Focusrite MixMaster Mode D'emploi page 13

6 Have a CD player and some reference material on hand to use as a comparison for
your work. Not only does this act as a reference for your ears, it also helps iron out any
inaccuracies in the monitoring system.
7 Overall compression can add energy to a mix and help even out the performance,
but it isn't mandatory. Music needs some light and shade to provide dynamics. Often a
compressor will change the apparent balance of a mic slightly, so you may need to use it in
combination with EQ. Putting the EQ before the compressor results in any boosted
frequencies being compressed most while putting it after the compressor allows you to equalize
the compressed sound without affecting the compressor operation.
8 A split band compressor or dynamic equalizer will give you more scope to
change the spectral balance of a mix but these devices take a little practice before you
feel you're controlling them and not vice versa.
9 One way to homogenise a mix that doesn't quite gel, or one that sounds too dry, is to add
reverb to the entire mix. This has to be done very carefully as excess reverb tends to
make things sound washy or cluttered. If the reverb is cluttering up the bass sounds,try rolling
off the bass from the reverb send. If you want to add a stereo width enhancing effect to a
finished mix, there are two main things to consider: the balance of the mix and the mono-
compatibility of the end result. Most width enhancers tend to increase the level of panned or
stereo sounds while suppressing centre sounds slightly. Sometimes this can be compensated for
by EQ, but being aware of it is half the battle. While most serious listening equipment is stereo
these days, a lot of TVs and portable radios are still mono, so mono compatibility is important.
10 Listen to the finished master all the way through, preferably using headphones as
these have the ability to show up small glitches and noises that loudspeakers may mask.
Digital clicks can appear in even the best systems, though using good quality digital
interconnects that are no longer than necessary helps reduce the risk.
11 Try to work from a 44.1kHz master tape if the end product will be a CD
master. If you have to work from a 48kHz tape or one with different tracks recorded
at a different sample rates, you can use a stand alone sample rate converter as you transfer the
material into the computer. If you don't have a sample rate converter, most editor software will
allow you to do a conversion inside the computer, though this takes processing time and the
quality is not always as good as what you'd get from a good quality dedicated unit!
12 When transferring digital material into a computer, ensure that the computer
hardware is set to external digital sync when you are recording and internal
sync when you play back. Also double check your record sample rate matches the source
sample rate clients will often present you with DAT tapes either at the wrong sample rate or
even with different tracks at different sample rates. All too often this is overlooked until the
client realises that one of the songs is playing back around 10% too slow!
13 If you're using a digital de-noising program, don't expect it to work
miracles even the best systems produce side effects if you try to push them
too far. The simpler systems are effectively multi-band expanders where the threshold of each
band is set by first analysing a section of noise from between tracks. For this reason it's best not
to try to clean up your original masters prior to editing, otherwise there may be no noise
samples left to work from. Used carefully, you can get a few dB of noise reduction before the
side effects set in as low level signals open and close the expanders in the various bands, the
background noise is modulated in a way that can only be described as 'chirping'. The more
noise reduction you try to achieve, the worse the chirping, so it's best to use as little as you can
get away with.
14 When editing individual tracks, for example, when compiling a version from all the
best sections of several mixes or recordings, try to make butt joins just before or
just after a drum beat so that any discontinuities are masked by the beat. However, if you
have to use a cross fade edit to smooth over a transition, try to avoid including a drum beat in
the cross fade zone or you may hear a phasing or flamming effect where the two beats overlap.
As a rule, cross fades should be as short as you can get away with so as to avoid getting a
double-tracked effect during the fade zone. As little as between 10 and 30ms is enough to
avoid producing a click.
15 On important projects, run off two copies of the final mastered DAT tape
(one as a backup) and mark these as production master and clone. Write the sample
rate on the box along with all other relevant data. If you include test tones, document their
level and include a list of all the track start times and running lengths for the benefit of the CD
manufacturer. As mentioned earlier, if for any reason you have produced a 48kHz sample rate
master, mark this clearly on the production DAT master so that the CD manufacturer can
sample rate convert it for you.
It is always a good idea to avoid recording audio during the first minute or so of a new DAT
tape to avoid the large number of drop outs commonly caused by the leader clip in the tape
spool hub. You can however use this section to record test tones, which will also demonstrate
to the person playing your tape that it isn't blank! If you put DAT start IDs on each track,
check them carefully to make sure there are no spurious ones and don't use skip IDs.
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