How to make your song sound good on any system?

[Kozak]

Hey guys,

I have made countless snippets of music and have finally reached a level where the music starts to sound like the music I like (Noir, Vandalism, Dirty South). I use alot of compression at the right places. I know alot of people don't like that but the trend is loudness and I follow the trend so to say.

The problem is that on my high end sound system the music sounds really good (harman kardon 5:1 surround with music presets). When I play it on my 30$ computer speakers it doesn't sound good. Some pieces sound out of place and to loud. Now when I play a song of an accomplished producer it sounds good on both systems.

My question is....how can I achieve this? I don't have monitor speakers yet but I guess monitor speakers are more 'honest'? Can they immitate both my high end and cheap speakers?

KGs

[logic_user99]

I'm gonna have to say 'yes and no' to monitors as a sole production tool.

Yes, a pair of very nice speakers (Makie 824s esp) will play back exactly what you put down (or at least EXACTLY what you have layed in your recorder). However, sometimes they can be a little too honest and you can end up taking out alot of the 'charachter' of your mix; the bits that you can't hear on 99% of the systems that you'll get your tunes played on!

I would suggest getting a pair of monitors (something like Alesis Monitor 1 Actives are quite nice, if a little bass-light) and a pair of hi-fi speakers - that way, you can compare the two.

Often, using an iPod or CD player on a hi-fi is even better, as that's the medium that people will generally listen to your stuff on.

[andy hunt]

yes you really need good monitors and some mixing skills, this is the only way you get good results. monitors don´t immitate cheap or expensive speakers, they are "flat", so you can place your instruments perfectly in the mix. when you mix on hi-fi systems you have the problem that the systems don´t want to sound flat, they want to sound bigger, deeper and bassy. they make the music sounds better, but this is not what you need when you make your own music, because you must hear is there to much bass, less mids and so on. and only with good monitors you hear this!

[pulsoc]

One of the most helpful approaches I have picked up has been to listen back when mixing at very low volumes to test. Then you can really hear what parts over and underwhelm.

[eduardoborsuci]

surround system is not a good thing for mixing... you hear different things based on where you sit relatively to speakers, rear speakers can have a different freq. response than front ones (and center), not to mention the woofer which can be a real beeotch when mixing. I had a 5.1 system until I bought fostex studio monitors so I know what it's like. So, besides getting the monitors:

1) the FFT analyser helps as a first aid so you can actually see what frequencies there are in each of your tracks.

2) play the tracks that play simultaneously in your mix and monitor the FFT analyser for overlapping frequencies. use EQ8 to eliminate or at least dampen the overlapping frequencies. this may seem as an additional work with no audible results, but the thing is that your 5.1 system plays them with no problem (it separates the instruments well) but a shitty system plays them in a messy way.

3) as for compressors, you can use sidechain for similar result as described in point 2, but not frequency-like but volume-like.

[kaffein]

Room / Monitoring Chain / Ears = 3 weakest links in the chain...

Acoustically treat your space, get the best monitors you can afford, and take care of your hearing.

[Khazul]

+1 in what kaffein says.

The only true way to make something sound exactly right on any given system is to mix it on that system.

Failing that then you try to remove as many vriable as possible and instead aim for an ideal system in an ideal environment done by a person with ideal perception adn ability to recognise and correct problems.

So basically if you own listening environment (monitoring, accoustics, your own perception and experience) aint right, then no hope. The basic problem is we tend to correct at mix time for deficiencies in what we hear. Most home studio sufer badly from poor frequency response, poor impulse response (ie too 'live') and poor imaging (and due to being too 'live').

Surround systems are a complete pain inthe arse to mix on as well *unless* you hjave the complete system calibrated for you listening position(s). As well as frequency balance, calibrating for loudness helps hugely as well - look up K-System metering and all the monitoring calibration that can go with it - ie pick and get intimately familiar with a specific moniiring level in absolute SPL terms.

With all that - then train you ears - get used to listening to alot of well produced material at that level on that calibrated system. test yoursel as well - bury sounds in fx washes and see if you can pick them out on that systsem, or on headphones or other systems - if you cant on yours and can on others - then there is still something wrong.

Experience of course takes time, in the mean time - try to cut out asmany other variable as possible.

[knotkranky]

Don't drive yourself crazy with it. Forget the "same" on all systems. It's a myth if meant to be literal.

A/Bing is your friend. Put those artist CD's you respect into the same systems as you check yours. If the same problems come through on all artist, then you can relax. Just make sure the songs you check against yours have similar gain, track density, tempo, style etc. Don't underestimate headphone checks too and take acoustics out of the equation in your tests.

[Moody]

Try your best and if all else fails pay someone to master it for you. Usually one has to choose to be an artist or be an engineer. Either direction consumes enough resources as it is.