Engineers can be happy when they talk about mixing music.
His sound is hard to describe, he throws up a layer of technical jargon and it can be downright frustrating to talk about his tracks.
Fortunately, there are some common terms that engineers use to convey mixing issues and sound quality.
I will examine seven of the most common mixed concepts, what they mean, and how to deal with the elements of the mixture to which they refer.
1. Boomy
Boominess refers to excessive low frequency energy, which leads to an exaggerated hold on your speakers.
For example, “I want this kick to get fat, but right now it’s stupid.”
“I want this kick to get fat, but right now it’s stupid.”
Speakers can accurately reproduce that lower end.
Too many basses can put the speakers in trouble. This causes negative effects that radiate completely through the frequency spectrum.
How to fix it:
For high-volume sources, use a bass filter with a high-pass filter.
Move the filter up until you hear a negative effect on the sound. You may be able to cut more than you think.
2. Muddy
Muddy generally means congestion through a collection of competitive elements in the lower middle class.
For example: “The whole mix gets cloudy when you mute the bass, maybe you should cut 250 Hz.”
The deep mid-range is a difficult region for beginners and advanced. If it is too soft, the sounds and the separation of the instruments are struck.
How to fix it:
Avoid a muddy mix that forms their low media where they are not essential for the desired sound.
The instruments that traditionally dominate the lower end of the spectrum, such as the bass drum and the bass, are the first option for small to medium scoping.
Most of the energy in these sources should be concentrated at the bottom so that the media is less saturated for other instruments.
3. Boxy
A sound or mixture that consists mainly of medium frequencies with insufficient bass and treble.
For example: “These guitars are too square, we should try a microphone with more high range”.
“These guitars are too square, we should try a microphone with more high range”.
A square mix sounds flat and can not be detailed. You’ll see why, when you combine references against a well-produced commercial recording.
How to fix it:
Avoid size reduction by making sure you do not overload your medium or neglecting the extremes of the frequency spectrum.
4. Warmth
Heat typically refers to harmonic distortion and the unpublished top.
For example: “Wow, adds that the tube compressor plugin really warmed up that voice”.
Heat is a coveted quality that is often attributed to analog devices. It is part of what makes a mix smooth, rich and pleasant to hear.
“Wow, adding that the Tube Compressor plugin really warmed up that voice.”
How to get it:
Generates heat by gently heating the maxima and using saturation / analog style processors.
Be sure to do it in moderation: too much artificial saturation of the analog emulation add-ons may tend to balance towards hardness. Do not go too far!
5. Harsh
Harshness is often used to describe aggressive upper centers that tire of listening.
For example: “The rectangle synthesizer is quite difficult, can you reduce the cutoff frequency of the filter a little?”
The harness is a big problem in many mixes. The last thing you want is for your mixture to make your ears feel tired.
The effects of a hard compound can be even more severe with traditional hearing aids, such as headphones and portable speakers.
How to fix it:
Avoid harshness by handling your equalizer and microphone positioning very carefully when handling energy in the 3-5 kHz range.
6. Depth
Depth is the three-dimensional quality of a mixture.
For example, “A wider panorama of the microphones in the room seems to give the drums a bit more depth.”
Depth is desirable to create the feeling of immersion that attracts listeners to their mixes.
It helps with the separation of instruments and the general sense of space.
How to get it:
Use a close-up microphone mix and remote micturition during tracking to get a variety of environments that you can mix when mixing.
Different sources at different perceived distances and pan positions help determine the depth of your mix.
7. Air
Air is the subtle liveliness at higher frequencies of a mixture.
For example: “Ribbon microphones towering sound quite dark and they could use some air.”
Air highlights the realism and dimension sources such as voices and room microphones. A smooth upper end open and airy is a common goal for many blends.
“Ribbon microphones towering sound quite dark and they could use some air.”
Think of the air like this, beautiful and balanced with a series of acute in your mix.
How to get it:
With a soft bell or shelving filter in the equalizer, gently flick the top end anywhere to press 8-16 kHz tone.
Be careful! Go overboard hardness can enter the track. Worth a little bit!
The thin air in your mix can help their voices sit gently on anything else and make shots of your room are animated and realistic.
What do we mean when we talk about mixing?
The mixture is a very subjective process, so that the terms used are also to be described.
Every engineer probably feels differently about what exactly “air” or “depth” means to them.
The definitions of these terms are just guidelines to think about and problems or a combination of strengths and how to better target a specific tone.
Now you know what that all means, deepen the combination with a better goal in mind!
Michael Hahn is engineer and producer Autoland and member of the indie rock trio Schwach.