Snare to everything relationship...

[flhctroll]

Hey all. I am noticing that my mixes are getting better lately but starting to notice that the snare is taking alot of frequency space in my mixes. I try to cut but it sounds killer at the freqs I find first (if that makes any sence) anyway, When I gets to the mastering process it just dissapeers. I have put it louder in the mix but all that does at mastering is the comps kill that first. I haved squashed and not squashed the snare. I am not sure what is goin on. Some times it gets so loud its close to clipping. I slide all tracks in Audition so there shouldnt be any phase issues. Its fine at parts then almost completely disapeers for others. My mixes end getting so snare heavy pre mastering. I notice that it also changes the freqs in the snare, It is much more beefy premaster. Is this a mix issue, or a mastering issue. Unfortanatly, I have to master my mixes cause the client cant afford a mastering engineer. I use a bunch of DB Audioware multiband Limiters for mastering. It comes out to 11 bands of limiter. (0-30hz, 30-60hz, 60-120hz, and so on.) Then a basic hard limiter at the end. Not much on the limiter though. Here are some samples.

http://amproductions.info/audio/counter/click.php?id=13
The band is Faded Embrace from Freeport Illinois USA

And another
http://amproductions.info/audio/counter/click.php?id=14
This band is Anger in The Attic from Antioch Illinois USA


Any ideas would be of great help. As of yet, the clients never bring this up but I notice it all the time in my mixes.

Brad
AngryMan Productions

 

[kev]

I dont know much about the dba plugs you use? Most of us found the timeworks plugin for mastering totally outclasses the waves L2 for example in exactly your scenario!

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

Listening to Faded Embrace and it sounds very good! The problem with the snare to me seems to be that it's too low and needs more high stuff (5khz-10khz or something I think) because where it is now it's right in there with the guitars and high end of the bass. Not sure though, I don't think it's to big of a deal because it sounds pretty good as it is.

 

[Mikey Bolton]

Sounds like you have already used a sample on the snare? To my ears just listening on the laptop with JBL creatives it sounds to me like you have just homed in on the snare and thats whats taking all the thought process when mixing?

I take the sample comment back...just listened to both tracks! the second track snare is defo sub-standard to the first track. Is there too much bleed on the hat track?....just listened again...it just sounds like some more post processing is needed on the kit

 

[Andy Sneap]

yeah that'll happen when hitting a multiband. I find the L3 sucks the snare straight out the mix.

 

[AStacy2]

Hey Flhctroll, I have found that problem sometimes too. I can send you an e-mail with a picture of some settings I use on my multiband when this happens. Just send me an e-mail (you have yours disabled on here). If there is a way to post pictures on this forum I just don't know it yet, I'm new. hehe

 

[flhctroll]

I just tried killin all the multibands. Just have a Hard Limiter. I set it to where I feel it is somewhat transparent and can barely tell the diffrence when I a/b the 2 diffrent versions. I sounds the same but pumps a bit on the big parts where the snare would dissapear before. Should I post the non-mastered versions? Thanks for all the input guys (or gals)

edit: tried a diffrent limiter and it sounds alot better. Maybe now I can mix to what sounds good and worry about mastering when I master

 

[flhctroll]

Ok... I got it now. Here's the chain.

Waves L1 Ultramaximizer-->Waves REQ 2band (0.5db boost @10000 Q=1 to boost what comp lost)-->Limiter(just to knock the hair I added with the EQ)

Holy shit! What a diffrence! It could probably actually be louder(makes client happy) if I mixed it now with less snare. But what I have now it practactly transparent to the pre-mastered sound and the same loudness as the master I did for the band. Thankyou guys for the input on hard limiters. All this time I have thought that comps would destroy worse than Hard limit. Now I might actually enjoy mastering. Well, Maybe not