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[C Dog]

I have been mixing hip hop on and off for a couple of years and it feels like I have reached a barrier. My mixes always sound OK but I just can't break through to that next level. Whenever I compare them to mainstream hip hop mixes, I can't, its just not comparable. You can pop in a professionally mixed cd anywhere and it sounds great. I am not looking for any miracle fix, but I am lookin for a few tips that will help me on my future mixes. I have uploaded a sample to my yahoo briefcase so you can have a listen for yourself:

http://briefcase.yahoo.com/[email protected]
The sample is in the "SDP Mix sample" folder.

Beware their is some explicit lyrics so please don't listen if this offends you.

-C

[Vertigo]

What elements of your mixes aren't translating? Is it the vocals or the music?

Generally, most of the hip-hop projects I come across are a guy with a disc full of beats. At mixdown it's generally two tracks of vocals and a stereo musical track. Are the vocals not sounding right, or are you having trouble getting the music to "bump"?

-Lance

[C Dog]

I have full control of every element of the mix...I have reason rewired into nuendo where I mix it with the vocals.  I can get it sounding good on my monitors, but when I mix it down and play in through, car stereos, home theaters, boomboxs...whatever, it is very inconsistent.  Some systems sound good others don't.  Professionally mixed material seems to be way more consistent.

[Vertigo]

I gave the track a listen, and it doesn't seem to "bump" like a hip-hop mix should. I'd take a look at the kick drum first - all of its low end seems to be coming from the sub frequencies, and it just doesn't have that 100hz or so "thump" that it should. Listen to the song next to "Tricky" or "In Da Club" and you'll see what I mean.

You might want to brighten your vocals a touch too, just to give them a bit more definition. They're on top, but I think they could cut through more.

Good luck!

-Lance

[C Dog]

alright I uploaded a slightly modified version, check it

[wwittman]

a) practice

b) PROFESSIONAL MASTERING

the second is almost certainly by FAR the bigger thing.

[littlehat]

A) Make mixing (not sound or texture) choices on smaller speakers.
B) Make level choices at low listening levels.
C) Make individual sounds smaller.
D) Mix dry until you hear sounds you like, then add grease.

I mixed this for my little brother on a pair of Audix powered speakers with 6" woofers checking mix levels on Auratones.

http://www.myspace.com/donbreeze

Hope this helps.

[compasspnt]

It sounds to me as if your problem is in your monitoring situation.  If you do not hear correctly what is really going on, then how can you hope to translate to other systems?

Things are happening "electronically" in your signal path, and your decisions are reflected "electronically" down the line, on your stereo programme.  But if you aren't hearing "acoustically" what is actually happening "electronically," then your decisions are not affecting your mix in the way that you THINK that they are.

What are your mix monitors?

Are they right against a wall, or worse, in a corner?

Do you always listen loudly?

This is where a professional mix/monitor situation, as well as a professional mastering room, come into play.

littlehat has two good suggestions (first two), and if you add proper "main" monitors to that equation, you will be much better off.

[C Dog]

My mixing room does present probably the biggest problem.  I have a couple of m-audio near field monitors but the room is not sound treated at all.  The monitors are not in a corner but the room needs to be treated, I may have to hold off for a bit until I can drop some cash on that.  I mix at a medium level, I also vary it from loud to quiet to see if all my elements sound good.

[PookyNMR]

For monitor level, you can get a cheap SPL meter at an electronics store.  

I was taught to primarily monitor your mix at 85 dB SPL "C"  - keeping the Fletcher-Munson curves in mind.

[C Dog]

I'll check that out.

[Larrchild]

Try not to boost frequencies that will also get boosted later by the listener on their car graphic.

And assume they will.

[Arthur Rappos]

C Dog

You must listen at fixed volume levels. The level should be calibrated with a SPL meter and by passing broad band noise signal  through your system. With both speakers on the level should be roughly 82db, it must not be 85db because as at these levels over a day (8hours) you can give yourself ear damage.

Once you have set the levels you must not change the listening level. The monitoring speaker needs to be a full range speaker so you can hear the entire frequency spectrum.

Regards
Arthur Rappos  

[wwittman]

littlehat wrote on Thu, 15 February 2007 02:21

A) Make mixing (not sound or texture) choices on smaller speakers. B) Make level choices at low listening levels. C) Make individual sounds smaller. D) Mix dry until you hear sounds you like, then add grease.

compasspnt wrote on Thu, 15 February 2007 08:08

littlehat has some good suggestions, and if you add proper "main" monitors to that equation, you will be much better off.

I feel oddly compelled to add that I don't do most of those things (except D) but i DO work mostly on the big main monitors.
Terry's right that good monitors you can TRUST make a big difference.

but I almsot always mix loud  on the main monitors or very loud on the bookshelves if the bigs are not useable.
I PARTICULARLY ride solos or make big level changes while listening loud.
And I don't believe in making sounds small... I like every sound as full range as possible.


The secret of a good mix, in my view, isn't in the techniques and tricks... it's in being able to tell what you're listening to and then BALANCING everything.

[littlehat]

Veterans do things differently. I now start mixes with lead vocal.

My response was to help someone learn how to mix, not a mandate on how I think everybody should mix.