tips on mixing (solver: Behringer MDX 4400 Multicom Pro?)

[Guest fugelpitch]

I'm having such problems with the mixing of my songs which becomes dull and unclear... I don't use compression which I think must be the problem so I'm planning to go buy a 4-channel Behringer MDX 4400 Multicom Pro for the kick, bass, hh etc. which I think are the main reason they become so unclear.. Anyone had any experience of this machine?

 

Here's a mp3sample of my latest work-in-progress:

http://home.student.uu.se/jojo5483/temp/cr...in_the_sign.mp3

 

Any other tips on the use of effects and levels of stuff? (I feel I over use delay to compensate for the lack of compression to make it fit in the mix, could it be so?)

 

Sincerely,

 

Jonas Josefsson

[Guest fugelpitch]

Direct link

[Guest Rikard]

What gear are u using to generate the sound ?

[Guest fugelpitch]

I have a EMU ESi32 sampler (fully expanded), a Sid Station, a Roland mks-50 (a juno2 in rack), a Beringer Virtualizer Pro and a Behringer 1602A mixer.

 

The main distorted synth in this song is the Sid Station

[Guest fugelpitch]

I'm planning to use the compressor as follows:

 

Channel 1: Kick

Channel 2: Bass

Channel 3+4: Sharp and distorted sounds

 

What do you think of a config like that?

I'm not that enlightened in the field of compressors...

[Guest UrhgurH]

Compressors are good to get more volume where there is to little,

and lower volume where there is to much.

But other than that they don't give the magical "clear" sound ,

that your searching for.

But they could beef up a kick and calm down a bass.

You might try eq'ing to get a more destinctive sound,

but use good eq's not the one on your mixer.

As beheringer is the ultralowend of audioequipment,

you'd often be better of with plain old software plugs instead.

 

But if you wan't nicer sound get rid of the behringer mixer,

it will do serious damage to your mixes....

Get a used 8-10 channel mixer with 3 eq's to every channel

(at least), but this is just if your serious about your music.

[Guest fugelpitch]

Yeah, I'm planning to buy a new mixer but they are pretty expensive...

thinking of a 24-32 channel for expansion possibilities..

Any tips as for second hand mixers? The mackies are way to expensive...

 

Anyone used a Behringer compressor... it's should not be as big difference between compressors as there can be with dsp powered effects?

[Guest random]

well first of all Behringer is not the ultralowend of audio equipment. Their stuff cost less because its mass-produced on a Japanese assembly line instead of by-lot production by american 100$/h technicians like Mackie. The hardware used is basically the same. Furthermore, Mackie is on the stock market so it has to make money to beef up its shares and Behringer is not.

 

In any case, the problem you have is not with compression, although it does make a difference on the end product. I'd say you need to EQ your stuff better thats all. If you don't have monitors, buy monitors before buying a compressor.

 

When mixing, its important to 'seperate' the sounds. The problem with electronic music is the filters which, depending on the type, can move your sound along a large range of frequencies, thus making it hard to isolate it in a particular range on the spectrum like you would do for a guitar. An example could be: lessen the lowend on your hihats, lessen the highend on your bass, and accentuate the mid on your lead. That would keep sounds form steeping onto each other, thus making the mix seem more "crisp".

 

Of course there is no magic method to it, sometimes you might want to limit a synthline to a certain range of frequencies for mixing purpose but then find out that it really changes the sound of said synth. You need to fiddle around and fiddle around some more until you find balance between the sounds.

 

Another trick is panning and effecting. If all your drums are mono and played in the "mid channel" (of course there's no mid channel but yknow what I mean), they'll sound muddy. The kick should always remain in the mid channel, but a little touch of (stereo)reverb or chorus will give them a little extra wizz and set them apart from the rest of the drums. Same applies with synth. If you have two synths that sound alike going on at the same time.. try leaving one in mono and chorus-up the other one.

 

Anyways... FIDDLE AROUND , PLAY... EXPERIMENT

[Guest random]

damn sorry... .the reveb/chorus tip I gave was for HIHATS.. not a KICK Reverbed/Chorused Kicks = BAD

[Guest coriolis]

although, if you put reverb on a kick with a bright attack and put a highpass before the reverb (or within the reverb settings if you have it), it isn't going to muddy up the bass, just give a little spatial effect to the very top end of the kick which can be nice in some mixes. but not if your kick is all lows or even low-mids.

[Guest UrhgurH]

" Behringer is not the ultralowend of audio equipment. Their stuff cost less because its mass-produced on a Japanese assembly line instead of by-lot production by american 100$/h technicians like Mackie. The hardware used is basically the same. Furthermore, Mackie is on the stock market so it has to make money to beef up its shares and Behringer is not."

 

WRONG!!

 

Go into a music shop and try out an A/B test of as you propose,

a behringer eq vs. a mackie eq if you can claim with a straight face,

that these two sound equally good you are a better liar than me.

Soon you'll be saying that i shouldn't buy a lexicon reverb,

becouse the behringer virtualizer has basicly the same components?

So they sound the same?

 

DONT THINK SO

 

No offence intended, but you get what you pay for when it comes to audio.