as i listen to some commercially recorded music, i'm noticing how certain tracks (ie, vocal tracks) seem to sit "on top of" the rest of the mix. if panning takes care of Left to Right, reverbs/delays treat the perceived depth of the mix, how do i achieve this 3rd dimension of "up and down" when i mix??
i'd greatly appreciate your help!
~RPB
dimensions in mixing
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JackMaverik
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:01 pm
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Space without sound.
There was a Tape Op issue awhile back that covered this.
A lot of producers and major label recordings have very "Dry" vocals. Listen to it, they're not soaked like 80's records were.
Yet, they have space. They fit in the song, because there is this cushion that you can "feel " around that track, but not hear.
Sometimes this is created by double the vocal track, record one take, straight on, and have another track, further off the mic, and have it be an almost identical take, so the two vocals together sound identical. It creates a natural "space" around the vocals.
The other way, is to have a Reverb with a Predelay of about 100ms or so, and then have a really short decay time. So it's very subtle, and then CRANK that reverb send, so you can "feel it" but not hear it. It creates a cool space.
Also, different fidelity's work cool for creating space. If you ever EQ'd something to sound like a telephone, it sounds very "ontop" of the mix, almost like it's a totally different track that's being played over the hifi track right?
So I also like to use Delay rather than reverb, (you'll notice a lot of modern recordings use way more delay than reverb lately) and I normally put a different EQ curve on the delay. Usually kind of lofi and drop it in the mix so you can "feel" it, and not "hear it".
That's just a couple different techniques to create that "space" and they're some of my favs. THere's also using different mics, and more technical fixes and what not, but ... Screw with it, and you'll find something cool.
I mean, you were smart enough to use DP right? You're smart enough to figure out that "modern" vocal sound.
Just remember, the dryer the vocal is, the more "upfront" it is.
There was a Tape Op issue awhile back that covered this.
A lot of producers and major label recordings have very "Dry" vocals. Listen to it, they're not soaked like 80's records were.
Yet, they have space. They fit in the song, because there is this cushion that you can "feel " around that track, but not hear.
Sometimes this is created by double the vocal track, record one take, straight on, and have another track, further off the mic, and have it be an almost identical take, so the two vocals together sound identical. It creates a natural "space" around the vocals.
The other way, is to have a Reverb with a Predelay of about 100ms or so, and then have a really short decay time. So it's very subtle, and then CRANK that reverb send, so you can "feel it" but not hear it. It creates a cool space.
Also, different fidelity's work cool for creating space. If you ever EQ'd something to sound like a telephone, it sounds very "ontop" of the mix, almost like it's a totally different track that's being played over the hifi track right?
So I also like to use Delay rather than reverb, (you'll notice a lot of modern recordings use way more delay than reverb lately) and I normally put a different EQ curve on the delay. Usually kind of lofi and drop it in the mix so you can "feel" it, and not "hear it".
That's just a couple different techniques to create that "space" and they're some of my favs. THere's also using different mics, and more technical fixes and what not, but ... Screw with it, and you'll find something cool.
I mean, you were smart enough to use DP right? You're smart enough to figure out that "modern" vocal sound.
Just remember, the dryer the vocal is, the more "upfront" it is.
Alot of the presence for the vocal is obtained with EQ. Find the frequency that makes the vocal stand out in the mix. Of course checking it against the complete arrangement of parts.
If you have a spectral analyzer look at the mix with this and check which parts are " stealing" the frequencies away from the vocal. Usually guitars and keys are the culprits. Alter these other parts EQ's so they have their own space within the mix. EQ is the great little secret that most pros have in their back pocket. Years of listening and experimenting will get you there.
Don't be afraid to try something radical. Also, soloing a part and listening to it may sound way off the mark. But remember to check it "within" the context of the entire mix. that's where it will sell itself. if it still sounds not right try more tweaking.
Don't forget that a good compressor on the vox makes a huge difference also. (ie... Distressor)
Good Luck.
If you have a spectral analyzer look at the mix with this and check which parts are " stealing" the frequencies away from the vocal. Usually guitars and keys are the culprits. Alter these other parts EQ's so they have their own space within the mix. EQ is the great little secret that most pros have in their back pocket. Years of listening and experimenting will get you there.
Don't be afraid to try something radical. Also, soloing a part and listening to it may sound way off the mark. But remember to check it "within" the context of the entire mix. that's where it will sell itself. if it still sounds not right try more tweaking.
Don't forget that a good compressor on the vox makes a huge difference also. (ie... Distressor)
Good Luck.
Do what you love, love what you do.
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dimensiondk
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:01 pm
- Primary DAW OS: MacOS
- Location: County Clare, Ireland
compression
the cumulative effect of dynamics processing (compressors) on individual tracks, and to an even greater extent on groups/busses and finished mixes (ie in mastering) can also make vocals sit into tracks.
Dave
Dave