Thread: Question about my Mixing Control

Well technically I always mix with some kind of reference in mind weather it be compressed or uncompressed audio. I also differentiate my mix between things that would be considered a hot mix (like game audio) or a not so hot mix (Jazz tunes). IDK the problem may come from (like you say) how I mix and enhanced the tracks, and what I'm listening on. I just thought that with an eq (preferably panaramic) that I could emulate the problem in the speakers and get around that problem in the mix. Then again, it may be the media speakers that I'm "B"ing on. They may just be a load of crap (also considering they are old as dirt), however they seem to translate preaty good with commercial CD's and game audio so that may not be entirely correct.

As far as monitors I use two KRK5's and two Event 5's. So I think a sub would help (not two considering both spaces). I know the more intimate space has a few accoustic problems (part of the reason because it's not treated yet) but none too drastic to not get an overall feel of how my mix is reacting to normal situations. I know your not supposed to mix on media speakers but it's still ok to attenuate the signals to addjust it to the reference, then go back to your mixing environment to finetune the adjustments (which may be a bit a lot higher than your first mix) with a little more eq and some multiband compression right?

Not quite sure what you mean by "begins to muff"? Is that anything like a "muff muncher"?

Ok to get a better idea of what I'm doing let me explain what I do with my mix:
When I'm satisfied with a mix that sounds great in my sequencer I naturally mix it down to a stereo track. I then send the mix through Wavelab to be enhanced and then fine tune the enhanced file with some multiband compression and enhancement (I dont think I have an exciter)and some Eq using the Waves L3 Multiband enhancer, the LinMB Compressor and Broadband Eq, and also the 10 band panaramic eq. Lastly to overall enhance the track and get it to 0dB, I add in the L3 Ultramaximizer carefully to avoid clipping, and overcompression (which if you have things like claps will tend to wash the attack). On all this I turn the dither off and set it to moderate shapping with a warm release on the compression (depending on what the track is doing). After I'm satisfied with the mix (all elements seem even and all) I then Render the file and transfer it as a data file instead of a CD track to my intimate space (considering also I have the ditherer off and would cause more problems to evaluated a dithered mix (I dither with the L2)).

At this point the track when I listen back seems to almost always have a large increase in the mids, and elements that translated well even when I did the enhancement in the mixing environment seem to get somewhat lost such as snares, and claps which wasn't the case in the mixing environment. I had a case once when the snare was poppy in the mix environment and had some character, turn into something as if I added a hollow reverb to it. The attack decreased and it basically almost sounded like a washed Tom. Naturally I increased the frequencies around 5k. It improved a little, but didn't translate as well I expected it to like in the mix environment....Bass shapping is not too bad though. The mix also seems to have a decrease in the high frequencies as well on these speakers. So then I eq again in this environment and compress the track if necessary (now that I think about it, I probably should consider normalization at this stage instead of compression huh?). After that I bring it back to my Mix environment and the track will (probably almost obviously) have a significant increase in the high frequencies.

So what I want to know is why for some reason I cant hear these mid increases and high decreases before I get to the other envirnment? If I could hear that, then it would really make my mixing alot easier. Listening equipment I would guess would be the answer. So I guess to get a better Idea, a sub would be my best bet and I guess the best place to put it would be in the more intimate (for now untreated) environment which also requires me to move two of the speakers from the mix room into that room considering the mix environemt is (again) in a loft.

By "intimate space", do you mean bedroom. That's where I typically get intimate, although sometimes the couch is convenient and occasionally the kitchen just has to do.

Seriously though, why is it that you have to have two different rooms with which to mix? It seems like without having professional room treatment you'd want to get acclimated to one environmet and not have to adjust back and forth. Once you find an example of the type of mix that you want, it'd be easier to stay consistant in one mixing environment.

Remy,
Out of curiosity, what are you reference CDs. I like to use Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, The Beatles - Abbey Road, and most anything Steely Dan.

I guess I should clarify. I would mix in one environment, but I'd check it in as many as possible. I love getting in the car at about 4am to cruise the neigborhood and check a mix. Don't forget the Clear-Eyes! I keep a bookshelf system, a component system, a boombox, and a home theatre system in various areas of the house to check my mixes, too. But honestly, the car is the #1 most important place to make it sound good (to me).


Show biz kids making movies of themselves
You know they dont give a *huh?* about anybody else...

By far a car is the best place and practically my final.
Yes my bedroom (and in the future my mixing room) is my intimate space considering the area where I mix now is on a second story loft. So in order to escape the loft ambiance and get a much clearer idea for my mix, or just a better idea of what my mix is doing, I transfer to this intimate space.

What would probably help me now is what kind or set of speakers I should get (not brand), or how should I set up my current speakers if I want to utilize the bedroom as a mixing (or I guess remixing) environment. Like, should I keep two speakers in the current mixing environemnt and two in the bedroom, or do what I'm doing now and keep four in the current mixing environment and use the media cabinet speakers untill I can get another set of speakers to listen on? If I want to get a bit more accurate with my monitors, I should shoot for (in the bedroom (when I get the money)) mid feild monitors and a sub woofer I guess? I just really want to hear where all this mid and hidden elements are comming and going from before I listen to them on the media speakers.