using reapers ReaFir instead on MB (C4) on guitars lo-end

[gmo18t]

Hi,

while experimenting in taming the lo end of my guitar recordings i've figured out how well Reaper's ReaFir plugin can do this job:

this picture shows an example which i'm using on a grouped guitar track. The filter acts as hipass above 90 Hz and as well as 4:1 compressor (without makeup) on an subsequent range up to 300 Hz ...

In contrary to most (all ?) MBs this FIR-filter (used in compression mode) dynamically touches only exactly these frequencies, which exceeds the threshold-line (in red color).

An ordinary MB would lower the level of the entire(!) range you've defined to control your guitars lo end, if any of its frequencies jump over the threshold. Probably at cost of a bit of punch.

For example you've defined a MB lo band up to 250 Hz. If some parts of your guitar tracks exceeds only about 100 Hz, all frequencies below 250 Hz will be squeezed too. On other parts with 200 Hz overruns again the same entire 250 Hz range will be pushed down.

Under FIR-control with eg. a straight threshold line fom 90 Hz until 250 Hz located just a little bit above the normal (lo end-)level, the 100Hz and the 200Hz overruns will be tamed at the time without influence to any other frequency inside the defined range.

With FIR-filter you can remove the mudiness of your guitar tracks much more sensitive. And there is no rule to use an even threshold line, so if you want more control over some "wild" frequencies, you can dip the line on the correspondend positions a bit more ...
Because of its selective functionality, there is no attack and release setting (simply no need of it).

Beside your hearing you've also an optical control over level reduction. Original and reduced signal - both will be displayed (light yellow/yellow lines)

IMHO it's worth to try

- gMo -

 

[reg3n]

cool info man, thanks for the time posting it, i'll be trying this out tonight, kind'a need some fun to not fall asleep again on the table T___T

 

[if6was9]

Yup refir's a pretty cool vst, I've used it as a weird filter and for noise reduction in the past, must give this a go too- I've not been very happy with C3 as a multiband comp lately, alwys leaves my guits sounding shit

 

[Metaltastic]

I've never had a problem with any multiband compressor taking away too much lows (in my case ReaXComp), since I set the threshold high enough that only the palm mute "whoomps" (which are significantly louder) cross it, and then are brought down accordingly (with a fast attack and release time) - thanks for sharing your method though!

 

[gmo18t]

right, in most cases the MB method is very suitable and i would see the ReaFir method just as a further tool in a mixers portofolio ...

Myself, i've to record the lineout of my amp and work with impulses. And not every of my favorite impulses fits to the amps output in all conditions. So often i've a more "rumbling" lo end to tame

Also it depends a bit on the "character" of my amp. There is a very strong and tight "buttom", but little bit sensitive "lo mids" (sometimes jumping around and sometimes a bit to powerless).

Furthermore the FIR filter method helps me to blend guitars and bass nicely in the most critical range around 100 Hz.

- gMo -

 

[Erkan]

Awesome stuff, I should start looking into ReaFIR myself. It does induce a lot of latency however, right? Not that it matters during mixing but I usually avoid high latency plugins because I want everything to sound good from the get go since I don't have any real amp or anything.. I'm relying on monitoring everything through the DAW while recording. Thank god for a Q9550 processor, otherwise I would've been toast

 

[gmo18t]

It does induce a lot of latency however, right?

yes, thats a drawback. But i've also a MB and locut-EQ on the guitar-track plugin chain activated only during recording and for playback (and mixing) then i switch over to ReaFir.

- gMo -