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ATTENTION MUSIC PRODUCERS - DOWN MIXING TIPS (SHARE FOR NOM)
13 years ago
I'm taking it upon myself to share some knowledge out there to aspiring music producers like myself!
Here are some quick key notes I keep in mind when working on a down mix. For your learning pleasure, give them a try, compare results!
Share this with anybody else you think might find it useful!
SUB - The lowest portion of your track. Sub frequencies are lower than kicks and can be tricky, especially since they will tend to use more volume than a kick. I usually aim a single 20-100hz sub frequency to hit no higher than -18db. Lower frequencies for your sub, based on notes, you may want to try and go as low as -24db. The sub area is one that requires a very precise automation, but focus in this area will pay off when your track starts gaining strong feeling when played back.
KICK - Most tracks will have some form of a kick percussion in them, even in classical music they use a timpani for the low rumbling buildup. In the mix down, this is considered the loudest sound you'll have, as measured by how much volume it is going to use up on the master channel. I try to aim the peak of my kicks to hit no higher than -8db. Remember that a kick starts at a higher area of the spectrum, and commits downward towards a sub frequency. Balancing this with the sub will be probably the most tedious portion of basic down mixing.
SNARE - Following most kicks will be percussion that has more punch to it. A common mistake is to try and match it with the strength of the kick. However, most snares are found to be perhaps -1 to -3db less than a kick. This is to prevent possible stacked impact sounds, as if two percussive elements hit simultaneously, it'll be louder, snappier, and sometimes harsh on the ears at certain volumes. I try to aim the peak of my snares between -12db and -10db. This gives room to add some gain on the EQ for punchier snares. These share similarly with kicks, in starting high and committing closer to the kick frequencies. This may be tedious to balance with the Kick and the Sub.
LOW MID - These are what most people refer to as "the bass" of a track. All those wub wobs and yoi yois. This is not the case. In fact, this is a frequency that finds itself floating over sub bass frequencies in "the drop", so it tends to sound thicker, and is usually set between 300 - 500Hz. A key here is to EQ cut everything below 300hz on these sounds and let it float with the sub to mimic it's lower end. I try to rest anything in this frequency somewhere around -18 to -24db, matching it along the SUB volume for thicker sounds and richer sounds. This is where basic SAWS hit.
MID - From roughly 500Hz to 1.0Khz, this is your basic synth area. Proper EQing in this area can be done to sharpen up LOW MID sounds. I try to pull these a little further from sub frequencies, and aim them around -21 to -28db.
HIGH MID - From 1.0Khz to 3.0Khz, this is where you'll find more tones like a piano and roughly the initial impact of most sounds in their striking. Proper EQing in this area can sharpen MID sounds and add more pluck or impact. The higher the frequency, the less volume they will take up, so in this area, we can risk using more volume on this section. I try to place these between -18 and -24db.
PADS / ELEMENTS - 3Khz to 10Khz is an area to I use to bring back clarity into the track. We can use more volume here and bend a lot of frequencies to shape and sharpen sounds in the lower frequencies. In this section, depending on the frequency, we can peak things around -12 to -18.
EXCESS - 10Khz+ is generally a runoff area for white noise, reverb and the ambiance carefully placed just right in between parts of your track. It may share some of the higher sounds in PADS and ELEMENTS in areas closer to 10Khz. The rest of the section doesn't really call for any specific dB placement on our mixing, but most sounds in this basic mix down will probably bleed off into this region around -36 to INF, depending on their volume.
That's a basic rundown for down mixing. Your track will probably sound a bit quiet, but that's the point. You want to mix at lower volumes.
Brickwall Limiting (a common term in music production) can be used to bring your sounds out from this low volume, as well as glue everything you are mixing together a bit more firmly together so that things sound clean. punchy, and well mixed. I usually place a Brickwall Limiter on a SEND (or RETURN) track, and tweak it into channels individually for optimal mixing.
I hope this helps you out, dude! :D
Here are some quick key notes I keep in mind when working on a down mix. For your learning pleasure, give them a try, compare results!
Share this with anybody else you think might find it useful!
SUB - The lowest portion of your track. Sub frequencies are lower than kicks and can be tricky, especially since they will tend to use more volume than a kick. I usually aim a single 20-100hz sub frequency to hit no higher than -18db. Lower frequencies for your sub, based on notes, you may want to try and go as low as -24db. The sub area is one that requires a very precise automation, but focus in this area will pay off when your track starts gaining strong feeling when played back.
KICK - Most tracks will have some form of a kick percussion in them, even in classical music they use a timpani for the low rumbling buildup. In the mix down, this is considered the loudest sound you'll have, as measured by how much volume it is going to use up on the master channel. I try to aim the peak of my kicks to hit no higher than -8db. Remember that a kick starts at a higher area of the spectrum, and commits downward towards a sub frequency. Balancing this with the sub will be probably the most tedious portion of basic down mixing.
SNARE - Following most kicks will be percussion that has more punch to it. A common mistake is to try and match it with the strength of the kick. However, most snares are found to be perhaps -1 to -3db less than a kick. This is to prevent possible stacked impact sounds, as if two percussive elements hit simultaneously, it'll be louder, snappier, and sometimes harsh on the ears at certain volumes. I try to aim the peak of my snares between -12db and -10db. This gives room to add some gain on the EQ for punchier snares. These share similarly with kicks, in starting high and committing closer to the kick frequencies. This may be tedious to balance with the Kick and the Sub.
LOW MID - These are what most people refer to as "the bass" of a track. All those wub wobs and yoi yois. This is not the case. In fact, this is a frequency that finds itself floating over sub bass frequencies in "the drop", so it tends to sound thicker, and is usually set between 300 - 500Hz. A key here is to EQ cut everything below 300hz on these sounds and let it float with the sub to mimic it's lower end. I try to rest anything in this frequency somewhere around -18 to -24db, matching it along the SUB volume for thicker sounds and richer sounds. This is where basic SAWS hit.
MID - From roughly 500Hz to 1.0Khz, this is your basic synth area. Proper EQing in this area can be done to sharpen up LOW MID sounds. I try to pull these a little further from sub frequencies, and aim them around -21 to -28db.
HIGH MID - From 1.0Khz to 3.0Khz, this is where you'll find more tones like a piano and roughly the initial impact of most sounds in their striking. Proper EQing in this area can sharpen MID sounds and add more pluck or impact. The higher the frequency, the less volume they will take up, so in this area, we can risk using more volume on this section. I try to place these between -18 and -24db.
PADS / ELEMENTS - 3Khz to 10Khz is an area to I use to bring back clarity into the track. We can use more volume here and bend a lot of frequencies to shape and sharpen sounds in the lower frequencies. In this section, depending on the frequency, we can peak things around -12 to -18.
EXCESS - 10Khz+ is generally a runoff area for white noise, reverb and the ambiance carefully placed just right in between parts of your track. It may share some of the higher sounds in PADS and ELEMENTS in areas closer to 10Khz. The rest of the section doesn't really call for any specific dB placement on our mixing, but most sounds in this basic mix down will probably bleed off into this region around -36 to INF, depending on their volume.
That's a basic rundown for down mixing. Your track will probably sound a bit quiet, but that's the point. You want to mix at lower volumes.
Brickwall Limiting (a common term in music production) can be used to bring your sounds out from this low volume, as well as glue everything you are mixing together a bit more firmly together so that things sound clean. punchy, and well mixed. I usually place a Brickwall Limiter on a SEND (or RETURN) track, and tweak it into channels individually for optimal mixing.
I hope this helps you out, dude! :D
