How to control high mids?

[AndrewB]

Lately, I've been noticing that the high mids on my tracks are becoming too overbearing. Or, to put it into a term that might better pinpoint the frequency range, too "harsh". The harshness is on my guitar tracks, my snare track, my synths... it's everywhere! Unfortunately, though, it also happens to be that "brightness" range, so I can't turn them down too much before losing clarity. But when I listen to professional tracks, the clarity is there, and I can turn it up really loud before the high mids start to become too harsh for me.

So how do I get control of my high mids without losing brightness?

 

[AllanD]

This is one of my issues as well. I feel like it's mostly monitoring for me though.

 

[AndrewB]

I'm mixing on headphones, though. On car speakers, or just average computer speakers, the high mids are definitely emphasized. It drives me crazy when I'm playing music in the car.

 

[Shinozoku]

Are we talking like 1.2k? Maybe try just pulling 1 or 2dB out of the master in that area, Q of 1 or 1.5.

 

[AndrewB]

I think it's a little bit higher than that. Like maybe around 3 or 4khz.

 

[chrisrivalry]

you want to be careful of that 3-5 k range on your guitars, that's where a lot of unnecessary peaks are that you need to pull down with some surgical cuts with a graphic eq. also automating your OH's so that they're both not open at the same time helps with clearing some over-bearing high end (that is of course if you're using live drums). And then finally you can use some cuts in your mastering chain.

 

[AndrewB]

you want to be careful of that 3-5 k range on your guitars, that's where a lot of unnecessary peaks are that you need to pull down with some surgical cuts with a graphic eq. also automating your OH's so that they're both not open at the same time helps with clearing some over-bearing high end (that is of course if you're using live drums). And then finally you can use some cuts in your mastering chain.

Err... what?

And I actually did forget to do the standard 4k notch for the fizz.

 

[Tommy Evans]

This might be one of those 'subtractive before additive' things. Instead of pushing that clarity range up, you could push the mud range down.

 

[outloaf]

Getting that 1-5k range right is a headache and a half! I also end up with issues all the time with a ton of midrange buildup and it makes my mixes sound like crap. On the other hand if I start pulling it out- it starts to sound too clinical.

 

[TomMartin]

I get this sometimes. I usually stick an eq on the mix bus, narrow Q, +12b, sweep it about until you find the frequency that sounds like whatever is irritating you, bring it down to taste, widen Q to taste...

 

[Shinozoku]

^What I do. I usually end up with only a -2dB cut with a Q between 0.5 and 1.5, depending on what needs to be cut. Too much of a cut changes the tone too much, and to narrow of a Q sounds weird.

 

[TomMartin]

^What I do. I usually end up with only a -2dB cut with a Q between 0.5 and 1.5, depending on what needs to be cut. Too much of a cut changes the tone too much, and to narrow of a Q sounds weird.

If done carefully enough it should be possible to get rid of whatever is pissing you off without you noticing anything else changing. In the case of it being caused by frequencies building up from various instruments anyway.

If it ISN'T some kind of buildup due to well, things building up in the mix, then track down the culprit instrument and just do it to that...

 

[chrisrivalry]

What I meant by that was there is a lot of information in the overheads in that range that is constantly up so you're constantly hearing that "sttsssss sttssss" decay of the overheads that's really only clouding up that range, so instead of eqing drastically on your guitars AND oh's just simply automate the left side down when they're playing the right side crash and so on.

 

[TomCase]

This might be one of those 'subtractive before additive' things. Instead of pushing that clarity range up, you could push the mud range down.

This is my take on it.

Might sound a little dull, but throw a pultec with an 8k boost on the master, and watch your mix jump alive.