Begging your pardon

[Glenn Mitchell]

Wow Andy, Thanks so much.
This was a big lesson on "Less is More" for me.
I hope I can keep it going.

[AndyR]

I'm trying to learn it at the moment - and not succeeding!!! I'll beat the bugger, though... (either that or leave all the overdubs on after all )

Don't push it too hard ("I hope I can keep it going"), just take what you've learnt on board and see what happens next

[Glenn Mitchell]

Yeah, I read a tip where they said don't have more than 3 or a max of 4 sounds happening at any one time.
It detracts rather than adds.
And not to be afraid of dynamics. (Contrast is a good thing lol)

[AndyR]

"Contrast is a good thing"

Hope you can hear the same irony in that phrase as I can!

Right, contrast, get some contrast in...

...hmm

not bad...

More contrast...

That's IT!

It needs MORE CONTRAST...

Pile it on...

YEAH...


Hang on?!!

There's LOADS of contrast in it now  - why does it sound like a big ole blob?!!

[Glenn Mitchell]

Lol. and therein lies the elusive art of the mix.

[Speed Demon]

Glenn, I've never had a problem with more than four sounds appearing at once in the mix.
When I mix tracks I make sure each of them appears at a different plane in the stereo field.
Increases overall clarity, in my opinion.

Different effects on the tracks, or parts of tracks, depending on what I want to hear.
I have over 60 plugins for Audition, giving me virtually unlimited control over every aspect
of the music.

The only thing I lack is a tin ear. Can't seem to find one of them suckers in the local music stores.

[Glenn Mitchell]

Yes panning helps a lot (unless it's played on AM radio or other mono source.)
Certainly EQing each track's frequencies so it doesn't mask others is very effective.
Killing unneeded bass Freq's on most tracks is a basic.
Tonal differences is a favorite trick too, similar to EQing.
It's just that the Wall of Sound that I loved and was so popular in the past is not favored as much just now.
Perhaps it's because attention spans and critical listening have fallen by the wayside.

[AndyR]

Interestingly, though - the "walls of sound" that I like and aspire to are actually quite sparse when you look into them.

Eg I'm listening very closely to Jethro Tull (right at the moment - it's Thick As Brick, Part 1, about 14 minutes in). The bass and drums are the most important parts, the flute was carrying the melody when I started typing, then there's some organ and some guitar - there's bugger all there, but it sounds huge.

And then mid-late 70s Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody, for example. Take the overdubs off that we're so familiar with - the choirs (counts as one sound) and any harmony guitar parts (also counts as one sound) - it's a three-piece with a guitarist adding colour: drums, bass, piano, vocal. That drums/bass/piano is the recording - and it's a "huge" sound.

[funkyaxe]

Put quite simply - this is sublimely perfect. Guitar sound and playing is gorgeous and the vocal is just lovely.Really enjoyed this song.

Funkyaxe ( andy )