently, then apply another compressor and define volume a bit more, so forth and so on. Many engineers do that. It's no sin.
Another thing that usually does the trick, is to mix using groups: applying a bus compressor to glue elements, such as drums, for example, is usually a good idea. Such compression is hardly noticeable as an effect, but you gain the feeling that different sounds are somewhat closer. Same goes for other processing, specially reverb: if you send many sounds to the same reverb, you gain a sense of space that's very cohesive and sort of makes sense, because the same space is shared for the whole thing.
Another one: parallel compression. Leave the sounds as they are, and create another channel (a double) with a heavy dose of compression that you mix with the other signal. This way you get the transient clarity, and the extra punch and weight of compression. Sometimes it works like magic and is just the needed touch.
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frisbeehead
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
1352
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 05:35
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If you think of the spectrum in bands, and this bands are like water containers with different sizes. They're not always filled, but their capacity has a limit. If your groups are arranged in a way that reflects this, it's easier to control the gain structure, even without the need to make extensive use of volume automation (which is what compressors are meant to do).
get some reference tracks and watch the graphs on those to see what's going on. helps a lot.
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Upavas
Upavas
Started Topics :
150
Posts :
3315
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 05:54
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I use multiband as a last resort for kind of as a dynamic eq. With ambient music the trick with pads is to first eq in the right places and with the right amount and then to apply gentle compression, followed by more not too strong eqing and at the end add a limiter but make sure the threshold sits just right so it limits/in essence cuts off just when the loudest peaks hit... less is more...
 Upavas - Here And Now (Sangoma Rec.) new EP out Oct.29th, get it here:
http://timecode.bandcamp.com
http://upavas.com
http://soundcloud.com/upavas-1/ |
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makus
Overdream
Started Topics :
82
Posts :
3087
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 05:55
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with ambient and chill it is possible to go -12 rms (k12) without compression. at this point u can go louder and apply some gain reduction or leave it as loud it is. nothing wrong in both cases, just in the first one some transparent compressor and or limiter helps.
www.overdreamstudio.com |
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Upavas
Upavas
Started Topics :
150
Posts :
3315
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 05:57
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makus
Overdream
Started Topics :
82
Posts :
3087
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 05:58
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Quote:
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On 2013-04-04 05:57, Upavas wrote:
-12 is too soft.
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for dance music yeah, but man, with ambient it really depends on the material 
www.overdreamstudio.com |
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Upavas
Upavas
Started Topics :
150
Posts :
3315
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 06:01
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frisbeehead
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
1352
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 06:29
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Not everything needs to be loud as hell. There's great ambient music with very big dynamics. I may be wrong, but I believe Shpongle has a much wider dynamic range then most dance music out there - and it benefits from it.
Even dance music could, if it became the norm to let things breath a bit more. The never ending story eheh. |
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Upavas
Upavas
Started Topics :
150
Posts :
3315
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 12:17
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The trick is to have a mastering engineer or to be able to master it yourself so you or he can make the rms more close to zero yet keep a dynamic feeling intact... not an easy feat and I agree with you that more dynamic range benefits a track, it's the age old story, but to make commercial tracks, the rms has to be closer to zero than 12, that is if you want your stuff in commercial projects, in compilations , movies, or what have you, it's a crying shame and I hope it changes sometime, but unfortunately that's how the cookie crumbles these days...
Upavas - Here And Now (Sangoma Rec.) new EP out Oct.29th, get it here:
http://timecode.bandcamp.com
http://upavas.com
http://soundcloud.com/upavas-1/ |
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frisbeehead
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
10
Posts :
1352
Posted : Apr 4, 2013 18:49
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It is changing. There's a lot of on going conversation about this subject, and some new norms are being defined. Meanwhile, on the EDM world, things usually go as high as -8.3rms (even my stuff). But we all have to realize we've grown used to very loud, squashed music. And we even like it!
http://www.tcelectronic.com/adobe-loudnessradar/
but take a look at this, there's also a few more links within tc electronic's website worth the read  |
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PsyGalaXy
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
68
Posts :
437
Posted : Apr 5, 2013 04:54
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Apr 5, 2013 06:27
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do nothing for loundess prupose if you want best quality. ambient is ruined wihtout dynamics and there is plenty of it out there ,sad for their music. mix to take benefit of a huge dynamic.. as i m sure many ruin it even before it go to mastering .
but depend style of mix you want , sound ect.. but ambient really need dynamic and big front to back depth,3d sound to me,it come direcyly from how it s arranged,mixed.. think like movie music you want the guy to get really immerged into it, if it squashed or mixed similar to some psytrance it can loose a lot of potential with the way it will toouch/catch listeners..
there is big potential in that genre to make mix with lot of dynamic ,open ect.. sad lot of it out there sound 2d and sqashed
(don t listen much ambient though so take this with grain of salt..) |
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