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Mixing/EQ question
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| DJMiakoda |
I have a question for eveyone here about mixing, getting the right levels, EQ'ing etc....
where did you learn to mix your music? Are there any really good resources for this on the internet or any good books on it?
I've composed a couple of decent sounding tracks now using FL Studio, they sound pretty good on my monitors, but as soon as I export them to wave, burn them to disc, and play them on my home stereo or in the car they sound like crap, the basslines are overwhelming and mushy, the kicks are too powerful and again overwhelming, the subtleties are way too ummm...subtle lol.
I've read through the master list stickies here, I've read a couple decent books (who seem to have a very vague approach to the subject), I've even downloaded some of the music files at the FL site and sifted through how people are using what effects, EQ and the such, but my success has been very limited at mixing my own music.
Any advice or help would be extremely appreciated, I have loads of ideas in my head for compositions but they're all bottlenecking at the mixing stage.
Thanks ahead of time :toocool: |
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| Atlantis-AR |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJMiakoda
where did you learn to mix your music? Are there any really good resources for this on the internet or any good books on it? |
I've learned everything from experience and by listening, absorbing all the information I can get (an ongoing process) and applying it to the material I'm working on. It's all about practising and making mistakes, although some prefer to learn through a college degree, others may prefer the self-taught route.
I've collected a lot of material over the years, but have since deleted most of the beginner's tutorials. If you're after anything specific though, and I might be able to recommend something. I do know that this article helped me out tremendously when starting out with EQ, but it might not be the same for you. Of course now I know better than to rely on a frequency chart, but until you really know what you're doing, they can be very useful.
Some more links:
http://www.audiomelody.com/Tutorial...ntroduction.htm
http://www.bluebearsound.com/articles/mixing101.htm
| quote: | | I've composed a couple of decent sounding tracks now using FL Studio, they sound pretty good on my monitors, but as soon as I export them to wave, burn them to disc, and play them on my home stereo or in the car they sound like crap, the basslines are overwhelming and mushy, the kicks are too powerful and again overwhelming, the subtleties are way too ummm...subtle lol. |
The way you describe it, it does sound more like a mastering issue, although if you're hearing such extremes as the "kick and bassline being too overwhelming", they're clearly balance issues relating back to the mix. The best advice I can give is to listen at a moderately low volume, especially when balancing your instruments, as you'll be able to hear possible instruments jump out of the mix much more easily. Just beware of making the bottom-end too loud when listening at low volumes, as our ears are less sensitive to low frequencies at low levels, so you're likely to compensate by overboosting.
| quote: | | I've read through the master list stickies here, I've read a couple decent books (who seem to have a very vague approach to the subject) |
Yeah, I tend to find books vague as well. Again, nothing beats personal experience.
| quote: | | Any advice or help would be extremely appreciated, I have loads of ideas in my head for compositions but they're all bottlenecking at the mixing stage. |
My advice would be that, even though you might want to get the mixing right from the start, the only real way is to just jump in and start making mistakes. You'll never know what "overcompressed" is until you compress a sound too far, for instance. It's an ongoing learning process, but, given the will to learn, give it a few years and I'm sure you'll find yourself getting somewhere.
My 2 cents. :) |
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| DJMiakoda |
Hey thanks for the advice and sites Atlantis-AR!
Right now mixing and EQ'ing is somewhat of a mystery to me, seriously.
I listen to loads and loads of music and I know how I want things to sound, it's just getting there, learning about all of the frequencies, how to keep sounds from sharing the same frequencies and overwhelming eachother etc etc.
Those sites definitely look like a good read, right now I'm just a sponge soaking up information.
I think one of the things I'm really having a problem with is the fact that the music actually sounds pretty decent on my computer, through my monitors (M-Audio, I know, not the best but I live on a budget), but it sounds very amatuer-ish on a regular sound system.
I'm trying to figure out how to make it sound good at both points, I guess it's all about trial and error like you have said though. |
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| Chronosis |
| Most of all it's about you getting to know your monitors. Listen to a lot of professionally mixed/mastered tracks on your m-audios, and eventually you'll learn to make mixes that translate as well. |
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| Atlantis-AR |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJMiakoda
I listen to loads and loads of music and I know how I want things to sound, it's just getting there, learning about all of the frequencies, how to keep sounds from sharing the same frequencies and overwhelming eachother etc etc.
Those sites definitely look like a good read, right now I'm just a sponge soaking up information. |
Well, then you can't really go wrong. :) I can tell you that I spent probably four years working with EQ before I really felt I got the hang of it, so it takes a lot of practise and years of ear training.
| quote: | I think one of the things I'm really having a problem with is the fact that the music actually sounds pretty decent on my computer, through my monitors (M-Audio, I know, not the best but I live on a budget), but it sounds very amatuer-ish on a regular sound system.
I'm trying to figure out how to make it sound good at both points, I guess it's all about trial and error like you have said though. |
Does other music sound amateurish on the regular sound system as well, and better on your monitors? Of course a well-trained ear won't hear music sounding good on a cheap system even if mixed well, so it might be worth taking that into account.
Analysers might be a great help though, in focusing the bass in the right range, and rolling off enough sub content to create a clear bass range when played back on hi-fi systems that don't reproduce a lot of low-end. Also highpass your instruments to give the top-end clarity without causing phase shifts or muddiness that would otherwise adversely affect the sound, especially when played back on setups that don't provide a lot of clarity to begin with. Of course mastering does play a big part in translating the mix, but any balance and EQ issues should of course by addressed first.
But yeah, the best way is to keep practising and learning along the way, and learning your equipment, as Chronosis said too, although I might add not to get too attached to your monitoring equipment either. Knowing that something is there isn't the same as not knowing it's there. Nothing is perfect in an imperfect world. ;) |
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| DJMiakoda |
| quote: | Originally posted by Chronosis
Most of all it's about you getting to know your monitors. Listen to a lot of professionally mixed/mastered tracks on your m-audios, and eventually you'll learn to make mixes that translate as well. |
Good point, I've read this before recently that it's a good idea to listen to alot of music through your monitors to get familiar with them.
These M-Audio's are fairly new (december), when I'm browsing websites I've been listening to satellite radio to get more familiar with them. |
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| DJMiakoda |
I was fiddling this morning with a song I've been having trouble with lately, I finally got the kick and the basslines to sit happily together at 0 db, I have my kick at -3 db, the 1st bassline at -5 db and the 2nd bassline at -4 db, it looks pretty good up until other tracks start kicking in lol.
Whether or not it will sound as good on other sound systems, I don't know yet, I'm going to export just the kick and basslines and see if I have it closer to where I want it, than continue building from there. |
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| armanivespucci |
| Listen to a lot of tracks that have the style of the one you're making, or are at least somewhere in the ballpark. If you emulate the mixing and you have good monitors, there's no reason you can't get a pro sound. |
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