Hi guys! Sometimes I receive "thin" mixes and I would like to fill the spectrum in mastering (often I only have access to the 2track mix). What solutions do you know to fill the entire spectrum?
Almost always the gap is around 1kHz or on the mid-high frequencies.

 

What do you want to fill them up with? This isn't snark but you have to make a decision on which parts of the frequency spectrum you want to use to make more prominent in the hole you are perceiving and if that result will sound good while preserving the artistic intent and sound of the track.

If a bell or dynamic bell at the corresponding dip doesn't sound good and you think you can stuff in some low end harmonics in there without adversely affecting the sound and clarity in that region you could try a parallel mix in of heavily tilted and compressed signal with a harmonically rich compressor on very fast attack and release times. Filter off the bottom and mix in to taste.

That's just one scenario of many possible ones though and it might not sound good on the final output.

It's a lot easier to deal with specifics as for the most part there is no one solution fits every issue when doing these things by ear.

 

use pro Q3, enable the auto gain (that A yellow button bottom right corner), cut that specific area with ridiculous amount ( -15-20db) with wide to medium Q, the track will not sounding thin no more

 

What is the gap? You mean you feel there's a lack of 1khz prominence in the whole mix or what is it exactly?

Is it a specific instrument that is lacking some presence or is it on the whole song ?

 

Some options:

• talk to your client about it.
• boost that frequency range with EQ
• use dynamics to fill the gap.
• use saturation to fill the gap.
• use reverb to fill the gap.
• leave it as it is.

 

You word it as there is something missing in the mix. Is it missing something in the instrumentation and vocals that makes it lack in the mid-range? Then that's what the mix is that you have gotten. If you are trying to "fill it up" with something that isn't there on the approved mix, then you are altering the mix (esentially).
Double-check if you have gotten the correct mix by the engineer/label/band (and maybe ask if they are aware of the "missing" weight around the mid-range).

Or do you mean you want to do gentle corrective EQ, parallel saturation, dynamic EQ on the resonances/loud parts (in order to get the equal loudness curve a bit more under control)?

Edit: Is the music/track instrumental?

 

Last edited: Jun 14, 2023

pretty wide bell cut at 2k or 5k. and gain compensation. In this case you will lose the whole transint of the music, so it will take some extra work. It doesn't happen often, but the best way for me is to ask for stem

 

Theres a big gap in the mid frequencies as well. Want to fill that up too?
Context is important.
Can check the frequency curve with sonible true balance as well. Not one fits and it doesn't matter.

Everyone who suggests tools or strange eq settings without instrumental context lacks fundamentals big time.

 

Last edited: Jun 14, 2023

Wow thank you, what u mean with "use dynamics to fill the gap" ?

 

The track is vocal (super pop) on a beat. With truebalance or SPAN i see a dip in 1khz - 5khz area but if i boost there (in mastering, so vox + inst) the vocals sounds extremely nasal.
I say the track sounds good like that, but it doesn't flow with the album tone so i want it to be in the same curve

 

If the track sounds good and you just want to make it fit the album a little bit more you can try this.
Use something dsm 2 from plugin alliance or dseq and capture the spectrum of a track from the album that you would say is like "the standard" of the album sound. (Afaik theres a plugin where you can import several tracks (of that album) and then the program uses the average spectrum of all those tracks but rn i dont know that plugins name).
Then you spectral compress the track to a point where it fits the album sound.
To me that would be the easiest and (and often best) approach in this situation..

 

Wow useful plugin, but the problem here is that the part of the spectrum is "carved", so if i raise it the vocal will be over-nasal

 

Then you would need to find the balance where the track fits the album tone better but the vocal isnt overly nasal already.

Also you can try to seperate the vocal from the track with AI. Then you could try to process the instrumental track seperately.

 

Yeah, nasality is at 1k. Telephony at around 2k, presence harshness at 3-4k, etc.
Maybe you could try a dynamic EQ on the Mid-channel (as in M in M/S) to tame the mid-range when the nasality/telephony gets too loud. Otherwise, ask if they can send a slightly edited mix after your suggestions.

 

Thank you all guys, I'll try for a compromise. Just for understanding, in case once have access to the vocal and all the instruments/stems etc.., how would you resolve this without making vocals too nasal? I mean, i can't add new instruments and the beat has a hole in that frequency range

 

Easy, mute the vocals, add the freq in question to the main out and hear which sounds benefit from it and which not. Then apply this EQ to the appropriate tracks ((maybe even) to different amount).

 

One way to make vocals fit without too much overlapping/masking is to actually carve out a bit in the music, where the vocal is most present (could be around 800Hz or 1k or 1.5k, as well as around 500Hz "body"). It seems you already have that atm. That way the ("good sounding" and not too nasal) vocal will fit nicely.
If you however say that the vocal STILL is too nasal, you can simply attenuate that 1k-ish area with EQ or dynamic EQ on the vocal track.

Edit: If we are talking stem-mastering ("mixtering") you can put a Wavesfactory Trackspacer on the music and send the vocal to the sidechain input. A tiny amount of ducking goes a long way.

 

Last edited: Jun 15, 2023

Thank you all for the suggestion, very useful