The Official Mixing Thread

[DJ Mart-Kos]

EQ is the most important thing in mixing i think.
Panning instruments a bit or so, Will give more space in the mix for other instruments.

 

[producingfire]

I never compress my tracks (Besides Parallel Compression on Drums). I do know its basically an automatic Volume Knob.

Although my Sound-Design teacher told me you shouldn't compress all the tracks cause the instruments will sound flat of it. So i only use it slightly on Drums.
Using heavy compression on drums can make it sound really squared.

Everything is relative to what the goal is.

 

[head shots101]

Compression would be the next step, because once you master those 2 every other effect you use is extra. So I would say Compression and then reverb.

How do I Kno when I need to compress?

@DJ Mart-Kos

 

[producingfire]

How do I Kno when I need to compress?

@DJ Mart-Kos

In order to know that, you have to understand exactly what a compressor does. And then you can determine what to use it for. A compressor is like that of an automatic volume fader, when a audio signal goes above a certain point it acts to bring the signal down. It basically is meant to control the peaks in audio, however people use it for many different things. The compressor and Limiter are one in the same the only difference between a limiter and compressor is the ratio difference that tends to be used on the 2 tools.

Practical Uses for a compressor are on Drums. If you use the compressor the right way the drums can have punch and thump. However if you over use the compression ratio then the drums/ or whatever you use the compressor on will be muddy, and smooshed.

A compressor has 5 main components

The Threshold- This is the level by which the compressor will activate. Ie if you set the threshold -5 decibels (DB) Then when the audio input goes above -5 the compressor will activate. So if you want to treat only the loud portions of a signal you will raise the threshold From there We move on to the Ratio

Ratio- This is the amount of compression implied to the audio IE a 4:1 compression ratio means that for for every 4 decibels over the threshold the audio will only rise by 1 decibel over the threshold so if your input level is -10 with a 4 to 1 ratio and the threshold being set to -14 then your final output level will be -13

Attack- Like many vst's Attack and Release- so do compressors. this is how fast the compressor will take action after the threshold is passed.

Release- How long before the compressor goes back to it's normal state.

Gain- Often times after all the compression is done you can make up the gain lost via compression by adjusting the gain knob.

After that a compressors direct opposite is a gate
and what a gate does is only let Audio signals pass through the mix that have a certain Audio level. So if you have a low buzzing noize from a sound that's there and mudying up the mix and you don't need it showing up, you could put a gate on it, killing the sound all together.

 

[head shots101]

In order to know that, you have to understand exactly what a compressor does. And then you can determine what to use it for. A compressor is like that of an automatic volume fader, when a audio signal goes above a certain point it acts to bring the signal down. It basically is meant to control the peaks in audio, however people use it for many different things. The compressor and Limiter are one in the same the only difference between a limiter and compressor is the ratio difference that tends to be used on the 2 tools.

Practical Uses for a compressor are on Drums. If you use the compressor the right way the drums can have punch and thump. However if you over use the compression ratio then the drums/ or whatever you use the compressor on will be muddy, and smooshed.

A compressor has 5 main components

The Threshold- This is the level by which the compressor will activate. Ie if you set the threshold -5 decibels (DB) Then when the audio input goes above -5 the compressor will activate. So if you want to treat only the loud portions of a signal you will raise the threshold From there We move on to the Ratio

Ratio- This is the amount of compression implied to the audio IE a 4:1 compression ratio means that for for every 4 decibels over the threshold the audio will only rise by 1 decibel over the threshold so if your input level is -10 with a 4 to 1 ratio and the threshold being set to -14 then your final output level will be -13

Attack- Like many vst's Attack and Release- so do compressors. this is how fast the compressor will take action after the threshold is passed.

Release- How long before the compressor goes back to it's normal state.

Gain- Often times after all the compression is done you can make up the gain lost via compression by adjusting the gain knob.

After that a compressors direct opposite is a gate
and what a gate does is only let Audio signals pass through the mix that have a certain Audio level. So if you have a low buzzing noize from a sound that's there and mudying up the mix and you don't need it showing up, you could put a gate on it, killing the sound all together.

shyt that's a lot lol....seems more complicated than eq'in

 

[producingfire]

shyt that's a lot lol....seems more complicated than eq'in

Most producers will smash the compressor and squish there audio, then you will hear many people say "You should never use a compressor on such and such, but the truth is, that many just don't use it right. They will smash the ratio and totally kill and squish all there dynamics. You can especially here this done on hip hop drums they squish it to the point of where they get a loud inclosed and squished sound. which is why the drums end up sounding over compressed.

 

[head shots101]

Most producers will smash the compressor and squish there audio, then you will hear many people say "You should never use a compressor on such and such, but the truth is, that many just don't use it right. They will smash the ratio and totally kill and squish all there dynamics. You can especially here this done on hip hop drums they squish it to the point of where they get a loud inclosed and squished sound. which is why the drums end up sounding over compressed.

What do u mean squish the auto?

Going read up on this more while I have all this down time at work

 

[producingfire]

What do u mean squish the auto?

Going read up on this more while I have all this down time at work

The track ends up sounding lifeless the audio signal ends up dull muddy, and unclear.

 

[head shots101]

The track ends up sounding lifeless the audio signal ends up dull muddy, and unclear.

So I don't have to always use compressing? It's all on the producer if he wants to use it or not ?

 

[producingfire]

So I don't have to always use compressing? It's all on the producer if he wants to use it or not ?

That depends on what you're doing, and what sound you want. If you're making a beat and you do something like put a Maximiser or a limiter on the "Master" track, then you technically are using "Compression" If you are an engineer you most certainly will use compression all the time. There are producers I know that compress there beats using 2 different compressors on the master channel. There are producers I know that use compressors on certain individual tracks. Then I know producers who don't mix there track at all and just level everything.

It's a mixed bag and really depends on what you are going for.

 

[Payroll]

It helps to think of compression as twofold ....as a means to control dynamics but also as a creative tool to shape dynamics...and some compressors even add saturation e.g tape compression.

You can for example use a compressor to accentuate a given aspect of the envelope of a sound i.e attack, decay, sustain and release.

Depending on which part of the sound you affect *ADSR*....you also necessarily affect the frequencies that occupy that part of the sound ...so for example if you use a fast attack to bring down the transients you tend to darken the tone...because those are generally the higher frequencies of a sound...so compression in that sense can also function as a form of eq...

I think learning to use a compressor creatively like that helps to build an intuition for when to reach for it and how to hear it.

It's some shyt I still struggle with...

 

[head shots101]

It helps to think of compression as twofold ....as a means to control dynamics but also as a creative tool to shape dynamics...and some compressors even add saturation e.g tape compression.

You can for example use a compressor to accentuate a given aspect of the envelope of a sound i.e attack, decay, sustain and release.

Depending on which part of the sound you affect *ADSR*....you also necessarily affect the frequencies that occupy that part of the sound ...so for example if you use a fast attack to bring down the transients you tend to darken the tone...because those are generally the higher frequencies of a sound...so compression in that sense can also function as a form of eq...

I think learning to use a compressor creatively like that helps to build an intuition for when to reach for it and how to hear it.

It's some shyt I still struggle with...

Can't front shyt seems really difficult

 

[producingfire]

Can't front shyt seems really difficult

It will be easier to think about one parameter at a time. You can worry about transients and such later. I would focus now on the 5 main controls. the 2 big components being Threshold and the ratio.

Remember the threshold is the compressors activation switch, when an audio signal passes the set amount, the compressor is activated.

and the ratio= how much compression.

Attack= how soon after the threshold is passed will the compressor begin working

Release= When the level drops to normal when will the compressor shut off.

Take it one parameter at a time. I gaurentee when you learn this you will be 10x's better because most producers don't pay attention to any of the technical stuff lol

 

[head shots101]

It will be easier to think about one parameter at a time. You can worry about transients and such later. I would focus now on the 5 main controls. the 2 big components being Threshold and the ratio.

Remember the threshold is the compressors activation switch, when an audio signal passes the set amount, the compressor is activated.

and the ratio= how much compression.

Attack= how soon after the threshold is passed will the compressor begin working

Release= When the level drops to normal when will the compressor shut off.

Take it one parameter at a time. I gaurentee when you learn this you will be 10x's better because most producers don't pay attention to any of the technical stuff lol

Never thought about it going at that approach of taking it one step at a time

Good looks

 

[producingfire]

Never thought about it going at that approach of taking it one step at a time

Good looks

No prob bro