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Improve sound quality?
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| Tigerlobster |
I realize this is frequently discussed and I've looked around a bit and also found some useful tips. However, the quality of my sound is still not on par with what I want it to be. Most of the stuff I find has to do with frequencies and I've done everything that I possibly could fitting everything into the frequencies, trying not to have two elements overlap.
I haven't played around with panning too much yet. With that said, I got some going on with the percussion and one or two other elements. What should I aim for when playing around with the panning?
Also, how does my soundcard affect the quality of the rendered version of my song? Still haven't managed to wrap my head around this matter yet.
So if you have any wisdom to share, I'll be happy to hear it. |
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| Eric J |
| quote: | Originally posted by Tigerlobster
I realize this is frequently discussed and I've looked around a bit and also found some useful tips. However, the quality of my sound is still not on par with what I want it to be.
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You should probably tell us where you want to be. Do not assume we know.
| quote: | Originally posted by Tigerlobster
Most of the stuff I find has to do with frequencies and I've done everything that I possibly could fitting everything into the frequencies, trying not to have two elements overlap.
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This is kind of vague, you may want to elaborate.
| quote: | Originally posted by Tigerlobster
I haven't played around with panning too much yet. With that said, I got some going on with the percussion and one or two other elements. What should I aim for when playing around with the panning?
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Well panning determines stereo width, so if you want certain elements to sound wide then you can pan them around the stereo field. Be careful and check for mono compatibility.
| quote: | Originally posted by Tigerlobster
Also, how does my soundcard affect the quality of the rendered version of my song? Still haven't managed to wrap my head around this matter yet.
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It doesn't have any effect on your track when its being rendered. It only has an effect when sound is converted from digital to analog (to your monitors), and analog to digital (recording external hardware). |
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| Sonic_c |
laying in bed on phone kinda bored to thought i'd have a go at this...
Ok i don't know what daw your using so can't say how etc just what to do.
First thing i suppose to discuss is choice of sounds when you choose a sound have a look at a spectrum analyser. Then rather than do what your doing which is forcing sounds together by eqing them into seperate bands, try to choose sounds that naturally sit apart from each other. Still do the eq thing but be aware that if you really cut out lots from a sound it can make it really thin.
Then make sure to cut every channel on your mixer below 30hz.
Also try this, get a parametric eq i use cubases Q-filter. Activate one of the bands and turn the Q setting to very thin like 0.5oct maybe. (make sure your monitors are turned down) then boost that band to max and using the freq knob slowly sweep through the entire freq spectrum. You wont hear much change because of how narrow the Q setting is but you will hit a frequency that suddenly spikes your volume and sounds nasty. Then when you found that turn the gain on that down to like a total cut if you like or less to taste. Its a good way of finding freqs in a sound that have a lot of energy and some people say 'problem freqs'. There may be 2 or more in a sound. Again don't go too mad because you will make your sound thin.
On things like hi hats apply a low cut and gradually bring it up the freq untill you hear a diff in the sound then stop. Sometimes hi sounds still have low end you don't need. Do the opposite for bass etc.
Once you have a song take the volume of all your channels down and bring then back in one by one relative to the kick. Which i usually have (compressed) to -3. I also try to keep the master peaking at -3 to leave some room for mastering.
Like you said panning things left and right can give you more room on each side which again can help but after all the stereo delays and fx i don't think is as critical as a good mix.
What do you do to your master channel? The reason is maybe something like ozone might help. That said when i first got ozone and put dance master preset on i thought thats what made it sound good. It is true it makes it sound better than nothing at all but i don't use it anymore apart from using it as a multiband etc as i realised it just mashes the hell out your mix and wrecks all the dynamics. So now i just use psp vintage warmer, a limiter, and a multiband just cubases own.
These are just a couple of things its an art which i havent mastered yet takes years. Sure everyone else will add or correct me and stuff hope it helps. |
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| EgosXII |
practice.
nothing happens overnight.
how long have you been making tracks?
EQ and panning can be important, but there are no hard rules. they change with every track you make, and with every type of sound you use...
it can be frustrating getting to grips with EQ and compression, but there really aren't any rules that can be passed on like "always do X to Y", you'll just get a hang of it after you use it for long enough imo... keep practising and you'll get it... :) |
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| gr8ape |
honestly this is too vague
the only thing i can tell you is that once you know exactly how to formulate specific technical questions you will probably already know the answer, or know how to find it |
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