Produce Like A Pro
Taming acoustic guitar to sound like on tape
Marc Daniel Nelson demonstrates how to achieve a tape-like sound on acoustic guitar using a chain of plugins. He starts with Softube Tape for subtle tape saturation, which adds warmth and glue without being overly aggressive. Next, Nelson uses FabFilter Pro-Q 3 for dynamic EQ, targeting the low-end boominess around 280Hz and taming harsh high frequencies. This step ensures the guitar sounds fuller and less muddy, enhancing its presence in the mix. Compression is applied with the Klanghelm MJUC, adding color and slightly tightening the sound without compromising its natural dynamics. Nelson then employs Waves Trans-X for transient shaping, smoothing out harsh transients to make the guitar sit well in the mix and not interfere with the vocal. Finally, a touch of Waves Abbey Road Reverb Plates adds depth and warmth, creating a more natural and inviting acoustic guitar sound. Nelson emphasizes the importance of using these techniques in a subtle way to maintain the instrument's dynamic integrity.
Produce Like A Pro
Smooth out a vocal with dynamic EQ and de-essing
Marc Daniel Nelson demonstrates how to smooth out a vocal using dynamic EQ and de-essing, focusing on reducing sibilance and unwanted frequencies. He starts with the Waves DeEsser to tame the harsh sibilance around 5-10kHz, followed by the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 for dynamic EQ to address additional sibilance and honkiness around 500Hz and 100-250Hz. Nelson emphasizes the importance of careful de-essing to avoid making the singer sound unnatural, and uses a wider bell curve on the EQ to subtly reduce low-mid muddiness. By addressing these issues before applying compression and further EQ, Nelson ensures a clean, balanced vocal that integrates smoothly into the mix.
Mix with the Masters
Smoothen the attacks with dynamic EQ
Tony Maserati employs dynamic EQ in the upper midrange (1kHz, 3kHz) to smooth the attacks of the vocal. Making the cuts dynamic instead of static helps preserve presence and energy while at the same time getting a softer sound that sits better in the track.
Produce Like A Pro
Smoother vocals with Soothe
Darrell Thorp demonstrates how to achieve smoother, less harsh vocals using the Oeksound Soothe plugin. He highlights the simplicity and effectiveness of Soothe, which can be applied to tracks with harsh frequencies and adjusted for depth and resolution to suit the needs of the mix. Thorp showcases the plugin's ability to target and reduce harshness in the 3k range, resulting in a noticeably smoother vocal sound with minimal effort. By switching to ultra mode, he maximizes the plugin's performance, making the vocal feel more polished and pleasant to the ear.
Produce Like A Pro
Reduce cymbal bleed in the room mics with Soothe
Darrell Thorp explains how to use Oeksound Soothe to reduce cymbal bleed in the room mics, making the overall drum mix softer and less harsh. By applying Soothe as a dynamic EQ, Thorp effectively tames the excessive cymbal frequencies, allowing the kick drum's low end and the snare's decay to come through more clearly. This technique is particularly useful when dealing with poorly recorded cymbals or overly aggressive drummers, ensuring that the room mics contribute positively to the drum mix without overwhelming it with harsh cymbal noise.