GGD
Using Saturn's dynamics to tame cymbal bleed
Adam 'Nolly' Getgood demonstrates using FabFilter Saturn's dynamics to effectively reduce cymbal bleed on snare tracks. Inspired by Eric Valentine's approach to high-frequency saturation, Nolly applies Saturn's multi-band expansion to gate high frequencies above 1K, significantly minimizing cymbal bleed while maintaining the snare's attack and presence. During a live recording session, Nolly discovered that Saturn's dynamics knob could intelligently manage bleed without introducing latency or compromising the snare's character. He provides an A/B comparison to showcase the dramatic difference, highlighting how this technique enhances the snare's clarity in a mix. Nolly also explores Saturn's potential as a multiband channel strip, using it to adjust the snare's tonal balance during tracking sessions. By setting the crossover at 1K and fine-tuning the dynamics, he achieves a natural, present snare sound with reduced bleed, demonstrating Saturn's versatility in both mixing and tracking scenarios.
Mix with the Masters
Parallel distortion: Making vocals cut like The Strokes
Ben Baptie employs parallel processing to give The Strokes' vocals more character and aggression, making them cut through the mix. He duplicates Julian's clean vocal track in Pro Tools, applying Isotope Trash for distortion and thinning out the sound to emphasize the mid-range. Baptie uses a Waves C6 and a FabFilter Pro-Q to control the low end, followed by an 1176 compressor to manage dynamics. This processing occurs in the box, before the hardware main vocal chain, ensuring the vocal retains its dynamic quality while adding a distinct edge. Baptie creates a parallel 'mult' with plugins like the SansAmp and L1 limiter to further drive and limit the vocal. This approach crafts a middle ground that enhances the vocal's presence and clarity, resulting in a signature sound that is both aggressive and clear. To ensure accurate phase alignment, Baptie instantiates the same plugins on the original track but bypasses them. This serves as a safety measure against possible inaccuracies in the DAW's automatic delay compensation, maintaining the integrity of the combined vocal sound.
Mix with the Masters
Get 808s to cut through with parallel distortion
Jaycen Joshua demonstrates how to make 808s cut through a mix using parallel distortion with the UA Ibanez® TS808 Tube Screamer plugin. In the parallel path, he begins by rolling off unwanted high frequencies using the FabFilter Pro-Q 3, focusing on reducing everything above 129 Hz to clean up the sound. This approach allows him to add his own upper harmonics with the Tube Screamer, resulting in a more musical and pleasing presence without harshness. By emphasizing these upper harmonics, Joshua ensures that the 808s remain audible even on speakers that lack sub-bass response, achieving a balanced and impactful low-end that stands out in the mix.
Streaky
Get the bass to cut through with parallel saturation
Streaky demonstrates how to make a bass cut through on smaller speakers using parallel compression and saturation with FabFilter Saturn. He sends the bass to a parallel bus, applying an SSL compressor with a 4:1 ratio, slow attack, and fast release to maintain transient clarity while achieving a fat, compressed sound. Next, he uses FabFilter Saturn to add saturation, focusing on the higher frequencies above 140 Hz. This technique enhances the bass's presence by introducing harmonics without altering the low-end character. By blending this processed signal back into the mix, the bass maintains its power on club systems while ensuring clarity and presence on smaller speakers. This approach effectively balances the bass's impact across different playback systems.
SonicScoop
Use distortion to bring the bass upfront
Sylvia Massy applies distortion to the bass to enhance its presence and prominence. She uses the Sansamp PSA-1 plugin by Avid, a part of her mixing template, to add a "buzzy", "crispy," and "fizzy" quality to the signal. The distortion increases the bass's audibility, helping it to cut through the track better and come more the front of the mix.
Mix with the Masters
Manipulate phase to make the bass cut through
Nick Launay illustrates how he enhances the presence of a bass recording through phase alignment. He achieves this by applying varying amounts of sample delay between the direct input (DI) and the microphone signal, specifically in the verse and chorus sections. This approach modifies the phase interactions, which in turn affects the EQ characteristics of the combined bass signal. It allows him to precisely tailor the bass's impact, ensuring it has a consistent presence and cuts through effectively in each part of the mix.
Universal Audio
Get the snare to cut through with EQ and compression
Yip uses a combination of EQ and compression to help the snare cut through a dense mix. First in the chain is a UAD Neve 1073 EQ to add top-end, upper midrange, and bottom end to achieve a bigger, more present tone. The 1073 is then followed by mild, but colored compression with an UA 1176 (long attack, fast release, 4:1 ratio, 3dB gain reduction) to achieve a more consistent sound. Lastly Yip adds a UAD API 560 EQ to add some more presence and remove some of the muddiness brought out by the compression.