Reasonfreaks

[centrino]

Hello,

My question is in 3 parts :

- what software tool can you use to know what instruments compete with each other in terms of frequency ? Is there such a free tool ? or only expensive tools like Sound Forge or Wavelabs would do the trick ?

- assuming you have used a tool that I mentioned in part 1 of my question, how would you separate the sounds ? one equalizer per instrument and one equalizer for the drums/kick ? which equalizer ? the PEQ-2 or the MClass Equalizer ? or would you suggest another cabling method ?

- do you have any table or tips showing how to equalize the bass and intruments ? which frequencies to remove for each instrument, etc... ?

Thanks for your time
Centrino

[dark-fader]

1st, the vocoder is also a (visual) equaliser
2nd, matter of "taste" , on a redrum I hook up a PEQ to every channel.
3rd, Use a narrow Q (bandwidth) when cutting; use wide Q’s when boosting
If you want something to stick out, roll off the bottom; if you want it to blend in, roll off the top

[centrino]

Thanks for the tips Dark-Fader!

Centrino

[centrino]

Thanks for the tips Dark-Fader!
What do you mean with 'stick out' and 'blend in' ?

Centrino

[disconnect]

First off, google Voxengospan, provided you have a vst host. It's a freq spectrum analyzer, free.

Second, there are no rules when it comes to EQ. There are no 'magic charts' which will tell you how to make your tracks sound awesome. Use your ears, and use the EQ only to cut away frequencies (you get better with experience). If you want one instrument to stand out, instead of boosting the shit out of it and making mud, give it room by cutting the other ones. Give the instruments room to breathe instead of making them fight for dominance and suffocate each other.

That said, for some reason I find it easier to get a good mix in R3 without a spectrum analyzer than in Live 5 or Cubase. Not sure why, but I thank the props for it .

[centrino]

I agree with disconnect. It's better to 'cut' than to 'boost'.

Centrino

[francolamuerte]

HS : Hey ! Salut Centrino Tabarnak ! Hihi. I have déja vu this question ailleurs. Forgive my poor english les gens.

[centrino]

Hello Franco

[butchmanring]

I agree with disconnect. It's better to 'cut' than to 'boost'.

Centrino

Subtractive EQing my friends

[centrino]

Nice expression indeed Butch

[theoracle]

Indeed. General rule of thumb for all learning producers when it comes to mixing is learn to cut before you learn to boost. But then again I've always held a firm belief you can make something sound a different style of crap with cut, just as you can make something sound like a mud fight with boost.

[keeper2007]

All you need is a frequency analyser. What you would do for the kick drum, and bass guitar mix, is to find the fundemental frequency of the kick drum. If you isolate the kick as a single sample and then put it into the analyser it shoykd give you the fundemental freq of the kick It could range anywhere from 25 to 60 hz depending on the tuning of the kick. Once you've found the fundemental freq of the kick you can edit the bass guitar track with a parametric EQ, and drop a very narrow wedge way down in volume at that fundemental freq. The bass guitar track will not miss this vary narrow sliver of frequency, and it'll allow the kick drum to punch through. It's more efficient with your speaker playback too.

These frequency analyzers are very good for allocating certain frequency ranges to certain instruments, thus making the playback much more efficient (speakers), and giving your mix more definition. If a speaker is getting the same frequency delivered from different sources, it struggles a little to reproduce it efficiently (depending on the quality of speaker). If you can separate the ranges it makes it easier for the speakers to reproduce it efficiently, and you'll have less distortion etc. It cleans the mix/playback up if you take care to do this. It may not always be easy to separate the ranges completely, but the kick and bass should be easy enough to do this for. Since it's the backbone of the tracks it'll help a lot to do this.

EQ is a good way to approach a mix, as opposed to volume sometimes. Like for instance instead of raising the volume of a given track you could for instance give it more presence, and help it to punch through. It's still rasing the levels, but of specific frequencies.

[centrino]

Thanks for your detailed explanation Keeper ! It's cristal clear

And you are right; newbies, as I am, tend to increase the volume: which is a bad reaction in fact...

Cheers,
Centrino

[msandman]

that chart and tip are out of the "The Mixing Engineers Handbook" by Bob Owsinski, published in 99 i think.

it's a good book, there's a lot of info in there that you can easily take away

you can find the torrent on either torrentspy.com or isohunt.com check it out

[raiseupproductionz]

Dark-Fader is on the right track. The BVN-%something or other Vocoder has a graphic EQ that you can visually see the freq bounce. Good lookin though on the bass+kick=shit! there's nothing worse than having it sound like crap in the car after you thought it was all good and you wanted to show your friends!

i used a method i saw on youtube that was very helpful go there and type in reason, or mastering with reason, and youll find it - the video's not the best, but its enough to see how to do it.