Dicko
Joined: 16/06/08
Posts: 189
Loc: Allesley
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Newbie Mix Question
#996597 - 07/07/12 10:24 AM
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Hi
I'm mixing at home driums, bass, guitars and vocals for what could be described as
rock verging on punk rock music
I've noticed using monitors or headphones that
depending on the volume the level of the vocals seems to change.
If i lower the
volume they are more prominent and if i raise the volume they merge into the rest of the
mix more.
So the question is, how do i make them sit in the mix at the different
volumes or would the mastering engineer be able to compensate for this ?
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narcoman
active member
Joined: 14/08/01
Posts: 8469
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Re: Newbie Mix Question
[Re: Dicko]
#996609 - 07/07/12 11:14 AM
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Look into fletcher Munson . It's to do with frequency perception at different volumes
combined with your own decision making.
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The Elf
active member
Joined: 14/08/01
Posts: 8164
Loc: Sheffield, UK
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Re: Newbie Mix Question
[Re: Dicko]
#996615 - 07/07/12 11:45 AM
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...and it's a good reason to arrive at a constant reference monitoring level and return to
it as a matter of course as you make mix decisions. If you don't have a reference level
then your decision process will always be coloured by how loud your monitoring is at any
point in time.
--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.
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Dicko
Joined: 16/06/08
Posts: 189
Loc: Allesley
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Re: Newbie Mix Question
[Re: Dicko]
#996812 - 09/07/12 07:02 AM
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Thanks.
I'm monitoring at a volume that's not too loud (Mike Seniors Mixing
Secrets)
But when i'm happy with the mix i try different volumes and also use
headphones and earbud phones to check.
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Mixedup
active member
Joined: 03/09/03
Posts: 4255
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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Re: Newbie Mix Question
[Re: Dicko]
#996874 - 09/07/12 01:00 PM
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You have no control over the final playback volume which is set by the user, so, like so
many things in mixing, it's about striking the right balance: just as you have to strike
the right balance between the mono and stereo mixes, you have to strike a balance between
how the mix works at different playback levels. THIS ARTICLE in SOS March 2012
might help a bit, as it goes into what causes the imbalances and what are appropriate
monitoring levels in different rooms, but Mike's book also explains it pretty well.
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Hugh Robjohns
SOS Technical Editor
Joined: 25/07/03
Posts: 18403
Loc: Worcestershire
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Re: Newbie Mix Question
[Re: Dicko]
#996875 - 09/07/12 01:07 PM
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The tendency when mixing is to work with elevated listening levels because that make
mixing easier. However, most people listening to the music for pleasure will typically be
listening at much lower levels. This is especially true if your target audience is
listening on the radio or TV. If its a mix that's intended for clubs then the target
audience is likely to be listening louder and you might need to adjust the balance
accordingly.
You need to take these things into account when mixing, as it's
another compromise that has to be made.
I strongly second the advice about
defining a reference monitoring level and sticking to that though!
Hugh
--------------------
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound
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Dicko
Joined: 16/06/08
Posts: 189
Loc: Allesley
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Re: Newbie Mix Question
[Re: Dicko]
#996876 - 09/07/12 01:11 PM
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Thanks guys
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narcoman
active member
Joined: 14/08/01
Posts: 8469
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Re: Newbie Mix Question
[Re: Dicko]
#996907 - 09/07/12 04:19 PM
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Quote Dicko:
Thanks.
I'm
monitoring at a volume that's not too loud (Mike Seniors Mixing Secrets)
But when
i'm happy with the mix i try different volumes and also use headphones and earbud phones
to check.
things DO have a
different balance at different levels. its why I pointed you to FM curves. The bass
changes its perceived volume (as does the top end) the louder you go. Do the same with
commercial mixes and, whilst they'll be more in control than your mix is coming across,
the levels will still appear to change.
Mostly, though, you can't mix in
really bad rooms.
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Mixedup
active member
Joined: 03/09/03
Posts: 4255
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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Re: Newbie Mix Question
[Re: narcoman]
#996985 - 10/07/12 09:07 AM
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Quote narcoman:
The bass changes
its perceived volume (as does the top end) the louder you go.
Not just perceived volume, either - level
affects perceived pitch too.
So, to re-cap. Find a sensible reference level
for your room and have metering calibrated appropriately. Stick to that level for most of
your mixing process. On occasion, try turning up or down to check that the mix is working.
Make notes if you need to about what works or doesn't. Then return to the reference level
and make tweaks to get the best compromise.
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