How do I create height inside my mix?

[SWBoatman25]

I have a song with a lot of potential, but I need to fill the sound out more, you know?

Reverb is great for depth, but any other tricks/ideas for height?

Everything sounds like it is sitting "low" in the mix (like I am hearing the song from below) and I want to make use and heighten the mix. If you know what I mean.

Thank you,

Spencer !

[take77]

Hi Spencer,
I haven't heard your song but here is my guess & offer of advice:

You can utilize compression to optimize your track signals thereby giving your mix more amplitude (energy).

Often times the AMPLITUDE of bass frequencies are causing the master to peak.
This is the signals energy NOT it's volume level. In other words, low end frequencies can cause peaks with no apparent increase in volume.

What happens then is that you keep trying to turn the volume way up on your car stereo but for some reason the mix sounds muddy & hollow.
Basically turning up bass peaks that mask & shadow the rest of the mix.

The average signal levels of each track need to be brought up or, "heightened".

In order to get the "body" of each signal up, you can tame the peaks with peak leveling & compression.
This allows you to bring the overall signal level (and amplitude ) up.

Try working with the BF-76 plugin under the Dynamics category in the Pro Tools plugin menu.

This is a peak leveler.

Adjust the input so that the gain reduction is applied to just the peaks.
Then, compensate with the output level to bring the nominal signal level up.
For example, if you are taming the peaks by -3 to -6dB you can now raise the average signal level up by the same amount making each track sound hotter.
This will maximize the headroom on each track.
Meaning, you shouldn't have to turn your car stereo volume up to midnight trying to feel some energy. You're feeling it at much lower volume because the mix signals are more "dense".

You can also apply a measure of compression on the overall mix bus (collective & simultaneous peaks such as toms, guitar palm mutes & band crescendos EN MASSE (altogether at once).
Taming these mix peaks is known to "glue' the mix together. Just shave a few dB off the top and then bring the over all mix level up a bit.
But not overmuch. Keep the tracks dynamics in tact. It's the dynamic quiet spots that also will give the stronger parts more power and yup, you guessed it: HEIGHT

Start with peak leveling then advance to learning how to control signal envelopes & manipulate the character like the attack (punch) & sustain of various instruments with PT's Dyn3 Compressor.

A LITTLE AT A TIME at various stages works well.

For more advanced studies you can use aux tracks to "mult" (multiply & mix) a signal to add "weight".

For example, you can send the snare to an aux and insert a little character altering processing like extreme compression or saturation and then blend it in with the original snare signal. Adding amplitude & character.

Above all, go for Clean & Mean rather than BIG and eh...Muddy (if it is beyond your means or ability).

Hope this helps.

Kindest regards,
Mike

[take77]

Also learn about the basic principles of "psycho-acoustics".
Namely, how the the frequency spectrum influences sound perception.

For example, how the more present frequencies make things appear closer.

So after you tame your peaks you can also alter mix perceptions with judicial use of EQ.

P.S.
You can also use high pass filtering to keep the lows from taking up too much mix real estate or over-triggering your peak leveler/compressor.
High pass filtering on individual tracks will help each track maintain clarity in a full mix filtering out low frequencies and keeping them from "masking" & shadowing the "height" of each important element in your mix.

[SWBoatman25]

Thank you so much!

I will apply your advice into my sessions and try around to get the max results. Seriously thank you, I will be referring back to this post a lot.

- Spencer !

[take77]

You're welcome Spencer.
I'm in the learning process as well.

Most important thing is to keep levels consistent by means of proper "gain staging".

Then raising the average signal level a bit at a time at various stages in the mix process while maintaining dynamics (not over compressing the soft parts).

Don't worry if your mix isn't as loud 'n' proud as a commercial mix.
Just go for clean, smooth, dynamic & balanced.

Quotations are for Googling

[DJ Hellfire]

Originally Posted by take77

Don't worry if your mix isn't as loud 'n' proud as a commercial mix.
Just go for clean, smooth, dynamic & balanced.

No, go buy the Sonnox Limiter and get commercial loudness and still retain the dynamics and balance!

[take77]

Originally Posted by DJ Hellfire

No, go buy the Sonnox Limiter and get commercial loudness and still retain the dynamics and balance!

I'm sure the Sonnex Limiter is a great tool when the time for limiting comes.
My suggestion was to encourage making sure that the mix is an actual MIX before the concern of any "finalizing" type processing.
It's easy to get fascinated with this stage before its time and just end up over-processing what isn't even a mix in the first place.
As well as covet a mix quality beyond ones budget or skill level.
But that's what inspires us to learn & keep practicing right?

And yes, at the stage of a full mix, a limiter can also add the "height" our OP is after

Thanks for the plugin referral!

[simon.a.billington]

Yeah watch out for those bass frequencies, it might be prudent to shave off some ultra-lows around 35Hz or below depending on the song and the genre.

Often the bass and the kick's low frequencies all come together in an overpowering kind of way so notching a little out on the bass around 40-50Hz and notching a little out on the kick a around 70-90Hz can help create some room for both.

What reducing some of these low frequencies does is ultimately reduces the overall low-end energy level, allowing you to drive your mix higher before the bottom end starts distorting.

Another thing you can try is what Warren Huart does and use a multiband compressor like the C4 or C6 and compress everything below 250Hz on the bass at around 4:1. This keeps the bass energy level constant which helps the overall energy level of the recording, but it also prevents the lows from peaking so much.

That's if this is your problem.

Another way to view the problem is by adds g a little saturation to some of the mids and highs. You can do this by putting an appropriate saturation plugin on and aux and just send some signal to hit from all the instruments you want to effect, leaving mainly the kick and bass out. You can put a compressor after it as well to keep the effect consistent and easier to blend in.

Adversely, you could use a multiband saturation plugin like Trash or Waves Vitamin and leave out the lower end while ion processing the upper frequencies. You could start with everything above 200Hz and either raise or lower the crossover until its effecting enough of the signal without effecting the bass.

Another thing you could try is limiting individual instruments that seem to be the most punchiest. By shaving a few dB off here, it will allow you to raise the overall track level.

This is all assuming I'm understanding your problem correctly.

[take77]

Originally Posted by take77

I'm sure the Sonnex Limiter is a great tool when the time for [overall mix] limiting comes.
My suggestion was to make sure the mix is an actual MIX before the concern of any type of "finalizing" process.
It's easy to get fascinated with this stage before its time and just end up over-processing what isn't even a mix in the first place.
As well as covet a mix quality beyond ones budget or skill level.
But that's what inspires us to learn & keep practicing right?

And yes, at the stage of a full mix, a limiter can also add the "height" our OP is after

Thanks for the plugin referral!