An Indie Musician's Diary Volume 4: Album two in the making

Mixing Tip Subtractive EQ Using Instrument Frequency Charts

I  try to watch one mixing video or other, music production related video, every day. The one above came up in my YouTuve feed. Although I don't listen to Bethel's music all that much (because it has morphed into something that has too big a chunk of the Christian music scene), I do have to admit that they are doing many things right when it comes to music production. So I was interested in hearing how they think when they mix. 

Now, this Subtractive EQ method is nothing new and I have seen it in many different channels. But it is worth mentioning for those of you who want great mixes. If you don't think about the fact that having many instruments on a track makes it necessary to use subtractive EQ then your mixes will be piles of muddy, hot messes. Watch these videos and apply this method and your mixes will gain clarity and vibe.

As he says in the video, mixing is subjective when it comes to which elements are prioritised in the mix BUT you always have to respect that instruments have to be tamed so they don't cause, muddiness, phase issues:

Here is the chart used in the video at the top. This is taken from Osiris guitars

It's great to keep these frequencies in mind when you  mix.

Here's a video explaining the chart above and how to use it:

And here, below, is another variant from prosoundformula.com where he describes where in the frequency spectrum you might be able to pinpoint problems in the mix. If something sounds muddy, thin etc in the mix, you still have some EQ frequency carving to do.  Looking at the chart above or below can gi ev you a hint where the problem lies.

It is helpful to see the frequency spectrum of the instruments in one's mix in different ways so you know where the crossovers, phase problems and other problems can hide. The more you mix the better you can get at making room for each instrument.

Being aware of the harmonics, for each instrument is a great help too. The bass, for example has both a low punch, a harmonic and a string snap higher up. The two harmonically related sweet spots vary slightly depending on the bass you use. EQ sweep in solo to find them if you are not sure. Once you know where they are and you know where the kick frequencies are you can carve out room from each to allow for the best of both. This brings clarity to the mix and makes it move forward with a great beat. Sooooo important in every mix!!!!!!!

Example:

Cleaning up the low end of the bass (with a high pass filter) to get rid of energy you can't hear and to make room for the kick is very important. After that you can focus on making room for the harmonic(s) that might compete with a synth, (or guitars) for example, farther up the frequency spectrum (in the mids). How you prioritise the synth over the bass or choose to prioritise the synth over the bass harmonic is up to you. This is an example as to why mixing is an art and you as the mixer have to make thousands of unique decisions before your track is done.

But a track is never perfect or done in my opinion. You just get closer to done as you mature as a mixer and learn that you need to push each mix out before the deadline an hope for the best.

Learning as you go. I can honestly say that some of my mixes on my first album were not up to par. knowing what I now know, I would never have mixed certain things the way I did then. After speaking with other mixers and listening to a ton of mixing videos we all feel that we are on a journey to learn and each song stretches us a bit more in the right direction but, in the end, everything about mixing is subjective and we will never create a perfect mix that everyone likes. 

Just do your best and keep having fun. You'll get better as you go!

Until next time:

https://linktr.ee/ekitzing