The Official 'Secrets of the Studio' Thread!

[tekkentool]

that could be applicable to effects that aren't distortion too, right? Like, say you wanted a chorus to double in speed for each octave; split up your audible frequency and put your choruses in.....

In massive I can just automate the chorus speed by keytracking

[cryabetes]

ah but i mean affect the harmonics of a sound differently than their fundamental. keytracking does that?

[tallowwaters]

I've multi banded chorus many a time (the key to infinitely better sounding chorus, IMO), so yes, layering different choruses (or chorii) would work the same way.

Of course, this is basically what the EQ knob on many delay/chorus pedals is doing (albeit simplified).

[Stab Frenzy]

Similarly to the multiband discussion, if I have something that sounds good but needs extra stereo width I set up a send and put a HPF on it at around 2-5k and then put a stereo delay on it, with different times (30-70ms, adjust to taste) on either side. Give it a bit of feedback, somewhere from 40-70%, and mix it back in just under the original track so that you don't notice it unless you mute the send. Really gives a lot of depth to to track and doesn't muddy things up at all.

[iProg]

Similarly to the multiband discussion, if I have something that sounds good but needs extra stereo width I set up a send and put a HPF on it at around 2-5k and then put a stereo delay on it, with different times (30-70ms, adjust to taste) on either side. Give it a bit of feedback, somewhere from 40-70%, and mix it back in just under the original track so that you don't notice it unless you mute the send. Really gives a lot of depth to to track and doesn't muddy things up at all.

I will go ahead and try this. Good advice.

Here's a classic tip you should never forget:

When sending to a reverb bus, put an EQ on the bus before the reverb and cut out the low-end rumble, which will improve the balance of the mix and loosen some energy for diffusion and shimmer. Also, try to experiment with various effects on the reverb bus after the reverb. Flanger, chorus, tremolo on different tracks and instruments.

[Miles Powerhouse]

Don't like to bump old threads (even if they are a few months old) but...

Just because your favorite artist/producer uses it doesn't mean you should. Just because your favorite artist/producer wrote about an amazing tecnique they used on their biggest hit (or your favorite song by them) doesn't mean you have to also. You can if you want to, but I would advise against it. However, if a lot of artists of your genre use it, go right ahead. Get what you think you would use. Get what you think sounds best in your studio. Don't waste your money.

Not really a 'studio' tip, but there's also something I like to call the 'State Farm' system. Let's say you have just exported a 'test' mix of a song you recorded. You put it on your iPod, iPhone, MP3/MP4 player, Re-recordable CD, etc. and you are going to test it in different listening environments (car, home stereo, club, etc.). See if any of your friends, family, coworkers, etc. (three in a row! shall we go for four?) will listen to it. If you know they're the ones who will say "oh that sounds nice", then don't go to them. If they are hardcore-metalheads and you make repetitive ambient, soft techno, don't even bother. Go to the ones who will actually listen and critique it. Listen to what they have to say about it. If you think a lead synth sound is perfectly mixed and 5 other people think it's too loud, then you may want to take it into consideration.
This 'system' is also helpful in two other ways: 1). (possibly) gaining fans and 2). finding out if you accidentally 'stole' someone's motif or riff.

[Ashe37]

Since the thread is a sticky you really don't have to worry about bumping it

[tekkentool]

People you know are the worst judges, they're far too prone to just saying "mang, it sounds fully sick bruv" rather than giving you critique.

[b3groover]

Kinda late to the party but I wanted to respond to some of these issues.

Things I learned recording my last album:

1. Basses (or maybe it's bass players) sometimes play one note in a song louder than all the others (usually an open string). This is really easy to fix with a really sharp notch in the EQ at the note and the octave above it.

Yes or you can use a compressor and it won't affect the overtones of other notes like extreme EQ notching will do. That's what compressors are for.

3. Before you mix in your DAW, cut every track by at least -2 dB. I don't know why this isn't the default.

You should not be pushing the meters when you track. You should leave plenty of headroom, unless you're still recording at 16bit, but who is doing that? 24bit has a huge dynamic range. Use it. Individual tracks should be hitting at around -12dbfs on average. There is NO reason to try to get as close to digital zero as possible with 24bit. So if you track you sources correctly, there is also no reason to lower each track by 2db.

There was an eye-opening thread on the Tape-Op forum about modern digital recordings and correct gain staging. It's long, but well worth the read. You can read it here.

4. Miking every drum is just one of many sounds you might want out of your set. Depending on what your going for, 5,000 dollars of drum-specific mikes might sounds less desirable than just two overheads and a kick, or even one close dynamic and one far condensor.

Yes and it is highly dependent on the room. Most people spend a lot of money and time on their gear but none on room acoustics. Treating your recording space will affect the sound of your recordings more than any new piece of gear. And it's not expensive nor hard to do.

6. Reverb is not that cool. If you notice it immediately, you're probably doing it wrong (purposefully spacey effects excepted).

That's strictly a taste issue. I'd say distortion isn't that cool and is one of the most over-used effects of the last 50 years, but hey... that's just my opinion.

7. If you don't like the sounds you're getting from a mic, try a different one, even if it's not the one that's "supposed" to be best for that particular application.

Also, move the damn mic. Instruments can change radically by simply moving the mic a few centimeters.

8. Compression, even in conservative amounts, can destroy an acoustic guitar or piano, or at least drastically alter it in an arguably objectionable manner.

If you're using shitty compressors, yes. The good ones don't do that when used "conservatively". But even so, that can be a desirable effect.

[hyphen nation]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I am in the home stretches of finishing out a project studio...holy hot s**t, I wasn't entirely sure it was worth the cost, but I can say it absolutely is...If you can afford to treat a room, and set your speakers up properly, it's amazing what you can hear and how you can listen to your music. First and foremost...get a space set up that lets you produce to the best of your abilities. I've always had what I considered decent speaker placement...this is next level...the stereo separation and fidelity is ridiculous...below is an in process pic. I just finished wiring it up two nights ago, and have been blown away even listening to some old mixes...the in wall speakers above are just so that a future home owner can turn the project studio into a home theater if they want to...

[jxalex]

10. Be honest and carry yourself with integrity. Instill the same in your working space and be aware of the energy that you occupy. It will translate into the music that you make.

that point 10....
... those who have been 30 years in the music can say that what a snake nest that music "industry" is... and it still havent changed. Everyone always pretending to be happy, politically correct, using every dirty trick in the book, but hating those who will say out loud what is going on.
It has been written also in some Sound On Sound numbers "Head from the deadlines" rants where it shines through.

[jxalex]

* not every musicpiece is rock or pop music. So, all should not be engineered that way.
* every musicpiece does not need guitars/drums/vocal or pads.
* having comfortable environment for creating can be very different to best acoustic environment. Best acoustic environment does not mean to be inevitable for inspiration. You notice if You spend more on sound engineering details or music if You have music creation in one room and mixing/sound engineering in another room.

* It does not have to be necessarily most expensive, newest latest trend , but it has to be comfortable.

* just set time for music process. Even if it means sitting one hour behind the desk without results.

* If mainly all is done with computer - Do not have screen too far from you nor with very small text size!
There is ANSI ergonomics standard which says something too what must be atleast the letter
size, from 1 feet distance. Most users have too small letters on the screen. ( The minimal letter size must be bigger than 4mm when looking from the distance of 30cm. OR something like that? )