Can't get it to hit right, Ableton Mastering Question

[mablack]

I made this guy in ableton. I just can't get it to hit right. I'm not using conventional dubstep kick or snare so the usual compression chain method didn't do much good. Too many layers? Panning advice? Sounds like mashmush and I'm releasing it on a demo in a couple weeks. Thanks for your help.

[koffa]

Couldn't turn on my speakers due to girlfriend sleeping etc, but through my speaker the kicks sound like the're on a crazy low frequency? I usually like to layer my kicks, one higher and one lower. Cut out the lower sub frequencies a bit and hi range, then cut out the low range on the high and turn up the high a bit... Then the parallel compression etc. Seems like you're lacking some high end to your kick to give it that push...

[turbo]

Yeah you've got too many frequencies competing for space. Play with hp/lp filters and eqs.

[Zster]

Solo every track and listen to them..
Drop in a EQ Eight and make a lowpass and a hipass. Narrow the band as much as you can without killing the sound.

Drop a Spectrum on the kick and the bass and look "where" your kick and bass are working. If your kick is peaking at ex. 100hz. Then drop the 100hz on the bass with the eq 8 and a high Q on "the kill this frequenzy setting" (what is it called?). Play with lowing the Q - soloing the Bass and the kick. Lower it until you can hear it.

If you have more tracks playing the same kind of sound - ex. two percussion tracks in House music. Solo these together and make sure they dont clash (a hit on the same time from both tracks). Pan these out (try different settings). Panning makes more room in your track for more sounds without mashing everything.

Another good tip:
Lower all your channels volume. The master should peak between -10 and -5 db. Then drop in your master eq on and the utility and lastly a limiter. EQ so the sound is nice. Then raise the gain with the utility until your limiter kicks in.

I had A LOT of problem and these tips helped me very much. Lowering the overall volume gives you more room to adjust and when everything doesnt peak the sound WILL change.
EQ'ing every sound so the sound is nice before mixing makes the track sound better. I used to be all about getting the track done and then Master EQ as well as i could. After i turned this around i need a lot less Master EQ and the sound is overall "prettier".

Oh and by the way. Drop more or less everything below 50-60Hz!

[mablack]

Thanks for the feedback... I'm trying to figure out how to just kill frequencies entirely... the eq8s and 3s aren't doing it. I'm going to revoice the sub frequencies too. I'll try some filters. Thanks for your help guys!

[Zster]

Low cut: An eq8 with like 6 eqs. All lowcutting. Experiment with where they sit in the graph. You kan make a more or less kill.
Hi cut is the same story.

Middle cut. Use the 4. button of EQ types: http://www.sonicscoop.com/site/wp-co...ppella_EQ8.jpg

Raise the Q to make it more specific. Remember that you can "mouse over" in the spectrum to see precisely which Hz you are aiming for.

But i'm with you. If you find a free OSX VST Plugin for lowcutting etc. then please do post it

[mablack]

Solo every track and listen to them..
Drop in a EQ Eight and make a lowpass and a hipass. Narrow the band as much as you can without killing the sound.

Drop a Spectrum on the kick and the bass and look "where" your kick and bass are working. If your kick is peaking at ex. 100hz. Then drop the 100hz on the bass with the eq 8 and a high Q on "the kill this frequenzy setting" (what is it called?). Play with lowing the Q - soloing the Bass and the kick. Lower it until you can hear it.

If you have more tracks playing the same kind of sound - ex. two percussion tracks in House music. Solo these together and make sure they dont clash (a hit on the same time from both tracks). Pan these out (try different settings). Panning makes more room in your track for more sounds without mashing everything.

Another good tip:
Lower all your channels volume. The master should peak between -10 and -5 db. Then drop in your master eq on and the utility and lastly a limiter. EQ so the sound is nice. Then raise the gain with the utility until your limiter kicks in.

I had A LOT of problem and these tips helped me very much. Lowering the overall volume gives you more room to adjust and when everything doesnt peak the sound WILL change.
EQ'ing every sound so the sound is nice before mixing makes the track sound better. I used to be all about getting the track done and then Master EQ as well as i could. After i turned this around i need a lot less Master EQ and the sound is overall "prettier".

Oh and by the way. Drop more or less everything below 50-60Hz!

Man... Thanks for the detail... very helpful.

[StefanoMDj]

nice tips!

[Tarekith]

Took a quick listen to it on the mastering rig. Definitely a lot of lows (sub) in the kick, and some of the synths seem to be mushing up in the lower mids from 250-500Hz.

Definitely some EQing in the mixdown could help, however I actually recommend you NOT try and completely kill the frequencies you don't want. Sometimes this can do more harm than good, and you end up with a lot of the sounds being too thin and mid-rangey sounding. They lose too much of that warmth and fullness.

Try just cutting the freqs you don't want 3-4dB at first, and see if that doesn't clear things up. If not, then go for more extreme EQing. I get a lot of people sending me tracks for mastering who think they need to completely isolate JUST the sounds they want in order to have a good mixdown. Too often it isolates them, but at the expense of making the whole song harsh or too thin sounding. Try a little EQing first, then go for more if you need it.

Also, be careful with the panning and the stereo spread in this one. There's a lot going on really far and wide in this song, but not much right up the center to tie it all together. If you're using some type of stereo enhancer, try backing that off just a little bit.