Mixing Secrets

Question 1

How to judge if a fader is right

Answer 1

When you can turn it by a 10th of 1db and feel it sounds worse

Question 2

How to find the right fader volume

Answer 2

1. Pull the fader all down the increase, mark the spot it sounds right
2. Pull the fader all up then go down until it fits and mark the spot
3. The right volume lies within the range of both
4. Listen to the neighboring instruments instead the one youre working on

(Page 145)

Question 3

What can be a semi-automatic way to get an initial fader set up that roughly makes sense

Answer 3

Balancing against pink noise.

When balancing against pink noise you can quickly make sure all tracks are at the same audible volume. This may make a rough setup.

(Page 147)

Question 4

What is an infinity ratio expander called

Answer 4

Gate

Question 5

How to (ab)use an expander to enhance transient attacks

Answer 5

Set an expander to just isolate a short “blip” of the signals attack, then mix that with the original track.

(The blip alone will sound weird but in context may add nicely to the original sound)

(Page 190)

Question 6

How to have a gate reduce (!!but not remove!!) spill/ background noise

Answer 6

Set a high ratio expander to completely remove all spill- the mix it with the original signal for the amount of spill wanted

(Page 191)

Question 7

How to enhance attack/ sustain when threshold depended processing can’t do it

Answer 7

Transient designer/ enhancers

(Page 192)

Question 8

How to identify frequency masking issues

Answer 8

Add instruments in order of importance. With each added instrument, listen if it it masks or obsures any other (more important) instrument.

Question 9

What can be a critical issue when EQ’ing multimiced recordings

Answer 9

EQ can alter the phase, leading to comb filtering effects

Question 10

EQ before or after dynamics processing

Answer 10

Both makes sense.
You want to clean up any unwanted parts of the signal before having its dynamics processed.
When it comes to coloring EQ it might be well done after dynamics

Question 11

Aside from saturation, what are ways to add harmonics

Answer 11

1) For higher harmonics: any kind of modulation added to a copy of the original audio. (frequency, amplitude, ring, vibrato) Pitched copy may sound unmusically witch can be useful (eg on aggressive vocals)

2) For lower harmonics: Subharmonics enhancers (e.g. waves LoAir or Voxengo LF Max Punch)

Question 12

Where in the Fx chain does a de-esser belong and why does it belong there

Answer 12

At the end of basic processing but before distortion (and SFXs).

Dynamics processing probably brings up a lot of sibilance sounds which we want to tackle with the de-essers

(Page 251)

Question 13

In Multimic recordings: How can you tackle a loud snare spill on the HighHat mic

Answer 13

Sidechain the snare close mic to an compressor on the HighHat.

Question 14

What is keyed gating and what can it do for you

Answer 14

Keyed gating would take a close mic signal to open an gate thats sitting on a room or overhead track.
e.g.: when the snare hits it opens the overheads to let more snare through from there, giving it a fuller and roomier sound.

Question 15

How could you use sidechain gating/ compression to give an instrument more groove

Answer 15

Add an in tempo midi track that triggers a gate or compressor to have the instrument slightly (1-2db) reduced on hit.

Question 16

How can sidechaining be used to give a Kick drum more clean low end (No samples used)

Answer 16

Add a plain sine wave (start around 50hz then try best freq), have that sine sidechain gated from the kick to open with the kick

Question 17

When enhancing a sound with EQ, what EQ type is suited best and why

Answer 17

Analog EQ are suited well, because processing byproducts/ character is what we’re looking for
(Page 212)

Question 18

When trying to change the colour of a sound in a mix using EQ, there are basically two ways to do that- which?

Answer 18

Either EQ the sound itself or change its context.
(Humans tend to judge tonal qualyties based on its context)
(Page 212)

Question 19

How to build yourself an frequency selective gate/ expander

e.g. for gating the kick without having it react to snare spill

Answer 19

Sidechained input which is EQ’d to the target frequency