Help getting mixes to translate

[mrskytown11]

I’m mixing a bundle of instrumentals and it seems like my speakers are not actuate In sound or maybe it’s my speaker setup, i don’t have much room treatment and I do have my speakers near a wall so I had to lower the switch at the back of my speakers to limit the bass by 1 DB but maybe I should go 2DB as the speakers near wall produces more bass then there actually is.

I thought I was doing good, was even using ozone 8 and tonal balance control but when I played it on iPhone headphones the sound was lacking low end compared to my Sony headphones which was not for mixing but I still used them to reference.

How do you get your mixes to sound good across various speakers. My speaker has a hi frequency setting I can I can cut or boost but I have to investigate the best setup before I start my next project.

I’ve been adjusting based on the iPhone headphones because they are more balanced then the Sony headphones and they don’t have enhanced bass like my Sony headphones do and feel it exposes more about my mix.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Byron Dickens]

Room treatment. Especially broadband bass traps.

[Theotherguy]

If you are using headphones to mix with or even as a reference use headphones with a flat freq. response.

[sunrat]

Room treatment as already mentioned. Do some frequency response analysis to find out where your room is deficient. There are good tools available such as Room EQ Wizard for Windows, although it takes a little learning to use them effectively. Similar tools exist for Linux and probably Mac.
My room has a nasty peak at 126Hz so I run a parametric EQ with a narrow cut on the Mixbus Monitor section. Also I listen on EVE SC205 monitor speakers which are excellent but roll off in the low end as they are only 5 inch woofers. My first mixes always come out too bassy. Headphones help a little there but I go listen in my car with 2000W sound system and big sub before I play a mix to someone else.
Also listening to a reference track can help a lot. Play a well produced recording something like you are aiming for and compare with your mix a few times during the process.

[doncolga]

I agree with all the above and would especially recommend volume matched reference tracks as the very first thing to do. This alone was a complete game changer for me and you can do this immediately for $0. This teaches you what a pro mix should sound like in whatever room you happen to be in and whatever playback system you happen to be on. Turn the references down to match the level you mix at, not the other way around. This was my big error before I learned otherwise. Then, simply make your tracks sound like that. Basic tools should get you close. When I started doing this I noticed every little adjustment and how it moved me closer or further from the reference. Huge step for me.

Also, try mixing/referencing on a single small computer speaker in mono. If you can hear everything, kick, bass, and things are well balanced, you are on the right track.

I find room treatment important, but for me it can quickly become a rabbit hole that can be very frustrating. I’ve accepted that I’ll never be in a perfect room, and that I can never make any room perfect. Ever see videos of Warren Huart, Andrew Schepps, CLA, Mick Guzouski, and especially Vance Powell? There’s racks of gear all around them. Sometimes treatment is not even visible. So, I lightened up on that and I’m much happier and enjoy the results.

In my current room, the first thing was to place my speakers so that I get as smooth and consistent a response as I can get throughout the room, (which happens to be very simply along a wall for mains and the sub). I get smooth, even response through the room from that alone. This costs $0 and I think its totally underrated compared to putting stuff on the walls. Then, I tossed up some treatment, then I started mixing with level matched references, and didn’t give the room much more thought. I don’t worry about the room, it’s fun and therapeutic to mix, and I’m very happy with how my mixes travel and compare to commercial references. Win, win, win.

[mrskytown11]

I agree with all the above and would especially recommend volume matched reference tracks as the very first thing to do. This alone was a complete game changer for me and you can do this immediately for $0. This teaches you what a pro mix should sound like in whatever room you happen to be in and whatever playback system you happen to be on. Turn the references down to match the level you mix at, not the other way around. This was my big error before I learned otherwise. Then, simply make your tracks sound like that. Basic tools should get you close. When I started doing this I noticed every little adjustment and how it moved me closer or further from the reference. Huge step for me.

Also, try mixing/referencing on a single small computer speaker in mono. If you can hear everything, kick, bass, and things are well balanced, you are on the right track.

I find room treatment important, but for me it can quickly become a rabbit hole that can be very frustrating. In my current room, the first thing was to place my speakers so that I get as smooth and consistent a response as I can get throughout the room, (which happens to be along walls for mains and the sub). This costs $0 and I think is hugely important. Then I tossed up some treatment, then I started mixing with level matched references, and didn’t give the room much more thought. I’m very happy with how my mixes travel and compare to commercial references.

Definitely will try this, would concerting my mixes to -14 LUFS help when comparing my masters, I know mixbus export has a normalize to LUFS setting
I generally use -14 for steaming services


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[doncolga]

I’m referencing as I’m mixing. My individual tracks all peak around -18 to -15 dBFS so my stereo bus is around -8 to -6, so I turn my commercial references down a lot when referencing as I mix. When I’m done with my mix, I raise the final level to -15 to -12 LUFS, usually with no or minimum limiting required, which is good.

[sunrat]

Consistent monitoring levels are helpful as well. IIRC it was doncolga who posted a link recently to Russell Cottier's video on setting up the K-Meter - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U77ENQGOv0

[Matt]

Just reiterating some others comments.

First thing to do is start referencing other tracks. This is something pros even do fairly often. I mentioned it first because it’s free.

Next thing to do is get a decent reference mic (I have the presonus prm-1, I think that’s the model). And use REW to measure your room at your listening spot. There’s several forums more suited to giving you advice (like john sayers studio design forum). It’s not only about the frequency response. But you can move your speakers around and your listening location and improve things.

Finally learn about treating your room the right way. In other words. Don’t use foam. Treat the corners. Treat the first reflection points. Keep treating until it’s as good as the room can be, budget, or space allows.

If you keep measuring your room and listening to reference tracks, as you treat your room, you should notice your mixes translating better and better. And with the measurements you can see why.

[mrskytown11]

My masters are a bit low on the spectrum compared to my reference tracks, what are some ways others get theirs up to standards.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk