R/E/P Community

R/E/P => Mastering Dynamics => Topic started by: djwaudio on January 14, 2012, 11:56:37 AM

Title: Adding "Fullness"
Post by: djwaudio on January 14, 2012, 11:56:37 AM
Just curious what you use/do to add a sense of fullness or oomph to a thin mix? I'm attempting to match a slightly edgy acoustic number to a really sweet and full rock track, miles away at the moment.
Title: Re: Adding "Fullness"
Post by: Jerry Tubb on January 14, 2012, 12:26:13 PM
Add a bump at 50/60Hz on the Sontec with a broad Q.

Perhaps a slight nudge at 420Hz on NSEQ-FF for the vocal range.

Cut something in the upper mid; perhaps 2.8k with a surgical dig EQ

and/or DeEss at 8k with the Sonnox De Esser

Print to 1/2" analog tape before Analog EQ loop.

Did this yesterday for the same reasons as you Dana.

JT

Title: Re: Adding "Fullness"
Post by: jdg on January 14, 2012, 01:54:25 PM
if there is no vocals, i play in the 250-400ish range.

if there is vocals, i try some saturation (550Ms pushed hard)

sometimes, i insist on putting more space between the two tracks instead
Title: Re: Adding "Fullness"
Post by: Allen Corneau on January 14, 2012, 02:13:56 PM
Did 3 songs recently where all three mixes were thin and edgy.

What helped tremendously was the Massive Passive, boost/bell with widest Q; 330Hz for 2 songs, 270 for the other. Cranked it up to 11 or 12 o'clock, which with the widest Q was probably about 2 to 3dB.

Added some bottom with the API 5500 as well, but only 0.5 to 1dB.
Title: Re: Adding "Fullness"
Post by: Treelady on January 14, 2012, 05:50:16 PM
This is one of the few times you have license to go wild with EQ.  You may need to cut highs you would never dream of touching or at gain steps you never normally go to...
Title: Re: Adding "Fullness"
Post by: Cass Anawaty on January 14, 2012, 08:59:28 PM
Parallel compression targeting the 200-400 range (not normally into this sort of thing).  The UA Fatso works great for me, and allows the attenuation of the highs to keep the edge out of the vox.
Title: Re: Adding "Fullness"
Post by: pmx on January 15, 2012, 05:43:15 AM
mass pass in the 330 and sometimes 390 bands gives a lot of body, 3 gain steps most of the time, or a db or so of 150 hz shelf on the 2055.
Title: Re: Adding "Fullness"
Post by: djwaudio on January 15, 2012, 09:19:59 PM
Thanks for the ideas, going in Monday with with a fresh ear should help too. Agree on the massive passive low miss, wish I had one in this room.
Title: Re: Adding "Fullness"
Post by: djwaudio on January 16, 2012, 11:23:08 PM
This is one of the few times you have license to go wild with EQ.  You may need to cut highs you would never dream of touching or at gain steps you never normally go to...

This is just what I ended up doing, a dB of HF shelving cut on the SPL at 580 Hz, and brought back some 15k with the Prism. Popped right into place. A bit of de-essing and a little trim in the lows, fast attack on the comp to eat some of the edgyness. Fat city!
Title: Re: Adding "Fullness"
Post by: Jerry Tubb on January 17, 2012, 10:08:35 AM
This is just what I ended up doing, a dB of HF shelving cut on the SPL at 580 Hz, and brought back some 15k with the Prism. Popped right into place. A bit of de-essing and a little trim in the lows, fast attack on the comp to eat some of the edgyness. Fat city!

Agreed with the concept of "it depends on the project".

Knowing your gear, where to make cuts/boosts on which EQ, slight compression tweaks, etc. Only comes from experience.

The ear is the final judge.

Best, JT
Title: Re: Adding "Fullness"
Post by: Thomas W. Bethel on January 18, 2012, 08:02:44 AM
Agreed with the concept of "it depends on the project".

Knowing your gear, where to make cuts/boosts on which EQ, slight compression tweaks, etc. Only comes from experience.

The ear is the final judge.

Best, JT

Good call

Different strokes for different material and the ear is always the final arbiter when it comes to what sounds GREAT.

It is amazing how a good mastering engineer can find the sweet set of frequencies that will bring the music to life and how that set of frequencies can change depending on the material. IMHO lots of experience plus GREAT equipment plus a GREAT room make all the difference.