Caustic Song file (optional):
Im trying to achieve the percent or close to perfect mix by searching articles and endless vids for tips.I found this nice tip to get a blanced mix volume using pink noise.you lower all of your track in the mixer expect the pink noise.The pink noise should be at full volume in the mixer.Bring your kick to full volume matching the pink noise then bring it down till your kick is just under the pink noise sound kinda like a duck but its constant.Do this to all you slots put it at full volume matching the pink noise then bringing it down till its just below it.Tip: close your close your eyes while doing this trust and train your ears.After your done mute the pink noise and have a listen to your track or better yet compare it to your track before this method. If you have any questions just ask and i provided you guys the pink noise sample. For thoses, who dont understand i found a YouTube vid and watching it will benefit youhttps://youtu.be/3b3DtQALtuY
Nice tip! I'll have to try this. I found an app a while ago that can generate noise in the background while caustic is running.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.synopsia.noisemachine
I want purple noise.. Or better say.. Greyish purple noise..
Wow thats even better.now i can blance my mix in real time
Complex Ez
Latest trackhttps://m.soundcloud.com/ezell-matthewson/inflexible-spirit
Interesting....
I don't completely understand how it works but it sounds very interesting so I'll definitely watch that video and that app!
'Askar
https://www.soundcloud.com/xenoplas
@ezell thanks is good tip!!!
@Xenoplas: I call it "substractive mix": basically, the trick is to fill the whole human hearing area with noise, and then let each track just scratch the surface in its own frequency area. Then, remove the noise. This work in theory, but IRL, you will always have to adjust track levels sooner or later, not mentioning the artistic point of view and the fact that every EQ change on a track can drastically affect the result. It's a technique to use when you want all you elements to be perceived on the same "layer". Since the loudness war and the radio pushed sound, we are conditioned to listen to music were all the instruments are pushed to the max with comp/limiters, be it a murmur or a full orchestra hit. See what the guy is doing at the end of the video ;-). What does a limiter, if not reducing the dynamic? In this perspective, this technique seems the logical way. It's good for a first pass balance in electro/EDM music, don't think that this can be applied to all genres.
You can do it in Caustic, using the Modular pink noise generator. The main problem I could see by putting you pink noise full level : no more headroom. Technically you should do that with a Vu-meter, not a peak meter, pink noise around -3DbVU. (the guy in the video don't use a VU meter, only the cubase peak meter). But by trial and error, you should get the good noise level in Caustic and use it as reference for other mixes. A good tool in the arsenal.
I tried it a couple of times, but in the long run, it was a waste of time for me. And listening to pink noise while adjusting 24 or 48 tracks is not fun. With the time, I have found other tips to set my levels, and now I take less time for a first pass (rough mix).
@Skarabee thanks for the input ;) it's always interesting to hear the opinion of people who have actually tried it. I think I'll still take a look at it as well when I find the time. knowledge is gold and you never know what you might be able to use it for. your comment was a little hand regarding another topic for me as well by the way. over the last weeks I've been working a lot with limiters. I almost got a little too used to sausagealating everything :D
'Askar
https://www.soundcloud.com/xenoplas
@scarabee: could you tell what kind of technics you use? I'm sure that it's a huge request I'm asking, but maybe you can name some different technics that we all could dig :)
It's not a huge request, but may lead to a huge answer ;-)
First, all depend of the style and instrumentation, and the goal to reach: wall-of-sound type mix, live performance...
A quick view: When I'm mixing rock or electro-rock, I use the kick/bass as basement and reference for the low-end. Why starting with the low end? because there is crucial part for energy and dynamic here, and most of the time, these sound don't change along the song. Using a Vu on the main out, I set my kick to -3 Db, and then add the bass until it reach 0DbVu (-18 Db full scale). Then I add each instrument, starting from the lowest frequencies to the highest, all by ear, with an eye on the Vu meter from time to time. No comp/limiter in the master out, of course.
@Xenoplas: sausagealating, lol! I got the image. Limiters are good, abuse of them is the best way to kill contrast, and you will end with a soup instead of a crunchy piece of cake.
I remember an old topic about sharing mixing tips. I didn't get so much involved, because there are so many ways to work, so many genres, so many gear. Some tips can be efficient in a context and lead to garbage or nightmare in another. There are general rules (gain stagging for example) but no golden paved road to the ultimate mix. Maybe I'll open a topic for mixing tips, sure there are other people here to offer some good advice too.
I agree with Skarabee...... your bass and kick drum are your biggest foundation for your mix...... mis-managment of these two elements can easily kill the balance for the rest of your mix.
Noise is typically used for live sound driver testing, and some others for studio applications..... the more I think about it, the more I'm unsure how a pink or white noise is going to be the basis of setting up your mix in Caustic. But if it works for you, there's no harm in using it, for sure...
I would focus, first, on your song arrangement -- get a nice piece that you're satisfied with for your composition. Then start focusing on the little details and sounds and instruments' tweaking next -- then at the end, start working on your mix, and balancing your tonal structure.
Keep in mind, you're working in a 32-bit float environment, so you don't need to see "all blue/green" in your mixer desks' VU's.... back all of your channels down and give yourself some serious headroom..... if you decide to take this into Mastering later, even if your overall mix's level is low (-6 or -9dB even RMS) then you still have a good clean solid sound, with virtually indistinguishable noise floor, that still gives you plenty of headroom to work the DSP modules in Mastering to balance and boost targeted characteristics that you wish to achieve in your final product.
Keeping all of your levels low in all stages of your production process allows you to experiement with things alot more easily without quickly clipping or other problems, so you can explore your options as you work towards getting your unique sound and character in your song.
Like Skarabee said, there's no one single way to your super awesome mix, explore and be willing to learn new things. Music and Audio Production is a life-long learning experience, with no graduates....
Oh yeah, Caustic's Comps over Limiters any day (limiters have their place for sure, but they behave much differently than you think)
Fun Times -- and Happy Memorial Day (USA) remember our fallen heros in our history or even in your own family line!
Thanks a lot for the answers, sounds like there is a lot of experimentation-work but it's worth it (I guess!).
And remember that heroes and victims are always on the same side.. OUR SIDE !! On thr other camp are only bastards.. Any idiot born in our country will.always be much more valuable etc etc..
Humanity stops at the boundaries.. Bow down to the god Patriotism..