Adding "air" to make your mixes sound more "open"

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by Rockman

Hi guys,

I actually did find one or two other threads on GS about this topic... but I still didn't get quite the exact info I was looking for.

Simple question... when you guys do your own "low budget" mastering (i.e. not in a pro mastering studio), how do you add "air" to your mixes? Meaning... is there a general specific freq where you start? 12K? 15K? 16K? ... and do you generally add shelving? bell? and how many dBs generally do you add?

I usually add 28k with my Avedis E27's.

Also, I mix my stuff ITB and use Waves Renn plugs. I have to say that I never quite liked the sound of the high end on these plugs. But maybe I'm doing it wrong... ? Anyone want to share their insight (specifically about the Waves plugs?). I've read an interview with Bob Ludwig where he mentioned certain plugs that he considered to be "good" (for DYI mastering), and the Waves Renn were one of those he mentioned... So I was curious what you guys thought about them (specifically for adding that "air").

I don't think using plugin EQ's for adding air is a good thing... You can do a LOT with plugin EQ's, but for some reason this aspect is never quite right to my ears. Get a pair of analog EQ's and use them!

[bob katz]

Here's a tip:

Ironically, EQ is not always the best solution to helping make mixes sound more "open". Often added high end the result can get edgy and harsh and pull the listener away instead of draw them in. Be sure you evaluate any overall high end boosts on a set of accurate monitors. Remember that mastering deals with the overall mix of all the instruments, and you're going to affect everything, including the vocal, and potentially change the mix balance as well.

So, if the record sounds lifeless and has no depth, but it's not overcompressed, and EQ is not doing the job: then try using an early reflection generator like in the TC VSS4. A snare drum in a dead room gets very piercing and harsh when HF is boosted, but adding a tetch of early reflections can transform it and get the "highs" you were missing without sounding harsh.

[BLueROom]

Originally Posted by bob katz

Here's a tip:

Ironically, EQ is not always the best solution to helping make mixes sound more "open". Often added high end the result can get edgy and harsh and pull the listener away instead of draw them in. Be sure you evaluate any overall high end boosts on a set of accurate monitors. Remember that mastering deals with the overall mix of all the instruments, and you're going to affect everything, including the vocal, and potentially change the mix balance as well.

So, if the record sounds lifeless and has no depth, but it's not overcompressed, and EQ is not doing the job: then try using an early reflection generator like in the TC VSS4. A snare drum in a dead room gets very piercing and harsh when HF is boosted, but adding a tetch of early reflections can transform it and get the "highs" you were missing without sounding harsh.

excellent advice

[m. chan]

I don't really know what i'm talking about when it comes to mastering but perhaps if you want more air and shine you could look into audio exciters or something like the BBE sonic Maximizer. If you use it sparingly it can add more dimension and a hint of shine in the high frequencies. Atleast that's what I can HEAR

[joelpatterson]

I fear that this little gimmick will make the "serious" mastering guys faint-- or just shriek, maybe.

One time I was given a few records by a "name" cello player, long since out of print, with an eye to transfering them to CD and revive (somehow) the fellow's career. While these were professional recordings, they were of the era of orchestral recordings that began and ended with a stereo pair thirty or forty million miles away from the nearest player. I *guess* this was the standard of the industry at the time, but it sure made everything seem teeny-tiny, except for the grande finales that *finally* filled up the stereo field. Mostly, it sounded dim and in a galaxy far, far away,

So...

After sussing out what the actual reverb in the hall at the time was doing, I concocted an "e'verb" in Digital Performer that did the same thing, only more so. I layered a whole lotta this 'verb into the mix, and SUDDENLY IT ALL CAME ALIVE! Suddenly, there were the players, in three dimensions, not adrift on some yonder shore, but right there! The "identitfying factors" just hinted at in the original mix were honed and highlighted and brought out.

I was pretty vague with the customer exactly what I'd done... but they really liked the result.

[audiomichael]

Sometimes 1 db at 12k or 15k with a Massive Passive does it for me...for software EQ the UAD Pultec is nice at the top, also Waves LinPhase EQ is also nice.

Also x2 what Bob said. Sometimes the best solution is to back off on the L2 or 2 bus compression to let the mix breath a bit.

Sometimes the air can come at a track level. I find sometimes that a little more top end on the snare or lead Vox can open up a track.

Also, many people snub using reverb on their tracks, but most non-label records are recorded in less than perfect "rooms", or are sooooo dry, that they have no air to start with. So again, what Bob said. You can add a little bit a verb to open up the track. Done right, it will sound more "record-y" and less "demo-y"

[Rockman]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Hmm, I guess I"m gonna have to experiment a little. It's weird. For a while now (the past couple of months), I thought my mixes sounded decent... but all of a sudden, they started sounding a bit "closed" overall.. or muffled. Hard to explain. It's not over-compression (I don't think). It's more a frequency thing (once again, I think).

[BLueROom]

Have you changed your listening environment at all?

[Empire Prod]

People have been boosting HF to add "air" to mixes for years. The GML 8200 is very popular for this.

[MrHope]

You guys are gonna think I'm crazy perhaps, but I've been known to add +12-16 dB @ 20 kHz using Linear Phase Graphic EQ. I didn't set out to add that much, but a lot of my synth and drum machine patches sound really muffled. I keep messing with EQ until it sounds good, and sometimes it takes a lot of decibels. However, I don't use it on material which is already high-endy.

Usually when I'm doing that kind of crazy boosting, I start out at +24 dB, which sounds really bright and icy and slicy and sharp as needles. Then I bring it down until it just sounds clean and clear and not too harsh or shrill. I like to test it out on a variety of speakers though, because some speakers are more sensitive than others up there.

Like I said, a lot of my sounds are muffled. It's your classic turd polish!

[Sigma]

short "room" sound like stated above..it's a trick that started when drum machines and synths took over ..a 15 to 30 foot room simulation with the top rolled off after 2.2k

just fattnes and puts air around dry lifeless things..good for thin vocalists too

[robot gigante]

Hmmm, maybe also take a look at what's going on in your low mids (250-400hz).

Instead of boosting highs, try doing a dip there, or better yet, find out what in your mix might be problematic in that range and take care of it there. That might be what is causing some of the problems.

[NathanEldred]

I usually end up around 12khz. I don't like to mix overly bright, so when I match 'major' label mixes (usually not the hyper bright ones either) I usually end up adding around 3-4db. I usually do this about 70% of the way into the mix because the individual track balance might change, but only slightly (or not at all). I usually use a Great River EQ2NV on the two bus mix, highs on the shelf setting. It audibly reaches down into the high mids even @ 12khz. I'm not sure what the shelf slope is, but it sounds right.

[James Meeker]

This is my perspective on getting an open sounding, airy mix. Individual usage may vary.

I find that for myself it's not so much as getting that sound, as preserving it through to the final mix. I find that I don't really *add* anything, I just make sure to have things out of the way on the top end.

For example--GUITARS. I usually hi and lo shelf them to get (plus hi/lo pass filters if needed) them out of the way of "airier" elements like the overheads. I don't wipe it out, mind you, but take things down a notch around 11K and higher. Usually after compression the top end of a guitar can get pretty nasty sounding... but it's a can of worms because if you totally eliminate it your guitar sounds aren't going to sound "open." So yeah, shelf it to perfection. Usually one of the last things I do is double check how that is coming across.

That way the OH and room mics can shine through up top without having to EQ them to death. If either are too bright I'll find that a 8-10K cut is better than rolling off frequencies, although on room mics I'll often set a roll around 10-12k to make them sound more distant. The OH's can be good and bright because they should sound closer and provide that detail/definition, meanwhile the rooms should be bangy and deeper sounding in most mixes. Definitely make sure your OH's and rooms aren't fighting (a seldom discussed topic)--get them clean and defined where you can hear each in their optimal ranges.

Try not to add tons of EQ. Just keep cutting the stuff getting in the way until you got it. The top end should sound smooth and clean.

Another aspect I find is not to have your reverb set too dark. Once again, instead of LP filtering it I'll try and shelf it so it can keep what I need happening up top... but no more than what I need.

I think a lot of the perception of "air" is going to be around your vocal. A touch of 12-14k usually takes care of this. Don't overdo it because that sounds pretty nasty. If the vocal is where it oughta be this is pretty easy. A bit of subtle and bright 'verb can help. (Try running two verbs--one "normal" and the other a lot brighter with more predelay and longer reverb time--can add a airy "swell" around the notes--don't overkill this either.)

Sometimes you need to really see what's going on in your top end--if you can isolate just the 12K and above and give it a listen. Sweep around--generally you should hear the fizz of the snare, the air of the guitars, the sizzle of the high hats and cymbals. You should hear upper, upper harmonics of the voice and the breathiness. Depending on the genre you might hear some of the extreme top harmonics of the bass attack and maybe a bit of beater click from the kick drum.

Find some of the mixes you admire for this quality and isolate the top end--see what's going on up there without the rest of the frequencies getting in the way. You'll be surprised sometimes how little of something can be up there (guitars) but in the full mix it sounds clear as a bell.

And don't overkill stuff with compression. OH's should be lightly compressed almost every time (saves a bunch of mixing issues too). If you have to use parallel compression to add meat, but still have those nuances floating around up top.

These are just a few of the things I mess with. Hope this helps.

[RCM - Ronan]

Some other people have alluded to this, but before you reach for the high end boost, check to see if you have too much build up in the low mids. Sometimes a small notch out in the low mids can be more dramatic than a big high end boost.

[deuc647]

I used to boost at 12k but i noticed i get better results when i boost at 16k.

[PhilE]

Neve 15k... but only if the track is well mixed to start with- Like BK said above it doesnt do it alone and will get harsh.
But if the mix has good stuff up there that Neve 15k pulls it through beautifully.

I'm sure others do too but of those I know the old Neves rock for this.

[Rockman]

Hey guys. Original poster here. Thanks for all the input. I'm gonna take your advice and check out my low mids first.

I do have to add that recently (i.e. a week ago), I did add some low end (mastering-wise). I added some shelving at 100 Hz (about 2 dB). And although doing that improved the low end a bit... I wonder if it caused the "muffled sound" I'm noticing now. Or it could be that I simply didn't hear it back then... (I don't always trust my ears).

In any case, thanks for the tips. I"m gonna start with the low mids... and then maybe try a bit of 12 K boost (shelving). See what that does.

I wish I had a nice analog EQ for this. But I'm stuck with Waves Renn plugs.

[Pip]

UAD pultec 8-12k will do it.

[TonyBelmont]

Adding any amount of 10k or 12k is asking for trouble on stereo material, unless the song needs a boost in that area. A lot of times, just adding 12k will make everything sound spitty and harsh....

I feel as though the ultra high 20k and up boosts are exactly what people are looking for, but they just don't have the gear that allows them to do this.... Therefore, they don't know what they are missing... This is one of the big reasons why GML 8200's were so popular and why I use the Avedis EQ for this type of stuff... 24k, 26k and 28k are the key frequencies here and the old trick of turning the GML to 26 k and boosting is the same type of thing.

[fondone]

but I thought we, as a human race, could only hear up to 20khz why would any manufacturer care about frequencies above this?

thanks for answering.

[Empire Prod]

Originally Posted by fondone

but I thought we, as a human race, could only hear up to 20khz why would any manufacturer care about frequencies above this?

thanks for answering.

Well you are still creating a curve well below 26k which will eventually have an apex above (what is considered to be) normal human hearing.

[dbbubba]

If you ever get to experience a GML 8200 or Avedis' EQ you will know what TONY BELMONT is talking about.

Adding the stuff ABOVE 20K does translate down into the "human hearing" range.

Proper use of either of these devices adds a sheen to a mix that makes a mix sound very open.

You cannot do the same thing with digital EQ or plug ins.
In fact, boosting with a 20K shelving EQ on most EQ devices will not accomplish what the ULTRA high EQs can do.

You need the proper box and a little boost (2 - 3 db) goes a LONG way!

[nukmusic]

Originally Posted by Pip

UAD pultec 8-12k will do it.

I tried out tiny boast of URS Pultec @ 14k or 16k. "AIR" worked out nice.


some Plugin EQs are much smoother than others on the topend.

[peeder]

I would suspect that what's going on with the >20K bell boosts has to do with a subsequent interaction with the AD converter's filter. (Or a later SRC filter.)

Those boosts are going to be revealing everything about that filter, especially, I suspect, aliasing distortion. That aliasing distortion might be providing some dynamic sheen way up there that the listeners are sensing and interpreting as open airy top. Because most things at that frequency approximate white noise anyway, the aliasing distortion might not sound particularly nasty, and you're just getting your highs doubled-up under the filter that is already clamping down on them.

[NathanEldred]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

Adding any amount of 10k or 12k is asking for trouble on stereo material, unless the songs needs a boost in that area. A lot of times, just adding 12k will make everything sound spitty and harsh....

I haven't noticed that, it's quite the opposite IME. 12khz hits down to the mids, it's all about the mids for me as compared to a very glossy top (i.e. a big boost in the 15khz and above range which is where the super high frequencies lower range will probably hit depending on the curve of the shelf). But I record guitar based music and track and mix to tape, so results may vary depending on genre and possibly recording medium.

[nickynicknick]

Originally Posted by Rockman

I did add some low end (mastering-wise). I added some shelving at 100 Hz (about 2 dB). And although doing that improved the low end a bit... I wonder if it caused the "muffled sound" I'm noticing now. Or it could be that I simply didn't hear it back then... (I don't always trust my ears).

.

adding 100?....this is a dangerous frequency to be boosting on a mix...this is probably a problem... I'm usually finding ways to tame 100, but that is dependent on your tracking/mixing style...adding air...+2 to what james is saying and stuff over 20k IS IMPORTANT people...listen to Tony and Danny. I wouldn't eq the whole mix with plugs. If you feel this need, you should probably go back and look again. MTC.

Nick

[seaneldon]

My first suggestion would be to open a window or something.

Next, I'd say to sit down with an equalizer you've got...and get started. Checking for the "air" is easy as sweeping frequencies with a moderate shelf-push.

[dbbubba]

Just be carefull because those boosts up there on less than really good quality EQs like the Avedis or GML 8200 are going to sound "bad" in time.

I cannot count the times that I thought I was "improving" transfers by adding top end boost and later found that it sounded awful!
I generally wouldn't even be adding 3 dbs either!

I have a TC Electronics Finalizer that I use for quick mastering stuff and if I am not REALLY carefull with it I can make perfectly fine mixes sound rediculous.

Be carefull because it sounds good at the time.

I even say this being fifty-two years of age and after years of high decible p.a. work and mixing God knows how many rock bands at 112, 114, 116db.
It is REALLY easy for me to think that things need a little bit more top.

Compare, compare, compare and then think about it for a long time before you add the high end.
Also, do yourself a favor and make a version WITHOUT the boost as well.
You'll probebly be glad you did later!
I have!