Apologies for taking so long to get another article written. Been rather busy actually working on stuff.
“But Tone, what about the multiband series??”. Well…I had intended to make screencast video’s, showing and explaining with narration, exactly how to get one of these things setup. But the fact is, making them takes an age to do. So I’ve drawn up a new plan, where I will be making sets of tuition vids on many of the different areas of mastering, and the tools used. These sets will then be purchasable from the site. If you want an idea of what I have in mind, take a look at the talented Nick Maxwell’s site Nickstutorials.com .
I had never intended this to be any kind of ‘pay for’ site. But to give the best advice on tips and techniques takes a long time. So it’s a natural progression. Keep checking back for small demo’s of what will be available(when I get some time). I will however continue to post articles.
My goal remains the same…to hand on tips and methods to help you better understand your audio work, and get the best from it.
What is expansion
Simply put, it’s the exact opposite of compression . It’s main use is when working with already over compressed material, to add back dynamics. I was actually inspired to write on this subject, after working on a 70’s restoration job that needed a different approach.
The material came from LP, which as far as I can tell, had been kind of mastered by the guy who cut the disc. It’s full of nasty notches, a large wide mid lift(totally covering the low end) and a very thick sounding bass guitar. Don’t forget, this is an old recording, even if no compression was used during tracking and mixing etc, this has gone from 2 inch multitrack to 1/4 inch reel, then onto vinyl and back into digital. Plus with all the parts of the spectrum missing, it’s quite a strange sounding recording. Anyway, compressing the bass region was a no go, ….not immediately anyway. So here’s what I did:
So, to give me a more balanced start point, I used a multiband model, and expanded either side of the bass hump(which covered 80-200hzish) using shelves, plus a couple of other expansion lifts at 190 and 250ish to keep the warmth in the vocals. I also used longer release times than I would normally, as the dynamics either side of the hump are jumping about all over the place.
What this effectively does is this: as the bass hump approaches threshold, the upper and lower shelves lift to match it “but Tone, now the whole thing is bouncing up and down”, yes, but that’s the point. Now I have a sound that I can start to push into shape, using the normal methods.
For anyone thinking “why didn’t you just compress the mid using multiband compression”, I did try that first, but it worked much better expanding first, and then using a small amount of mb comp to tighten the whole thing up. Sometimes, the way things are mixed, and the problems that are put in, need dealing with differently.
Setting up
1:Have an idea of what you want to achieve
2:If you’re using multiband expansion, find the places where you want the lifts. Find the sweetspots where the upper and lower shelves need to be, by using a small expansion ratio first, maybe 1.03:1 for example. Use a small attack time like 5ms. Too short and the expansion isn’t going to work right. Start with 100ms release. Set the threshold by hearing the blend. Don’t look at the meters!. The ones on my fav model are totally misleading(done on purpose I think).
3:Adjust ratio/amount of expansion to suit on each band.
4:Adjust attack times. Concentrate on the attack part of the music. Don’t be put off by a slightly wrong release phase at this time.
5:Blend in the expansion by adjusting the release times. Drag it around all the way from 50ms upto 1 second. Forget the numbers and dial in the sound you want.
6:Once you’ve done all that, go over the settings again and make sure it’s all working together.
Setting up a standard wide band expander is just the same as for a compressor. Set enough attack time to allow the kick through.
Once you’ve found the attack and release region you want, I find there is usually a few ms to play with for artistic input. That 1 extra ms on the attack can create a tiny delay, which can be very creative, and similar with release. Listen for a delay or hole(attack too long) or a slight thickness (attack to short). Similar deal with release times.
Conclusion
I know not everyone needs to use expansion, but it’s a powerful tool that will go some way towards fixing bad compression or mix problems. Next time you’re working on a mix where the kick is a bit loud, think “Do I want a thicker kick, by using compression, or should I lift the rest first using expansion, and then deal with overall compression.
A fellow M E recently told me “I know quite a few mastering engineers, and we all get to the end result in slightly different ways”. It’s exactly the same with different material. You could own the best compressor in the world, but it’s not always going to be the best tool for the job.
I’ll ask my customer if it’s cool to post before and after for you guys to hear.
Next up I’ll be explaining the very powerful m/s eq. So be sure to stop by real soon.
There are a few almost guaranteed reasons why first steps with mastering are disappointing:
1:Your expectations
A lot of people think the mastering phase is magic, and it can certainly make a huge difference. However….besides the skill of the M E in question, the mix and challenges it presents are the big deal. So spend time listening to what’s going on BEFORE loading the plugin toys.
Is the general sound balance poor?. Are certain freq ranges too dynamic, and are smothering other parts?. Are the transients too big?, this will make the main body of the sound too thin. How dynamic is the whole thing?. Play it through, giving it your full attention, listening for anything that needs sorting.
An exception to the rule, is m/s eq. If you don’t have any experience of this, there will be an article about it soon. In some models that offer m/s, you have the option to listen to the mono components or the stereo. Listening to these in isolation can show up some problems you wouldn’t otherwise be able to fix.
If you’re working on a restoration job, then the list of potential issues gets longer: phase, pitch changes from tape sourced material. Remember….if the speed/pitch changes, any eq/crossovers etc you have set become slightly wrong.
So…listen first, to every aspect you possibly can, and have an idea of how much you will be able to achieve.
2:Static settings
Apart from certain recordings that have little or no instrument/sound changes, the ‘one pass master’(static settings throughout) is going to disappoint!. I have explained the reasons before, but briefly….because the introduction of instruments pushes additional energy into certain freq areas, the freq’s that need boosting or cutting changes. Remember….in mastering, if you’re not fixing it, you’re just making a slightly different wrong version!.
It’s the same for any dynamics settings. Keep an eye on thresholds, especially if you’re using multiband compression. Push them too hard and your sound has gone.
Getting the best possible finish is all about the amount of time you put in, and the big advantage you have, over even the most well equipped mastering service, is…. time. They have an hour for your track (not everyone can commit financial suicide spending a day getting one song right like I do). You also have the luxury of working over a few days, to keep things fresh.
Don’t underestimate the static setting disappointment problem!. It still manages to catch me out on occasion.
3:Monitoring/room acoustics
This is a bigger problem than most people can imagine. Let me tell you a story…….
Thanks to my less than perfect setup at the time, I learned to “read the curve” in a slightly different way. If parts of the spectrum are missing, there’s no continuity in the sound. Kind of like a cracked bell. One day (after months of audio torture)it just became obvious. This was fine, and certainly helped, however…..mastering is about hearing everything. You need to hear the less powerful <50hz and >8k to get the best out of the material.
If your room is throwing a ton of 100hz at you, thanks to reflections etc, then hearing if you need to lift the 10k a little, or maybe bypass the sub compression(because the 32 hz is too thick) is going to be near impossible. I found certain “open” sounding freq’s (500hz to 1k for example) to be a problem too. How many times have you taken your mix elsewhere, expecting to blow the minds of the listeners, only to be shocked by a nasty 700hz shard of sound spoiling the whole thing?. It’s probably not that your monitors didn’t show it up, but the 100hz(example) was smothering it.
There is of course the matter of speaker translation, which to some extent, can be made less of an issue by working the whole curve. That way, it’s possible to only be off by the amount your monitors vary across the spectrum. If they have a 1db dip at 2k, and the playback system has a 1db lift around the same area, then you will have a 2db lift at 2k, which can make a significant difference to your sound.
Not everyone has the ridiculous amount of money a good pair of B&W’s cost, but there is a reason for the price tag. In a treated room, they tell the truth!.
So, there’s a few reasons why you may be disappointed. But don’t let it stop you!. Be aware of these points, and deal with them as best you can. Despite the opinion of many, a mastering engineer isn’t defined by their equipment. It can make a difference with the results, of course. But knowledge, approach and experience can’t be bought. Any fool with £30,000 can buy the right gear, does that earn them the right to butcher artists hard work?
Till next time, keep pushing forward, and improving your art.
Taken a slightly different approach with this. I found there was a huge difference between left and right eq, either from the recording itself or the transfer to digital. This was creating an empty centre, so I’ve done some work to balance it up(apart from the tape drift, it even seems to hold together in mono).
I’ve also used quite an aggressive compressor model to tame the kick and snare. Take a listen to the source file and check how far in front(louder) they are. It’s difficult because of the mid covering effect, but still audible.
Do take a close listen to the hard nature of the source. I can change the shape of the tone, but not the essence of the sample(which is all digitized sound is).
Took another swipe at this. Had made a mistake way too big to ever admit to . I also de-noised this version. The tape rumble can really eat into your ears after a while. Especially after the compression to bring it upto level. Leave a comment. Tell me what you think.
If you find yourself spending too much time on the recording process, and trying to make stuff sound great, it’s a fair assumption that your song writing is suffering.
Sound design/recording&mastering etc can be very addictive (trust me I know!!). Just don’t let it stifle your creative flow. Decide what you want to mainly be. I’m not saying give up on the recording, but put your song writing and playing first.
Just don’t let your main gift go rusty while trying to learn too many things.
Additional
This post is mainly aimed at the writers using guitars or piano’s etc. The sounds used in electro production are an integral part of the material, so the sound creation of the piece has to go hand in hand with the writing. There is actually a biological reason why the 2 styles differ. For example: The guitarist sits virtually anywhere and writes a whole song, purely in creative mode. No technical distractions. Whereas the electro writer is already in technical mode as they create their latest track.
I used to be a pretty good guitarist, and I could sort of write songs, until I discovered the recording process, and the nice toys that come with that. Luckily for me it was a natural move, as my songs were rubbish, but I hate to imagine the good writers who get so distracted, that the new material stops coming. The phrase “use it or lose it” is very relevant in music creation.
So, where were we???. Besides me regretting trying to write about such an awkward subject . As I mentioned in part 1, you need to make an assessment of what needs doing, before jumping straight on the controls.
Common example: Heavy sub end (under 70hz) with Little or no need for compression. The idea here, is to find the crossover point for band 1/2. Like a cut off freq for where the compression stops. We can then bypass band 1, or use a small amount of gain reduction purely to blend with the settings through the other bands.
The green area through the centre, shows the compression curve. The most gain reduction being in the mid area, less at the top (squashed hi’s aren’t pretty), and least below 100hz.
Remember, this is basically a dynamic eq, and the green compression line, with its upper and lower boundaries shows that graphically.
Thinking of it as a sort of eq, may help you to realise, that for this thing to work, all it’s parts have to be working as one. The spectrum has to join together at the right times.
Setting up
As I said before, soloing in mastering can be pretty useless, as we’re working on the whole sound. First steps with a multiband compressor can be an exception. To get the main ‘problem band’ pushed into the right shape, may be easier in isolation. We first need to set the amount of gain reduction, and get the release time where it sounds right, so we can then match the other bands to it.
So…solo the problem band. This is usually band 2 (70hz ish to 500hz ish) or band 3 (500hz ish to 4kish). Those are VERY rough freq examples, the point being, the most energy in a track is below 4k , and we don’t usually compress much under 100hz, as we want the sub end to move. I love tracks that go all the way down to 10hz, and with a solid low end, but over compressing under 100hz isn’t usually the answer.
So, with band 3 soloed for instance, begin by setting a starting ratio (maybe 1.7:1) Don’t forget…as with a standard wideband compressor, you want to be paying attention to the attack time. Setting it too fast will try to compress the front of the peak, and will usually make a bad job of it!. That peak power gets dealt with by the limiter later on. So initial setup is a case of finding attack and threshold.
Check out this little vid, showing me setting up band 3. This is a raw file, with no eq etc. It’s purely for demonstration. If the captions don’t show, Click the ‘CC’ button. Note:Any compression artefact is from the source recording. I couldn’t use a compressor at all, 10 odd years back when I mixed this
Obviously I cheated, by setting it up before doing the screen cap, to keep it short. Band 3 here is the problem band. Not that it’s badly wrong or anything, but it needs slightly inflating to make it keep up with the low end. This is a classic use of multiband, dealing mainly with the mid section. Remember….match the wrong, to the right.
Once this band is roughly setup, it’s time to make the others work with it, and I’ll show that in the next part of this series. Once you have all the bands working together, it’s time to grab those global settings to get things sounding right. But remember….mastering is about striking a balance. You may set band 3 up just the way you want, but find you have to make a slight compromise to get the whole thing sounding natural.
Well, I’ve just accidentally hit the “Publish” button. So I’ll leave this article there. The screencast stuff will become a large part of future posts etc, and will include narration and more depth as I get better setup to do so.
Apologies for this post taking so long. As well as getting the video thing going, I’ve been hands on with some mastering projects. Oh…and there was Christmas .
I’ll start working on part 3, where I’ll be showing the setup through the rest of the bands.
Thanks for stopping by, check back soon, and please leave comments!
I worked on this track for a while over christmas, and although it still needs a tweak or 2, I’m quite happy with the improvement. For those who don’t know…..this is one of the rarest Level 42 songs. “Morning silence” Written by Mike Lindup, only featured in a few live shows during the 80’s. Luckily it was captured in this recording, as I don’t think another version exists.
For any new visitors, the technical details are this:
Damaged cassette from 1981.
Large mid range eq lift on aux send to cassette, Forcing large amounts of tape saturation into and around the offending freq area. I’ve had to try, to match the shape of that boost, by using many smaller cuts. As well as using the standard ‘boost the nice bits’ technique.
Source has large Boost around 107hz
Constant eq changes by the engineer
Remember, this is never going to be a perfect finish, just more listenable.
Yes, I know, I must be mad attempting to explain this one. But it’s a major part of mastering, so I have to try.
Note:Please have plenty of coffee to hand, this could take a while
Before I go any further, I need to say this. In my opinion, the multiband process is for fixing the dynamics across the spectrum, not for trying to be clever/creative with it. The idea, is that the low frequencies should be there at the same time as the highs. This is heavily dependant on correct release times. If you get them wrong (and I certainly have in the past), you can make quite a harsh sound.
Introducing the controls
1:Band crossovers These select the crossover frequency between the different bands, in conjunction with…..
2:Crossover slope This selects how steep the crossover is between the bands. Not all models come with this option, but I find it priceless in achieving a more natural sound for different material .
3:Lookahead This gives the option of the compressor reading ahead by a few milliseconds to prevent threshold crushing from higher peaks. It actually gives you the choice of how much you want the compressor to react. From pumping to clean attacks. Once again, this option isn’t available on all models, but is incredibly useful in creating the sound you want.
4:Clean/vintage mode Another option that isn’t available on all models. This one makes the difference between a clean “what you put in is what you get out” sound, or the vintage option will add slight distortion to emulate hardware. It wont work on everything, but can blur the edges on material that could use a bit less clarity.
5:Band Low gain This sets the volume of the band selected when the level is below threshold. So….when that band isn’t into compression(below threshold), it will be at the set level. The really useful thing with this particular model, is that the upper&lower levels can be set, which sets the total amount of gain reduction.
6:Threshold The level where compression starts to happen in the selected band. DO NOT LOOK AT THE DISPLAY TO SET THESE!!. How far back from threshold compression starts to set in, is dependant on the knee setting (11).
7:Band hi gain This sets the amount of gain reduction. So even if you’re pushing the threshold incredibly hard, the reduction will be restricted to the set amount.
8:Band Ratio How much gain reduction for every db increase in input above threshold. Basically, a setting of 2:1 means a 1db increase allowed for every 2db above threshold. Remember when setting up, raise the ratio…raise the threshold. Don’t go mad using high ratios!, what we’re doing is balancing the dynamics across the spectrum. This isn’t the place to ramp up the volume!.
9:Band attack time How many milliseconds of signal allowed through, before compression starts, after threshold is reached. Same principle as with a standard compressor, in that the attack time depends on the gain and length of the peaks, but they vary per band to suit the needs of the spectrum. More explanation later.
10:Band release time If you’re reading this, you should already know how important the release time is. Once again, in multiband it varies to suit the spectrum. Usually starting short for low bands, and increasing through the others….usually!.
11:Band knee setting Self explanatory, this sets the knee of the compression per band. The model shown has soft/medium and hard, giving incredible control in attaining the correct compression curve. And again, not found on many models.
12:Global controls These make it easy to change all the band release times for example. I’ll explain further later.
In addition to these controls we have the bypass/solo and mute buttons, which do exactly that for the selected band.
The Add and Delete buttons are another unique feature of this model. Giving you the option to add and have upto 6 bands, or delete them and even make this a dual band compressor (no idea why you would though). Experience will aid you in knowing how many bands you need. It really depends on the material.
Up to now, this may have seemed like an advert for the model I have used as an example. The fact is, I wanted to cover almost any control you may encounter, and it had the most.
Setting up
First step is to divide up the different areas of energy using the crossovers. With all the thresholds, ratios etc set to zero, drag the band1/2 crossover up and down between 60-100 hz. Listen to the image to find the right point. It’s like it swings left and right as you scan down and up. The sound will be more solid when you hit the right spot. I’m not going to give you any numbers for setting these, as it is totally dependant on the material.
Listen to this clip. You may hear the image change as I am dragging the lower crossover (band1/2) down from 100-50hz, then back up to 120 hz, then finally in the correct position at 79hz. Don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t immediately, but this technique is essential in mastering.
You want to set up all the crossovers using the same method. Keep paying close attention to the sound image. Get them in the right place, and it will stay more solid. If you have a selection of crossover slopes, test them now. Find the one that sounds most natural, then adjust the crossover freq’s again to suit.
Find the problem band
Before I go any further, the thing to remember, is that this is basically a dynamic eq. We are pinching certain parts of the spectrum to match the rest. So..take a listen to the individual bands, solo each one and have a listen to what’s going on. This step will become easier and faster with experience, as you start to be more critical with your analysis skills.
Are the lower bands too dynamic, so are stomping over the higher ones?. Is the low end heavily compressed and the mids too energetic?. Have some idea before jumping onto the settings, as you want to match the wrong to the right. No good adding 4db of gain reduction to an already squashed bass area. The mids and highs will sound unnaturally lifeless to match it.
First steps with the gain reduction
Soloing things in mastering can be quite counter productive, as we are working on the whole sound, and no band is an island (apologies ) . What I mean is, soloing each band and setting them up and expecting it to all be fantastic when you turn the solo’s off, isn’t going to work!. The idea is to have them all working together to make one sound.
However….for your first steps in setting up multiband, it can be less confusing to tweak the problem band in solo, and then match the others to it. This gets round the problem of making one band sound unnatural to the rest, forcing you into making wrong settings. Although you will still end up tweaking the settings for that band, once the others are close. The whole setup of multiband is very fluid.
Right, due to this being a long winded/complicated subject, this is going to be a multi part post. Apologies readers, but check back next week for part 2, where I’ll start guiding you through the other settings.
I had an interesting email from BBC director Damon Thomas, regarding my Level 42 restoration mastering. I have no idea how he stumbled upon my site, but he was very encouraging about my efforts. On the strength of that, I set about working on some more. To eventually get the whole gig done (one day).
Anyway, it transpires that he directed a series of interviews with the band in the late 90’s. I did some digging on Youtube and found them.
So…for anyone who’s interested, here is that series.
As usual, thanks for stopping by, and please keep doing so.
You can probably tell by now, I’m not working these tracks in the right order. Trying my best to avoid the early ones, where the engineer was setting up .
Gone back a couple of songs now for this one. A few minor changes from the “Almost there” settings. The eq moves for every track, so that needed tweaking, plus the release times for all the dynamics tools. You may also notice a difference in both sound and level from “Almost there”. I don’t usually go much on so called vintage compressor models etc, it normally means “buy this, and it will make everything sound fantastic for you”, which they rarely do.
But I did put one in-line just before the final limiter. The last thing this material needs is too much definition, so blurring the edges slightly with the vintage model had the effect I wanted. Listen to how it’s softened the highs of the hi hat and cymbals etc. I’m not pretending its transparent compression, it’s actually pretty obvious, but it works.
Well, thanks for stopping by people, and keep checking back, as I’m going to be doing the whole gig eventually (even the scary earlier tracks). Also, there is a big mastering techniques article on it’s way.
Have a great weekend!
Tone
P.S As usual, I’ll end up tweaking this a little. I just noticed a couple of freq’s creep in.
Currently working on quite a big article, but it’s taking some time. I also want to add audio example content to it, which slows it down even further. But new stuff is coming in the next few days.
. It’s main use is when working with already over compressed material, to add back dynamics. I was actually inspired to write on this subject, after working on a 70’s restoration job that needed a different approach.
. I also de-noised this version. The tape rumble can really eat into your ears after a while. Especially after the compression to bring it upto level. Leave a comment. Tell me what you think.
