27th October 2012
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#1 | | Gear addict
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 336
Thread Starter  | Cloudy low mids in mix?
I have this mix that sounds almost done but something seems cloudy or smeared in the low mids. It's not a deal killer it just needs some air in the mids.
Should I keep digging in the mix or try some EQ on the master buss.
Thanks,
Larry  | 
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27th October 2012
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#2 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jan 2010 Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 589
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Have you tried putting an eq before your delays and reverbs? That can really help clear up what you are describing.
Go ahead and try some eqing on the master buss, nothing wrong with that, and it could be just what you need. I like to use the Maag eq and boost at 40khz by a few db, sounds very smooth but lets the air come through more.
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27th October 2012
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#3 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,548
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On a master EQ, plug in or 2 buss, cut some 250hz or maybe even a little 200. 250 is the frequency most closely associated with nausea.
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Free the electrons! Use tubes/valves when possible.
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27th October 2012
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#4 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2008 Location: Burbank, California
Posts: 1,566
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Omega Arts  I have this mix that sounds almost done but something seems cloudy or smeared in the low mids.
Should I keep digging in the mix or try some EQ on the master buss.
Thanks,
Larry | This was my same dilemma for the last couple of months now. Being OTB, I looked for a hardware EQ. Quote:
Originally Posted by Ward Pike On a master EQ, plug in or 2 buss, cut some 250hz or maybe even a little 200. 250 is the frequency most closely associated with nausea. | I found that this was almost the exact frequency I was targeting. I think I am closer to 270 Hz, but the basic idea is there.
It is amazing how many EQ's don't go that low in the "low mids". That means you have to use the low band to attack it and do not have a band to add some 70-110Hz shelf.
I finally found something that works, but I still seek something a little higher quality than my solution.
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27th October 2012
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#5 | | Gear Guru
Joined: Jul 2006 Location: So Cal
Posts: 13,885
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The result of warm tube mics, warm pre's, warm tube comps, and a warm overall worldwide esthetic. HPF's are your friend, and a euphonic but clean front end is helpful. Then, every mix gets the LMF cleaned out. Good arrangements that keep the frequency of their associated parts in mind is the secret. All this low mid buildup is just a part of mixing.
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27th October 2012
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#6 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Austin,Tx
Posts: 1,577
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Keep digging in the mix. Sometimes I will mute everything except drums and bass, then unmute tracks one at a time to help identify the main culprits adding to the problem.
Yes, 250hz is a "mud" frequency, it's also where a lot of body lives so cut with caution.
Good points, Dr Bill.
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27th October 2012
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#7 | | 3 + infractions, forum membership suspended.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 814
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I would argue that mastery of this area of the frequency spectrum is the key to mixing and mastering
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27th October 2012
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#8 | | Gear addict
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 336
Thread Starter |
I mentioned earlier the mix sounds good but there's this nagging voice in my head saying "are you sure about the low mids?"
I think get in there and dig it out is the solution.
Leaving it alone for the weekend and go back to it Monday.
Thanks guys.
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
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27th October 2012
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#9 | | Gear Guru
Joined: Jul 2006 Location: So Cal
Posts: 13,885
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Well, time away is always good. That is unless you need to finalize it.  Then time away just prolongs the finish.  | |
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27th October 2012
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#10 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Austin,Tx
Posts: 1,577
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Also might be a good time to roll off a test mix an go listen in a few different environments. Usually this can help point out some of the problems in a near finished mix.
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31st October 2012
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#11 | | Gear addict
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 336
Thread Starter |
I ended up using a UAD Pultec on the master. Just a touuch at 300hz did the trick.
Haven't used the Pultec in a while but went through several EQ's and this stood out on this song.
Hmm?
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1st November 2012
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#12 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Oct 2012 Location: China |
I like to throw a multi-band (Usually Waves LinMb or maybe Flux Alchemist) on the mixbuss and compress just the sub-bass and low-mids--especially on dance mixes. You can take some of the muddiness and mold it into a wad of punch.
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1st November 2012
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#13 | | Gear Head
Joined: Sep 2005 Location: crooklyn
Posts: 39
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There is this thing called mastering....
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1st November 2012
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#14 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2007 Location: Novi Sad, Serbia
Posts: 691
| Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnDavisNYC There is this thing called mastering.... | Yeah, a crutch for unfinished mixes...  | |
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1st November 2012
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#15 | | Gear Head
Joined: Sep 2005 Location: crooklyn
Posts: 39
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Guess it depends on how cloudy... But most mastering engineers I know and work with would rather get a mix that is a little on the dark/murky side than one that has had a bunch of EQ and multiband compression slapped across the mix buss to 'fix' it.
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1st November 2012
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#16 | | one man, ONE mic pre
Joined: Jan 2004 Location: New York |
the idea is to not need to "fix it", but rather whenever possible to avoid CREATING it in the first place.
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1st November 2012
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#17 | | 70% Coffee, 30% Beer
Joined: Dec 2006 Location: Quincy, MA
Posts: 9,135
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There is an evil villain that haunts the studio.
His name is Masking.
I typically have to deal with him constantly, throughout the process, he's everywhere.
But I am always better then him. He's always stuck between two things. I am able to free him of his troubles. When his power has diminished, I feel like I am getting close to finishing the mix, 
__________________ Adam Brass adam@dspdoctor.com  DSPdoctor.com "Where High End is Still King" 
__________________ "Any opinions above are worth exactly what you paid for them." Anonymous "If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward. Thomas Edison
RTFM
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1st November 2012
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#18 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 868
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Mixwell There is an evil villain that haunts the studio.
His name is Masking.
I typically have to deal with him constantly, throughout the process, he's everywhere.
But I am always better then him. He's always stuck between two things. I am able to free him of this troubles. When his power has diminished, I feel like I am getting close to finishing the mix, | If this was farcebook i would give a like to this post.. | |
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4th November 2012
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#19 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,548
| Quote:
Originally Posted by SoZo If this was farcebook i would give a like to this post.. | You can. In the bottom right hand corner of this text box there is a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" icon to click on...
it's right ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> Here
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4th November 2012
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#20 | | Gear Guru
Joined: Jul 2006 Location: So Cal
Posts: 13,885
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Mixwell There is an evil villain that haunts the studio.
His name is Masking.
I typically have to deal with him constantly, throughout the process, he's everywhere.
But I am always better then him. He's always stuck between two things. I am able to free him of this troubles. When his power has diminished, I feel like I am getting close to finishing the mix, | I have no idea who Mr. Masking is, but I have an uncanny feeling that I must have met him at some point in time..... Perhaps I know him under one of his alias's....
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