Reason 8/9 why your mix isn't as powerful as it could
Topic #1 I nag to clients about, hands down. Hell, even some great producers aren't aware of this...
Hell, even a lot of great producers don't check their mono, and then it's my job nag about it. I know, I know, I've been complaining about this a lot, but even some of the songs I get for feedback via Patreon still suffer from this.
Won't lie, I just got a fairly big league song as a reference for a mix where the brightness and hihats are barely there in mono, while they're really bright and present in stereo / on the side signal. How come neither the producer or the engineer hasn't checked it out? SMH.
Let's just care about mono a bit more, ok? It's so easy for you to check.
Comments (8)
Going through these videos and I'm at a bit of a cross roads now, because everthing you have mentioned I have seen been done by some really well regarded producers. I know its subject specific. I was learning from a well known dnb producer and the amount of processing on the drums just blow my mind. I asked if that amount of processing was really needed, didn't really get an answer.
Yeah there is no sweeping statement really on what helps and what not: everything in audio is so case-specific.
Are any chorus/phasing/flanging effects automatically going to cause these issues? (and therefore should be avoided altogether?) — or do you just need to check your mono, by playing a Mono utility on your Master? Also, what monitoring tools do you have on your Master to keep track of the mix? I see you have Span, with its spectrum analyser and its phase correlation meter — but was wondering what else you may have. Any videos on this subject of how to correctly use spectrum analysers and related tools would be appreciated.
I don’t use those aforementioned tools pretty much ever, so can’t say, but you can always test it all simply by monoing either that specific sound or master. I do a lot of master mono checks and to me that is enough to hear how levels work in mono and that critical elements don’t lose too much power. I also have Youlean loudness meter on the master but can often see the loudness from my last master limiter too. On analysers I mostly look at sub region and the overall curve (sometimes depending on the song want to make sure it’s not a total smiley curve).
Awesome tip, any other wideners you recommend / tips for getting that width without Haas? Thanks!
I only really use Joey Sturgis Sidewidener myself TBH! A free chorus one would be Multiply by Acon Digital...it's handy.
If you want a wide pad say is there any merit to sticking a mid side split tool and add the widener on the side signal?
Well, I'd say, there are two kinds of wideners: 1) those that can create width even out of a fully mono signal and 2) those that only raise the existing width So if you do have that existing width, you could try doing that. I mean, what you mention would kind of aim at doing that in a way. But let's say if you have a sound that has a duller mid and alrady brighter sides (those exist), you'd only raise the bright sides and not create and warmer sides to go with it. Sometimes you do want some of the mid body of the signal on the sides.