Stay Inspired and Keep Learning By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

All engineering, mixing and technicalities aside, it's very useful and beneficial to listen to a wide variety of music.  

I specialise in rock, pop and metal and I listen to a whole bunch of different artists within those genres and many other sub-genres but I also listen to acoustic, folk, electronic and film music. Of course, there are endless choices when it comes to music but I believe my knowledge and my ears always improve by listening to different types of music because I pay attention to how the mix sounds, what instruments are most prominent, what types of effects are used, how much dynamic range there is and what makes it different from other types of mixes. 

The other reason I do this is to keep myself inspired because sometimes I work within certain genres for so long that I start to forget just how much talent and creativity there is out there that needs to be heard, so I always take a bit of time to go searching for new music. Sometimes I actively listen and analyse for the benefit of my own development and other times I like to listen passively whilst doing other things like driving or house work.

Thanks to my guitar teacher, college and university, this is something i have always done and above all else, it has kept me open minded to all music as well as showing the areas that I wanted to specialise in. 

Whether you're a musician, engineer, producer, promoter or an A&R scout, i'm sure you'll agree that it's all about the music so expose yourself to as much of it as possible and you will always be inspired, I know I am. 

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Compression - slow attack = more impact! By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

Compression is always a hot topic among engineers and musicians alike and it's something you can't really understand until you use it yourself. You can read every forum, watch every YouTube video and read every mixing 101 book but the best way to learn about compression is to use your own ears and listen to how it affects different sounds.

Rather than do a huge post about compression, all the different parameters and countless applications of the tool, I want to focus solely on the 'attack' feature

The attack determines how fast the compressor will hit the transients presented to it which are ultimately decided by the threshold setting, the point at which the compressor kicks in.

The attack is such an important element of a compressor because it can enhance or completely squash and remove any transients in an audio signal and depending on what you're working with, you may apply either of those.

Keep in mind that the slower the attack, the more transients it will allow through, therefore giving you more perceived impact. The faster the attack, the more flat and even the signal will be. Both have useful applications, some instruments benefit more from each one for example - a slow attack on a snare drum will allow more of the transients to come through and using a fast attack on a guitar will clamp down on the transients that are usually unwanted in a performance.

Try playing with just the attack setting on your compressor and listen to how it affects the transients, the general idea with a slow attack is to give more impact by allowing more of the transients through.

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Knowledge Wednesday By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

Reference other professional mixes!

A very useful technique to implement into your mixing process, even if it's a little discouraging at first but definitely highly beneficial to developing your skills. 

Import your chosen track into your session and make sure it doesn't have any processing on and that it doesn't go through your mix buss, also make sure you match the level of the reference track to your own work. Remember your ears are easily tricked into thinking something is better when it's louder! 

Next, actively listen to what is going on in the track, the balance, EQ, compression, effects etc and use this as a type of guide. It is also useful to make notes on both mixes for comparison. 

This is something very simple to add into your mix process but it is particularly useful when you are learning by actively analysing and being able to identify key elements of a mix. 

A useful tip when recording rhythm guitars By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

In modern recording and production today there is a lot of 'comping' going on and although a separate discussion could be had about how musicians and engineers never used to have this opportunity, it is now something that can be used to capture the best parts of a performance.

As a guitar player, sometimes I track things in one take, sometimes I record other people in one take and it works however, there are occasions when I want to track verses and choruses separately and other times when I simply break the tracks down into shorter takes to guarantee consistency and ensure the best possible performance is being captured.

When intentionally breaking down the parts into shorter takes, it is very useful to record just over the section that you would cut at to record the next part. This ensures that the takes 'glue' seamlessly together and a cross-fade will be much more transparent. The purpose of using a simple technique like this is to get all the takes working together to produce a cohesive/consistent performance and there will be no audible changes between takes.

Try this technique for smoother guitar comping and listen to how much more seamless the takes become.

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Snare Drum - Key Frequencies By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

Here are some key frequencies of a snare drum to pay close attention to when mixing. Keep in mind that fundamentals can change depending on the material, dimension and depth of the drum as well as other variants such as the type of head, snares, sticks and range of tuning.

160-250Hz - low end, weight, punch ( the weight of a snare is found in quite a wide spectrum because it depends on the size and material of the drum, as well as the tuning) 

300-400Hz - woodiness (an interesting area that I sometimes boost and other times cut depending on whether it's needed)

500-800Hz - snare ring (dependant on type and tuning of the snare, gently cut here if needed but be careful as this can remove a lot of character from the drum, try using moon gel at the recording stage to reduce unwanted ring) 

1.5-2.5KHz - attack, crack (mid frequency smack and stick definition, another area I gently boost or cut depending on what i'm listening for) 

4-6KHz - snare wires (can be very brittle sounding, but with careful boosting can help the snare cut through) 

7-12KHz - air, brightness (add for extra sweetness but be careful of increasing cymbal bleed if you haven't used a gate)

Use these frequencies as a guide and use your own ears to decide what works best with the source you have recorded. 

If you're in need of editing, mixing or mastering services, head over to www.jwaudioproductions.co.uk and get in touch via the contact page. 

Knowledge Wednesday By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

Check your mixes in mono!

This is something to be done not only to check for phase issues, but also for achieving the best balance possible between all the instruments. It's great to have your mix sound huge in stereo but it's very important to realise that most listeners are probably going to be listening from mono sources when they don't have access to a hifi or a pair of headphones.

The aim is to get your mix to translate well in both mono and stereo on a wide variety of music platforms. 

Get your mix sounding great in mono and its more than likely going to sound even better in stereo!

Kick Drum - Key Frequencies By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

Here are some key frequencies of a kick drum to pay close attention to when mixing. Keep in mind that fundamentals can change depending on the material, dimension and depth of the drum as well as other variants such as the type of head, the beater and the range of tuning. 

60-80Hz - low end punch, fundamentals, weight 

100-200Hz - boominess (cut here to increase low end definition and make room for bass guitar 

300-500Hz - boxiness (cut here to reduce the cardboard like sound, common for rock and metal kick drums) 

1-3KHz - attack and snap (boost here to help cut through the mix, particularly guitars) 

4-6KHz - beater, click, definition (boost here for extra beater definition, common on metal kick drums) 

7-8KHz - air (gently boost here if needed for extra air but be careful with bleed, unless you have used a gate)

If you're interested in any editing, mixing or mastering services, head over to www.jwaudioproductions.co.uk and get in touch via the contact page. 

Parallel Compression on Drums - Demonstration By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

Check out the below video to see the impact of parallel compression on drums. Keep in mind that this is camera mic audio but you can still hear the difference!

For any editing, mixing or mastering enquiries, head over to www.jwaudioproductions.co.uk and get in touch via the contact page.

Knowledge Wednesday By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

When using distortion on bass guitar, be sure to apply a filter on the low and high end.  

Your focus should be on the mid frequencies if you want to keep the low fundamentals crisp and clear.  

Try rolling off the low end up to 400Hz and cut the top end down to 3-4KHz. There shouldn't be much frequency content in the high end other than some finger/pick definition, this is bass guitar after all.  

Apply your chosen distortion with an EQ filter before it and your distortion will only affect the frequencies you want it to. Distort those mids for cutting bass guitar!

The importance of your mindset By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

No matter what level you're at as an engineer, producer or musician, the biggest factor that will affect your progress is your mindset.  

It's all too easy to blame your computer, hardware, software, microphone, instrument or even the performance, but before it ever gets to this point, you must do whatever you need to mentally prepare to work. To look at this from another perspective, it is very much the same as preparing for lifting heavy weights at the gym - you know what the end goal is, you either do it or you don't, you commit 100% to it or you walk away from it, no excuses. Sure, lifting a weight is typically one move from start to finish but the mindset is the same because you have to be completely focussed and not put up any excuse as to why it can't be done.  

Mixing is a process that you should mentally prepare for, set out clear goals, consider the tools you will use and keep the vision of the final product at the forefront of your mind and push towards it relentlessly. Of course, you can start out perfectly like this and you may hit a wall and as I've mentioned in another post, know when to walk away, take a break and come back to work fresh. 

Start your next session with a mindset of achieving your best mix, working within positive limitations and bringing the vision to life. Following on from this, always have a goal of improving on your last project by looking at what went well and what didn't work, but never worry about making mistakes because this is exactly how you will learn and positively progress. 

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Get your guitars right at source for easier mixing By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

Get your guitars to sound the way you want them to before recording and mixing them will be much easier, it is that simple. 

When it comes to achieving great sounding guitars in a mix, it's very important to spend time with your source. Consider the player, the instrument, the strings and the amplifier before anything else because the reality is that if these things aren't right, no amount of mixing or special plugins will fix it.

You don't have to have an expensive guitar, tube amp or even the best player to get a great source to record however, a well intonated and freshly strung guitar with a carefully dialled tone and a player who can lock in with a click track will get you well on your way. Make sure you have something that is worth capturing.

Some example points to consider at source:

• If recording a distorted tone - lower the gain for more definition, the 'bigness' will come with double tracking

• If you have a player that picks too hard, give them a thinner plectrum to retain the tuning

• If recording through an amp modeler, consider rolling off some low end on the way into your DAW

• Don't record with effects such as reverb or delay, leave them until the mixing stage

• If possible, record with different pickups such as humbuckers and single coils to add variation

• If recording intricate tapping sections, use a fret wrap or tape over the strings that aren't been played to ensure there are no strings ringing out unnecessarily

Focus on achieving the best source you can with what you have and the mixing process will be much easier. Use what you have to the best of your ability and if it isn't working for you, ask yourself what the issues are - Is it the instrument? Is it the tuning? Is it the tone? Is it the amp? Is it the player? Identify the problem first and work from there. 

For any editing, mixing or mastering enquiries, head over to www.jwaudioproductions.co.uk  and get in touch via the contact page.

Knowledge Wednesday By: DAWsopenat7 No comments

Weekly words of wisdom

Remember when using compression to match the output level to that of the input level, this is done using the make-up gain usually present on all plugin compressors. This can be checked simply by bypassing the compressor and listening to the level with and without the plugin applied. Repeat this process until the level is matched.

Its important to match the gain levels as you've probably spent a lot of time and effort on proper gain staging and that can easily be reversed with too much output gain from a compressor. As well as this, you will not be able to accurately judge what the compressor is doing to your audio signal if the level is louder with the compressor on. Your ears can easily be tricked into thinking something is better because it's louder, so ensure you match the gain coming out of your compressor to what is going in.

For any editing, mixing or mastering enquiries, head over to www.jwaudioproductions.co.uk and get in touch via the contact page.