Mixing with keyboards

[tgs]

So, on the production I'm working on now we've added keyboards to some parts. Some horns and timpani, with inspiration drawn from "Into the Pandemonium".

It really beefs up the parts, but of course it makes whatever comes after really flat. I've added keyboards before on a few occasions, but it was really a background thing just to add to the ambiance. This time I want it to be a bit more noticeable, but I still don't want it to take over too much so that you feel like something is missing when it goes away.

Does anyone have any tips about how to make it work in the mix?

 

[Melb_shredder]

My suggestion is always, eq like vox, work on volume automation and get your verb levels right. Probably always exactly how I treat them

 

[tgs]

My suggestion is always, eq like vox, work on volume automation and get your verb levels right. Probably always exactly how I treat them

To eq like vox for me would probably mean adding some mid range, which would make it all jump out too much. I need it to stay in the background but still be noticeable. I can get it to sound great, but when it stops it sounds a bit dull.

 

[Damian B]

I've been struggling with this on a current track I've been working on also. Here's what I've found.

Highpass the hell out of the keyboards. Excessive amounts of bass add "beef" but, as you mentioned, when you take them away the mix sounds empty.

If the mix is guitar/bass centered, mix them first, and then add in the keys, EQing them specifically to fit in with your mix.

Automate the hell out of everything.

Use creative compression/limiting on the keys. This will help even out loud/soft parts that make your mix sound unbalanced.


Hope that helps!

 

[Damian B]

Oh, also, highpass the reverb.

 

[Morgan C]

Dandelium had some useful info on this (which I think he got from someone else.. I forget who).. he said he tried scooping the synths to make them fit 'around' the guitars (which I used to do).. instead of making them sound similar to the guitars frequency-wise. Treat them as you would guitars, a rhythmic, melodic mid-range instrument and it'll make stuff much easier.

Also, scoop at 200hz, you don't want much low mids/lows in there, keep it in the mids. And if this is a lead with no vocals on, just keep it centred, but if its a melody while there's some vocals or guitar leads in the centre, or whatever if its not the main focus, I like to pan opposite what cymbal is playing. So if the drummer is playing on the ride cymbal on the right, and there's vocals down the middle, the synth goes ~50%L.

That's pretty much what I did here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/324723/AHD.mp3 (chorus only)

GL

 

[tgs]

Great tips, thanks guys! I've also had in mind to highpass, so that'll be one of the first things. I just think the timpani might be a bit tricky to work out, but they aren't playing through the whole part.

 

[if6was9]

I found automating the guitars so that you're dipping them for th key heavy parts and then kicking them back up helped the keys from making the parts without them empty.
I also agree with treating them much like guitars- high pass and treat the mids, if you treat them like a full range sound then its gets hard to fit them in without clogging up the low end

 

[AceFireForce117]

sorry for digging this thread up but i'm really interested into knowing what comp/limiter you use !
In one of my band's songs (chorus) i'm facing the exact situation, synths (voice choir preset with halion one) in the background, don't want them to pierce through the mix but they have to bring their touch to the whole ambiance

 

[RiF]

sorry for digging this thread up but i'm really interested into knowing what comp/limiter you use !
In one of my band's songs (chorus) i'm facing the exact situation, synths (voice choir preset with halion one) in the background, don't want them to pierce through the mix but they have to bring their touch to the whole ambiance

First everything Damian B said in his post.

I'd find out which frequency range of the choir really adds something to the mix. Then cut away everything else from them. Then hopefully the choir does not compete with other tracks. If so, use panning or further EQing on the other tracks to make room for them. Bring them in so that they are just audible and do their job, but not overpowering everything else.

 

[AceFireForce117]

thanks for your answer but my question was actually related to Damian's post