Effects

video Precision Gating Techniques for Drums

Precision Gating Techniques for Drums

Using gates for drums in a live mix enhances clarity and impact of kick, snare, and toms. Tailor gating to each drum’s uniqueness. This includes proper kick setup to achieve a natural, controlled sound that blends well in the band mix. Key Points: Handling a kick drum with no hole in the resonant head requires some special gating techniques. By using frequency-specific gating, you can ensure the gate responds accurately to the kick drum’s sound. This approach lets you capture both powerful hits and delicate nuances effectively. Make your decisions on gating the snare top and bottom based on the finesse of the drummer’s playing style. The aim is to preserve the natural dynamics of the snare while controlling bleed and resonance. Each tom should be gated alone, paying special attention to the filter settings. Focus on the gate and the tom’s frequencies. This approach lets the tom’s natural tone shine and minimizes interference from other drum parts. Adjust the attack, hold, and release of the gates to match the drums’ natural decay. This avoids a compressed or ‘robotic’ sound. Carefully manage the range setting to ensure the gate reduces volume without muting the drum’s resonance. Flexibility in gating is key. This is especially true in subtle song sections where a softer touch on the drums needs a different gating approach. Sometimes, you’ll have to bypass the gates for full musical expression. Blending with the rest of the band is the final step. After tuning the drum gates, blend the gated drum kit with the rest of the band. Gate Settings for Natural Sound: Adjust the attack, hold, and release of the gates to match the drums' natural decay. This avoids a compressed or 'robotic' sound. We carefully manage the range setting. It ensures the gate reduces volume without muting the drum's resonance. Adapting Gating in Different Song Sections: Flexibility in gating is key. This is especially true in subtle song sections. There, a softer touch on the drums needs a different gating approach. Sometimes, the gates must be bypassed for full musical expression. After tuning the drum gates, the last step is blending the gated drum kit with the rest of the band. This integration is used to judge the gating’s effectiveness in the whole mix. Make any adjustments needed for a cohesive sound.
video Using EQ to Fit the Band in the Mix

Using EQ to Fit the Band in the Mix

Trey transitions from the precise drum EQ to the rest of the band. He focuses on fine-tuning the other instruments in the mix. These include an upright bass, two electric guitars, and two forms of keys. Trey considers each instrument’s unique characteristics and decides how they should blend seamlessly within the mix. This shows the importance of EQ in achieving a harmonious balance. Key Points: The upright bass is EQ'd using only a pickup due to stage bleed. The EQ focuses on cutting low frequencies and boosting string noise and attack without a mic. Electric guitars are balanced between the brightness of a Shure SM57 and the warmth of a ribbon mic. They focus on cutting muddiness and sitting well in the mix. This is done with high-pass and low-pass adjustments. The keys player’s Nord and Mellotron are treated to keep their full sound. This is done with careful EQ to make room for the vocal and other instruments. High-pass filters are used to avoid crowding the low-end. Sarah's grand piano is replicated with a MIDI sample and VST. It needs high-pass filtering to make room for bass and drums. It also needs mid-range adjustments to fit the band without dominating the mix. EQ for each instrument balances clarity and harmony. You should make adjustments in the full mix to avoid frequency conflicts. This ensures each part contributes well to the sound.
video Simplifying Effects

Simplifying Effects

The strategic use of effects in your live mix should help create an immersive atmosphere without overpowering the core of the performance. Tastefully apply reverb and delay to drums, vocals, and instruments with the goal of ensuring that the effects enhance, not distract, from the music. Key Points: Restraint is key, with the idea that “less is more”. The goal is to enrich the mix with atmospheric depth rather than overwhelming the audience with overt effects. Create atmosphere for your drums with the use of drum plate and room reverbs as key effects. The selective use of reverb on kick and overheads lends air and a sense of space to the drum kit. Adding effects to vocals should be tone in a tailored approach to ensure the lead and background vocals have a warm reverb and delay. This step is crucial. Pull the vocals into the same atmospheric space as the instruments to bind the mix together. Balance reverb and delay levels across different mix elements to avoid over-saturation and adjust effects with the full band. You should adjust settings based on the full mix. This ensures that each elements adds to the live sound for a coherent and immersive experience. No part should feel isolated or overly processed.
video Enhancing Clarity and Atmosphere in your Mix

Enhancing Clarity and Atmosphere in your Mix

Vocal effects can be an incredibly sophisticated world. Carefully add reverb, delay, and pitch-shifting effects. These are used to improve vocal tracks. Use strategic EQ on the send and return to craft a clear and enveloping vocal sound. Key Points: EQ adjustments on effects sends and returns are a common practice. Make big EQ cuts on the aux send channel feeding the reverb and the reverb’s return channel. Remove frequencies below 200Hz and above 12kHz. When you do this, it will help prevent muddiness and ensure that the reverb adds vocal clarity and warmth. Extra vocal effects help add depth and interest to the lead vocal. Using reverb on the background vocals and a chorus effect can help you create a lush, cohesive blend. Adjust the reverb decay time to make the BGVs sound fuller and more integrated into the mix. Small changes to effect levels can greatly affect the vocals’ placement and perception in the live mix. Take the “less is more” approach to vocal effects, which advocates for subtle enhancements that support, not overshadow, the vocal performances. Use effects carefully to keep the song’s natural dynamics and emotional impact.
video Sweetening Your Vocals with EQ

Sweetening Your Vocals with EQ

Trey moves from dialing in the rest of the band to dialing in vocals. This includes Sarah’s voice and the BGVs. Trey uses a mix of hardware and console EQ for the best sound. He explores EQ settings, gain adjustments, and high-pass filters. He emphasizes the importance of ear-based adjustments over visual cues. These adjustments enhance vocal clarity and presence. In addition, the approach to background vocals shows the tailored EQ treatment based on their role in the mix. Key Points: Trey uses the Manley VoxBox on Sarah’s vocal for its coloration and saturation. It enhances the texture and warmth of her voice. Trey makes EQ adjustments to Sarah's vocal, using a simple but effective setup. It has a low peak, mid-dip, and high peak. He pairs this with the console's channel strip EQ. It gives him precise control and tonal shaping. High-pass filtering is crucial. It is needed for both the insert effect and the channel strip. It manages low-end feedback and keeps vocal clarity. Background singers get individual EQ attention. This highlights their harmony parts without hurting their overall contribution to the mix. Trey emphasizes the need to keep the frequencies that support their vocal parts. The process shows the importance of listening over visual EQ’ing. Trey encourages reliance on sound to make informed adjustments.
video Effects on the SQ7

Effects on the SQ7

Dive deep into the powerful world of effects processing on the SQ7, providing you with the knowledge and skills to elevate your mix.