Week 4

Revisiting the Basics

by: John Mills

I originally published this article a few years back, but while thinking about what to write this month, I kept coming back to the thought that a lot of people still miss the most basic thing in the technical arts. So I’ve updated the article and am going to take a slightly different approach to it.

Let’s start with the most famous question that sound people get asked. “Do you really know what all those knobs do?” If you can answer that question you may also know every frequency and their equivalent musical note. You possibly know the exact crossover point of every driver in your system, and you may even know the RT60 of the main sanctuary, youth room, and gymnasium.

Whether you’re the person who actually DOES know what every knob on the soundboard does, or you are just starting out, the real question we should be asking is: “How does it sound?”

Starting out:
When I first started doing sound I went out and bought a great set of headphones. I thought to myself, if I’m going to be expected to make something sound good, I should probably know what I’m shooting for. So I started really listening to CDs like crazy. Not just bands or styles I liked, but anything and everything I could get my hands on. I listened not to the lyrics, chords, melodies, or harmonies, but much deeper. I listened to how it all fit and worked together. I listened to the space that each instrument was taking up. I noticed that most instruments seemed to be sitting in a certain spot. I’m not talking about where they are panned, but more specifically what frequencies they were mostly made up of.

How to get there:
When building a mix we need to think of the song as a flat line. Each instrument makes up part of that line. If we have too many instruments or frequencies trying to take up the same space our line gets bumpy or more specifically our mix gets muddy. Listen to each instrument and think of a space for it on the line. Keep other instruments away from it (EQ wise) and you will have an easier time hearing that instrument. You wouldn’t want to have a really bass heavy electric guitar because it would be taking up a lot of the space the bass guitar really needs. Basically, try to keep each instrument in its place.

I always tell new engineers to never be satisfied or “done” with the mix. You should always be listening for changes, and more importantly listening that everything is in the mix and working together. That doesn’t mean you have to always be turning a knob, but you do want to always be attentive to the mix and what’s going on inside it.

Knowledge to bridge the gap:
For those practical types, I offer some general eq frequencies to consider when you are trying to find your space.

General frequency tips:
20Hz to 80Hz: This is your sense of power in an instrument or mix. It’s the stuff you feel more then hear. The kick drum and bass guitar are down here in this range.

80Hz to 250Hz: The area where everything comes together. This is where a lot of things can go wrong and too much in here will make a mix sound sloppy.

250Hz to 2kHz: Most of your fundamental harmonics are in this range. These are some of the most critical frequencies to building a solid mix. Learn what instruments are most dominant in these frequencies and clean up around them.

2kHz to 5kHz: Here you will find the clarity to almost everything. But be careful, too much of a good thing can start to sound harsh. This is an area where subtlety is key.

5kHz to 8kHz: Mostly sibilance and “s” sounds. Much of the vocal consonants are defined in this range.

8kHz to 20kHz: Brilliance is the word here, the top end of cymbals.

Instrument frequency tips:

Kick Drum and Toms: Cut 500Hz to get rid of the cardboard box sound. Add 3-5kHz to make them cut through the mix. Add a little 60Hz to 80Hz to make them really thump.

Hi Hat: I generally cut all the lows and a good chunk of low mids. There isn’t anything down there anyway.

Snare: Generally I take out a little around 600Hz and add a little around 4kHz, but that really depends on the drum.

Bass Guitar: So many players and basses are so very different. Usually if it’s muddy I cut 200Hz and possibly add a little 700Hz to 1kHz if I can’t really hear their notes, but be careful because there are a lot of other instruments fighting for that space.

Piano: This is a beast we could probably use a whole article to discuss. It depends mostly on how it’s mic-ed. If it’s boomy then cut 200Hz to 315Hz. If it’s kind of barking then cut more up near 400Hz to 500Hz. Judiciously add a little 2 to 4kHz to make it cut a little more.

Voice: Boomy? Take out 160Hz. Is it too thick? Try cutting 240Hz. Need them to poke out a little more? Add a little 2.5kHz. Having trouble hearing their syllables? Try adding a little between 4 and 10kHz.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is: “Does it sound natural?” What I mean is does it sound like the cds you’ve heard. More specifically, does it sound like you were sitting in front of the real instrument? When mixing I keep this in mind through the whole event. I constantly glance down all the channels and think about each input. Kick, does the kick sound right? Bass, does the bass sound right? Guitar, does the guitar sound right? Piano, does the piano sound right? Vocals, do the vocals sound right? I think you get the picture.