51 videos
@ 9:44
Splice
Glueing hi-hats to the beat with sidechain distortion
Vaughn Oliver explores the use of the Zef Parisoto FLVTTER plugin to apply sidechain distortion to hi-hats, creating a more coherent and glued-together sound. By setting the sidechain input to a low-end signal like a kick or 808, the plugin distorts the high-end elements, such as hi-hats, based on the low-end input. This technique not only adds a unique character but also subtly dips the volume, enhancing the cohesion between the elements. Oliver highlights the versatility of the FLVTTER plugin, noting its ability to emulate the sound of slamming elements into a master clipper, akin to techniques used in FL.
@ 3:32
Mix with the Masters
Using master volume automation to enhance song dynamics
Reuben Cohen emphasizes the importance of volume automation during mastering to enhance a song's dynamics and musicality. By manually adjusting bus levels, particularly from verse or bridge to chorus, Cohen builds tension and lifts the chorus, creating a more engaging listening experience. These subtle volume rides are designed to be imperceptible to the listener, yet they significantly contribute to the song's emotional impact. Cohen also integrates EQ adjustments into the process, ensuring that all elements work cohesively to maintain the song's dynamic flow and overall impact.
Mix with the Masters
Gain automation for consistency and loudness
Randy Merrill demonstrates the use of gain automation on the master track to achieve a more consistent vocal presence and overall loudness throughout a song. By carefully adjusting the gain, he ensures that quieter sections are brought up without losing the natural dynamics and nuances of the performance. This technique reduces the dynamic range, allowing for a more controlled and natural increase in loudness, which in turn places less strain on the final limiter. It's important to not overdo this process to retain the song's dynamic arc and emotional impact. Additionally, Merrill highlights the use of different EQ and limiting plugins for various sections of the song, adapting the processing chain to suit the evolving dynamics and tonal balance. This approach helps achieve a polished and cohesive final mix.
@ 2:24
Mix with the Masters
Choosing and automating the limiter
Chris Gehringer demonstrates the use of Izotope Ozone 11's dynamic limiter to achieve a cleaner and more balanced master for Dua Lipa's track. He emphasizes the importance of selecting the right limiter settings to enhance the song's character and movement. Gehringer uses EQ to subtly boost the bass, complementing the limiter's inherent color and character. He explains that limiters can alter the frequency balance, so EQ adjustments need to reflect the limiter choice, and vice versa. To address specific sections where distortion or artifacts occur, Gehringer advocates for automating limiter settings. By adjusting Ozone's parameters like the transient setting and character speed, he ensures the song maintains its integrity and vibrancy throughout, highlighting the significance of tailoring limiter settings to different parts of the track for optimal results.
@ 0:20
Mix with the Masters
Playing with compression like an instrument
Jack Antonoff discusses his creative approach to using compression as an instrument, emphasizing its role in shaping space and dynamics within a mix. He describes how he interacts with compression in real-time, feeling its impact as he plays, which allows him to manipulate the high end and create a sense of glue in the mix. Antonoff likens compression to other effects like reverb or distortion, highlighting its potential for expressive use rather than just a corrective tool. By treating compression as an integral part of the performance, Antonoff avoids the static nature of post-processing, preferring to capture the dynamic interplay with compression when recording.
Mix with the Masters
Create a melody that sounds like a sped-up vintage sample to write a song
The focus is on crafting a chorus melody that mimics the vibe of a sped-up vintage sample using vocals. The process involves initially slowing down the project, recording the melody, and then returning it to normal speed, resulting in a unique, sped-up vocal effect. This technique adds a nostalgic, sample-like quality to the melody, providing a creative foundation for songwriting.
@ 0:13
Splice
Programming organic, punchy kick and 808 grooves
Vaughn Oliver demonstrates how to perfect kick dynamics using manual ghost notes and phase alignment techniques in Ableton Live. By adjusting the decay and attack of the kick drum through volume automation and fades, he creates a more natural and organic feel, mimicking the dynamics of a real kick drum. He also employs sidechain compression with the Cableguys ShaperBox plugin to achieve a punchy and tight low-end, ensuring the kick and 808 bass are perfectly in phase.
@ 4:07
Splice
Reducing ambience with Ableton's multiband dynamics
Vaughn Oliver demonstrates the power of Ableton Live's Multiband Dynamics plugin for reducing ambience in percussion and drum tracks. He highlights the often-overlooked 'reduce ambience' preset, which acts like a gate to tighten up sounds by selectively controlling different frequency bands. This technique is particularly useful for cleaning up loops with excessive noise or reverb, allowing you to target specific areas like the low-end decay of a snare while preserving the high-end. Oliver encourages exploring stock presets within your DAW before turning to third-party plugins, as they can offer surprisingly effective solutions for noise reduction and gating. By experimenting with these presets, you can unlock powerful processing capabilities without additional costs.
@ 1:07
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.
@ 6:08
Audiopunks
Compression before distortion for aggressive vocals
Stuart White shares his approach to achieving consistent and aggressive vocal distortion by first applying compression to control peaks before adding distortion. By compressing the vocals heavily, he ensures an even saturation, as distortion is level-dependent and can become harsh if not managed properly. This technique allows the vocals to maintain clarity and avoid harshness, even at high volumes, making them sound creamy and pleasant without causing listener fatigue. White emphasizes the importance of this method in creating a mix that can be played loudly on any system without discomfort, as demonstrated in his work on the track "Don't Hurt Yourself" from Beyoncé's album "Lemonade."
Mix with the Masters
Building a huge string section from 5 players
Malay demonstrates how to create the sound of a large string section using only five players by employing layering techniques. He records multiple takes with a small group of string players, moving microphones and players around the room to capture different perspectives and avoid phasing issues. This approach allows him to build a rich, orchestral sound without the need for a full orchestra, making it a cost-effective solution for projects with limited budgets. By stacking these takes and adding harmonies or different octaves, Malay achieves a full, lush string arrangement. He then uses automation to create a dynamic mix that mimics the feel of a live orchestra, enhancing the illusion of a larger ensemble.
@ 0:02
Puremix
Add depth and punch with a mono kit mic
Greg Wells shares his approach for adding depth and character to drum recordings using a mono kit mic, inspired by Eric Valentine. By positioning a mic like a U47 horizontally over the kick drum, angled towards the beater, Wells captures a focused, punchy sound. He enhances this mono mic signal with EQ and compression, adding low-end frequencies around 60-100 Hz and using compressors like a 1176, Distressor or LA-2A to squash the signal liberally. This processing creates a sound that, while potentially unusable on its own, blends beautifully with the rest of the drum kit to add weight and depth. Wells emphasizes the unique quality of mono mics, which can be cranked without becoming overwhelming, maintaining focus and clarity. They are particularly effective for enhancing the low-end of the kick drum, snare, and toms, providing a rich, full-bodied drum sound.
Mix with the Masters
Building tension with subtle tempo automation
Daniel Nigro, working with Olivia Rodrigo, uses tempo automation in Pro Tools to enhance the drama and groove of a piano-driven track. The song starts at 135 BPM, drops 1 BPM for the chorus to deepen the groove, and ends at 136 BPM to create a smooth transition. The recording process involved experimenting with different pianos, ultimately settling on a Steinway at Sunset Sound Studios. Post-recording, Olivia wanted the piano slowed further, requiring Nigro to manually edit transients and extending the notes to maintain a natural sound without artifacts. The piano was captured using C12A microphones for the main sound and an M49 for the low end. Nigro chose to avoid compression, allowing the piano's dynamics to naturally build tension and drama throughout the track.
@ 1:03
Produce Like A Pro
Better vocal placement with multiband compression
Marc Daniel Nelson demonstrates how to use FabFilter Pro-MB for sidechained multiband compression to place backing vocals behind the lead in a dense pop mix. By sidechaining the lead vocal into a multiband compressor on the backing vocal bus, Nelson ensures that the sibilant frequencies of the lead vocal trigger compression on the backing vocals. This technique reduces the harshness and phasing issues caused by multiple vocalists starting their s's at slightly different times. Nelson emphasizes that this method allows the lead vocal to remain the focal point without overly compressing it, while maintaining the clarity and presence of the backing vocals. This approach helps achieve better separation and makes the mix sound more cohesive and pleasant. Using this technique, Nelson effectively manages a complex mix with over 150 tracks, ensuring that the lead vocal stands out clearly while the backing vocals sit well in the mix.
@ 4:13
Tape Notes Podcast
Bold panning for a wider stereo image
Jack Antonoff, advocates for extreme panning to achieve a wide stereo image, challenging conventional norms. He demonstrates this by hard-panning string parts entirely to the left and right, creating a vast soundscape without relying on reverb or delay. Antonoff also experiments with unconventional panning of low-end elements, such as bass, which are typically centered. By placing one bass track mostly left and another mostly right, he achieves a unique width that defies traditional panning practices. He encourages panning instruments that are usually kept in the center, drawing inspiration from the Beatles' bold panning choices. Antonoff prefers recording multiple takes and panning them across the stereo field rather than only relying on effects to create width.
@ 6:58
Tape Notes Podcast
Playing softer for bigger drum sounds
Jack Antonoff shares his approach to achieving bigger-sounding drums by playing them softly. He explains that playing drums loudly can paradoxically limit their perceived loudness in a mix. By playing softly, the drums can be mixed louder, leveraging a psychoacoustic effect where our brains interpret the sound as being closer and, thus, more impactful. This technique is akin to the sensation of hearing a whisper clearly; when a sound is soft yet prominent, it tricks our perception into feeling as though the source is near. This creates an intimate and powerful presence in the mix, making the drums feel larger and more enveloping without overwhelming other elements.
@ 1:44
Tape Notes Podcast
Building tension with effects automation on the mix bus
Jack Antonoff demonstrates how to create excitement and build tension using delay and modulation effects automation directly on the mix bus. He employs Soundtoys EchoBoy for delay and Soundtoys Tremolator for tremolo, showcasing how these effects can transform a section to feel entirely different. By applying these effects to the master, Antonoff can quickly shift the sonic landscape without getting into the minutiae of individual tracks. This approach allows for dramatic changes, such as making a bridge feel distinct or adding a pulsing movement to a section, enhancing the overall dynamics and interest of the track.
@ 0:24
Tape Notes Podcast
Creating space with creative volume automation
Jack Antonoff, known for his work with Bleachers, demonstrates creative volume automation on instrument busses. By treating automation like an instrument, he adds excitement and interest to the mix. Antonoff emphasizes the importance of spending time on detailed automation, particularly with processed tracks or groups of tracks. By creatively automating levels and panning, he thins out the space an element occupies, giving it a unique supportive role in the arrangement. This technique not only enhances individual elements but also creates space in the overall production, allowing each component to shine without overcrowding the mix.
@ 0:22
Streaky
Widen the vocal to lift up the chorus
Streaky demonstrates how to use the UA UAD Studio D Chorus to widen a vocal, enhancing its perceived size and impact, particularly during the transition from verse to chorus. What is special here is how he ensures the effect is applied only to the stereo sides, leaving the center vocal clean. This technique helps the track's chorus lift and expand without overwhelming the listener with an obvious chorus effect on the vocal. To achieve this, Streaky employs the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 to apply a brick wall EQ, isolating the mid frequencies and allowing only the side signal of the chorus effect to be heard. This approach maintains the vocal's clarity while adding a subtle yet effective stereo expansion.
@ 0:50
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.
@ 2:53
Mix with the Masters
Gain clarity with simple subtractive EQ
Jaycen Joshua demonstrates a simple yet effective approach to achieving clarity and openness in drum mixes using the FabFilter Pro-Q 3 EQ. He focuses on reducing excessive low-end energy in the drums by cutting frequencies around 1100 Hz and below. This prevents the drums from becoming too heavy and allows the upper harmonics to shine through. By removing some of the weight, Joshua achieves the desired separation and openness in the mix, ensuring that each element has its own space and clarity. This method highlights the importance of subtractive EQ to enhance the overall balance and definition of a track.
@ 2:09
Mix with the Masters
Reduce noise on the drum bus
Jaycen Joshua employs the Avid Dynamics III gate to manage noise on the drum bus. He sets the gate with a very low threshold, ensuring it remains inactive while the drums are playing, thus preserving the natural sound and dynamics. However, once the drums stop, the gate gradually closes with a one-second release, effectively reducing any noise floor caused by extensive compression and plugins. This technique is an easy way to maintain a clean mix, and can be applied to other instruments or effects returns to prevent unwanted noise from creeping into the mix during silent passages.
@ 3:48
Mix with the Masters
Mid-Side EQ for tighter low-end and better separation
Jaycen Joshua shows how to use Mid-Side EQ with the Brainworx bx_digital to achieve better separation and a tighter low-end in a drum mix. By reducing masking frequencies in the center channel, he creates space for the vocal, ensuring it sits comfortably in the mix. To help the drums maintain energy, he then adds some of these reduced frequencies back on the side channel. This effectively shifts energy from the center to the sides of the mix, creating a space for the vocal to thrive. He also advocates using the Mono Maker feature to center all low-end frequencies below 61Hz, enhancing the overall clarity and punch of the track's low-end.
@ 1:35
Mix with the Masters
Add color with bus compression
Jaycen Joshua uses the UAD Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor to add color and excitement to his drum bus. He focuses on the compressor's ability to enhance the drums with harmonic saturation rather than heavy compression, keeping gain reduction minimal at a maximum of 1 dB. By "kissing" the compressor, Joshua achieves a rich, vibrant drum sound that maintains its dynamics while benefiting from the subtle coloration and character the Shadow Hills unit provides. This approach ensures the drums remain lively and engaging within the mix.
@ 15:30
Produce Like A Pro
Create space and separation with widening
Nelson amplifies the presence of the main guitar in the mix by applying two key adjustments to a supporting synth track: widening its stereo image and subtly reducing its low-mid frequencies. These changes carve out a spacious backdrop for the guitar, ensuring it stands out with greater clarity. The widening relocates the synth to the mix's outer edges, enhancing the stereo field, while the EQ cut prevents the synth from masking the guitar's tonal body.
@ 16:38
Produce Like A Pro
Enhance character with reverb
As an example of how specific reverbs can enhance the character of a sound, Marc Daniel Nelson uses the UAD Lexicon 224 reverb to imbue synthesizer parts with depth and emotion. This choice is driven by the Lexicon 224's historic synergy with synthesizers, famously used by Vangelis to create iconic sounds. Nelson illustrates how the right reverb choice can instantly convey a specific vibe or era, in this case, evoking a 'Blade Runner'-esque atmosphere.
@ 11:21
Produce Like A Pro
Balance the stereo image with mono reverb
Marc Daniel Nelson shows how to achieve a balanced stereo image by applying a mono spring reverb, panned opposite to a guitar signal. The original guitar track is panned to the right, creating an imbalance in the stereo field. By strategically panning the reverb to the left, Nelson subtly fills out the mix, enhancing its spatial depth without the effect becoming overly prominent or detracting from the mix's overall balance. This approach is especially useful in mixes where a prominent instrument is panned to one side, and there's a need to maintain a cohesive and engaging stereo image. It also works well with other types of mono reverb, delays or modulation effects.
@ 4:45
Produce Like A Pro
Add fullness with colored EQ
Marc Daniel Nelson utilizes a unique, hidden characteristic of the Helios Type 69 EQ to add fullness to the main guitar. The trick involves setting the low-frequency band to 60Hz, but without adding any boost to the band's gain control. This way the EQ circuit subtly shapes and colors the sound, enhancing its richness and thickness without introducing muddiness. The original inspiration for this technique came from Andrew Sheps.
@ 2:21
Produce Like A Pro
Get bigger, more spacious guitars with panning
Marc Daniel Nelson showcases a technique to create a bigger, more spacious guitar sound by using two microphones (Shure SM57 and Beyerdynamic M160) and panning them hard left and right in the mix. This approach leverages the slight tonal and phase differences between the mics to craft a wider, more immersive guitar presence. Key to this method is adjusting the volume of one mic slightly lower than the other, enhancing spatial depth and reducing phase issues without losing the guitar's clear position in the stereo field. Nelson further enriches the guitar's character by applying bus compression with a dbx 160VU, ensuring a vibrant sound.
@ 3:13
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.