In total contrast to the general obsession with baayyzzzz in dance tracks, my current topic of frustration is with a clear, airy top end.

I'm pretty confident I know what I'm doing with the bottom end, although my monitoring setup often requires I constantly re-level stuff after some referencing.

I'm pretty confident that my mixes are generally well balanced with good sound choice blah blah.

What's eluding me is a crystal clear, non harsh top end with all the space and air of a swiss mountain top.

I'm generally pretty tidy EQ'ing the bottom end so that everything has it's own space, but probably not so fastidious with the highs as I have the assumption it doesn't matter so much. I've also toyed with the idea of low passing everything but hats etc in the same way I do with the low end, but I wonder if it's really worth it.

Here's the latest thing that bothers me, it's just a sound demo i've done for somebody elses soundset and is deliberately 'trance mega mix' in nature. I still think the highs are a bit crashy though.

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=11590488

Soundclick so the highs aren't automatically smashed by soundcloud.

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I don't perceive any particular harshness with the example above. Maybe you should give your ears a little break.

That said, it depends on many things. Source, source settings, reverb choise, reverb settings, layers, layering balance, daw etc.

I'm not really hearing anything obnoxious, either. I know I tend to be a little shy with my high frequencies so take that for what it's worth. I definitely wouldn't go any higher but you sound nice, on my end.

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my old stuff, not quite up to snuff - but I still dig it - UPDATED 9/23/2012

Just like you low pass everything but the kick and the bass, you have to high pass everything. Some things have mud in the 15k+ range.

You would think cutting the highs would make things less bright, but that's not always the case.

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Originally posted by dj_alfi change your avatar for fucks sake.

Find a professional track and compare your mix with that track. For example, I have seen several Deadmau5 tracks where he cuts everything above 10,000hz. On the other hand, someone like Arty cuts absolutely everything above 15,000hz. In addition to cutting out all those frequencies, consider adding white noise to synths and to the entire track. Eq the white noise obviously.

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Originally posted by Beatflux Just like you low pass everything but the kick and the bass, you have to high pass everything.

This is bullshit.

quote:

Originally posted by jayxthekoolest Find a professional track and compare your mix with that track. For example, I have seen several Deadmau5 tracks where he cuts everything above 10,000hz. On the other hand, someone like Arty cuts absolutely everything above 15,000hz. In addition to cutting out all those frequencies, consider adding white noise to synths and to the entire track. Eq the white noise obviously.

Have you even heard the track?

EDIT: Also...

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Originally posted by EddieZilker 26. White Noise is incredibly musical. Use it when you're not sure what to do next. It's so versatile that you can pretty much use it to patch up whatever musical weak points there are in a mix.

http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=625631&referrerid=2#.T5RFOKuXTz9

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Last edited by EddieZilker on Apr-22-2012 at 17:53

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Originally posted by jayxthekoolest Find a professional track and compare your mix with that track. For example, I have seen several Deadmau5 tracks where he cuts everything above 10,000hz.

I really doubt that, its probably a mp3.

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Originally posted by dj_alfi change your avatar for fucks sake.

I think there's mileage in removing unnecessary top end in a digital system as there's no natural compression going on up there.

I also don't think there's anything wrong per se with my clip, it's just not as clear and open as the professional tracks I A/B with, and that's the target for me.

It could even be that I need to make more room down at the 2-5k region and that's adding up to make the higher stuff sound harsh, I just don't know at this point.

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quote:

Originally posted by tehlord I think there's mileage in removing unnecessary top end in a digital system as there's no natural compression going on up there. I also don't think there's anything wrong per se with my clip, it's just not as clear and open as the professional tracks I A/B with, and that's the target for me. It could even be that I need to make more room down at the 2-5k region and that's adding up to make the higher stuff sound harsh, I just don't know at this point.

Maybe you should post the B you're referencing since just offhand, I/we can't really hear any short-comings.

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It's not really a specific track, although the closest current match in terms of overall sound would be something like John O'Callaghan. It's pointless linking to a YT vid as they're always a bit crispy anyway. I often use Spotify to A/B my mixes as they stream in the excellent Ogg, and there's a subtle but important difference in the clarity of the highs.

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quote:

Originally posted by Beatflux Just like you low pass everything but the kick and the bass, you have to high pass everything. Some things have mud in the 15k+ range. You would think cutting the highs would make things less bright, but that's not always the case.

?
I always put a eq on the masterbus just to cut the very highest highs. I dont see the need of high pass everything. If there´s mud in the 15k+ range, i cant really imagine that it´s even hearable, opposed to the lower side.