Snooping After The Great Elixir

[Ruphus]

Most of us know that certain case.
You tracked and mixed some stuff and after tweaking the shit out of it that dang seems to sound pretty good, not boomy, not annoying ... Feels great on its own. Fine.

Next you listen to a really fine mix and realize that your stuff appears like a ball of wool compared to it.

Now, everybody might jump in pulling out that usual phrase like `It´s not the gear, but the person behind it´
Ok, that is true and we all should be knowing it by now. Alright?

Still, you bet those awsome transparent, 3d, and present mixes provided some parameters in materials, apart of the engineers personal blessings.

So far I think to understand a couple of points of that environmental perfection. Even though I havn´t practically figured out about some of their relevances yet ( evidently ).

# A good room to track in.

# Current. No matter what gear, you´ll probably never achieve that certain boldness when current supply ain´t up to task.

# Mics. What makes certain mics so desirable and expensive must have to do with a couple of their items. doh! ehe

The one criteria I am after is that incredible presence that makes a night&day difference to a mediocre signal at exact same dB.
This as far as I think to have understood has much to do with transformers who effect the way FQ ranges are transported in realtion to the rest of signal contents. ( Pardon my Englif.)

# pres that can deliver `the object´like nothing being between mic and listener.

---------------

My question:

That transformer thingy with mics ... As it means some kind of FQ shift ( right?) could one try to achieve similar effect by EQing in the recording chain?

In other words, can EQing effect presence?

Thanks a bunch!

Ruphus

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by Ruphus

Next you listen to a really fine mix and realize that your stuff appears like a ball of wool compared to it.

Are you comparing it to something that has been mastered already?

Originally Posted by Ruphus

Now, everybody might jump in pulling out that usual phrase like `It´s not the gear, but the person behind it´
Ok, that is true and we all should be knowing it by now. Alright?

Yeah but the talent gets still seriously overlooked.

Originally Posted by Ruphus

Still, you bet those awsome transparent, 3d, and present mixes provided some parameters in materials, apart of the engineers personal blessings.

You'd be suprised how much you can do in the mixing stage apart from tracking.

Originally Posted by Ruphus

In other words, can EQing effect presence?

Yes as well as the right compression mixed in with the signal.

Originally Posted by Ruphus

Thanks a bunch!

Ruphus

Your welcome a bunch.

[Ruphus]

Thanks Thrill,

Yes, have been comparing to mastered stuff. But while I expect good mastering to be very capable I don´t think that a mastering facility could bring my mix to that certain tarnsparency that I admire.

Great to hear that about EQ. Have always been trying to make it without, but shall engage some in the future.



Ruphus

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by Ruphus

Thanks Thrill,

Yes, have been comparing to mastered stuff. But while I expect good mastering to be very potential I don´t that a mastering facility could bring my mix to that certain tarnsparency that I admire.

Great to hear that about EQ. Have always been trying to make it without, but shall engage some in the future.



Ruphus

Ruphus,

Maybe you can explain your idea of transparency.

Mine's crystal clear, no coloration,basically what you put in is what you get out.

If this is what you are looking for than the EQ'ing the source may not work cause it will add coloration and distort the reality.

But i don't think this what you want right?

On Eqing i am one of those guys who is not afraid to EQ, heck i've noticed that my best mixes has EQ boosts all over the place(shelving and parametric).

And we are talking more than 64 tracks.

The EQ is a tool and its there to be used if you choose to.

Combined with tasteful compression you can get very good present and clear tracks.

[Ruphus]

Yep, you understood exactly what I mean, Thrill.
Didn´t mean what people refer to as color and colorless, but what you describe.

Have you seen Wittman´s mix here http://myspace.com/williamwittman2 ?
I want that kind of definition ( at best ).

Maybe you remember that thread where I posted a link to Wagners U47 clip and first wondered what the hype was about. Later however I listened more closely and discovered that my recordings at same volume would appear subjectively way more softer and hold back.

One peripheral point is that my front end currently is dropping some HF and I´m having some handselected tubes on the way, hoping to help the matter somewhat, but I know already that this would cover only a part of the problem.

Another peripheral definitly is room. No booth can equal a good sounding room and the physical presence that it can give you.

I know that I can´t achieve the goal with my current ambience and mics, but I gather that I can yet improve on personal skills towards that direction.
So, I am trying to approach the goal with what I have.

Ruphus