Open the sound of a mix

[::XeS::]

Hi
There is a thing that make me always not happy of my works.
My mix always sound close..not very open and 3-D.
So....is there a "zone" where I should work to get a more open mix?
Another question.....If I have a good mix (a mix where you can hear all the instruments and they fit well in the song alla togheter)....is the "open/close" sound matter still my scope? Or is it a master engineer scope?

Thank you very much

 

[26]

Be more generous with the room you give certain instruments. (of course there are many aspects, but this could help a bit)
To question 2: yes

 

[abyssofdreams]

I have a feeling that a lot is with the gear being used...e.g. Preamps and such.
What I've learned so far for a greater depth of field, image:

Room, ambience on drums.
Stereo spread on the bass.
Delay on a group bus and send stuff there with some filtering and last but not least how the stuff is compressed after all.
Boosting ultra highs in mastering or after the mix compressor.

I get it more 3D-sounding this way, far from any pro stuff though.

 

[Soundlurker]

Be more generous with the room you give certain instruments.

True, unless you give the instruments more room than is enough, that way the result is a muddy mess of struggling instruments.

Room, ambience on drums.
Stereo spread on the bass.

Depends on the room/reverb. Huge room reverb will sound big but will also bring some mud in the lows and low mids, so you have to be careful there, as well.
Also, IMO, bass belongs to the center 98% of the time. Stereo - only if it's the leading instrument in the particular moment.

I'd add that aiming at seperation when tracking + serious panning is one way to achieve a big open mix.

 

[abyssofdreams]

I meant some effect bussing on the bass, e.g. top end through a bit of chorus, of course the bass itself should be panned dead center...

 

[::XeS::]

I'd add that aiming at seperation when tracking + serious panning is one way to achieve a big open mix.

What do you wanna say with "Serious panning"?

 

[006]

Like, making sure that your OH tracks are panned hard left/right, guitars hard left/right, kick, snare and bass in the center. Etc...just make sure you are creating a wide stereo image of everything, the wider things are panned out, the more room there is from 100% out to center for other things to fill up space. Like hats and ride, for example, I pan usually 70% left (hats) and 70% right (ride), then pan the OH mics 100% L/R. Toms are panned according to their placement on the kit, so if tom1 is all the way over, then it goes like 85% left, then tom2 gets 40% left, tom3 like 10% left, tom4 35% right, tom5 85% right, this way when he does a fill the toms will go from left to right and it will make them sound like they are stereo instead of being all center sounding. Vocals right up the middle, with maybe some supporting tracks being panned slightly left and right (maybe 5% either way).

Things like that...

~006

 

[::XeS::]

Ah ok....yes I did all my mix in this way (of course) but I'm not very happy of my final results.
This is an example: http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/rate-my-mix-tone-threads/400940-check-re-mix-im-doing.html
I've not tracked the album...I'm only mixing so I have to work with what I have in my hands

 

[izzyrock]

I think it should be something like "How to NOT close a mix"
If you don't do silly stuff like puting the hihat in the middle, or the cymbals too centered, you'll be fine.
What I mean is. if your mix sounds too "mono", its because you are doing something wrong.. and you shouldnt be worried about "opening up" if you did everything pretty much "correct". you know what i mean?
In other words. if you pan everything right (gtrs full panned etc), you won't need any advice on how to open it more,because it already is! And please don't put any stereo enhancer on it. that will destroy your mix

 

[::XeS::]

Stupid question: coul it be...the panning law?
I use Sonar and the panning law is 0db Center. I know the panning law in cubase is -3db,in protools -4db (maybe) and when I listen mixes made with cubase/nuendo, they sound less in your face and more big and open.
For example,the original mix of my work was done with cubase: it sounded worse but..deeper and open (And I didn't change anything in the drums and in the vocals, including the fx used).
So I don't know...it's only a doubt I have..

 

[Limak]

from what i have been told panning law is one of basic things in mordern recording with -3db law beign the universal standard. I always use it and im satisfied more with it than with 0db im not too much experienced though.

 

[paladin shredder]

um, after listening to your mix on that link, i would probably just pull the guitars up a few db's, and asuming you have them hard panned left and right, that might help make your mix feel more open.

 

[nwright]

Stupid question: coul it be...the panning law?
I use Sonar and the panning law is 0db Center. I know the panning law in cubase is -3db,in protools -4db (maybe) and when I listen mixes made with cubase/nuendo, they sound less in your face and more big and open.
For example,the original mix of my work was done with cubase: it sounded worse but..deeper and open (And I didn't change anything in the drums and in the vocals, including the fx used).
So I don't know...it's only a doubt I have..

In Nuendo, you can set the panning law to whatever you want, 0, -3 or -6 (maybe more, but I just remember those 3).