Pt 321 Stereo & Surround Digital Mixing & Techniques

Front 1

If you need more clarity within a mix element in the midrange, but booting midrange equalization sounds unnatural, what can you try instead?

Back 1

Cut broad cue or shelf low frequencies and makeup any loss in volume by raising the mix element's gain at either the insert or at its volume fader.

Front 2

It's important to maintain a consistent monitor volume while mixing because:

Back 2

a. The reference for balance relationships will change with different monitor volumes.

b. The reference for the frequency response of mix elements will change with different monitor volumes.

c. The reference for noise levels will change with different monitor volumes.

d. The reference for fades will change with different monitor volumes.

Front 3

If you need more clarity within a mix element in the high frequencies, but boosting high frequency equalization sounds unnantural, what can you try instead?

Back 3

Sweep an equalizer to determine a specific area in the mix element that has too much low frequency content, cut some of those frequencies, and raise the volume on the mix element.

Front 4

If you feel a mix element needs an equalization boost in the low and high frequencies, but doing so sounds unnatural and/or brings out negative artifacts, what can you try instead?

Back 4

Cut midrange a few dB uusing an equalizer with a broad cue, and then raise the volume of the mix element to compensate for the volume loss.

Front 5

Why is it important to get the panning correct on the various channels on a live drum kit?

Back 5

If the hi hat and/or cymbals were panned to the wrong side of the toms, there will be phase cancellations and a degrading of the sound and frequency response of the drums.

Front 6

Why do the commercials on TV sound so much louder than the other program material?

Back 6

Because the mix has been heavily compressed or limited, and/or the mix elements in general have been mixed with fewer dynamics. The reduced dynamics also mean mix elements are less likely to change their perspectives when hit with the limiters and compressors or radio and TV stations.

Front 7

Within a stereo mix, "center channel buildup" means:

Back 7

When a stereo mix is downmixed to mono, a mix element panned to the center will generally be heard twice as loud as a mix element panned 100% to the left or right.

Front 8

How can you adjust a surround sound mix to sound more similar in a stereo downmix listening mode?

Back 8

a. Lessen the LFE effects and/or boost low frequency equalization within the sarellite speaker mix channels instead.

b. Adjust the panning a bit to the front on rear panned mix elements that are getting lost in the stereo downmix.

c. Raise the volume a bit on mix elements that are getting lost in the stereo downmix.

Front 9

Orchestrating the frequencies within mix elements means:

Back 9

a. Shifting the frequency response as needed of like mix elements so they can be distinguished better from each other within the mix.

b. Panning like mix elements away from one another so they can be distinguished better from each other within the mix.

Front 10

Proper "mono compatibility" regarding a stereo mix means:

Back 10

Mono compatibility means the stereo mix maintains its essential balances or mix concepts even when downmixed to mono.

Front 11

If a vocal or other mix element is too loud and too soft within a mix, what is the cause and what is the solution?

Back 11

The vocal or other mix element has more dynamic range compared to the track.
The solution is to compress or limit the vocal or other mix element, and/or ride the track's volume accordingly.

Front 12

In a surround sound mix for films, where do you typically pan the dialogue and essential sounds?

Back 12

You pan these 100% to the center channel.

Front 13

When mixing audio within a video project, what might happen if you always watch the video as you mix?

Back 13

You end up with a weaker mix, because your focus for mixing has been diverted by watching the video.

Front 14

When mixing audio within a video project, what might happen if you don't watch the video as you mix?

Back 14

The mix may seem inconsistent with the video, and key volume and pan perspectives might be wrong.

Front 15

The maximum peak mix levels for TV shows, DVDs and Blu-ray projects should be:

Back 15

Based on the spec given by the project supervisor or authoring person.

Front 16

How can you make reverb sound less thick and more spatial?

Back 16

Trying adding more predelay within the reverb, to help separate the reverb sound from the send source.

Front 17

Within surround sound music mixes, the amount of dynamic control applied as compared to that typically used within stereo music mixes is:

Back 17

Much less, because the dynamics are more critical for maintaining the depth of field effect in surround sound.

Front 18

For purposes of mixing with audio production, what is an "A/B" comparison?

Back 18

This is either a comparison of two different audio signal paths
(i.e. with different processing),
or
a comparison of two different mixes.

Front 19

Why do engineers say "never give out a rough mix that you aren't prepared to live with as a concept, in part or in whole"?

Back 19

Because once a client lives with a concept (including an incorrect one), they may get used to it, and expect the master mixes to follow that concept. Perhaps at the end of a hurried session mix included a few general balances that were wrong and/or there was over limiting in the master fader insert.

Front 20

What might be the negative by-product of excessive low frequencies within a mix?

Back 20

a. A general muddiness in the mix.

b. An overworking of the woofers and audio amplifiers.

c. Unnecessary limiting or compression activated by these low frequencies.

Front 21

How is a brickwall (or look ahead) limiter different concerning its output levels compared to standard limiters and compressors?

Back 21

A brickwall limiter sets an absolute output level within tenths of a dB, whereas standard limiters and compressors cannot set an absolute output level.

Front 22

What does the "drummer's perspective" refer to concerning the drums within a mix?

Back 22

The drums are panned the way most drummers sitting behind the drum kit would hear them, so the hi hat and hi tom are panned to the left.

Front 23

Within a mix signal flow, why is the brickwell limiter the last processing in the chain?

Back 23

The brickwall limiter is the best device to set the final output, which we recommend you set .3db below clipping in Pro Tools. If another device is placed after the brickwall limiter, it would probably produce clipping and/or a much less uncontrollable final output level.

Front 24

Multiple tracks recorded from the same sound source are often at least "partially out of phase," as can be with drums. When these tracks are combined to a similar output assignment (such as stereo or mono), if you flip the phase on a track higher in the mix blend sometimes the sound will change from shifting of these phase cancellations.

Do engineers "generally" look for the bigger or brighter sound option when flipping the phase on a track in this case?

Back 24

Engineers "generally" look for the bigger sound when flipping the phase on a track changes the sound of the combination of two or more tracks.

Front 25

The advantages of "mastering within the mix" are:

Back 25

a. Mix element volume perspective changes caused by compression and/or brickwall limiting applied to the entire mix can be compensated for on individual track basis.

b. Low frequency build up caused by compression and/or brickwall limiting applied to the entire mix can be compensated for on an individual track basis rather than affecting the entire mix.

c. Negative artifacts, such as noise or sibilance caused by compression and/or brickwall limiting applied to the entire mix can be compensated for on individual track basis.

d. It allows for using your favorite equalizer and/or compressor across all mix channels via the buss inserts, especially helpful if the processing power required for such plug-ins would not be possible for multiple channels, or, you don't have enough physical units if analog.

e. You can adjust the apparent level of the mix to be compatible with other mixes within the project while having control over the individual mix elements.

Front 26

What is the sweeping the equalizer technique?

Back 26

The sweeping the equalizer technique is when you set a bell or peak equalizer to a narrower curve (such as 5 or 6), boost several dB, and then sweep the frequency control slowly to discover where the primary frequencies of a track are. Once such frequencies are discovered you may opt to remove or boost certain ones on this track, or, remove or boost these frequencies on competing mix elements.

Front 27

When using an equalizer and compressor on a track, which is first in the order and why for most engineers?

Back 27

The equalizer is typically before the compressor, to help better shape the sound that will be acted upon by the compressor.

On certain occasions an engineer will apply another equalizer after the compressor to "make up" for a loss in sound from the compression, such as a high frequency boost for regaining lost clarity.

Front 28

Are there different mix formulas for different styles of muic?

Back 28

Yes, for example rock vocals typically are mixed lower or "into the track",
Pop vocals are louder, and gospel vocals are mixed louder still.
Within rock music the bass is mixed tighter to the guitars, where as in Reggae music the bass is often mixed more forward in the mix.

Front 29

Do all stereo tracks used within a mix contain sounds that are panned wide to the left or right?

Back 29

No, the file format has nothing to do with the wideness of the panning of sounds within a stereo file.
In fact, sometimes the sounds within stereo files are more than stereo.

Front 30

Besides the control room acoustics and the playback speakers, what also can affect the mix reference for an engineer?

Back 30

The engineer's mix reference can alo be influenced by the engineer's blood sugar, rest or tiredness, state of mind in general, interruptions from others while mixing, and down time or long breaks that can break up the mix flow or reference process.

Front 31

What might a very low level playback reveal in a mix?

Back 31

A very low level playback might reveal elements that are mixed too loud and jump out, as the midrange content speaks more at very low playback levels.

Front 32

What are some of the golden rules for mixing commercial?

Back 32

a. The dialogue or VO must e crystal clear, intelligible for every word, but most especially for the product and sponsor names

b. The clarity of the mix must apply to all loudspeakers, big or small.

c. The mix should "pop" and sound as loud or louder than the competition and general programming.

d. Within the mix, the primary voices cannot waver, change levels or generally fold from the affects of the limiters and compressors from TV or radio stations.

Front 33

Are most movie trailers mixed in surround sound or stereo?

Back 33

Most movie trailers are mixed in surround (typically 5.1), and are downmixed for steeo applications.

Front 34

Why would you use an analog side chain (such as equalizer and/or compressor) in your stereo mix inserts?

Back 34

An analog side chain (such as equalizer and/or compressor) can be used to provide an alternative type of character sound and/or dynamic packaging across the entire mix.

Front 35

What are the advantages of using an equalizer within the mix buss inserts?

Back 35

This mastering style EQ can be useful to quickly shape or adjust the overall equalization of a mix, and/or to use a favorite equalizer that otherwse would be impossible processor wise to use on all tracks individually.

Front 36

What are the advantaes of using a compressor or limiter within a sub group versus (only) on the final mix?

Back 36

Using a compressor or limiter within a sub group allows for processing the dynamics of tracks only related to that group, versus processing (and afecting) the entire mix to control the dynamics of just a few tracks.