It talks about the global financial crisis and is sort of a tourist guide around the countries that got hit the hardest in the crash.

Iceland is one of them. In fact, it’s the first chapter of the book.

Lewis is not too kind in describing the methods the Icelandic males used to basically bankrupt the country, but he is accurate.

You see, the Icelandic male is really, really proud. Almost too proud.

We like to think we have Viking blood and so usually refuse to listen to outsiders, thinking that we can make it better on our own.

And that sadly, was the downfall of the Icelandic economy. A bunch of erroneously proud bankers that didn’t listen to a single financial advice from the countries around them. Even if they were more educated, experienced and wiser than the bankers themselves.

If you’re proud of the things you do, it’s hard to get a second opinion. Especially when that second opinion contradicts everything that you think is right.

But it’s always helpful to get a second opinion or advice from someone you trust.

Sharing your mixes with a fellow engineer or getting input from people you admire might reveal things in your mixes that you didn’t notice before.

Maybe their monitors show a particular imbalance in your frequency selection. Maybe their room gives a different depth to the reverb you choose.

Maybe you didn’t realize how much reverb you added to the mix. Maybe they notice inconsistencies that you did not.

Everyone has an opinion, and you can learn a lot from taking the advice of people more experienced than you.

Take the advice, or at least give it some merit. You don’t have to agree with it all, but it’s foolish not to think it over.

Don’t be proud. Professional advice can result in a better mix for you and your client.

For my advice on your mixes, check out Mixing Strategies.

From time to time I hear a mix that has dubious stereo imaging.  This can affect both acoustic or electronic mixes.

For acoustic mixes it is often the mic technique that creates problematic stereo images. For electronic mixes, there are a variety of reasons why bad stereo imaging occurs.

By dubious I mean the stereo image does not have the traits of a professional mix-down. It may be too narrow with many monophonic sources or it might be too wide sounding with possible phase problems, e.g. not mono compatible. This can be due to over use of stereo width enhancers or it may suffer from blanket application of effects across multiple mix tracks.

Make Sure It Works in Mono

When you mix your track it is important to mono the track and make sure that the track does not sound excessively different in mono.

It should maintain a similar tonal balance in mono with some sources even sounding slightly louder. If you have a serious phase issue for any sources they will tend to lose bass or drop significantly in level when summed in mono. At worst, they’ll vanish from the mix entirely. So make it a habit to check your mix in mono as it builds.

In some instances there may be a single stereo source that is out of phase between the channels and goes unnoticed. We all want to have wide, punchy sounding mixes and this can be a challenge for the beginning engineer.

After all, there are many technical aspects to learn when you’re first starting out. One common issue I have found is the application of a single effect across multiple mix tracks. Reverb is the most common stereo enhancing effect in people’s mixes. I would like to take the stereo image aspect of mixing back to the starting point and look at the sound selection. (drum hits, samples, synths, vocals, effect sweeps and other elements that make up your music)

In many instances people tend to start their track by picking sources that they like the sound of. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, it’s what we all do. However, it is worth introducing another layer of selectivity when you choose your sound sources.

Stereo for the Electronic Musician

For electronic musicians it is important to understand whether your source samples and sounds are monophonic or stereo. If they are mono they will have exactly the same information in the left and right channels and if they are stereo they will have a sense of space.

If you are unsure. try mono-ing some sources in your DAW and see if the stereo image changes. If there is no change then the source is mono but if the source loses some depth and space then it is highly likely to be stereo.

The reason I suggest this is so that from the outset you will be building an appropriate stereo perspective into your music. Sounds that are commonly stereo (the technically correct term being pseudo-stereo) would be synth patches (pads, leads and some basses), synthetic snare drums, sweeper effects. Sounds that may more commonly be mono may be kick drums and instrumental samples. There is no hard and fast rule so use the mono-ing technique above to find out if the sources are mono or stereo. Doing this results in less problems with phase as you will be avoiding these pseudo-stereo creating techniques.

Avoid the Unnatural

One of the most unpleasant techniques some people use to artificially enhance the stereo imaging is to put a short stereo reverb on all the drums, the synths and bass line which are all from mono source samples. This produces a slight sense of extra depth. However it also produces an unnatural and unpleasant global coloration to all the sources and has a somewhat “cheap” and subtly metallic sound to the mix. So from the outset, pay attention to your choice of sounds when you are building the track.

If you want to create a pseudo stereo image for a specific mono source, you can use a few different techniques. In fact adding a little reverb is perfectly OK, but limit it to one sound source and don’t apply the same reverb to every single source you have.

• You may wish to double up the mono source on 2 channels, pan hard left and right and delay one side by a few milliseconds. (always double checking mono compatibility by mono summing or checking on a correlation meter)

• You can add a subtle stereo based delay to a sound which can widen the sound (often a subtle ping pong with hard left panned delays can do the trick).

• Another technique is to double 2 mono sources panned hard left and right and apply two separate digital graphic EQ plug-ins. Create opposing EQ boosts and cuts to each signal so they don’t have the same sounds. At any given frequency the left channel gets a boost and the right gets a cut through all the available bands.

Stereo imaging enhancers rely on already available stereo information in a source. By all means use them sparingly to assist width creation but be aware in over-use since mono compatibility may fail. All these enhancements can be used with care and in moderation with actual stereo sources to give a deeper and wider mix sound. Also, do not be afraid to leave a mono source strictly mono as it all adds to fill the stereo image in a natural way.

Know Your Sources

As well as sources that are very narrow it is worth being vigilant towards overly wide sources.

For example, many factory synth patches are created to sound big wide and lush. In some instances this is overdone and when summed to mono they can sound very different. In such instances, knowing how to program your favorite synthesizer comes in handy.

When these techniques are applied with care and respect to mono compatibility, they should produce a fuller, stable, mono compatible and more euphonic stereo image for your mixes.

None of these pseudo stereo image enhancing techniques replace good source selection but they can help with adding some subtle and extra width to a mix-down that is otherwise lacking stereo imaging.

It is highly recommended that all experiments are checked for mono compatibility either through mono summing your stereo bus or checking on a freeware phase scope like “Flux stereo tool” or “Voxengo Span”. Selecting from a wide palette of sound sources helps bring a natural depth and separation to your mix-down.

Image by: pittaya

Don’t worry. I haven’t quit and I didn’t die.

In fact, I’m recharged and ready to rock.

When life happens and everything piles up at once, there are two things you can do.

1. Fail

Steven Levitt, one of favorite economists and the author of Freakonomics, has the motto of embracing failure.

Fail quickly. Because it’s useless to keep doing something you’re bad at if you know you’ll never improve.

Find something else you’re good at.

Failing doesn’t mean giving up. It means refocusing your efforts.

If you suck at mixing electronic music but excel at metal mixing, then concentrate on your strengths.

If you like creating an “album sound” out of a bunch of different tracks, then maybe you should concentrate on mastering rather than mixing.

Whatever it is that’s dragging your audio efforts down, just let it go. Fail fast and quickly, Find something else you’re good at.

The other thing I recommend is a little less drastic.

2. Take a Step Back

Sometimes you’re so involved in your work that you’ve lost sight of the big picture.

You need to take all variables into account.

Like mixing a solo’d snare drum won’t help your drum sound if you don’t put it into context with the rest of the kit.

If you become OCD over one single thing, then the session as a whole won’t matter.

That’s when it’s time to take a step back. That’s what you need to do when you’re mixing.

Take a step back and collect your thoughts and plan ahead.

Get a fresh perspective, a second opinion or a break for your ears.

A break can help you see your mix in a different light. A second opinion can give you a different perspective of what works and what doesn’t.

And finally, a break might be just the thing your ears need.

Come back recharged and ready to rock. That’s what I’m trying to do. What about you?

If you need help seeing the big picture in your mixes, check out Mixing Strategies.

Image by: wwarby

Say hello to my little friend!

Or rather, say hello to my three little gangsters that do your dirty EQ work for you.

1. The Thug

The thug is like Joe Pesci from Casino. He’s the hired hand that does all the dirty work for the family. He doesn’t hesitate to get rid of you any way he can.

Use the thug when you need to cut unwanted frequencies from your mix. He’ll cut anything that’s causing you annoyance: snare rings, muddy bass or hissy guitars.

The thug gets rid of pests without making a mess. He likes it clean and untraceable. Like surgical EQ with a high Q. Just scoop in there and get rid of what’s annoying you.

2. The Godfather

The godfather is like Al Capone. Everybody knows he’s the boss, but the cops can’t prove it. He uses legal businesses as a front for his criminal enterprise. They all know he’s dirty, but they can’t pin it on him.

Think about the godfather when you mask frequencies. Masking is when you boost a higher frequency to hide the problematic frequency below. Say you have a really nasally vocal at 1 kHz or but you can’t cut it without making it sound unnatural. By boosting 3 kHz you mask that nasal sound by covering it up with a more flattering frequency.

Sometimes you need to hide the problematic frequencies. Mask them and none will be the wiser.

3. The Undercover Cop

Think about Tim Roth as Mr. Orange in Reservoir Dogs. When things start getting real ugly, everything’s gotta go. When you get a bunch of low-lives together in a room, there’s gonna be a stand-off and that’s never gonna end well.

Because sometimes you gotta get rid of everything. If you have problems with your low-end, you need to grab that EQ and filter everything out. Make sure that the only things left are the instruments that belong there in the first place.

The undercover cop gets rid of the criminals in the most dangerous way possible: by infiltrating their midst. The same goes for your EQ’ing. Use the filter carefully. Get rid of the scum, but don’t hurt the frequencies around them.

–

Maybe I’ve been watching too many gangster movies between mixing sessions, but these are the three characters that continually resurface.

Similarly, these are the three things to always keep in mind when you’re using EQ. Know when to cut, filter and boost and EQ’ing will be easy for you.

For a great guide on knowing when to use each of these thugs….I mean things, check out Understanding EQ.

Image by: julianrod

Homemade absorbers are a popular DIY project for the home recording engineer. They’re fairly simple to make and really effective in the corner of your studio. Diffusers are more complex, but you can get away with a really simple design.

This weekend I created five 2×4 bass traps to go with my already purchased Auralex foam.

And man my studio sounds good.

How to Make the Panels?

I followed Jon Tidey’s instruction over at AudioGeekZine.com. He has a really good tutorial on how to make homemade absorption.

The only difference in my case was:

• 4 inch Panels – I bought 3 4″ inch Owens Corning Fiberglass boards as well as 6  2″ Roxul Mineral Wool boards. I combined these to make 6 4 inch panels. The thicker the panel, the better the bass trapping. I wanted to control that low-end as much as possible.
• Different Cloth – I didn’t use speaker cloth as Jon did, since it was too expensive. Rather, I found some cheap breathable fabric that I put on the first two traps. After I finished that I bought cheap black gauze for the rest. I would spend a little extra money next time to get fabric rather than the gauze. It rips easily so you have to be extra careful.
• Diffusion – I made one of my panels into a simple diffuser that I placed at the back wall.

How to Make the Diffuser?

Many diffusers are simply panels with convex angles that direct sound in different directions. Other diffusers are more complex and involve complex mathematical ratios to help scatter and diffuse the sound most effectively.

I simply put a thin MDF board on top of one of my bass traps, put some leftover wood in the middle and angled it down on top of one of the bass traps. Here is the MDF panel with the wood stapled to it. The wood panel in the middle will act as the highest point on the diffuser so that when I push the ends down, the panel will end up in a convex shape.

After I laid the board on top of the bass trap I simply stapled it in place with a helpful serving from my staple gun. Then I finished it up with some black cloth to make it look better.

To attach it to the wall I nailed a picture frame hanger to the back and hung it on a nail on my back wall.

Since this diffuser is actually a bass trap as well, it has the extra bonus of eating up the lower frequencies while diffusing the higher ones.

The MDF panel reflects the higher frequencies and the convex angle of the panel helps scatter them all around the room instead of having them bounce right back into my ears.

The lower frequencies won’t stop at a measly MDF panel but some of them will get absorbed by the fiberglass inside.

Is this one just as effective as a complex quadratic diffuser? Probably not, but it sure beats the bare wall behind it.

Ps.

My room is sounding better than ever because of these traps. My old Roominator kits from Auralex are great, and I still use them, but the extra absorption and bass trapping I’m getting from these panels is making my room more balanced and my music clearer.

If you’re interested in learning more about acoustic treatment, whether it’s DIY or store-bought, check out www.UnderstandingYourRoom.com. I’ve been listening to that webinar while doing my studio remodel and the tips Joe and Gavin hand out have been invaluable to me.

Check it out here.

1. The Best of Production Advice

My friend Ian Shepherd over at Production Advice has come out with a new ebook, The Best of Production Advice.

It’s exactly what it says in the title. It compiles all the best posts from his site into one convenient ebook package.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer browsing through a PDF file rather than aimlessly browsing posts on a website. It has more structure and you feel like you’re getting somewhere.

Ian is well-known as a mastering engineer, but this ebook tackles all sorts of audio production subjects.

I actually believe that his 7 Crucial EQ Bands to Help Balance Your Mix chapter is worth the price alone, it’s THAT useful. But he also has about 20 other chapters ranging from recording to mastering.

Click here to check it out.

Remember, there’s a 100% money back guarantee so there’s no risk in checking the ebook out.

Since we’re on the subject of Ian’s crazy adventures, let me build some buzz about his upcoming cool thing.

2. Home Mastering Masterclass

Ian is creating a video course that allows you to take a virtual seat beside him and watch him work his mastering magic.

His readers really wanted to see his tricks, so I would assume you do as well.

He’s going to show you how to master a few different genres, pop, rock, dance and jazz to name a few.

This is a sort of fly-on-the-wall experience that you learn the most from.

But don’t let me bore you, he’s created a video introduction to the series.

Check it out here if you’re interested.

Ps.

I’m a big fan of Ian’s products. I’ve watched his Multiband Compression video, and I’m currently reading his Best of ebook. But I do make money if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

I recommend this stuff because I know it is useful to you, but I do make a commission. Just wanted to let you know if you didn’t already.

Ok, thanks. Have a good rest of the week!

Image by: Mooganic

I’m not a high-roller, but I do like gambling. Especially at games like Blackjack where you have a system and don’t just rely on blind luck.

Blackjack is a great game to play if you know how to play by the book. You can play for hours if you just follow the simplest of systems.

For instance, if the dealer has a 5 and I have a 12, then I stay and don’t ask for another card. There’s a higher probability of him busting so I’ll stand my ground and hope the probability plays out. You always hope the dealer busts, and when he has a low card there’s a higher chance of him busting.

I also always hit on 16 whenever the dealer has a 7 or higher. You always assume that the dealer’s other card is a 10, so by default you’ve lost. But if you hit and get anywhere from an Ace to a 5 you’re better off. I’d rather hit and lose than wait and lose anyway.

And finally, always split on Aces and eights and double down on 10′s and 11′s if you’re higher than the dealer.

Why did I tell you all this?

It’s a system. A system is basically a set of guidelines and rules that I’ve memorized. It’s actually a pretty great system that works most of the time. You don’t always win, but you can end up playing for a long time without losing any money.

Compression works the same way.  Just like in Blackjack, the system I use with compression has a greater probability of working, so I stick to it and tweak as needed.

I follow my go-to presets in my head whenever I’m mixing. A kick drum starts with a ratio of 4:1, a gain reduction of 3-6 dBs and a medium attack and release. With just a few tweaks from there I’m able to get the sound I want.

Bass guitars start with the ratio fairly high, the attack fairly fast and more gain reduction than other instruments just to get it fat and steady. Sometimes that works well, but other times I need to move things around to get the bass to sound right.

And finally, I always parallel compress the drums and shape the snare compressor in time with the track. Just like doubling down on 11 is the smartest move, so is buss compressing the drums. It just works 90% of the time. If you want that punchy drum sound without overpowering the rest of the mix, that’s the way to go.

There’s a system for everything. My system helps me work faster since I know from experience what usually works. Given a good starting point, a great result is just a few tweaks away.

If you need help figuring out your system for compression, check out www.UnderstandingCompression.com.  

Image by: Images_of_Money

Three.

One to actually change it, while the other two stand around telling him how they would have done it better.

HAH!

Terrible jokes aside, that’s actually the state of the business you’re in.

You strive to do your absolute best in a session just to have some stupid know-it-all rip it apart as soon as he hears it.

Talk about a downer right?

Have Faith in Your Skills

Now, a common saying goes, “if you THINK it sounds good, it DOES sound good.”

While this is true most of the time, you still need to have the skills to recognize a great sound before you can decide that it actually does sound good.

Makes sense right? You couldn’t solve a math problem without first having the skills to actually do the math.(Math analogy is over, you can stop crying.)

Similarly, you first need the skills to recognize great sounds before you decide on what makes up a great sound.

But once you have those skills, and you really know what sounds good, then it is good.

Once you have confidence in your ability to make great recordings, then by all means ignore all those other engineers. They’re just expressing their opinion.

Sure, they might have done it differently, but they wouldn’t have done it better.

Screw ‘em. Invest in building your skills as a recording engineer. Don’t worry about those other engineers. They didn’t get to screw in the lightbulb in the first place.

Skill Building

Check out some of my recommended resources for building your skills. Whether you’re having trouble with EQ, compression, mastering or home recording, there’s a resource there for you.

Image by: Cayusa

1. Find the Sweet Spot

The sweet spot is where the instrument sounds the best. Usually this is a pretty subjective sound, but there are some guidelines to go by.

• Acoustic Guitar – The sweet spot is usually where the neck meets the body, around the 12th fret. This is where you get a balanced sound, or a good combination of highs and lows.

• Electric Guitar – When talking about electric guitars, we’re usually talking about the amplifiers. The sweet spot on an amplifier is where the dust-cap(the center cap) of the cone meets the cone itself. It usually gives you a smooth sound, without the harsh attack of the center of the rounded tone of the edge.

2. Double Track Your Guitars

Double-tracking guitar can be overlooked. You might not have the time to do it, or just can’t seem to make it sound right. When done well, double-tracked guitars really thicken up the guitar sound and make a strummy acoustic track sound lush and wide and a rock guitar sound thick and powerful.

• Acoustic Guitar – If you want a different take on double-tracking acoustic guitars, try different chord voicings with a capo. Check out How to Create a Wall of Acoustic Guitars for more information.

• Electric Guitar – Double-tracked rock guitars are tricky. You need to have a tightly recorded double in order for them to sound good together. Check out Jon Tidey’s great post on double tracking rock guitars

3. Find a Space

If you have a lot of guitar tracks, chances are they are all fighting for the same frequencies. You can’t make all your guitars sit on the same frequency. They’ll get in the way of each other and it will create a cluttered mess out of your guitar sound.

Create a space for each guitar track with EQ. If you’re boosting one frequency on a particular guitar track, cut it on the other. Give each guitar track an individual EQ curve, so that each guitar has their own space. This makes each guitar stand out on its own, giving you better definition and clarity in your guitars.

4. Smooth out the Edges

Sometimes you need to smooth out your guitar sound. They can sound a little rough around the edges. Your acoustic guitar might have a clangy string sound or your electric might have too much distorted hiss.

• Acoustic Guitar – Are you dealing with an acoustic guitar that sounds brittle and hars? This ”cheap-o” sound of an acoustic guitar can be mellowed out with EQ. Reducing the mids, around 800 Hz mellows out the brittle string sound and increases the warmth.

• Electric Guitar – Noisy hiss from distorted guitars can really ruin an otherwise great take. Use a low-pass filter to take out all the unnecessary highs you don’t need. If that doesn’t work, try cutting in the high mids. Too much of 4 – 8 kHz can really bring a guitar sound down with too much hiss.

ReThink Guitars

If you’re still struggling with guitar production, or just want to know more about it, then head on over to The Recording Revolution. Graham Cochrane just released a new addition to his ReThink series, ReThink Guitars.

Check it out here.

Image by: MightyBoyBrian

We’re trying to justify some shortcoming we have, and we usually end up lying to ourselves instead of fixing the situation.

Lie #1 – I Don’t Need Acoustic Treatment

Yes, you do. I’m sorry to break it to you, but you really do.

Do you tell yourself, “I don’t need acoustic treatment because I mix at such low levels?”

Well, lower levels help keep the reflections away to a certain extent, but what about the times you want to crank up your mix to see how it really sounds?

Yeah, that’s right. Your walls will come crashing down with all that flutter echo, your mix won’t sound even and your bass response will suck.

That’s why bass trapping and absorption is so important. You need to tame the lower frequencies and reduce the reflections.

Lie #2 – I’ll Fix it in the Mix

No you won’t. Especially if your source sounds terrible to begin with. You can only mix a bad recording up to a certain level. It will always sort of sound mediocre. Great source sounds and recordings will only result in better mixes. Fix it at the source and get it great from the start.

Lie #3 – Compression Can Fix This

If you look at compression like some miracle cure for a wimpy kick drum sound or an un-even bass guitar, you’re mistaken. Compression can’t really fix anything. It can make things sound better, punchier and more tame. It won’t fix an already broken recording. Compression can’t fix it, but it can make something cool even cooler.

Lie #4 – Nobody will notice this Edit

Yeah, they will. Especially if it’s a misplaced drum hit, or an off-tempo chord strum. Music loving people will notice when something is wrong with the music. They’ll notice your bad edits.

Lie #5 – It’s Probably in Tune

Probably is not enough. You have to be absolutely sure it’s in tune. Just try recording a guitar part over a slightly out-of-tune bass guitar. It’ll sound terrible, trust me. Make sure your instruments are in tune.

Lie #6 – We Won’t Go Over the Budget

You probably will. That’s why budgets are estimates. They usually don’t hold in the long run. Also, if you underestimate the amount of time needed on a specific instrument, you will most certainly run out of time, and over budget.

Lie #7 – Reverb Will Make Everything Sound Bigger

Big reverbs can certainly make things sound big, but they can also clutter everything up. Interestingly enough, shorter reverbs or delays make things sound bigger, not the other way around. Big reverbs have their place, but don’t think it’s the only way to make your mix bigger.

Lie #8 – Louder is Better

No. Just no. If everybody is screaming at you at the same time, you won’t listen to anybody. Don’t try to make the loudest record of all time. Have faith in your audience. They will turn up your music if they want it loud.

Lie #9 – An Hour is Enough to Edit Drums

Tedious tasks like editing can take forever. Don’t allocate an unrealistic timeframe to a task you know is going to take longer. Drum editing ALWAYS takes longer than you think.

Lie #10 – Better Gear Will Make My Recordings Better

Finally, better gear will NOT make your recordings better. Your skills make your recordings better. Don’t think a better EQ will make your EQ’ing skills better.

Understanding EQ makes your EQ’ing better.

Image by: teotwawki