How to achieve sonic 'likeness'

[spearson8]

I have a client who has a bunch of different pre-made karaoke tracks he pulled from a website. Yuck, I know... In splicing these different edits together into one comped track, I find obvious sonic differences between them when they are played back to back. The edits all line up and actually sound 'OK' but the sonic differences are quite apparent. For example, volume difference, different instrumentation, different verbs, etc...

I know it will never be perfect, but what means can be taken to even out these differences and make the tracks all sound like they are from the same planet?

I was going to EQ, normalize and then send everything through a stereo aux-in with a reverb on it to make everything at least be in the same space.

Any other thoughts? The project is a Beach Boys showcase and these comped edits are for a finale, hence the mashing together of several separate tracks.

[DonM]

I'll take a stab at this:

#1 From your description there are some significant differences - volume is not one of them obviously. That can be managed in a number of ways - via automation, some compression etc.

#2 EQ similarly can be automated and somewhat regulated as well

#3 Different instrumentation I have an idea - see #5 below

#4 etc. What is included in the etc differences ...

#5 If I had this project and the client didn't want me to retrack the instruments with good players, good sound - here is what I would do:

I would establish the project time and add some MIDI drums, percussion and possibly some other instruments (e.g. guitars, keys) to play through the entire track so that there was at least some continuity from start to finish.

I have found I can retrack stuff with good players faster than fixing a broken recording

Best

-D

[jntracks]

am i reading right, you're working new vocals into karaoke tracks?

careful multiband compression might help even out from track to track. otherwise you just have to get surgical with some EQ filters automated on each part. make them all meet in the middle.

that's rough.

last note: step one here should be making sure the client's expectations are realistically low!

[Styles Bitchly]

I had a similar situation recently, and found it easiest to place all the "old" material on a separate track from the "new" stuff. Do all your edits on one track, create a new track and SHIFT drag the "new" regions to the new track. This will keep them in the same position/relation to where they were on the first track. Now you can add eq, comp, verb, whatever to the entire track instead of having to automate a bunch of stuff. It worked really well for me. Good luck.

[spearson8]

WOW!

THANKS TO ALL!

Yeah, the process ain't pretty and the surgical EQ and multiband compression chores are making my ears turn to mashed potatoes.

Must take break....

But thanks to everyone.