using waves c4

[broken81]

how do you really go about knowing if a guitar needs to be tamed and knowing what feq to tame and how much??

is this just all ears or can you like use a analyzer eq thing??

like i have used Andy c4 setting but i really don't know if i needed it or not and i think that is more important!!

 

[JeffTD]

Just use your ears... if you need to pin the low mids down a bit and keep em under control, then by all means do it with a multiband.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

If a track is muddy you can use andys settings and it cleans it up some. You may not need to actually compress it, you might just have too much low/low mids. Try cutting them aswell (through EQ or a lowpass on your mic or on the amp depending on which instrument you're having a problem with) If you you're really not sure, post an example and I'll try to help.

 

[broken81]

im not having any problems just trying to learn when and when not to use c4 and how to use it really.

like i said i used on guitar but did not notice much of a diffrance when i used andy settings....

 

[JeffTD]

Use the C4 to keep specific frequencies in line from a dynamic standpoint - it's just a compressor customizable for different areas of the frequency range.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

Well then, basically, Andy's settings when it's flabby. Other then that, fuck around with it ALOT.

 

[A Toolish Circle]

2nd what DSS3

Broken81 , i've been looking at all the posts u've been asking and it just really seems to me that u're just trying to get all the quickest answers /details / settings and samples without actuallly figuring it out for urself if u need it

just because andy or other engineers use something doenst neccessary mean u need to use it

there are projects where i've used C4 and many which i don't and all that i have used i have ended up using my own settings which i have learnt the concept of why andy uses it

understanding the concept and knowing is the way to go , not just trying to take a shortcut by using predetermined settings and wondeirng why it doens't work

 

[JeffTD]

Yeah, I agree.

It's not like Andy, Colin, CLA, Ben Grosse, etc... all have templates they load up with all their favorite plugins and presets dialed in, and mixing is a process of loading all the tracks in. They sit down and listen to everything, analyze it, tweak with it, and shape it using their ears, not some pre-conceived godly preset found on a forum.

 

[A Toolish Circle]

^ me and my mate have tried out the CLA presets for waves SSL

and we found none of the guitar ones useable , some of them were ok but all had to be tweaked

interesting enough , i heard 3 albums last night and they were all mixed by CLA

Saosin
Underoath
Senses Fail

it's interesting to hear his mixes because they're not mixed very agressively and they're all about making the vocals sound amazing . most of his presets i find tame the sound ( esp guitar )

yet his work is always on radio and he's regarded as one of the best mix engineers out there. maybe it's time i didn't put so much effort making my drums and guitars sound that agressive

 

[JeffTD]

It's all in the audience.

He's not into making a bunch of disgruntled white men headbang - he wants 14 year old girls to buy the stuff he mixes .

Also, most radio mixes or radio-heavy artists will definitely have the vocals as the focal point - it's just what people want to hear. In metal, the vocals are more of a percussive, rhythmic element, and the focus is in the guitars for the most part.

 

[A Toolish Circle]

^ yea i see where u 're getting at , i just got a shock when i put in underoath's new cd and my friend said yea Adam D did it and i'm like wow i've never heard Adam's production sounding this tame before ( used to his all that remain / Parkway drive ) stuff and i check the credits and viola : CLA on the mix

 

[smy1]

interesting enough , i heard 3 albums last night and they were all mixed by CLA

Saosin
Underoath
Senses Fail

yet his work is always on radio and he's regarded as one of the best mix engineers out there. maybe it's time i didn't put so much effort making my drums and guitars sound that agressive

I wonder if he is not getting a lot of work lately because those are all not very high caliber/high profile/high $$$ bands, or are they??

I mean, I doubt you can get a CLA mix for 10 grand ...

 

[axeman720]

Honestly if CLA's presets worked on everything, what would be the point in having him mix anything? I'm not a fan of presets AT ALL. they block the real use of your ears and force you to associate certain eq curves in places they may not even need to be applied. When it comes to eq and compression, i would say to keep your eyes off the preset list and keep your ears open. You'll eventually find what your lookin for, and trust me, you'll be alot more proud of it.

Think about it, how on earth would those presets work when your not even using the tracks they were created for?

 

[broken81]

I know there is an easier way!!

can someone else just mix my stuff

Sorry if im asking noooob questions and seems like im trying to take the easy way out!!

Im really just trying to learn when and how people use certin plugins!!

And so be it if i use someones settings as a starting point and tweak from there..... oh wait thats the easy way out again

 

[s34nsm411]

i too find the cla presets terrible, the guitar ones are all have super big high boosts, which i would never do to a guitar track. maybe im just tracking wrong but i usually have to cut the hell out of the 4k range to get the fizz out

 

[AStacy2]

I use presets a lot actually. If I'm recording a band in the same room I always use with the same equipment that I usually use, presets help get the mix done really fast. Once you get to know your equipment/room you will know what you usually have to do. I actually think CLA presets sound great though.


Broken81, just try out different stuff. Multiband compressors are complicated as hell and probably one of the hardest ideas to master in audio IMO. If you don't know how to use them you can fuck your mix up easily. Andy's setting on the C4 works good when someone is palm muting because all the energy is in the mids/lows and a lot of the highs get cut off. So if you notice this happening you might think in your head that maybe you could get it to sound cleaner by compressing the mids some. There's no right or wrong way to do stuff and there's an infinite number of ways to achieve a great mix. A/B a lot with good mixes and use your ears.


I actually almost never use a multiband myself, too complicated

 

[smy1]

The CLA presets are simply advertising. If a high profile mixer creates a bunch of presets for a software company's product, that product will benefit from it. It's like in Sports or any other area of marketing.

I actually made a halfway decent rock track once with those presets. I was actually surprised at how well it worked.

 

[mjlaudio]

Yeah, I agree.

It's not like Andy, Colin, CLA, Ben Grosse, etc... all have templates they load up with all their favorite plugins and presets dialed in, and mixing is a process of loading all the tracks in. They sit down and listen to everything, analyze it, tweak with it, and shape it using their ears, not some pre-conceived godly preset found on a forum.

Actually I think the opposite is true....I think most of the mega mixers at this point do have some sort of template, or starting point. There is no way that they could mix 2 songs a day at that level with out it. I think the key is to have a similar starting point and tweak from there. Ive continually been surprised when checking my recall notes and noticing that the console had many of the same settings from a metal project to a blues project. I dont think in terms of presets in analog world but i find there is a point where the board starts to sound good.

PS I learned alot just from adapting the CLA presets.

 

[Keiffer]

Actually I think the opposite is true....I think most of the mega mixers at this point do have some sort of template, or starting point.

I agree...

 

[Kenneth R.]

I know there is an easier way!!

can someone else just mix my stuff

Sorry if im asking noooob questions and seems like im trying to take the easy way out!!

a lot of people come to that conclusion, and they pay *money* to people who didn't! Trust me man, if you stick with it (and actually read all these very helpful replies) you'd be on your way to becoming one of them. Or... you could just fork over a few grand (or more) and have someone else do it for you, but you'd still remain clueless. Your move.