So i have a track I made and rendered the mixdown to wave. I lost the original project mixdown file due to a hard drive crash but i still have the WAV mixdown.

I noticed when i listen to it in mono the vocals almost vanish.

Any advice on how to fix this? I was thinking MS processing only the frequency range the vocals are in. Any ideas how to go about that... or any other ideas on how to fix it?

Thanks in advance.

 

Sounds like you've got a hard problem. I think MS processing won't get where you want, without smashing up a lot of other things.

Here's my Rough outline of tasks to do:

1. Use an FFT-based tool to isolate the vocals. Adobe audition center channel extractor, R-mix, Quikquak mashtactic, izotope RX, other FFT pan isolation tools, etc. Do your settings right, because your vocals are panned center, but phased side (0 degree pan, 180 degree phase)
   
2. Fix the vocals
3. Mix it back in, check for phase issues.

Alternatively, run it though DTS neural upmix (2.0->5.1), and then downmix to stereo. It's the ONLY upmixer I know of that does phase? reflection.

 

Last edited: Mar 6, 2016

The problem you have is the ratio between the weight of the sides vs the weight of the center. If you have to render a mono mix for any reason the m/s EQ would be the first thing to attempt if you can no longer recall that mix project. You'd either want to process the mids using a bell boost/s to find the dominant and most isolated portion/s of the vocal. Or, you could process the sides using a low shelf cut and/or a bell cut specifically in the range where the bottom of the vocal is to reduce the weighting in that area before it's collapsed to mono. And it more than likely would play out better if you do both to a subtle degree than do one to an extreme. I haven't heard the mix, but you're the judge whether there's not enough going on in the middle or too much happening on the sides. However, if you have no intent on rendering the mix in mono in order for it to be marketed and heard that way.. and if you like the current state of your mix in stereo you shouldn't do anything to it at all. But if it is a crucial need and m/s techniques don't go well you'd have to do meticulous surgery in the spectrum with a program like Spectralayers, etc.

 

Last edited: Mar 6, 2016

Yeah this is what I pretty much figured. The reason I need it to sound good is becuase it will be and has been played by DJ's on mono sound systems. I totally forgot to check the mix in mono before handing it out. Nobody said anything about it, or didnt notice, or thought it was a shitty mix, whatever,lol. Here is the track:



I think theres just too much going on in the middle and I might just have to scrap the damn track all together.

Thanks for your input though!