Tag: mixing

Basics of Mixing – 5.1 What is EQ (Equalizer)?

Hello, this is Jooyoung Kim, engineer and music producer.

Today, I want to talk about the basics of EQ. There’s so much to cover, I’m not sure where to begin… But let’s dive in!

EQ is a tool that allows you to adjust the volume based on frequency. Why would we need something like this?

The main reasons are:

1) To alter the tone of an instrument
2) To change the position of an instrument in the stereo image
3) To prevent sounds from different instruments from overlapping
4) To fix issues with recorded sources

    We’ll go into more detail on the types of EQ in a later post, but for now, let’s discuss these reasons in more depth.

    • To Alter the Tone of an Instrument

    A drum kick typically handles low frequencies. But is it only low frequencies? Of course not.

    High frequencies contribute to the attack, giving it a punchy feel, while the midrange can be quite prominent and can mask other instruments.

    Thus, by using EQ, you can adjust these frequencies to create a balance that fits the song. This applies not just to kicks but to other instruments as well.

    • To Change the Position of an Instrument in the Stereo Image

    Using EQ to adjust an instrument can change its position in the stereo image. In typical speakers with a tweeter on top and a woofer on the bottom, cutting high frequencies can make a sound seem to move lower, while cutting low frequencies can make it seem to move higher.

    You can also adjust just the left or right side with EQ to move the sound diagonally.

    • To Prevent Sounds from Different Instruments from Overlapping

    Instruments like acoustic piano, acoustic guitar, and synth pads produce sounds across a wide range of frequencies, which can cause other instruments, like vocals, to be masked.

    This phenomenon, where instruments obscure each other, is known as masking. Kick and bass are classic examples of instruments that can mask each other. EQ is a traditional and fundamental way to address this issue.

    • To Fix Issues with Recorded Sources
    Millhouse, Thomas & Clermont, Frantz. (2006). Perceptual characterization of the singer’s formant region: A preliminary study. 253-258.
    Singer’s Formant

    When recording instruments, resonance in the room can cause certain frequencies to be overly emphasized.

    There is also something called the Singer’s Formant, a specific resonance found in trained opera singers. Instruments, too, can have unique resonances or harsh sounds. For example, when recording a violin, the bow can produce a squeaky sound at certain high frequencies.

    EQ is used to resolve these resonances.

    Today, we covered why EQ is used. In the next post, we’ll discuss the different types of EQ and their uses. See you next time!

    Basics of Mixing – 4.2 Panning and Stereo Imaging

    Hello, this is Jooyoung Kim, engineer and music producer.

    Today, I want to talk about panning, which controls the left and right placement of instruments. To explain panning, let’s first discuss how to create a stereo image.

    • Creating a Stereo Image

    Stereo imaging starts with microphone recording techniques. On the left, we have AB stereo miking, and on the right, we have XY stereo miking.

    AB stereo miking forms a stereo image by utilizing the time difference between sounds arriving from the left and right. In contrast, XY stereo miking relies on the volume difference between sounds arriving from the left and right.

    Inspired by this, panning moves the audio source left and right by manipulating volume differences, much like the XY stereo miking method.

    A question may arise: How do we create these volume differences to achieve panning? This is defined by the Pan Law.

    • Pan Law

    Pan Law settings in DAWs typically include 0dB, -3dB, -4.5dB, and -6dB.

    The reason for these settings is that if you move an instrument to the left or right by simply lowering the volume of one side, the overall volume decreases as the instrument moves. This scenario occurs when the Pan Law is set to 0dB.

    In the case of -3dB, the center volume is reduced by 3dB, ensuring the volume remains consistent when moving stereo sources left or right.

    For -4.5dB and -6dB, the center volume is reduced by the respective amounts, making the sound appear louder as it is panned left or right.

    This might sound complicated, but there’s no need to overthink it. Just be aware that there are various panning settings.

    In practice, adjusting the volume balance while panning is common, so you don’t need to worry too much about it.

    • Haas Effect

    I also want to discuss the Haas Effect. As mentioned earlier, AB stereo miking creates a stereo image by the time difference in sounds arriving at two microphones.

    Similarly, what happens if the same sound is played with a time delay between the left and right speakers? The answer is that it will sound biased towards the side that plays first.

    This technique can make mono sources sound like stereo. However, from my experience, recording a double take sounds more natural and fuller than creating a stereo image with the Haas Effect.

    While it’s useful to know, it’s generally better to use this technique only when necessary.

    There are various ways to express panning.

    For example, Logic uses a scale from -64 to +63, while Cubase and Pro Tools use -100 to +100. Some DAWs use clock-face representations.

    There’s also Balanced Panning, which allows free adjustment of left and right panning.

    When sending signals externally using Send from a panned source, the panning settings do not apply. Therefore, each DAW provides a Send Panning function to send the signal with the applied panning.

    That’s all for today. See you in the next post!

    Basics of Mixing – 4.1 Volume Balance

    Hello! I’m Jooyoung Kim, an engineer and music producer.

    In my previous post, we discussed organizing tracks. Today, we’ll delve into volume.

    • Why Volume is Crucial

    Volume is the beginning and end of mixing. Higher volumes bring elements closer to the listener, while lower volumes push them further away. This simple principle helps place instruments within the stereo image created by your speakers.

    • How to Set Volume

    First, listen to some reference tracks. Songwriters often get so absorbed in their own work that they miss when certain instruments are too loud or too quiet. Reset your ears by listening to professionally mixed songs.

    Next, return to your DAW and mute all the tracks. Unmute a key track, such as the kick, snare, or vocal, and set its volume appropriately. Use this as a reference to balance the volumes of the other tracks.

    While adjusting volumes, align the phase of multi-track recordings like drums and start some basic panning of instruments.

    (Note: For more on phase alignment, refer to my previous post: 2.2 Phase and Interference. Details on panning will be covered in a future post.)

    Once you move into more detailed processing, you’ll use volume automation, but this initial balance setup is crucial.

    Avoiding Digital Clipping

    One key point is to avoid digital clipping. If signals in your DAW are too high, the DAC can’t process them, resulting in distorted sound. This is digital clipping, and it prevents proper mixing.

    Clipping occurs when the meter exceeds 0dBFS. Some DAWs can handle signals beyond this without clipping, but if your bit depth isn’t in a float format, clipping can happen when you export, causing damage.

    Ensure your final master doesn’t exceed the 0dBFS peak meter mark to avoid clipping.

    That’s it for today. Keep these tips in mind, and I’ll see you in the next post!

    Basics of Mixing – 3.2 Types and Organization of Tracks

    Hello! I’m Jooyoung Kim, a mixing engineer and music producer.

    In the previous post, we looked at the functions of DAWs along with analog consoles.

    Today, I will revisit the types of tracks within a DAW and share some tips on how to organize them.

    There are about seven types of tracks that can be classified in a DAW:

    1. Audio Track
    2. MIDI Track
    3. Instrument Track
    4. FX Track
    5. Group Track
    6. Aux Track
    7. Folder Track

    Other tracks such as tempo, video, markers, etc., exist, but I’ll skip those as they are more intuitive. Let’s take a look at each type.

    • Audio Track

    Audio tracks are used for audio. You can set them to mono, stereo, or even multichannel as shown in the photo below.

    Since I’m only using a laptop with limited inputs, only 2 out of 13 channels are recorded.

    You can record at the sample rate and bit depth you’ve set and import external audio samples into these tracks.

    • MIDI Track

      MIDI tracks are a bit different from instrument tracks. They can record MIDI signals and send these signals externally.

      For those new to DAWs, this might seem unnecessary.

      These MIDI signals are primarily used with external synthesizers. The MIDI signals are received through the MIDI IN port on the synthesizer, which then plays according to the recorded signals.

      Synthesizers with keyboards can be played and recorded directly,

      but those without keyboards must be played via MIDI signals. Nowadays, MIDI signals can also be transmitted via USB instead of MIDI ports.

      • Instrument Track

        Instrument tracks are used to load virtual instruments and send MIDI signals to them. Like MIDI tracks, you can see the MIDI signals on the track, but they are played back directly.

        Each instrument has its own MIDI CC (Control Change) settings, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the manual of the instrument you’re using.

        *MIDI CC

        MIDI CC is a transmission standard that allows you to control parameters on MIDI-supported instruments/devices.

        Each CC can be adjusted from 0 to 127. Commonly used CCs include:

        – 1: Modulation
        – 11: Expression
        – 64: Sustain Pedal
        – 66: Sostenuto Pedal

        • FX Track

        FX tracks receive signals sent from audio and instrument tracks. In DAWs like Pro Tools and Logic, these tracks don’t exist separately and are found only in Cubase among the DAWs I use.

        These tracks are used for parallel processing or adding reverb, delay, and other effects.

        • Group Track

        Group tracks bundle multiple tracks together, allowing you to process them collectively.

        • Aux Track

        Aux tracks are found in Logic and Pro Tools, used to create FX and group tracks.

        To use Aux tracks, you need to understand the concept of buses.

        * What is Bus?

        Black Ghost Audio

        As shown in a previous post, a bus is a ‘path’ that other tracks go through before reaching the Aux track via the ‘Send’ or Output designation.

        In Aux tracks, you need to specify the channel input to a specific bus for the signal to flow.

        Therefore, Aux tracks used via Send can function as FX tracks, and those used via Output can serve as group/stack tracks.

        This process is sometimes referred to as OOBus when grouping tracks.

        • Folder Track

        Folder tracks are used solely for organizational purposes and do not affect routing. They can mute/solo entire sections or consolidate unnecessary tracks.

        • Organizing Tracks

        Here’s a simple project I mixed.

        Organizing tracks can be done in any way, but I usually categorize them as follows:

        1. Drums and Percussion
        2. FX sources like risers and bells
        3. Bass
        4. Piano/Pad
        5. Other synthesizer instruments
        6. Acoustic/Electric Guitar
        7. Orchestral Instruments
        8. Vocals

        I tend to place lower frequencies at the top and higher frequencies at the bottom. Orchestral instruments are arranged in score order.

        FX tracks sent via Send are placed directly below the corresponding instrument/group track. I prefer designing and fine-tuning FX for each instrument individually, so this method works best for me.

        As you work on multiple projects, you’ll develop your own track organization method, tailored to your convenience.

        However, organizing tracks can significantly speed up your workflow, so having a consistent routine is beneficial.

        That’s all for today. See you in the next post!