Jump to content

Snare thwack drops while mixing


Recommended Posts

  • Members

I've started another mix with the drums, bass and vox sounding good together, but when I add in e.guitars(usually distorted) the thwack of the snare drops out or is covered up and sounds dull.

 

Should I be cutting a frequency in the guitar track and/or boosting a snare frequency? Or am I overlooking something else?

 

Help appreciated!

Jim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Should I be cutting a frequency in the guitar track and/or boosting a snare frequency?

 

 

 

BINGO!

 

Electric guitars and the snare drum occupy much of the same frequ.

 

You're going in the right direction. Personnally, I cut guitars to let the snare sneak through a bit more.

 

Try a 6dB cut and sweep through the mids. Its in there somewhere.

 

-LIMiT

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Try panning the guitars more, so they are spread more left and right, while keeping the snare panned center. Also, try a bit of compression on the guitars with a fast attack/slow release, while using a comp on the snare with a slow attack/fast release. You could also use a ducker on guitar subgroups and trigger it with the snare, ducking the guitars a db or 2 for a very minute incriment, maybe a couple ms, to allow the attack of the snare to come through without losing the guitar presense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Originally posted by where02190

The shorter the time the faster the attack and release.

 

 

Thanks for the post, and I understand that. But when I read for example, "..use a fast attack setting..." with no mention of ms, what is considered a common fast attack? 1ms, 10ms 25ms?

 

That's what I meant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Someone can jump in here if they want...

 

- Under ~10ms is usually considered fast for Attack settings. This setting has the compressor clamping down on the audio very quickly, catching the initial peak with it.

 

- Over ~50ms is usually considered slow for Attack settings. This can usually allow the transient peak to poke through before the compressor kicks in.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

I'm sure you know this, but it bears repeating that you use your ear and adjust accordingly - maybe several times if necessary. It's all about listening, listening, listening....:D

 

Something that may help:

Think of the compressor as less about squishing things and more about changing shapes of waveforms. This may help you to have a firm understanding of what a compressor is doing to your audio.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...