Frequency-Selective Guitar Compression — PreSonus Blog

Friday Tips: Frequency-Selective Guitar Compression — PreSonus BlogPreSonus Blog:

Some instruments, when compressed, lack “sparkle” if the stronger, lower frequencies compress high frequencies as well as lower ones. This is a common problem with guitar, but there’s a solution: the Compressor’s internal sidechain can apply compression to only the guitar’s lower frequencies, while leaving the higher frequencies uncompressed so they “ring out” above the compressed sound. (Multiband compression works for this too, but sidechaining can be a faster and easier way to accomplish the same results.)

This handy hint should work similarly in Logic Pro X. I will have to try.

5 Ways Inter-plugin Communication Streamlines Audio Mixing

5 Ways Inter-plugin Communication Streamlines Audio Mixing:

Inter-plugin communication is a technology developed here at iZotope that allows our plug-ins to interact and share invaluable information with one another across a session, helping you produce, mix, and master with better results.

Not only does iZotope make these excellent tools, they provide a large library of documentation and practical guides to the mixing and mastering processes.

The Reason Why You Can’t Hear Your Bass On Small Speakers

The Reason Why You Can’t Hear Your Bass On Small Speakers — Bobby Owsinski’s Music Production Blog:

Most of the time the problem comes from misunderstanding exactly what frequencies affect the bass instrument. Too many times we think that it’s the frequencies below 100Hz (especially 60Hz) that provide the bass we need. While it’s quite true that those frequencies are important for what we might call the girth of the sound, they won’t reproduce well on small speakers, and that’s where the problem lies. In other words, EQing too low.

Below 100Hz Girth

120Hz to 200Hz Bottom

250Hz to 320Hz Low-end definition

700Hz Body

1kHz to 1.5kHz High-end definition

2.5kHz to 3kHz String noise/buzz

Evolve Your Skills | iZotope

Evolve Your Skills | iZotope:

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

For those who’ve been around the block, but want to gain even more knowledge, our intermediate-level series includes content focused on EQ, reference tracks, and tips for working on genres and instruments.

11 Tips to Fix Cheap Sounding Audio in the Mix

11 Tips to Fix Cheap Sounding Audio in the Mix:

I don’t know about you, but I get a lot of material made in home recording studios. And while a lot of the raw sounds coming my way are great, many recordings sport flaws that impart a palpably “cheap” sound to the material. These flaws have many root causes, such as interfaces that don’t do well for dynamic range or harmonic content; rooms that impart comb filtering to vocals; basses recorded without definition; and badly mic’d drums.

It’s my task, among others, to make these “cheap” sounds feel more “expensive”—that is, to help these mixes play nicely against their better-recorded references. They need to work in a Spotify playlist. They cannot be trounced by the competition. This is my fundamental meaning when I use terms like “cheap” and “expensive.”

The audio in my room doesn’t sound “cheap”, but sometimes I mix it that way by accident.

I want to check this one out…

3. Your snare sounds like someone flicking a piece of paper
Try a cut around 6 kHz, and a boost between 100–200 Hz to see if that adds some body. If you’re lacking impact on snare hits—if it feels a bit flat—try some compression next, emphasizing the transient with a medium attack and a medium-fast release.

You may still hear that dreaded papery noise. If so, solo the snare and see if it goes away. You may be surprised: one of the first things I look for in dealing with a papery snare is whether that sound is actually coming from the kick; often it is. In this case, attenuate that frequency in the kick track with a dynamic equalizer that’s sidechained to the snare. You can easily set this up in Neutron 2, as shown below.