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I have figured out how to make fuller sounding songs, but everything I’m producing has a kind of muffled sound compared to more legitimate/professional sounding songs. How do I mix down to make my songs sound brighter and more dynamic?

clayton.dickmann wrote:I have figured out how to make fuller sounding songs, but everything I’m producing has a kind of muffled sound compared to more legitimate/professional sounding songs. How do I mix down to make my songs sound brighter and more dynamic?

Mix with track levels set according to Pink Noise distribution to attain a more balanced mix. Start out like that, then make adjustments for the song in question.

Personally, I use a tool like Melda MLoudnessAnalyzer to weigh the pink noise track to my target LUFS. This way I don't have to change overall levels much later in the mix process. I gain stage all signal paths.

Stromkraft wrote:

clayton.dickmann wrote:I have figured out how to make fuller sounding songs, but everything I’m producing has a kind of muffled sound compared to more legitimate/professional sounding songs. How do I mix down to make my songs sound brighter and more dynamic?

Mix with track levels set according to Pink Noise distribution to attain a more balanced mix. Start out like that, then make adjustments for the song in question.

Personally, I use a tool like Melda MLoudnessAnalyzer to weigh the pink noise track to my target LUFS. This way I don't have to change overall levels much later in the mix process. I gain stage all signal paths.

Awesome, thanks for the tips. How do you attain Pink Noise levels? Does this mean adding pink noise in addition to white noise?

Just take a look at the distribution of frequencies vs levels on a pink noise graph.

Or... https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... -reference

try those;
http://www.maxforlive.com/library/devic ... ence-patch
http://www.maxforlive.com/library/devic ... s-exorcist

and really put an eq on every channel, specially on the fx and voices cut out the lows.
allow lows only where they really wanted. if you have 2 instruments with same lows, better choose
only one then both on same time unEQed..

Hey Tagor, that's a seriously helpful post! Totally changes my take on mixing. The amazing things is, cutting back on those low frequencies not only makes them more distinct, but perceptually they actually seem louder and closer! Can't tell you how much time I wasted on notch filters and other snake-oil advice out there on the net.

sometimes someone has only to find the right words
nice it works for you.

the eq is your swiss army knife..
its the laserknife of the brain-surgeont..
the ring of the rings nearly

Frawnz wrote:Hey Tagor, that's a seriously helpful post! Totally changes my take on mixing. The amazing things is, cutting back on those low frequencies not only makes them more distinct, but perceptually they actually seem louder and closer! Can't tell you how much time I wasted on notch filters and other snake-oil advice out there on the net.

Agreed! Thanks Tagor. Super helpful!!

clayton.dickmann wrote:How do you attain Pink Noise levels?

This was unclear??:

Stromkraft wrote: I use a tool like Melda MLoudnessAnalyzer to weigh the pink noise track to my target LUFS.

Please let me know if you need a more detailed description of this detail. It took me many months to get my head around these things.

clayton.dickmann wrote:Does this mean adding pink noise in addition to white noise?

Not at all. The Pink Noise track is silent and I set levels soloing that and the track needing a level.

As was suggested using an EQ is also central in a well balanced mix. I'd suggest to not cut too harshly. I often use a shelve EQ for rolling off bass or high end. In the default EQ8 setting that is the type of the first band.

You can find weighted Pink Noise files on Bob Katz web site digido.com/downloads. You need to sign up to access these. Look in the General section for "-20 dBFS RMS pink noise stereo 44.1 WAV file".

You add this file to your sample library, if you have one, referenced from Live**. Then drag it in to an audio clip and turn off warping.

I've saved a complete track with this pink noise file weighted to my LUFS target level and saved the track itself to my User Library. I just drag that in when I need it.

Of course there may be other alternatives for creating pink noise.

**by adding the root folder of your sample library to the Live browser as a folder.

Whilst EQ can help...

Arrangement is key. Making sure you have enough elements low and high and mids really help. If its muddy why is it muddy? Too much going on in the low mids? Or not enough high and low to balance out the mix.

I use EQ very sparingly as I have developed. Thats not to say I don't use it - I do but its just to help me tae my arrangement that bit further. But picking the right sounds really makes the difference.