bblackwood wrote on Thu, 22 April 2004 22:27 |
Looks like most everyone is in agreement - do whatever it takes to make it better. SNIP So what's the most outlandish thing you've done to 'salvage' or enhance a track?
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I tend toward being reserved when I first approach something, but it really depends on the project, and most importantly, on the client. If I had no input from the client, I'd assume they mixed it like this for a reason and try to go in the direction they've begun and try to get a few steps closer to their vision. If I can get some client input, sometimes they want me to really change what they delivered drastically. I'm happy to do that, but not without asking first.
One regular client loves things to be significantly different when they leave compared to how they came in. Recently a project of his came in that was really kind of uncharacteristically wimpy, and it was a big hard rock/metal project. I couldn't let that stand! I think by the end I had about 10 bands of EQ going, two of them MS, and a few of them not exactly subtle (3 or 4dB,) some color pulled up on the HEDD (2.5 tape and 2.5 pentode is a lot for me), and more color on the IBIS we're trying, a slight lick of Pendulum compression, a little clipping here and there, a bit of t.c. 6000 limiting, and some L2 to finish it off.
I tend to try to do what I need to with as few bands of EQ as possible, but all these bands from four different units just worked together to make it rock. It was one of those things that didn't make logical sense to my brain, but it just sounded better the more stuff I threw into the soup. This is an uncommon job for me. I don't usually reach for so much stuff, nor push so many items so hard, but it really brought this heavy project life. It needed the color and the grit. I was a little concerned when it first arrived, but it actually really kicked ass in the end. OK, this stuff isn't exactly outlandish taken one element at a time, but it was pretty aggressive mastering, and if that's what it needs, that what it gets.
My more outlandish fixes have usually included editing. On a live album where there was a dropout and an error with some stage playback elements, we processed and flew in the playback stuff (not a big deal) and then actually grabbed a piece of the missing vocal from an acoustic gig the live sound guy happened to have on his laptop from a couple years earlier (he wasn't at the session - we called him and he emailed it) and mixed it over a piece of instrumental we grabbed from elsewhere in the track and managed to plug the hole seamlessly. The client sat there with his jaw on the floor, having been sure that he wouldn't be able to use that track, but now listening as if it had never been a problem. I love it when the clients are impressed.