Mixing Keys / Synths

Sacha

Throbbing Member
Jul 20, 2002
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Calgary, AB, CANADA
www.mp3.com
What are you guys doing?

The new album I'm working on has fuckloads of keys and synths and i'm still wrestling with how to treat them. Definitely going to hi-pass and low pass that shit but not sure if I should carve out some mids and whatnot yet. Obviously its sound dependant but looking for some basic generalities.
 
Especially if I'm using choirs and such, I'll tend to also scoop out a little in the 400-500Hz range, otherwise the mix gets too crowded and "stuffy" sounding.
 
Well, it's easier for me since I'm the songwriter :) I just pick the synth sound based on the mix. Not all synth sounds fit into the context, so you should search for a similar sound but with different tonality. Or if you must have that specific sound, then first try an octave higher, or mix the part around the synth instead of mixing the synth into the part.