The Dreaded 125Hz Range

[Delitzsch]

I always have problems with this area in the overall mix. Of course I could just slap an EQ on the master fader and drop down that offending range a few db, but that just kills the whole mix.

So what do you guys do? Where do you make the those mid-bass cuts? On the guitar, bass or kick drum?

For that area, I usually use a multi-band compressor for the guitar and bass. Maybe I should think about do some EQ cuts before the compressor?

I'm just trying to figure out why my mixes always turn out a bit muddy and clouded when I listen back on different sound systems.

 

[HOFX]

I sometimes attack it on the Drum-Bass buss.

 

[He's Dead, Jim]

Most of the mud in that area comes from the ringy low-mids in the bass in my experience, so I take it out of there.

 

[Ermz]

The reason you have problems in that area is because most rooms have severe modal issues which affect your ability to hear that range properly. Not to mention speaker coupling, desk resonance and a bunch of other crap which blurs it. Mud there could come from either the kick, bass, or guitars as you alluded to. There is no sure fire answer. You have to hear the tracks properly in order to be able to make the right judgment call.

 

[UMF]

The reason you have problems in that area is because most rooms have severe modal issues which affect your ability to hear that range properly. Not to mention speaker coupling, desk resonance and a bunch of other crap which blurs it. Mud there could come from either the kick, bass, or guitars as you alluded to. There is no sure fire answer. You have to hear the tracks properly in order to be able to make the right judgment call.

+1

the 100-200hz is my nightmare... If anyone has some tipson that area, please come forward

 

[crillemannen]

Yeah 100-250hz is a very troublesome area. It's where the punch is so if you cut to hard you'll get no punchy and if it's to much you will end up with a mix that will be muddy and boomy. Set aside the whole acoustic problems you may have in your room there are a few pointers that I found useful..

I've learned that if say the bass and guitars sounds balanced solo'ed together then if the whole mix sounds muddy then go check else where. It's probably the kick but HP all tracks that you feel shouldn't have that highbass information. It could be overheads, leadguitar, synths whatever. Mixing is all about making room so everything is allowed to have it's place in the mix.

 

[drew_drummer]

The reason you have problems in that area is because most rooms have severe modal issues which affect your ability to hear that range properly. Not to mention speaker coupling, desk resonance and a bunch of other crap which blurs it. Mud there could come from either the kick, bass, or guitars as you alluded to. There is no sure fire answer. You have to hear the tracks properly in order to be able to make the right judgment call.

Absolutely this! It's something I've struggled with for years - I don't have a proper room - and I always double check this area on headphones.

 

[crillemannen]

Absolutely this! It's something I've struggled with for years - I don't have a proper room - and I always double check this area on headphones.

It's usually very prominent in headphones and inears. Don't have to be expensive ones either!

 

[Delitzsch]

The reason you have problems in that area is because most rooms have severe modal issues which affect your ability to hear that range properly. Not to mention speaker coupling, desk resonance and a bunch of other crap which blurs it. Mud there could come from either the kick, bass, or guitars as you alluded to. There is no sure fire answer. You have to hear the tracks properly in order to be able to make the right judgment call.

Thanks, Ermz. Yeah, I'm not going to lie. My little studio desk is in our bedroom and not the most ideal place for mixing, but it's all I got. The weird thing is is that it sounds pretty great at the studio desk, but when I hop across to the family computer that's in the same room with Insignia speakers, it sounds a little too muddy and needing more highs (hence it sounds cloudy). It sounds the same way on my trucks Bose system. It's like the studio monitors and sub at my studio desk deceive me into believing I've got a great mix.

It's usually very prominent in headphones and inears. Don't have to be expensive ones either!

I've got a set of Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones. Maybe I should try mixing that area on headphones from now on.

I'm working on a tech. death metal song right now. Once I get it halfway decent, I'll try to get some constructive criticism from you guys when I post it.

 

[crillemannen]

Sennheiser 280's aren't that prominent in that area :/ but they are very good for adjusting subs because they go very low.

 

[Delitzsch]

Sennheiser 280's aren't that prominent in that area :/ but they are very good for adjusting subs because they go very low.

Any recommendations? I'm not loaded with cash either

I could sell the 280's for something better suited to my needs and help fund the new headphones.

 

[Machinated]

best advice is all above - all about being able to hear whats going on. invest in room treatment and monitors/headphones and you'll be able to hear what's going on. if you're having problems its likely because you can't properly hear what's going on in that frequency region.

 

[Delitzsch]

best advice is all above - all about being able to hear whats going on. invest in room treatment and monitors/headphones and you'll be able to hear what's going on. if you're having problems its likely because you can't properly hear what's going on in that frequency region.

Room treatment is out of the question. It's our bedroom and the wife ain't having that. I have Yamaha HS 50M monitors on isoAcoustics stands and a Yamaha HS 8S subwoofer. Looks like it's going to have to be some new headphones.

 

[Delitzsch]

Would setting the subwoofer output high-frequency attenuation cutoff at it's highest of 120Hz be good? So the subwoofer is getting a broader range.

 

[UMF]

Would setting the subwoofer output high-frequency attenuation cutoff at it's highest of 120Hz be good? So the subwoofer is getting a broader range.

Just try it and remix something from scratch. If it helped in the mentioned region, it was correct.

You should also import a reference track into your project and A/B it a lot when working on the low end. It helps me a lot and I am slowly getting there with a lot of testing, deleting, remixing etc.....

 

[Delitzsch]

You should also import a reference track into your project and A/B it a lot when working on the low end. It helps me a lot and I am slowly getting there with a lot of testing, deleting, remixing etc.....

Great idea. Thanks. I'll try that out.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Any frequency that pokes out too much is generally dreaded, not only 125hz, or 3khz or 4khz or whatever.

 

[Delitzsch]

Any frequency that pokes out too much is generally dreaded, not only 125hz, or 3khz or 4khz or whatever.

Yeah, that's fairly obvious and not the point of this thread.

 

[Fox Mulder]

imo, Ermz pointed it out really well. Have you felt better mixing on headphones?

 

[Delitzsch]

imo, Ermz pointed it out really well. Have you felt better mixing on headphones?

I'm going to have try it again to give you a fresh perspective on it. I don't remember it sounding bad. It's hard for me to use headphones for very long because of a disorder I have. I have trigeminal neuralgia type 2.