Ok, a real personal tip for pro clarity, focus and definition. Once you are almost done with the mix, pick the best MS Eq you have, quality stuff like psp e27 or AO pure eq.
Put it on each bus, not on the mixbus and dial in, take away quite lots of bass and some low mid freq. on synths (sides), lots of it in string orchestra and guitars and dial in different high frequencies so each bus has its own hi definition.
Once you do that bass and kick will also have definition and impact.
You can also bring up 3-6k on the drums for clarity. (mids).
Now afer you are satisfied put ms eq on the mixbus something subtle though like the AO bax and set the low cut and high shelf roll off to to get it polished like a pro.

 

Zen master never elaborate. Fortunately I'm not, so I want to explain this way of thinking "compress with EQ, EQ with compressor". It's really a way of thinking you can apply in a myriad ways. Think about what you're doing when driving a compressor sidechain with an EQ'd signal, you can leave the compressor settings mostly alone and adjust the EQ of the sidechain = you are compressing, but for the most part, doing it with an EQ.

Vice versa, let's picture a situation where you want to scoop out the mids. Instead of EQ, try instead hitting the problem with compression and tune the comp to clamp down on the midrange only using frequency dependent ratio. It sometimes ends up equalizing things better than an EQ would have. Dynamic EQ's are somewhere inbetween and give you more happy possibilities to try out.

A third situation is limiting. Typically setting the limiter itself is trivial, the real art of it comes from the EQ you will be doing before the limiter, to adjust how it will be hitting the limiter. It helps to think of it as "limiting with EQ", so you're doing a wholistic intervention to the signal and feeling like a zen master at it, too.

When we look to the root of what all those audio processes are at bottom, compression and EQ are basically the same gain-changing superhero in different color spandex outfits.

 

Last edited: Dec 30, 2017

I kinda thoughta you were going in that direction but wanted to make sure without assuming. I myself have been looking towards multi-band compressors to achieve the goal more and more and have been very happy with what comes out the other end. I have really been trying to choose instruments and arrange so that I either don't need a bunch of eq when mixing, just the tiniest of a touch here or there, or recording the eq wet going in.

 

...

 

Last edited: Dec 31, 2017

Are these any good? (JBL E-Series Wireless Headphones)

Is it enough to use headphones without a treated room?

 

Last edited: Dec 31, 2017

Get akg k612 or k702/712 if you can afford it. If on budget get samson sr850.
If mixing on headphones choose open back, they also need to be neutral/reference.
Yes its a good alternative and a must if your room is untreated.

 

I suggest you that just do mastering with headphones
for example i have beyerdynamic and I am very happy with it
if you don't have a correct room you have to mix with a lot of reference and experience
i have a good room with a good treatment but I do mastering with my beyerdynamic

 

study , learn and turn every knob of your plugs or hardware to learn what they do . knowing your stuff is key.
collection of. millions of plugins will not help you and the included presets even worse. A B comp with a track you like

 

How many times have we heard that we should mix in mono, either for mono compatibility (kinda redundant these daze) or that by mixing in mono and getting everything sitting together well that the mix will then translate to sterio so much easier and better?

Both of these given reasons for mixing in mono may carry some weight, but the second "reason" may also be better explained below, if you think about it.

No one has "perfect" hearing, whatever that is, and more importantly, no one has exactly the same hearing in the left and right ears, and if you mix in sterio this imbalance will affect your mix, but if you mix in mono you are using your own "optimum" hearing ability, whatever that may be.

 

this is one of the worst advices you can give, mastering with headphones really? never heard about the fact that headphones are the worst to mix and master, they lack real stereofield, and never are 100% flat

 

How about paying a professional you cheap bastards.

 

As a short explanation, if I may: this plug is claimed to cause phase issues and monoing it will probably prevent that.

I use pan swap to compensate this.


My favourite "trick": dynamic eq for taming temporary frequency bumps.

 

Last edited: Jan 14, 2018

Maybe, but when you keeps in solo de mid low and the crossover(around 180/200 hz)is rarely in my experince. But it is ok to prevent, yes.

 

Bugle boy & mullards tubes would do your eq work for you. Clear mids, mud eaten alive, top end waiting to high-five you, bass tighten craving for more.
or
Upper mids darken, transients rounded, tone is creamy yet spacious but hungery for more volume

Meawhile you focus on pan, front & back positions without even pulling up your reverb sends

 

some habits Im developing are not using a limiter on my 2 bus (or at all for that matter)...the right amount of compression, eq and signal processing tends to get me where I need to be, especially for bedroom mixes. I try to never use my master buss, but when I do, I start with a tape insert and and end with one.

Im learning more about MS eq'n, and it's a great tool for spacial and tonal editing. Some guidelines i have are:

- eliminate anything below 20Hz
- Acustica's P series eq's are awesome just for everything (IMO)
- narrow band (not completely) freq's between 40Hz-75Hz (mostly rap).....1.5kHz tends to be my sweet spot for mid, highs....btwn 10k and 12.5k)
- use as many outboard fx as possible oppose to ITB.....i find i use compression OTB more often than vice that (then eq)....(or vice versa)
- leaving at least -3dbfs headroom for vocals and mastering
- most my drums are comp'd at 4:1, quick attacks and releases at or above 750Hz, the higher my release, I add a tiny bit more makeup gain
- a good portion of my source material isn't recorded above -12dbfs and -18, my logic is, "you can always raise volume but its more difficult to smooth out or lower distorted sounds.'
- take techniques from reference A/B's but make your final mix your own.

 

One good tool is to be able to compare IMEDIATELY differences in mix/master. It's similar to A/B switching where you can hear the "before", and "after". The problem with these discussions is that the examples are scattered throughout the threads, so it is a little less obvious the differences. What I have developed is a system that puts all of the different mixes on the same page so you can stop one player and start another immediately, and hear the difference very clearly because you don't have to go look for the other mixes and try to remember what it sounded like. And then at the bottom is a place for discussions. It is an amazing tool for learning from one another. I use it a lot on my own but access can be given to any interested and they can insert their mix and join the comments at the bottom. It's a great tool for comparing and discussing. I want to give this template to anyone interested so they can put mixes in and compare. This page can be either private or public.
https://sites.google.com/site/comparemixmaster/

 

I didn't say that do all your mixes with headphones I said that just master your tracks with headphones and this is just adding volume to your mix
I have a good experience

 

if you can calibrate your headphones never you will say this wrong reply
I think that you haven't an enough experience with mixing and mastering
there is no real rule for mixing
every ones have their own experiences

 

Mixing & Mastering are phases supposed to represent a great translation of a particular song across all types and kinds of audio systems & headphones. Mixing or Mastering on just headphones alone will make that particular song to sound okay on most headphones, but trust me it won't be the same case on speakers and alike. The micro-driver that headphones pack will never represent the bass frequencies as accurately as the great monitoring speakers/a sub would do, so trusting bass frequencies on headphones is not a too reliable idea. Headphones are good to check mixes on them(for the sake of translating well on other headphones/earphones), but not to mix/master a serious record from start to finish. Especially when it comes to PAs, car or hi-fi speakers at home, these can only be predicted through actual reference speakers. Bass frequencies are omnidirectional and they have a specific tendency, behavior, travel and perception inside a particular room/enclosure. Even the cross-feedback between left and right channels in the stereo field, caused by the soundwaves bouncing off the walls and even the sound being reproduced inside the same environment. With headphones, there's no such things. Headphone's left and right cushions/drivers are sealing the sound onto each ear, eliminating any environmental interaction and soundwaves travel, which leads into Left and Right channels being completely sealed from eachother and therefore lacking real world stereo field cohesion and interaction. That's why you'll never see mixing or mastering studios getting the job done entirely on headphones.

Best

 

Just because you got 'em, you don't have to use them. Go easy on compression.