Quote:
Originally Posted by karibu
Hi guys!
Which properties must a mix have to be raised up at very high level without affecting the sound quality?
So to sum it all up:
- Clean and good sounding sound sources
- Great signal (successful tracking)
- Great signal distribution (track volume balance both on sub group and main group level, mono compatibility, imaging, realism, depth)
- Low amounts of digital processing, on highest possible bit depth, avoid mix bus effect processing
- Few negative compensations due to a big difference between the mixing engineer's and the mastering engineer's monitoring setup (also converter differences)
- Proper and clean EQing
- Clean plug-ins used properly
- Keeping the number of tracks and elements played simoultaneously low
- Learning to recognise sound anomalies, how to find them most efficiently and how to best avoid and target them
- Good transient control
- Effective use of automation
- Transparent mixing procedures
- Great gear
- Great ears
These can be summed up to any the following three problems that you have:
- Bad input signal
- Bad signal distribution
- Bad monitoring environment
So use the sound field more efficiently and I am sure you'll get the loudness/clearity ratio you are after. Of all these properties I think great signal distribution is the key. When you gain a lot you will soon lose the proportions of the original image. The worse it is before you start gaining the sooner you'll need to back off on the gaining...!