Member Dana Nielsen
MemberForum Replies Created
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So sick!! Thanks a mill for sharing this, @Jon_Plett !! I can’t wait to download and dive in! 💜🙌🙏🏻
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Awesome, Joe! My pleasure, man! Cant wait to hear what u cook up next! 🎚️🧑🍳🎚️
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Joe! Damn, man – burning playing! 🔥 Great song too – thanks for sharing with us here!
My main initial mix observations are:
- EQ: the mix as a whole feels very “narrow”, frequency-wise. Not a whole lotta top, not a whole lotta bottom. Everything’s kinda hangin out in the middle of the frequency spectrum as if I’m hearing it through much smaller speakers than I’m actually listening on. I’ll offer some suggestions below.
- Compression: Everything sounds heavily compressed and I don’t think you need it! The meters on my system show some healthy activity, which tells me your mastering processing isn’t the culprit. I suspect what I’m hearing is some heavy compression on individual tracks or instruments. Trust me – I use compression all the time and love it! But when the settings are off (or when it’s used unnecessarily) the compression “artifacts” can really add up and become audible.
Here are a few things to try and/or check out:
- Try bypassing all your compressors and EQs on the master fader as well as on individual tracks/instruments. Pull all faders down, crank up your speakers nice and loud, and build a very basic mix using the 4 steps outlined in this pdf. Keep your speakers cranked and follow the metering guidelines I lay out. This is always my first step when mixing and allows me to relish in the full-frequency, full dynamic-range of the instruments and vibe out to a mix with zero regard for loudness, mastering, frequency “containment” etc. It’s so much fun working this way. Keep everything really simple (as few plugins as needed, correcting only the most egregious EQ or level issues.
- Feel free to check out this deep-dive on setting compressors by ear for some tips on choosing the best compressor for the job and tips on how I determine the best settings.
Hope this is helpful stuff for ya. Lemme know what you think, and keep us posted on your progress! Really awesome having you here in the community and hearing you SHRED!! ⚡️🎸
mixprotege.com
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@nits!! So thrilled you’ve fallen deep into the Ableton abyss – you’re in good company here!
The Focusrite interfaces are an amazing bang for the buck. I use a 6i6 for my system sounds (zooms, youtube, etc.) and i’ve had it for years and it never bothers me with software updates and it always works. I regularly recommend the Scarlet interfaces for their ease of use, portability, and great value. And they sound good too!
One additional note re MIDI: if the 4i4 seems like overkill for your audio needs, you could opt for a 2i2 and add a cheap lil’ 1-channel MIDI-USB interface to your Amazon order. Not sure if that’d save money but just offering that as another option.
Can’t wait to hear what kinds of fresh beats you been cookin up!! 🎧
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Hey Bar! Looking fwd to listening to these, and thanks @-PT for your excellent insights.
I’ll circle back when I’ve been able to check these out in the studio. 🤓
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Webinar Summary:
In this 90-minute webinar, I dive deep into the art of setting compressors by ear, focusing on practical techniques that go beyond just the numbers. This session is packed with hands-on demonstrations in Pro Tools, where I explore various compression settings, attack and release times, and different compressor plugins. Whether you’re a seasoned audio engineer or just starting out, you’ll gain valuable insights on how to achieve the perfect sound for your mixes. Plus, there’s a lot of interaction with our amazing community members, making this an engaging and informative hang!
Chapters:
- 00:00 Welcome and Introductions – Getting started and setting the stage for a fun and interactive Zoom sesh.
- 05:28 Importance of Compression – Discussing the role of compression in mixing and production.
- 13:26 Using Compressors in your DAW – A practical demonstration of compression in Pro Tools with various sound sources.
- 23:36 Understanding Attack and Release Times – How to manipulate attack and release to shape your sound.
- 33:10 Exploring Different Compressors – A look at various compressors like the 1176, SSL, Omnipressor, and others.
- 42:18 Advanced Compression Techniques – Pushing compressor settings to the extreme to find the best sound.
- 52:21 Parallel Compression – How to blend dry and wet signals for a balanced mix.
- 1:01:12 Compression for Drums – Specific techniques for using compression on drum tracks.
- 1:12:30 Compression on Background Vocals – Strategies for compressing vocal stacks and groups.
- 1:22:15 Wrap-up and Q&A – Final thoughts and audience questions.
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Yay! I’m so glad! Shoutout to @-PT for all his excellent insights along the way.
What an awesome piece of music, Bar. Drop us a Spotify link here when it’s out and I’ll add it to the Member Spotlight spotify playlist!
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👏⚡️ Yeah, Bar! This sounds awesome! Fantastic work! Whenever I listen to this I always imagine it working well in a film or TV show. Go get that sync!
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Oh, and thanks for turning me on to “Meet the Moonlight“! Sheesh, yeah that sounds excellent. I’m a big fan of Blake Mills and Joseph Lorge, so no surprise there … I looked at the credits and was like, “ah, yeah no wonder!” Great reference for your song.
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Drum timing: mainly at 2:09. The side-stick on beat 3 feels late. Once you scoot that forward the bar after it might need a little adjustment, but nothing too crazy.
Main acoustic guitar: overall there seems to be a bit of a phase issue between the two panned mics. The main sound on the left feels good – I would sweep around your IBP on the guitar mic that’s panned to the right to try to get it aligned with the guitar mic on the left. (do that step while listening in mono and once you think you’ve found the best, fullest guitar sound then check it in stereo to make sure you like your settings in mono and stereo). You could also try SoundRadix Auto Align, which is an amazing tool.
Vocal: really sounds great! – full body, sparkly top end👌. I would try a de-esser tho, and/or manually clip-gain down the S’s a bit so that you retain all that beautiful top end on the voice but without the piercing S moments. Not all of the S’s need this, but many of them do. Massey DeEsser is my go-to: quick, easy, and the blend knob allows me to mix in some of the original S, which helps things from getting to “lisp-y” sounding.
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This has really come along, Patrick! Such a sweet song, and fun to hear all the new production elements.
And @-PT, awesome work on the mastering (or did u use some of your AI magician tools as well? Do tell!). What you did sounds great, and really goes to show the kinds of effective, broad adjustments that can be made using the stereo mix alone. What I mean is, @Pat, is that your mix was feeling good (!), and often it’s a bit of mastering – by you or someone else – that can help get things sounding finished and competitive alongside songs by other artists you dig.
For me, some favorite mix finalizing tools are BX_Masterdesk_Pro, Fabfilter Pro-L2, The God Particle, and sometimes even the “Master” tab within Waves’ Maserati GRP.
I would prob still tighten up a few areas in the drums that feel a bit loose, timing-wise, against the track, but other than that this is feeling real nice, man! ⚡️
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This version right away felt different to me with your newly added processing. The vocal felt quieter than the other version and I thought I’d postpone listening to ask if you’d mind uploading this version again but with the identical mix settings as the previous mix (the one where u added the pad and solo verb)? That way we could more easily compare the vocal arrangement idea, apples to apples.
Also, would u mind adding mix numbers or version numbers on your next uploads? I promise this isn’t me being a type-A dork! hahaha. It would simply help identify which mix version is being commented on.
You rock, Bar!
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This is great!! Really dig the subtle new ambience pads and electric guitar flourishes! This song is just such a mood – a peaceful, pleasant mood.
If I were mixing this, I’d probably experiment with bringing a bit more hi-fi clarity to the vocals, while leaving the warm buttery guitar tones as they are. Might also try bringing out some more body on the vocals and guitars (perhaps a 60-100hz-ish bell-curve boost on the whole mix?)
Here’s a song from an album I co-produced and mixed that might provide a tonal reference point, and u might enjoy it musically as well.
You might also dig this recent livestream for some vocal mixing ideas if you haven’t already seen it.
Also, see my note on your newer version of your song, above!
Really enjoying hearing your progress on this production and mix, Bar!
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I agree with the TX bbq philosophy – meats (all food, really) should be seasoned to perfection and unstoppably good, sans sauce. But like you, I ain’t no sauce hater!
For what it’s worth, here’s a link to my stems checklist I send to folks who are exporting their multitrack session from Ableton, Logic, etc. in preparation for me to mix it in Pro Tools:
https://dananielsen.com/stems-checklist/
dananielsen.com
Stems Checklist - Dana Nielsen
Time to prepare your mix stems! Stems Checklist Tempo (bpm) clearly marked on folder or files Stem name (instrument or instrument group) on each file, i.e. “Lead Gtr – Song Name – Mix Name or Date” Stems do not need … Continue reading
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Hahaha, love the BBQ analogy, which is dead ON! (And perfect coming from a Texan 😉🍖. TX is more of a “this Q don’t need sauce!” region of the BBQ map, if I’m not mistaken, right?).
As for saucy stems … I’ll always try to utilize the effects provided in a “wet” stem if I can, since that’s the way the artist/producer have envisioned the sound of the record. But if their sauce seems off, or is diminishing my creative/technical flexibility, I will immediately switch to a dry stem and do my own thang.