Processing tip

[ahjteam]

Do you know when you are like mixing several hours of this one track and then at the end of the day you still think it sucks? I had this very often myself. Most of the time it was because I overprocessed everything, like all plugin inserts used on each track etc.

Then I realized this KISS-method a few years ago, which literally means less is more. I fooled myself very often that the processing I did actually sounded better, but the thing was that it was always LOUDER than the before. You know, the old way to fool customers, LOUDER = BETTER.

But the thing is that if the source is totally garbage, the best bet is to either re-record it better or then you just really have to process it. HARD. For example I was doing this one song of mine called "Fire", and for some unknown fucking reason I had like 7 out of the 8 plugin inserts used on the vocal track at the end of day 1.

Then at the beginning of day 2 I was like triple facepalming myself, what to do now? Then what I did was that I started bypassing the plugins one by one. If they made no significant difference, I removed them. Remember when I told you about how the plugins sounded "better" because it was louder? What I did then was that I eliminated the loudness factor, and I tried to match the output and input level of the track as close as possible. If it made the track sound worse or made no significant improvement, I removed it. In the end I think I ended up with just 4 bands of EQ, a single compressor and a tube saturation plugin, and it sounded way better than the overprocessed piece of shit I had on day 1.

tl;dr: Less is more. Fix the problem at source.

 

[AntonioPetrole]

I find myself doing this alot, i always render something at the end of the night, then the next day i start remixing it again then compare that one to the one i rendered last night, its always such a significant difference. Also the trick when you start hating how guitars or your mix is sounding, and you drop the master fader all the way down for about 10 or 15 seconds and then bring it back up

 

[greyskull]

you better believe it.

 

[Harry Hughes]

Better yet, throw out all the shitty musicians too that can't play worth a damn Metal needs musicians, not guys who take up instruments because they like the idea of owning one

 

[Morgan C]

I'm really guilty of overprocessing. My vocal chains use like 3-4 compressors and my bass chains.. holy shit.

 

[theRev]

Better yet, throw out all the shitty musicians too that can't play worth a damn Metal needs musicians, not guys who take up instruments because they like the idea of owning one

Metal needs musicians, but as soon you like the idea to try to learn a instrument, you should get one and try...

 

[Scottxx]

You are right. But I think that someone like me that has shitty hardware, because they are too expensive here. We need to polish the sound all we can with plugins. Obviously, learning how to do it well.

My tools to get a nice sound, although I'm not a pro, are plugins.
My love to sound, audio and music are so glad to have plugins. Not in another way some of us can dream in a better sounding guitar, drums, bass, mix...

I know that sometimes I use them in excess. And getting out some of them from the chain make it sound better. Our ears are first in any fx chain after all.

 

[AEL89]

I'm really guilty of overprocessing. My vocal chains use like 3-4 compressors and my bass chains.. holy shit.

It isn't overprocessing if it sounds good though. Usually with a vocal I'll use a bit of tape saturation, low-pass, then with another EQ add a little 3k, then compress 1176 style (4-6 dB GR), then dip out some low-mids if it needs it, compress a little more with an opto style compressor (3-5 dB GR), then I might hi shelf if I feel it needs it. If boosting the highs makes it a bit too sibilant then I'll de-ess too. All the vocals go to the vocal buss where I'll use a little bit more tape saturation and another opto-style compressor knocking of another 2 or 3 dB.

 

[Russtopher]

I'm guilty of this the most when (stupidly) continually soloing tracks to get their sound, instead of doing it in the mix. I'll overprocess way too much, then hear this hideous mix when everything's up. And I'll go back and remove almost everything.

 

[professorlamp]

The solo button is pure evil in every instance

 

[Russtopher]

one day I'll learn... one day....

 

[Fragle]

so fucking true....

i think lately i'm starting to steer clear of the whole overprocessing thing, and spending more time on tone choice. actually thinking about where you're trying to go BEFORE choosing tones is a big part of that.

i guess i used to do things just to do them, rather than actually LISTENING to the tracks and thinking about what really needs to be done....
nowadays i'm trying to get away with as little processing as possible.

 

[Morgan C]

It isn't overprocessing if it sounds good though. Usually with a vocal I'll use a bit of tape saturation, low-pass, then with another EQ add a little 3k, then compress 1176 style (4-6 dB GR), then dip out some low-mids if it needs it, compress a little more with an opto style compressor (3-5 dB GR), then I might hi shelf if I feel it needs it. If boosting the highs makes it a bit too sibilant then I'll de-ess too. All the vocals go to the vocal buss where I'll use a little bit more tape saturation and another opto-style compressor knocking of another 2 or 3 dB.

The problem comes when I've been mixing it a while and want to change something. I can either open up one of like 9 EQs spread across 4 bass tracks, or just insert another one. Then it just goes from there.

 

[Fox Mulder]

The solo button is pure evil in every instance

So damn true. Context is important.

I find myself having the oh, bass and kick tracks solo'd at the same time, never individually... most of the times at least. Sometimes I'd be juggling between the three, like kick/bass, or kick/oh and so on...

Soloing individually never works, at least for me. It's hard to perceive certain stuff. If I get down to EQ-ing the kick drum after listening to Timbaland's Apologize or Slayer's Reign in Blood, I can't possibly come up with a good metal kick tone

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Edit: As per topic, I tend to finish mixing the drums and bass before moving on with recording and/or reamping the guitars to have a good idea of what I want. While sculpting the tone I'd always leave the drums and bass playing. Overprocessing never works.

A bad source tone is like a vase. Overprocessing that means to glue it up. Is it ever gonna look as good?