-
Zoom Replay: Member Meetup and Q&A, Dec 13, 2024
What a fantastic group of talented folks on Friday’s Zoom hang! It was really great to see and connect with you all and I’m lookin’ forward to the next one!
Thanks for bringing all your super fun vibes and excellent questions! 🤓⚡️🎚️
-
7 Replies
-
Here are some chapters to help navigate the replay a bit easier
You can also access the chapter list directly within the video interface by clicking on the hamburger-looking Chapter Menu.- 00:03 Greetings and Introductions: Casual greetings, introductions, and expressions of happiness to see each other.
- 01:12 Work and Education: Updates on work, freelancing, sound engineering degree, and curriculum.
- 02:56 Music Production Tools: Exploration of Ableton software and its features for music production.
- 04:00 Community and Collaboration: Encouragement for community interaction and sharing experiences.
- 08:32 Technical Challenges: Discussion about distribution issues and volume levels in music production.
- 35:19 Loudness and Dynamics: Discussion on achieving loud mixes, headroom levels, and the balance between loudness and dynamics.
- 36:54 Metering and Sound Quality: Importance of monitoring meters, understanding loudness levels, and using ears over numbers.
- 38:57 Using Avid Heat: Experience with Avid Heat, its settings, and its impact on mixing.
- 42:39 Experimentation and Learning: Encouragement to explore parameters and learn through experimentation.
- 46:07 Vocal Mixing Techniques: Considerations for using effects on vocals and the impact on vocal sound.
- 46:40 Community and Music Quality: Appreciation for the quality of music shared within the community.
- 71:19 Audio Mixing Techniques: Discussion on using headphones, quality of vocals, and mixing techniques for clarity and balance.
- 74:34 Noise Reduction Tools: Utilization of RX software for noise removal, addressing mouth clicks, and enhancing audio quality.
- 78:35 Editing Techniques for Bass: Discussion on editing bass and drums for phase alignment and maintaining natural sound in recordings.
Here are a few example Q&A takeaways based on our lively discussion:
- What mastering techniques were mentioned in the Zoom?
The Zoom replay details mastering techniques focused on preventing distortion through true peak limiters and using plugins like Waves NLS for subtle compression. It also emphasizes the use of FabFilter Pro-L2 for managing output levels and achieving increased loudness while advocating for a simple master bus processing approach. Finally, the video compares console emulation with using compressors or limiters on the master bus. - How is audio loudness addressed on Spotify?
Spotify uses audio loudness normalization, but the video suggests disabling this feature. This allows users to experience the original, unprocessed sound of each track as intended by the artist. Mastering engineers should focus on achieving high-quality audio rather than rigidly conforming to specific loudness targets. - Should mixers pay attention to LUFS and other visual feedback from specialized meters?
Mixers should be aware of LUFS meters, but not overly reliant on them. Prioritize achieving high-quality sound through careful listening and attention to detail. Mastering engineers should similarly focus on sonic excellence over strict adherence to loudness standards. - Where does Dana prefer to utilize compression and limiting rather than on the master bus?
Dana’s approach in the video avoids master bus compression or limiting. Instead, he emphasizes careful EQ and compression on individual tracks and the drum bus to achieve the desired loudness. This method prioritizes track-level dynamics control for a balanced and powerful final mix. - How does iZotope’s “RX Monitor” plug-in aid mixing?
RX Monitor provides real-time audio monitoring through a DAW’s effects, even when RX is used in as a standalone app. This consistent sound monitoring prevents problems caused by volume differences between the original and processed audio. The seamless integration with RX Connect streamlines the editing workflow.
-
These recordings are pure gold. I forgot how much I love hearing you talk about audio, Dana. The topics of discussion, questions, answers, suggestions were all great. Even learned about a tool, RX, that I already have but have never used. Immediately stopped the video and hooked it up and was blown away. Always something new to learn. Thanks a million to everyone and especially you Dana for being so generous with your knowledge. Happy Holidays!
-
This reply was modified 1 month ago by David Maroul.
-
Awe, this means the world to me, @dave – thank you SO much!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the replay and that it jogged your memory about RX, too – haha. That software is absolutely bonkers!
Happy holidays to you and yours as well, man! Thank you!
-
This reply was modified 1 month ago by
-
Hi Dana, thanks for the live stream last week. You mentioned you have your sonar works on 77%. Are you starting your mix with it on or do you add it add the end?
-
Hey @pat – great question!
Quick Answer: I start all mixes with Sonarworks turned on (@77%).
Explanation: Sonarworks’ “SoundID Reference” plugin is a speaker correction product designed to “correct” shortcomings in your listening environment (i.e. frequency dips and resonances created by speaker placement, room shape, proximity to reflective surfaces, etc.).
So, to answer your excellent question, I’ll ask you a question of my own:
When would be a good time to correct my listening environment so that I can make well-informed mix decisions?
- a) before I begin mixing so I won’t make EQ and volume decisions based on my individual listening environment’s shortcomings.
- b) after my mix is finished so I become thoroughly confused and might decide to start over again. I love a bottomless pit of acoustic challenges and confusion.
😂 Hopefully the answer is clear. But you do you! Also worth noting: 77% is a blend amount that I quickly decided on years ago and have never changed. It sounds “right” to me and works well for me and my environment. Your results may vary, and I recommend everyone to find a blend % that works well and sounds good to them in their own environment. And if that means 100% works best – so be it! Nuthin wrong with that.
Hope this helps!
-
-
Holy smokes you guys … I’m testing out some new (sorta expensive 😬) integrations to make our Mix Protégé videos completely searchable. Try it out here on our recent Q&A hang and see what you think!
- Try clicking on the magnifying glass and searching the word “limiter” for example.
- Try clicking on the AI “magic wand” and asking it to “list all plugins mentioned in this video”* (ah, shoot, looks like that requires login, at least for the trial account I’m on at the moment – but it’s got amazing potential! I’ll attach a screenshot below as an example)
- Try clicking the Chapter icon for waaay more detailed chapter locations than I could/would do by hand (all created in an instant).
It’s pretty trippy!! Lemme know what you think.
PS – while I’m in trial mode there isn’t a way to embed the vid here on MP with all these advanced features so, meantime, this link will take you to my app.membership page.
-
This reply was modified 2 weeks, 5 days ago by
Dana Nielsen. Reason: adding note (*) about AI co-pilot feature limitation on trial account -- see screenshot below for example)
app.membership.io
Zoom Replay: Mix Protege Q&A 2024-12-13
Event Summary: The Q&A session offered a dynamic and collaborative space for participants to explore audio production topics. Led by Dana Nielsen, the session included discussions on mastering techniques, loudness normalization, favorite production tools, and workflow tips. Participants like Franco, … Continue reading
-
Here’s the screenshot of what the AI “co-pilot” thingy looks like … this made my jaw drop!
I’d love to be able to share this feature with u all here, embedded on Mix Protege if possible! I’ve got an email in to the developer to see if that’s possible on one of the paid tiers…
Log in to reply.