For as along as I can remember, I always mixed records only by ears and never paid close attention to the different analytical tools telling myself I would be misguided in a wrong direction as the tracks I was mixing were unique.

While I still partly believe this is true to an extent, I've grown to learn the existence of Spectral Matching techniques and while I do believe it shouldn't be followed as an exact curve in a mix scenario, I also believe that it grants someone great benefits of achieving his target faster and with more confidence.

I am currently using Izotope Tonal Balance Control and analyzed a few dozens of my favourite reference tracks that I use as a target when mixing different type of songs.

It really helped a lot and give my ears more down time to fix specific issues and not trying to guess the general tonal balance for too long.

I recently tried Sonible true:balance and the readings are quite different especially in the low and mid frequencies.

Trigger friendly PSA, this is only to show the difference in target curve of both analyzing plugin:

While he didn't use the same reference track on both, you can try it for yourself and will immediately see the discrepancies between both.

So my workflow is usually to quickly do a rough gain staging pass across my different bus, analyze my mix against a target curve, A/B with the same reference track and finally do a quick gain staging rebalance if I hear something is off.

I then apply some correction EQ on my instruments, Instruments Bus and also Mix bus ( I don't use the functionality of Izotope to send the target curve to be applied by Izotope plugin but I use other linear EQ) to roughly match the target and follow with a limiter set at a specific Dynamic Range target and start to address specific instrument issues based out of clarity or resolution problem I hear and I think I should fix.

I usually take a break and start over again from where I left when I closed my session repeating the same steps.

Now, yesterday I came across another one of those Spectrum analysis plugin.

Its from Melda (MautoDynamicEQ and MautoEqualizer) and it seems to offer (like Izotope) an analyzer + target curve integration but with a few other functionality I find interesting.

I haven't tried it yet but before going in, I thought why not ask other M.E. and see what issues they see in those tools and how they use it (or not).

So here's my questions:

1 - Which analytical tool is the most accurate one between the three? ( or if there's a better one let me know ) as there is huge discrepancies between Izotope and Sonible.

2 - Would it make sense to use the integration between those analytical tool and its EQ counterpart of the same company to apply a rough target balance without going all the way in at 100% and then apply some more if need be afterward or would you still prefer to do it all by hand with a trusty plugin after?

 

thes snake oil BARF

 

I just use minimeters these days, honestly...

 

Can't speak for most accurate, but I'm completely happy with MAutoDynamicEQ for EQ matching, resonance finding, dynamic EQ and pitch tracking EQ. Not much to say other than that it's technically excellent like all of Melda's stuff - at the cost of having a terrible GUI and being less automated than most other tools in its category. It'll also spit out an impulse response - pretty handy if you use it to match guitar tones.

 

In Samplitude is an excellent spectrum analyzer built in, why should I use third party plugins?

 

Would you mind going about your workflow with the MAutoDynamicEQ and how you approach correction?

As I said earlier, I noticed quite a few interesting options on that specific plugin and I'm wondering how you personally use it on a full mix situation.

 

For roughing in mixes I have used the sonible plugs. They seem to be the most accurate to real world conditions. For spectral analysis/tooling the FLUX Analyzer has gotten the nod more than once. I always leave an instance of RME Totalyzer sitting on the desktop in 3rd octave mode monnitoring the main stereo mix bus. When It comes down to where the pedal meets the metal on final mixes I have to trust my monitors/ears more than the plugins.

 

Defaults for new instances:

- Top: Set to 'Edit' mode (like all the Melda stuff)
- Right side: Collapse Toolbar, Meters & Utilities, MultiParameters.
- Middle: Expand Bands and Automatic Equalizer
- Middle: Set Smoothness to 2% (it won't pick up narrow resonances otherwise)
- Bottom right: 'Settings' - Enable 'Use peak filters for resonance removal' (I rarely want notches)


Per track:

- 'Analyze target' until the curves settle down.
- 'Remove resonances'
- In the 'Band' section: 'Swap gains' - turns all bands into dynamic mode.
- Turn off all bands and turn them back on one by one, dial in 'Dynamics' until satisfied. I rarely change from auto attack and auto release. I don't always keep all bands.


To match instruments with high precision, say guitar:

- In the 'Analyzer' window: 'Settings': Enable 'Super Resolution mode'
- Find isolated guitar section, put MAutoDynEQ on track, 'Analyze source'
- After curves settle, 'Copy' (Toolbar) or just move the plugin to the target instrument track
- Play same notes on target instrument, 'Analyze target', 'Make target sound like source'
- Right side: Toolbar, 'Create IR', load IR into IR loader (or just skip and keep MAutoDynEQ on track)


To broadly match another track's tone / balance:

- Smoothness to 5%, disable Super Resolution, Analyze source -> Copy/Move -> Analyze target.
- Bottom right 'Settings': Consider adjusting bottom and top frequency to ignore your own sub/kick/bass. Adjust number of bands.
- 'Make target sound like source'


Pitch tracking EQ:

- Enable a band, put some gain on it.
- Right side: Utilities -> ≡ next to Mod 1 -> Learn -> Wiggle band's frequency.
- Click 'Mod 1', change to 'Pitch', adjust settings (ranges) in left half (Pitch) and right half (Parameters)

 

@xorome has said all I wanted to and then quite some more. Melda's EQs are the shit in EQ matching uses

 

That's awesome @xorome !!

Thanks for sharing.

I'll give it a shot now.

 

i still use har-bal, never fails me. only thing is that it's stand alone